Book Launch: Oper­a­tion Wrath of God with Avi­va Guttmann

Overview

Join us for an engaging evening featuring a book talk, Q&A, and drinks reception with author and lecturer Aviva Guttmann

KCSI Book Launch

The King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence is delighted to host a special event to celebrate the publication of Aviva Guttmann's new book. The event will feature a 90-minute book talk and Q&A with the author moderated by Paul McGarr with a drinks reception to follow.

Operation Wrath of God:The Secret History of European Intelligence and Mossad's Assassination Campaign by Aviva Guttmann

Dr Aviva Guttmann's new book examines the role of European intelligence in one of the most brazen targeted killing operations of Mossad. This covert operation, called Operation Wrath of God, was organised in response to the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre. The operation consisted of ten missions to kill Palestinians who were directly or loosely associated with Palestinian terrorism.

Aviva’s research reveals for the first time that European intelligence played a vital role in the organisation and execution of Operation Wrath of God. Her research is based on unprecedented access to archival records from a secret intelligence-sharing liaison called Club de Berne. Aviva will advance two arguments. First, European intelligence was key for Israel to organise and carry out its covert actions. Second, because intelligence cooperation was so beneficial for all the parties in the Club, the Europeans let Mossad operate and tolerated the use of its shared intelligence to kill Palestinians suspected of terrorism involvement. In other words, the extensive advantages that the European agencies gained through intelligence-sharing led them to turn a blind eye towards, or even tacitly support, Israel’s Operation Wrath of God assassinations on their respective territories.

This advances our understanding of the international relations of intelligence agencies.