In 1957, Dr. Fritz Bauer, a German-Jewish Holocaust survivor who was serving as the prosecutor-general for the state of Hesse in West Germany, approached the Mossad with information that Adolf Eichmann was alive and well in Argentina.
As the SS officer in charge of the Gestapo’s Jewish department, Eichmann had been one of the key architects of the Final Solution, responsible for facilitating the transportation and murder of hundreds of thousands of European Jews during the Holocaust.
Following Germany’s surrender, Eichmann was captured three times by Allied forces but was able to escape each time.
In 1950, Eichmann was able to escape Germany with the aid of members of the Catholic Church and former Nazis and set sail for a new life in Argentina.
Bauer’s information concerning Eichmann’s whereabouts was based on the testimony of a German-Jewish man living in Argentina, whose daughter had entered into a romantic relationship with one of Eichmann’s sons.
Although Israeli intelligence initially dismissed his claims, Bauer persisted and finally prevailed upon Israel’s leadership to take the information seriously.
At the end of 1959, Israeli Prime Minister Ben Gurion ordered Isser Harel, the head of the Mossad, to capture Eichmann and bring him back to Israel for trial.
The Mossad initially sent the chief investigator for Israel’s internal security agency, Zvi Aharoni, to Buenos Aires to track down Eichmann.
Although Bauer’s information was dated, Aharoni was able to find Eichmann, and a 30-person Mossad team (including Harel, the head of Mossad) was soon put together to bring him back to Israel. Many of the team members were Holocaust survivors who had lost family and friends at the hands of the Nazis.
After more reconnaissance, the team devised a plan to kidnap Eichmann.
On the night of May 11, 1960, as Eichmann got off a public bus on his way home from work, he was overpowered, bundled into a waiting car and driven to a safe house.
After nine days in the safe house, members of the Mossad team and Eichmann, dressed like a flight crew, boarded a chartered El Al flight that took them back to Israel (the plane had initially brought an Israeli delegation to Argentina to attend its 150 year independence celebrations).
After landing in Israel, Eichmann was taken to be identified by people who had met him before the Holocaust.
Two days after his arrival in Israel, David Ben Gurion publicly announced Eichmann’s capture.
Eichmann was subsequently tried in Jerusalem, found guilty of 15 charges, and ulti
mately executed by hanging.
As the SS officer in charge of the Gestapo’s Jewish department, Eichmann had been one of the key architects of the Final Solution, responsible for facilitating the transportation and murder of hundreds of thousands of European Jews during the Holocaust.
Following Germany’s surrender, Eichmann was captured three times by Allied forces but was able to escape each time.
In 1950, Eichmann was able to escape Germany with the aid of members of the Catholic Church and former Nazis and set sail for a new life in Argentina.
Bauer’s information concerning Eichmann’s whereabouts was based on the testimony of a German-Jewish man living in Argentina, whose daughter had entered into a romantic relationship with one of Eichmann’s sons.
Although Israeli intelligence initially dismissed his claims, Bauer persisted and finally prevailed upon Israel’s leadership to take the information seriously.
At the end of 1959, Israeli Prime Minister Ben Gurion ordered Isser Harel, the head of the Mossad, to capture Eichmann and bring him back to Israel for trial.
The Mossad initially sent the chief investigator for Israel’s internal security agency, Zvi Aharoni, to Buenos Aires to track down Eichmann.
Although Bauer’s information was dated, Aharoni was able to find Eichmann, and a 30-person Mossad team (including Harel, the head of Mossad) was soon put together to bring him back to Israel. Many of the team members were Holocaust survivors who had lost family and friends at the hands of the Nazis.
After more reconnaissance, the team devised a plan to kidnap Eichmann.
On the night of May 11, 1960, as Eichmann got off a public bus on his way home from work, he was overpowered, bundled into a waiting car and driven to a safe house.
After nine days in the safe house, members of the Mossad team and Eichmann, dressed like a flight crew, boarded a chartered El Al flight that took them back to Israel (the plane had initially brought an Israeli delegation to Argentina to attend its 150 year independence celebrations).
After landing in Israel, Eichmann was taken to be identified by people who had met him before the Holocaust.
Two days after his arrival in Israel, David Ben Gurion publicly announced Eichmann’s capture.
Eichmann was subsequently tried in Jerusalem, found guilty of 15 charges, and ulti
mately executed by hanging.
