98 pages • 3 hours read
The Nazi Hunters
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Chapters 7-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 7 Summary
The first section of Chapter 7 tells the story of how Adolf Eichmann came to reside in Argentina. In February of 1945, Juan Peron gathered together the leaders of the German community to discuss the repatriation of Nazis from the Third Reich. The Argentine embassy provided documentation, in connection with its consulates on the European continent. Meanwhile, Eichmann himself had begun his flight from Germany. Escaping from a prisoner-of-war camp, he lived in the forests of Germany for a time as a lumberjack, then a chickenfarmer, before crossing the border into Austria under the false name "Otto Henninger."Adopting the name "Ricardo Klement" while in Italy, Eichmann departs the European continent on July 17, 1950. Once in Argentina, the German Argentine network provides Eichmann with a work permit, an apartment, and an ID card from the Buenos Aires police.Two years later, Eichmann's wife, Vera, and his three sons—Klaus, Dieter, and Horst—join him. He tells them he is their "Uncle Ricardo" and, in private, assures Vera that the horrendous crimes of which he has been accused are not true. However, the truth is otherwise.
The second section of Chapter 7 details the selection and formation of the team to capture Eichmann in Argentina. The team is drawn from the best of the Mossad and Shin Bet, and features a flurry of agents, whose special skills and abilities Isser Harel and Rafi—the Head and Chief of Operations of the Mossad and Shin Bet, respectively—believe to be suitable for this difficult, complicated mission. They task Avraham Shalom, the 33-year old Deputy of Shin Bet Operations, with seeking out other members. Shalom Dani, the forger, is the first choice. Heis to provide the necessary false documentation—passports and other identity cards. Moshe Tabor—a technical wizard and strongman—is another selection to the team. Zvi Aharoni, who personally confirmed Eichmann's identity in Buenos Aires, was included as an interrogator. Five other men were chosen: Yaakov Gat, for his experience and cool-head; Peter Malkin, for his athleticism and skill with disguises; Ephraim Ilani, for his knowledge of the Buenos Aires area; Dr. Yonah Elian, a doctor; and Yaakov Medad, the "front-man"responsible for staging the many false fronts necessary.
The preparations are extensive. Every connection between the agents has to be obscured, with visas, passports, letters of recommendation, and supporting documents forged. The agents are to all arrive on separate flights, and hold separate accommodations; all of their equipment needs to be smuggled into the country through conventional diplomatic channels. Additionally, there are legal challenges: kidnapping Eichmann is a definite violation of Argentine sovereignty, as well as the conventional diplomatic process. Moreover, bringing Eichmann to Israel, a country of which he is not a citizen, is a departure from the regular extradition process. The justification offered by the Israeli Ministry of Justice is that in sheltering Eichmann, the government of Argentina has proven it cannot be trusted to engage in regular diplomatic channels. Putting Eichmann on trial in Israel, versus doing so in Germany, is believed to be a consequence of this conclusion: Germany and Argentina were considered too "close," diplomatically-speaking, and latent Nazi and anti-Semitic sympathies in both countries had to be considered.
The mission details are discussed, and again the possibility of simply killing Eichmann is raised; many of the men assembled became partisans at the end of the war, hunting, torturing, and killing Nazi and SS figures. However, it is decided that though retribution is certainly appealing, it is not the focus. Instead, a much riskier capture operation is required. As the details are set, Harel speaks to the entire group, reminding them that Eichmann must be captured and remain in good health, in order for justice to be done.
Chapter 8 Summary
The entry into Argentina is riddled with mix-ups, amateurish mistakes, and near-catastrophe. On April 24, while flying into Ezeiza airport, Yaakov Gat's bus from the airport is delayed while a strange man takes his picture. After a few tense moments, it dawns on him that the man is just a tourist photographer. The next day, Avraham Shalom forgets his assumed name and has his passport confiscated, only to recover it by chance.
Despite these hurdles, on the first night, and while driving through San Fernando, they are surprised to find none other than Adolf Eichmann walking home from work. In their excitement, they nearly jump the gun, but reconsider in time. From this point, all the preparations are in place, and the team receives the signal to enter the next phase of the plan.
Prior to this, another intensive set of preparations is made. The date to extract Eichmann from Argentina is set to May 11th; this is timed to coincide with yet another ruse: the arrival of a Foreign Ministry Delegation on El Al Airlines, the new Israeli airline. El Al was often tasked with this kind of sensitive work, but nothing in its 11-year history was as serious or complicated as the capture of Adolf Eichmann. A special crew was chosen, led by pilot Zvi Tohar. Transatlantic, international flights were difficultand dangerous, and are made even more so by the special circumstances of this mission. Normally, three stops are required for safe refueling, but for this mission, only one stop—Dakar—is possible. This alteration will lead to dangerously-low fuel reserves for the return journey.
Back in Buenos Aires, the entire team is assembled, learning Eichmann's movements and finalizing their plans. They are surprised to find Eichmann living in an extremely poor neighborhood, without electricity or running water. An appropriate safehouse is rented, whereby they can bring Eichmann in and out without unwanted attention. They give this safehouse the nickname "Moaz," the Hebrew word for "stronghold."From there, they contact Isser Harel, confirming Eichmann's identity one last time. Isser Harel opts to join the team in Buenos Aires, at great personal and operational risk, as a high-profile spy such as Harel complicates matters. Nonetheless, Harel insists that he must be there to help coordinate, and make decisions as necessary. That night, Harel speaks with Prime Minister Ben-Gurion, who reminds him once again that this mission is not for them, but the "younger generations" of Israelis.
Chapter 9 Summary
Before Eichmann can be captured,more preparations are necessary. To transport their quarry, vehicles are needed—two large sedans. However, in Argentina, whose economy was struggling at the time, two large sedans are a relative rarity and sure to raise suspicion. Even renting the cars proves to be an illimitable risk: a large deposit is necessary, which is itself sure to raise as much suspicion as the cars themselves. Nevertheless, this step can’t be avoided.
By May, concrete preparations are being made at El Al for the flights to and from Buenos Aires. Yosef Klein, who is running the base in New York, holds a meeting with Yehuda Shimoni, who explains to him that this that is no ordinary charter flight, but one component of the operation to capture Adolf Eichmann, and put Eichmann on trial. For Klein, who lost his family at Auschwitz, no convincing is necessary. Nevertheless, Shimoni reminds him that "[w]e're not here just to do a job...this is the first time the Jewish people will judge their murderer."
Meanwhile, in Buenos Aires, snags develop. The Argentine protocol office reports that they are no longer able to accept the Israeli delegation on the date requested. Instead, the Israelis will have to wait until May 19th to fly Eichmann out of the country. This would put enormous strain on the plan, as Eichmann's family and supporters in the Argentine government are sure to search for him. However, this new risk, like so many others, proves unavoidable. On the night of May 10th, in an attempt to pin down Eichmann's route, Zvi Aharoni boards the 203 bus. In doing so, he finds himself alone with Eichmann, close enough to touch him. It will become a watershed moment in his recollection—the feeling that, despite the layers of professionalism, he was "closing in on evil itself."
Chapters 7-9 Analysis
These chapters detail the background surrounding Adolf Eichmann's escape to Argentina and the beginnings of the Israeli operation to capture him. These chapters provide both context for Eichmann's ability to blend into the surroundings of Buenos Aires so well and also illustrate the pretext for the many measures the Mossad and Shin Bet will undertake.
The first element of the story of Eichmann's flight to Argentina begins in 1945, with Vice President Juan Peron's plan to declare war on Nazi Germany, while planning to import its scientists and engineers to benefit Argentina. One of the motivations of this plan was to make use of the Allied "ratlines,"the name for the network of smugglers ferrying former Nazis from the Allied armies. Secret organizations such as the Americans' OSS—the Office of Secret Services and a forerunner to the modern-day Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)—use the same ratlines, for purposes similar to Argentina's Peron. Indeed, one infamous operation, codenamed PAPERCLIP, sought out Nazi rocket scientists. Werner von Braun, one of these scientists, eventually became a leading member of NASA. This context illustrates the relative isolation the Israelis felt in capturing Eichmann, despite the outward condemnation of Nazism at the time.
With respect to Eichmann's story, one of the most telling pieces of information from this section is that Eichmann spent three years working as a lumberjack and a chicken farmer to throw off Allied pursuers, prior to organizing his departure from Germany. Before leaving Europe, Eichmann receives the new identity of "Ricardo Klement," ahead of his arrival in Buenos Aires; for all appearances, he is now a citizen of Argentina.
This circumstance will present additional difficulty for the future Israeli mission to capture Eichmann, but also helps provide justification for the case. Having confirmed Eichmann's identity, the Israelis plan to use the airline El Al to ferry Eichmann to Israel, coinciding the airplane's arrival with Israeli diplomatic work. The risk to cause a diplomatic incident is great, but Prime Minister Ben Gurion is both confident in the abilities of the agents and suspicious of the international community's commitment to catching Eichmann. As the agents gather at that their safehouse, nicknamed Moaz, they finalize their plans, knowing that failure will likely lead to Eichmann's escape, possibly for good.
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