The recent attack on Iran has once again placed Mossad firmly in the spotlight. KSI lecturer Kenneth Lasoen described the operations on Nieuwsuur as “superior, well thought-out, and creative” — qualities reflected in some of the Israeli intelligence service’s most high-profile missions.
Watch the Nieuwsuur segment here, in which Kenneth Lasoen analyses the recent Mossad operation.
The Mossad in Action: Operations Against Iran and Hezbollah
The attack marks a new phase in the covert struggle between Israel and Iran. According to Kenneth Lasoen, the operation against Iran’s nuclear programme demonstrates Mossad’s deliberate and creative approach — a hallmark of the service.
Mossad planned the offensive against Iran’s nuclear programme over a period of two years in the utmost secrecy. Agents penetrated from Israel and on the ground inside Iran to carry out extensive preparatory operations. The result: large-scale airstrikes on around 150 targets, including nuclear facilities, and the elimination of senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Mossad thus proved itself once again — not long after the simultaneous detonation of thousands of beepers carried by Hezbollah militants and civilians in Lebanon. This sabotage campaign took Mossad agents a decade to prepare, with creativity and meticulous planning at its core.
Does the End Justify the Means?
Mossad was founded in 1949, one year after Israel’s independence. The agency’s mission is one of existential struggle, aimed at preventing history — in particular the Holocaust — from repeating itself. This conviction drives every operation, however risky or controversial.
Since its inception, Mossad has built a track record of pragmatic and often extrajudicial operations to eliminate Israel’s enemies. Unlike European agencies such as the Dutch AIVD, Mossad operates without strict legal constraints. Assassinations and sabotage are part of its repertoire, sometimes with little concern for potential collateral damage.
Mossad remains a fascinating and controversial phenomenon: undeniably effective in intelligence work, yet notorious for its ruthless methods. As Kenneth Lasoen summarises: “For Mossad, the end justifies the means.”
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