Declassified Docs Reveal 18 Western Countries Shared Intelligence With Israel in 1970s Palestinian Targeting

Newly declassified documents reveal that a secret coalition of 18 Western intelligence agencies, including those of the US, UK, France, Switzerland, Italy, and West Germany, provided Israel with detailed intelligence that enabled Mossad to track and assassinate Palestinian terrorists in Europe during the 1970s. This covert support was delivered through a secret communication system codenamed "Kilowatt," established in 1971 before the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian militants. The intelligence shared included information on safe houses, vehicle movements, tactics of Palestinian groups, and investigations into the assassinations, greatly aiding Israel's Operation "Wrath of God," which targeted those responsible for the Munich attack. Historian Dr. Aviva Guttmann, who discovered the encrypted cables in Swiss archives, noted that while Western agencies may have initially been unaware of the assassination campaign, they later provided intelligence that directly supported Mossad's actions. The operation, carried out without any parliamentary oversight, was considered likely legal but would have provoked significant political controversy had it been publicly known at the time. These revelations underscore the extensive and discreet international collaboration behind Israel's efforts to combat terrorism following the Munich tragedy.