One Mossad agent was arrested and another four released immediately by Swiss authorities, after the disclosure of an attempt to install wiretapping devices in a private home in a suburb of Bern on February 19. This was announced today by Swiss federal prosecutor Carla Del Ponte at a press conference in Bern. She emphasized that Switzerland has no doubt that these are Mossad agents.
According to Del Ponte, the Israeli agents were captured in the early morning hours of February 19, while connecting wiretapping devices to the home of foreign residents in Bern, and the wiretapping "was not directed at a diplomat". According to estimates, the prosecutor was hinting that the target was Hizbullah members, acting openly in Bern but without the status of diplomats. Switzerland formally announced that the operation was not directed at Iranian diplomats.
Swiss Foreign Ministry's secretary of state, Jakob Kellenberger reported that his government filed a formal protest about the affair with the Israeli embassy on Monday. "This incident is unacceptable and has a chilling affect on relations between friendly countries," the protest states. The Swiss Foreign Ministry spokeswoman added, "Our government vigorously protests against this attack on Swiss sovereignty and international law by a member of the Israeli secret agency. We expect Israel to apologize."
It should however be noted that Switzerland is avoiding more drastic diplomatic action. When it was revealed that Mossad agents used Canadian passports in the failed assassination in Jordan of Hamas activist Khaled Meshal, Canada called its ambassador to Israel home for consultations. The Swiss Foreign Ministry made it clear it has no similar plans at this stage.
Del Ponte reported that a neighbor called the police when she saw two suspicious looking men standing outside the building at 2:00 am last Thursday morning. The police caught three additional suspects who broke into the building’s basement equipped with wiretapping devices. The identity of all five was investigated, one was arrested and the other four were released on the spot. Del Ponte did not explain why the four were released from custody.
Later, arrest warrants were issued for the four released suspects, but Del Ponte estimates that they have already left Switzerland. It is estimated that the two agents standing outside the building were on guard for their colleagues working in the basement. Del Ponte refused to give further details, including the location of the building and the identity of its residents, arguing that this would hamper an ongoing investigation.
Sources in Bern reported that the affair could torpedo Swiss president Flavio Cotti’s planned visit to Israel. Cotti is scheduled to visit in May, when Tel Aviv University is to celebrate the opening of a synagogue donated by a Swiss Jew. Cotti was to visit Israel last year, at the height of the Holocaust deposits affair, but postponed his visit saying he had unexpected meetings.
Published by Israel's Business Arena February 26, 1998