According to Sunday morning reports, it was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's initiative and he pushed to carry out the operation in Jordan despite opposition from Mossad leaders. It is possible these reports stem from tendentious leaks, but these also raise questions concerning the actions of Danny Yatom, chief of the Mossad. If the prime minister forced him to carry out a mission he saw in such a negative light, why didn't Yatom resign?
It is reasonable to assume that in the next few days we will hear leaks from the other side, which will probably suggest another description of events. No one will be surprised if we hear that the Mossad pushed for the mission and the prime minister "just agreed" and authorized.
The question of who initiated the operation is especially critical in light of the stupidity of a decision to take down a terrorist, no matter how dangerous, in the heart of Amman, with all the ensuing ramifications for relations with the Hashemite Kingdom. If Netanyahu initiated the operation, he is not fit to continue as prime minister. If he was only convinced to allow the mission, then Yatom must draw the obvious conclusion. But that doesn't exempt Netanyahu, who is responsible for Mossad operations, and who authorized the operation, from responsibility.
Will we ever know the truth? In similar past cases, external investigations encountered a heavy cover of synchronized testimony, selective memory, and even fabrication of evidence. It is a fair bet that there are some who have already used the past ten days to try to come off well in any future investigation. It is hard to believe any investigation will be able to produce a clear, unequivocal answer to the question of who initiated the operation.
What is clear is that the operation was inept and once again proved how lethal the amateurism and lack of planning associated with the phrase "It will be OK" can be. The number of mistakes in the Amman operation appears to have been taken out of a Mel Brooks movie, not from the annals of the much-glorified intelligence service, presented abroad as professional and "the best in the world". Whether Danny Yatom initiated the mission, or whether he was just dragged behind Benjamin Netanyahu, he, as well as other senior Mossad officials, must suffer the consequences for the implementation