From: "J. Orlin Grabbe" 
Subject: SNET: [Fwd: Profile of an Agent Provocateur]
Date: 19 Nov 1997 16:46:12 -0500
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From: wmcguire@cybercom.net (Wayne McGuire)
Newsgroups: alt.current-events.clinton.whitewater
Subject: Profile of an Agent Provocateur
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 16:42:59 GMT
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To: med@iipub.com (Mid-East Dispatch)
Subject: MED: MIDWEEK EXTRA 018 - AVISHAI RAVIV, GSS AGENT
From: newsdesk@iipub.com (MED News Desk)
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 14:29:14 -0500


                   THE MID-EAST DISPATCH

       MIDWEEK EXTRA 018 - AVISHAI RAVIV, GSS AGENT

Avishai Raviv, founder of the militant Eyal group, whose member Yigal
Amir killed Yitzhak Rabin, was a GSS agent, working for the Israeli
Government of which Rabin was the head. But was he out of control, and
how much did he and his masters know of the assassination plan? The
following is a translation by Globes newspaper of the Shamgar Commission
classified report released today:

Chapter 4: The Avishai Raviv Affair

Avishai Raviv was connected with the General Security Service as an
operative from December 1987. During the course of his activity, which
was considered effective, he was found engaging in activities which
constituted violations of the law, including violence, and despite
repeated warnings and cautions from his commanders, he did not cease.

In discussions with him it was made clear to him that he would not
receive backing if he violated the law, but despite aggression,
vandalism, conspiracy to commit arson, and various forms of harassment,
criminal proceedings were not instituted against him except in one case,
an attack on MK Tamar Gozansky.

He also organized a "Night Watch" on the Jerusalem-Hebron road in which
he and a group of friends dressed up as police officers, attacking Arab
residents, frisking them, and more.

He later conspired against Arab residents of Jerusalem's Old City,
breaking windows in their homes and cars. No legal measures were taken
against him. In fact, quite the opposite, he was told more than once
that the advantages of his activities outweighed the damages arising
from his behavior, and that the problem with his actions was not
essentially in committing the acts but in failure to report. GSS
personnel had no doubt that Raviv would repeat these acts.

In 1990, he vandalized the road signs to Arab settlements in the West
Bank. He was later involved in the establishment of a group known as
Fascist Zionist Youth (Nefetz). He was the central figure in the
creation of a pseudo-military organization known as the Jewish Warrior
Organization (Eyal), which subsisted essentially from the publicity
Avishai Raviv acquired and television coverage.

In 1991, Raviv published a racist letter against the Druze chair of Tel
Aviv University's student body, and physically attacked MK Tamar
Gozansky.

He incited a minor to injure Faisal Husseini, and in this context even
filed a false report with his operators. The summary of a meeting with
him on April 30 1992 states:

a. Due to activities initiated by the above-mentioned operative, he was
instructed that his duty in his relationship with us is not to initiate
activity, but to delay, to hinder, and to report the activities of
others.

b. It was explained to the operative that due to his activities, we are
"chasing our own tails" instead of covering activity.

c. He was instructed and briefed not to initiate any illegal activities
and that he must report his legal activities to the GSS in advance.

d. The operative accepted the instructions and expressed willingness and
agreement to act according to the briefing.

Comment:

e. The operative's initiatives stem from his problematic character, and
despite his agreement during the meeting, it can be expected that he
will continue these initiatives occasionally.

f. It is therefore necessary to maintain regular telephone contact with
him and brief him to prevent such initiatives at each meeting.

The summary of a June 26, 1992 meeting with Raviv reads:

a. In character, Raviv reported the establishment of Eyal after the
fact. A serious discussion was held with him on this matter and on his
habit of reporting events after the fact.

b. I explained at length the problems stemming from post factum reports,
that he could err as the result of seeing too narrow a picture, that he
doesn't have legal back-up for things that are not coordinated with us,
it represents a serious lack of discipline, and makes it difficult for
us to direct him toward our important targets.

c. As the subject (Avishai Raviv -"Globes") is a dependent type, I told
him that after examining his file and in light of my acquaintance with
him, it is doubtful if we can continue the relationship with him, while
he engages in behavior for which we cannot take responsibility.

d. The statements were presented in a grave manner, and I believe they
did not fall on deaf ears. Nonetheless, in light of the subject's unique
character, it is unlikely he will take them to heart in the long term.

Raviv persisted. He initiated violent activities in Hebron, he published
posters, including one calling for refusal to serve in the IDF,
conspired against the chair of the Kiryat Arba town council, whom he
believed was too moderate, and his son, presented the media with a
staged presentation of a "Kach" organization summer camp, created the
name of new organization to be known as "Gideon's Sword", and published
slogans calling for attacks on Mr. Domb, a Judea and Samaria Regional
Council activist.

On September 9, 1994, he attacked an Arab driver and filed a false
report concerning the circumstances of the incident. He conducted
violent patrols of Hebron, patrolling the streets accompanied by a group
of minors he organized, carrying out acts of violence against Arabs upon
whom he happened, such as beating an old man and overturning market
stalls.

He continued his relationship with the media to present "Eyal" as an
existing organization and attained the assistance of the television
media, which broadcast a fake induction ceremony, while anyone present
must have known it was only a fake. His operators even assigned him to
write slogans against the peace process.

On July 23, 1995, Raviv was seriously reprimanded. In that conversation,
he admitted that he had initiated violent activities on several
occasions, such as slashing tires, assaults, beatings, turning over
market stalls, and beatings with brass knuckles, primarily in Hebron. In
all the activities initiated by the subject, he took an active part, and
it was noted that many Arabs were seriously beaten by him. Raviv added
that during the activity, equipment owned by the participants is used,
such as slingshots, dart guns, flare guns, a licensed gun owned by a
friend, cattle prods, knives and brass knuckles. All this was done, as
stated, without any report to his operators, and when asked, he denied
any active role in the events.

Also during the reprimand, it became clear that Raviv had taught two
minors to prepare Molotov cocktails and instructed them in carrying out
nationalist activity. It also became clear in the discussion, that the
subject made threatening phone calls. Due to this conversation, on the
same day, an internal discussion was held, followed by several later
discussions, on the problematic nature of his operations.

Concerning the photomontage representing the late prime minister in an
SS uniform, the preliminary activity was carried out by two minors,
without any connection to Avishai Raviv.

However there is no doubt that it was Raviv who took the photo from them
and transmitted it to the media, and his denials of statements by
television correspondent Nitzan Hen were completely unbelievable. He
recently initiated publication by a newspaper of a relationship between
"Eyal" and the Hamas, and this report served the Palestinian Authority
chair in his claims that there is a connection between the Hamas and
right-wing extremists in Israel.

In conclusion, this agent brings reports, but also violates the law,
knowing he is exempt from responsibility due to his backing from State
authorities. His supervision by the GSS was ineffective, and in most
cases, his supervisors knew only after the fact what had occurred, but
repeatedly sufficed with mere warnings.

In the matter at hand, the Yigal Amir affair, Raviv was connected to him
more than any other person in everything relating to the organization of
student demonstrations and student weekends in West Bank settlements.
Raviv helped Amir in the organization and accompanied him to these
events. Raviv made scathing remarks against the prime minister, and
claimed the "Law of the Pursuer" applied to Rabin, and it was therefore
permitted to attack Rabin. (The committee heard testimony concerning a
number of rumors.)

It is therefore puzzling that in Raviv's reports on Yigal Amir, he did
not mention or even hint at Amir's well-known statements and his
intention to attack the prime minister, which Amir expressed more than
once to others in his circle of friends.

We are therefore discussing an agent whose behavior was extremely
provocative, who was not properly controlled by his supervisors, who
sometimes approved his involvement in extreme activities designed to
increase his credibility in his surroundings.

His provocation, particularly everything connected with the physical
injury of Arabs and the presentation of extreme, violent, political
organizations, clearly constitute indirect but clear damage to legal,
identified political organizations, which his supervisors could not
ignore.

It is possible that raising suspicions against the security services and
the damage from such suspicions and their ramifications, was not given
prior consideration.

Lack of control of the agent and the complete backing he was given, in
that no criminal proceedings were launched against him except in the
case of the attack on Tamar Gozansky, created the misleading picture of
identical interests on his part and the part of his supervisors, which
damaged and spoiled faith in the security services.

Any reasonable person understands that intelligence collection is
essential, and that those who do it are not necessarily saints or
pure-hearted. However, it is necessary to beware of provocateurs who
exploit the backing they receive, due to malicious intentions or
character flaws, and become the instigators of illegal and damaging or
provocative activity, under the wing of the government. Such people are
unrestrained, due also to the fact they know they will not be indicted.

The entire State apparatus is responsible for the resulting damage, such
as the creation of additional points of friction in Hebron or damage to
faith in the GSS, which is labeled a clandestine organization dealing in
political provocation.

The conclusion is that there must be effective supervision of agents,
and they cannot be allowed independent initiatives.

                           ****
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--- END ---
--
Wayne McGuire
http://www.cybercom.net/~wmcguire


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