The Man Who Sedated Eichmann

The needle used to sedate Adolf Eichmann, Nazi mastermind, and led to his eventual capture in 1960. Dan Balilty/AP hide caption

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Dan Balilty/AP

The spy operation to capture Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann and put him on trial changed the perception of the Holocaust in Israel. It turned victims into prosecutors. And it also helped to establish the legend of the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency that masterminded the mission. The Israelis on the mission were crowned national heroes.

But a civilian at the center of the operation — the doctor who sedated Eichmann in Argentina and flew with him back to Israel — never wanted to speak about his role, no matter how much his children begged him. Today, the doctor's children try to understand why their father wouldn't talk.

Further Reading:

• Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations by Ronen Bergman
• Spies Against Armageddon by Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman
• "Operation Finale" exhibit by Mossad curator Avner Avraham