Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team

Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team

by George Jonas

Simon & Schuster, $117

Steven Spielberg's Munich, due for release on December 23, is about the killing of 11 Israeli athletes by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation during the 1972 Olympic Games. It's also about Israel's decision to send Mossad agents to kill Palestinian 'terrorists' in retribution. The Olympics slaughter was seen by all on television. Spielberg's movie relies heavily on this book for the aftermath. Vengeance, published in 1984, attracted considerable criticism over its accuracy - not least that Canadian journalist George Jonas was duped by 'Avner', who claimed to be the leader of the Mossad team ordered by prime minister Golda Meir to exact vengeance for Munich. Avner, who writes a foreword for this reissue, was later revealed as Juval Aviv, who promotes himself as a former Israeli counter-terrorism officer. Jonas says he checked what he could and makes clear what he was unable to verify. Reviewing the book for The New York Times in 1984, Ken Follett concluded it was 'fascinatingly dubious' - an imaginative thriller if untrue, but one that suggests counter-terrorism ultimately aids and abets terrorism.