Jerusalem – Israeli Rabbi Admits To Undercover Role for Mossad

Jerusalem – Ending years of speculation, Beit El Rabbi Shlomo Aviner admitted Thursday that he was sent by the Israeli Intelligence Agency to Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution to relay a ‘list’ from Israel.

Yediot Ahronot (http://bit.ly/YvG4RE) is reporting that in an interview with the religious website “Kippah,” the rabbi recounted his recruitment process: “Following the (Islamic) revolution of 1979, I received a phone call. ‘Shiomo, we need you,” said Aviner.

Aviner said the following day, carrying French passport, he went to Iran under the guise that he was a visiting representative of the French rabbinate sent to provide Iranian Jews with matzos for Passover.

He offered no further details about the ‘list’ he was sent to relay, but spoke openly about other aspects of his mission; “I was terrified and prayed that I wouldn’t be checked too much at the passport desk,” said Av iner, “but they let me pass without asking too many questions.”

Asked how he successfully relayed messages back from Iran to Israel, he said, “My aunt ran an international chandelier business in France and she exported (chandeliers) to many countries, including Iran. I used public phones to place calls, pretending to be a client, and used code words to relay the information to her.”