Former PM Olmert Recounts Syria Reactor Strike, Fear of Leaks

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert revealed details of the 2007 operation to destroy a Syrian nuclear reactor in an interview on Amit Segal's podcast. Olmert described the intelligence gathering process, including the persistent efforts of a female Mossad officer who insisted on the reactor's existence despite initial skepticism from superiors. He recounted the moment he was informed of the confirmed existence of the reactor, stating, "There is a nuclear reactor in Syria, we will destroy it." He recalled telling his associates, including then-IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Mossad chief Meir Dagan, that the immediate focus would be on its destruction, not on how the intelligence failure occurred.

Olmert admitted to significant personal anxiety surrounding the operation, particularly the fear of leaks. "There was such a fear all the time, I would wake up at night in fear that it would leak," he stated. He described his wife Aliza noticing his distress upon returning home. The operation, codenamed "Operation Orchard," successfully destroyed the reactor, which was believed to be nearing completion and capable of producing plutonium for a nuclear weapon. The Israeli government maintained a policy of ambiguity regarding the strike for many years.

In a separate comment, Amit Segal criticized what he termed a "most cowardly stance" regarding the handling of the intelligence, suggesting it was characteristic of a certain approach. The article does not elaborate on what specific stance Segal was referring to beyond Olmert's expressed fear of leaks.