raid weapons-manufacturing facilities and fuel dumps that the Pales-
tine Liberation Organization maintained in the Tyre-Sidon area.
Sayeret Matkal’s commandos trained for the operation in apartment
buildings in North Tel Aviv similar in construction to those they as-
saulted. They practiced as well walking around as lovers, the men hold-
ing the “women.” Among other well-known officers who took part in
Spring of Youth Operation were Muki Betser and Yoni Netanyahu; the
latter was later killed in 1976 in the Yehonathan Operation.
The Spring of Youth Operation succeeded due to excellent intelli-
gence and ground assistance carried out by the Mossad. However,
there were obstacles. The Israeli commandos became aware that
three Lebanese policemen were unexpectedly patrolling the area in
front of the targets’ apartments. Still, Barak at once decided to go
ahead with the operation as planned. He was aware that calling head-
quarters might easily have led to the cancellation of the entire opera-
tion. None of the Sayeret Matkal commandos was killed, but one of
them was wounded. In the raid led by Lipkin-Shahak, two soldiers
were killed. Lipkin-Shahak won a medal of valor for saving the lives
of wounded comrades under his command.STEALING THE CHERBOURG BOATS.SeeNOAH’S ARK OP-
ERATION.STEALING THE MIG-21.Soon after Meir Amit’s appointment as di-
rector of the Mossadon 25 March 1963, he met many commanders in
the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to clarify before them the Mossad’s ob-
jectives. Amit asked them what they thought could be the Mossad’s
most valuable contribution to Israeli security. Major General Ezer
Weizman, then commander of the Israel Air Force (IAF), remarked
characteristically that bringing a Soviet-made MiG-21 to Israel would
contribute the most to Israeli security. Israel would then have access to
the secrets of the most advanced fighter planes the Arab states pos-
sessed and, according to the Russians, the most advanced strike aircraft
in the world. The Soviet Union had begun to introduce the MiG-21 into
the Middle East in 1961 under heavy secrecy, which was the Russian
condition for any deal. By 1963 this aircraft had become the major air-
craft of the air forces of Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. Few in the West knew
much about the MiG-21, but all feared its capabilities. The SovietSTEALING THE MIG-21• 27506-102 (04) Q-Z.qxd 3/24/06 7:26 AM Page 275