Just a few weeks ago the case of Ben Zygier, who was found dead in his maximum–security-solitary-confinement prison cell made headlines around the world. Much uncorroborated information was published at the time, some of it was traced back to fictional tales of heroism Zygier spread himself, and some to rumors and conspiracy theories, but the main questions remained – Was Zygier really a Mossad operative? What were his tasks there? what could he have done to justify his secret arrest under false name, and the harsh treatment he received, and most of all – why did he do it?
A Speigel team was assembled to investigate the case (myself amongst them) and try to find the answers to these questions. You can read the full article with our findings here. Or, you can get the gist of it in a short piece made by Australian TV (also a rare opportunity to see me in a tie), here.
To me, the story of this human tragedy goes hand in hand with the story of how it came to light in Israel. My personal account of the ‘behind the scenes’ of investigating Zygier’s story can be found on my website, here.