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This is the story of a state secret that has poisoned relations between Paris and Rabat for decades, an old scandal that has never truly been put to rest. In The Ben Barka Affair: The End of Secrets (Grasset), due to be published on October 29, journalists Stephen Smith and Ronen Bergman unveil new documents and testimonies that detail the Mossad’s involvement «from start to finish» in the kidnapping and disappearance of Mehdi Ben Barka in Paris in October 1965.
The Ben Barka affair, the abduction of the Moroccan opposition figure in front of the Brasserie Lipp on October 29, 1965, whose body was never found, has long implicated Moroccan intelligence, criminal networks, and French complicity. The 576-page book is presented as the most exhaustive reconstruction to date, substantiating and expanding on previously known facts while publishing unreleased documents and reports from confidential archives.
Ahmed Dlimi and Rafi Eitan at the helm
The excerpts published ahead of release describe, in minute detail, the logistics of the operation surrounding Ben Barka’s elimination and the disposal of his body. On November 2, 1965, a Mossad operative identified under the alias «Atar» discreetly bought tools and corrosive materials in Paris, short-handled shovels, a lamp, screwdrivers, and fifteen packets of sodium hydroxide, which he later stored in a safe house in Saint-Cloud used by Cab 1, a Moroccan security unit.
At the helm of the operation were Ahmed Dlimi, deputy director of Moroccan security (code name «Albert»), and Rafi Eitan, a prominent Israeli intelligence figure. The coordination between Moroccan and Israeli operatives was meticulous: the French were to believe the operation was a repatriation, while logistics were arranged for transport, burial, and even vehicle cleaning.
The most chilling passage recounts Dlimi’s own words, describing how Ben Barka was drowned in a bathtub, «They held him underwater for three minutes», he allegedly stated, before a photograph was taken to prove to officials in Rabat that the «task was completed». According to the authors, Eitan later discussed the «methods» used, contrasting drowning with poisoning, and even mentioning a toxic substance flown in aboard an El Al aircraft.
Far from being a simple diplomatic incident, the Ben Barka affair exposes the shadowy entanglements between Paris, Rabat, and Tel Aviv, where espionage, political agendas, and influence games converged, leaving a trail of secrets that continues to haunt history.
