Mossad Secretly Acquires 100,000 Coronavirus Test Kits for Israel

Israel's Mossad got its hands on 100,000 coronavirus test kits — Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Like every nation dealing with the outbreak of COVID-19, Israel is woefully short of test kits to check all those suspected of having contracted the disease.

Also like every nation dealing with the outbreak of COVID-19, Israel is deploying every asset at its disposal to defeat what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the “invisible enemy.”

And some of Israel’s assets are considerable.

The Mossad is considered one of the most effective spy agencies in the world. On Wednesday night, it once again proved itself by secretly smuggling into Israel no fewer than 100,000 coronavirus test kits.

These test kits are like gold on the international market at present, and somehow the Mossad got its hands on a treasure-trove.

Health Ministry officials said the viability of the kits must still be checked, and whether or not they contain all the components Israel was missing. Mossad officials said they would continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health to make sure Israel gets exactly what it needs in this time of crisis.

One media analyst speculated that the Mossad had used its behind-the-scenes connections to states with which Israel has no official relations, and which have thus far not been hard-hit by the coronavirus. Those states might be willing to sell available test kits to a third party, not necessarily aware that they will ultimately go to the Jewish state.

Wherever the kits came from, it was an exceptional operation and certainly outside the Mossad’s usual sandbox. Nevertheless, officials said the Israeli spy agency would soon bring an additional four million coronavirus test kits.

In the end, thanks to these clandestine operations, Israel might be able to test a full half of all its citizens, a measure that experts say is key to curbing the spread of COVID-19.