Point of No Return

Ronen Bergman presents new revelations, offers comprehensive review of Israel's struggle against Iranian threat

Yigal Walt|Published: 07.23.07 , 17:38

Everything you wanted to know about Iran but were afraid to ask: In recent years we have seen the emergence of a growing, multifaceted Iranian threat to Israel. Ranging from the support it offers terror groups to its nuclear ambitions; Tehran increasingly appears to be on a collision course with the Jewish State, and possibly with the entire western world.

But what do we know about Iran? What are the key elements that direct its anti-Israel policies? And what efforts have Israel's intelligence arms and security forces undertaken in order to counter the growing threat? Some answers to these and many other questions can be found in "The Point of No Return," a comprehensive account of Israel's struggle against both Iran and Hizbullah by Ronen Bergman.

Bergman, a regular contributor to Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynetnews who is increasingly establishing himself as one of Israel's foremost security and terrorism experts, based his work on hundreds of conversations with senior officials in Israel and abroa, as well as thousands of previously unpublished documents. The fascinating result is a book that reads partly like a suspense novel and offers readers new insights into the secret war between Jerusalem and Tehran.

The book's early chapters, which provide a colorful and often breathtaking account of the Israeli-Iranian relationship before and just after Khomeini's revolution, are particularly informative. They offer a good basis for understanding later developments and the deep Iranian animosity to Israel over its support of the deposed Shah and his security forces.

Throughout the book's chapters, Bergman takes us on a journey that spans decades and continents, ranging from Israeli officials in pre-revolution Tehran to a lawless town in Paraguay that has become a hotbed of radical Islam. His detailed behind-the-scenes accounts of key events in the Israeli-Iranian clash, such as the bombing of Israel's embassy in Argentina, are sure to captivate any reader interested in the inner workings of the murky world of Iranian-backed terrorism.

The book addresses a whole range of other issues and offers both strategic analysis as well as often amusing anecdotes. One of them details how an Israeli official avoided an unpleasant fate in post-revolution Tehran by pretending to be a PLO member. Years later, the official recounted the story in a conversation with Yasser Arafat.

Bergman also analyzes the Iranian political system, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's role and influence within it. Detailed sections are dedicated to Iran's nuclear efforts as well as the abduction of two IDF soldiers on the northern border and subsequent Lebanon war, which pitted Israel against Tehran's arm in the country of cedars, Hizbullah.

The grim picture that emerges is of an Israeli intelligence establishment that has largely failed to penetrate the compartmentalized Shiite organization. A veteran IDF officer is quoted as saying the army had no idea where the entrances to Hizbullah bunkers were located or what those bunkers looked like, and thus could not provide fighter jets with locations of headquarters for bombing.

The book's only "weakness", which the author himself acknowledges, is the inability to dedicate complete attention to all the many issues and questions presented throughout its pages. Some readers may find that certain issues are only mentioned in brief. Still, the book offers a meticulously researched, wide-ranging and eye-opening review of the relevant issues and can serve as a basis for in-depth study for those who are interested.

The book has only been published in Hebrew so far, and currently tops Yedioth Ahronoth's non-fiction bestsellers list. Translation rights have been purchased by Simon & Schuster, and Bergman says the English version will be adapted to a non-Israeli audience and include even more new revelations.