Knife in the back

How low can a person go? To what depths can a Jew, probably an Israeli, stoop? How contemptuous can a person be?

At least in the case of spy Ze'ev Gur-Arie, alias Wolfgang Lotz, I have the answer. For those who watched the second part of the documentary entitled "The Champagne Spy" recently aired on Channel 10, and for those taking an interest in his fascinating and tipsy turvy life story, there is one episode that was never shot and few know about its content, despite the information being publicized here and there.

As the story goes, an anonymous person, probably one of Lotz's associates, betrayed him, squealed on him to the Egyptian police, and brought him as close as possible to being hanged.

Wolfgang Lotz was a Mossad agent in Cairo at the beginning of the '60s. He operated there under the guise of a horse breeder, a former Nazi officer. His heavy-set physique and mannerisms matched his cover story well.

The capture of "the spy on the horse" and his wife by the Egyptians was partly due to his mistakes, but because it was during the time Eli Cohen was caught in Syria, the Mossad suspected there may have been a connection between the two events. Following his trial, Eli Cohen was hanged from the gallows at the city square in Damascus; Wolfgang Lotz,meanwhile, was spared.

Lotz had been an officer in the IDF and a well-known figure in Tel Aviv. I personally met him at the home of an IDF officer in the northern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Maoz Aviv. When he was caught in Egypt his picture was published in newspapers worldwide, and his story sparked the imagination. The headlines appeared in large bold letters: A Nazi officer in the service of Israeli intelligence. Israelis became agitated: Gur-Arie, alias Lotz, was so well known. How on earth could he be a Nazi officer? He was a major in the IDF after all.

Meir Amit, the head of the Mossad at the time, took an extraordinary measure: He called all the newspaper editors around (there was no TV at the time,) and told them the truth. Amit implored: Don't publicize Lotz' photograph. He will be identified by many people who know him and his real identity will be exposed. As a German, he may have the chance of escaping the rope. As an Israeli he will be hanged very quickly.

Died like a pauper 

The newspaper editors complied with Amit's request, and for weeks did not publicize any photograph. The trial went on. And then, at the most critical stage, a letter arrived at the Egyptian court. It said something to the effect of: Wolfgang Lotz is no other than Ze'ev Gur-Arie. He is not a Christian but a Jew. He is not German but Israeli. He doesn't reside in Frankfurt but in Maoz Aviv. He does not own a horse farm; he is a major in the IDF.

Lotz' real life story was unfolded before the Egyptian court, and he stood there completely exposed; someone had stuck a knife in his back.

Who was it? Who was that despicable person who wanted to see an Israeli agent hang? How low can one go? There is almost no doubt that it was a Jew and an Israeli, someone who knew him and his life story well.

Obviously I was not present at the Egyptian court when the prosecutor read the contents of the letter. Long after his return to Israel I asked Lotz what he went through during those terrible moments of fear. His answer was that he felt the game was over. "They had already taken my neck measurements to prepare the rope." He also said that he would very much like to know who composed the letter.

The court believed every word in the letter, but for reasons concealed by the Egyptians, apparently based on an order from above, the court stated that it in fact believed Lotz' account: The spy and his wife, who stood trial with him, were released in the prisoner exchange deal following the Six Day War.

To this every day I am convinced that the Mossad would be willing to pay a high fee to discover who the traitor was, the one who sold Wolfgang Lotz.

Lotz and his German wife tried to re-establish their lives in Israel, but there was hardly a chance of success. He had become accustomed to a life of wealth and luxury; he squandered money indiscriminately and complained endlessly that the Mossad was not taking care of him.

He was a tough man, almost insufferable. Hence when he decided to emigrate to Germany, almost penniless, many here sighed in relief.

Lotz died in Germany like a pauper. His two wives are dead. His only son currently resides in the US. All the questions pertaining to his stormy life have been answered – except for one: Who wrote the letter to the Egyptian court?