On march 25, 1963, Meir amit became the Chief of Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, initiating one of Mossad's significant operations. When he asked defence officials what they could do for Israel's security, the unanimous response was to acquire the Soviet aircraft MiG-21. This marked the beginning of Mossad's ambitious operation.
The Israeli air Force Chief, Ezer Weizmann, insisted on obtaining a MiG-21, stating his desire during a breakfast meeting with Meir Amit. Despite the apparent challenge of acquiring a MiG-21, Weizmann remained adamant about the necessity. In response, Mossad launched Operation Diamond.
In Operation Diamond, Mossad formed a team and orchestrated the capture of an Iraqi air Force pilot, Captain Munir Redfa. Captain Munir Redfa was codenamed "Yaholom," meaning diamond. The success of this operation relied on communication between Captain Munir Redfa and the Mossad team during the mission.
To establish communication, Mossad devised a unique plan. They decided that on the day Captain Munir Redfa was set to fly a MiG-21 from iraq to Israel, the Arabic song "Marhabatein Marhabatein" would be played on the Israeli radio station Kol. This song served as a signal for Captain Munir Redfa to take off with the MiG-21.
On august 14, 1966, Captain Munir Redfa successfully flew the MiG-21. However, a mid-flight issue forced him to land at Rashid Airbase. Two days later, he managed to fly the MiG-21 again and safely landed in Israel, completing the operation. This daring mission demonstrated Mossad's capability and resourcefulness in achieving strategic objectives.
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