At the torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl last week, a special moment took place when three Mossad agents involved in Operation Grim Beeper stepped onto the stage to light the twelfth torch. It was dubbed “Torch of the Shadow Warriors.” Wearing masks and sunglasses, the agents gave a brief address using only code names: R, D, and N. Their dramatic appearance quickly became a flashpoint in international discourse—especially in the Arab world.
Widespread Arab Coverage
According to a report by Ynet, the agents’ appearance—marking a rare glimpse into the secretive Operation Grim Beeper—received wide coverage in the Arab press. Qatar’s Al Araby TV aired the torch-lighting segment with dramatic background music. Its transcript read: “The executors of Operation Grim Beeper light the torch of Israeli Independence Day.” Egypt’s Al-Rad also published its own version of the video, emphasizing that this marked “the first public appearance of the Mossad agents who led Operation Grim Beeper against Hezbollah.”
Israel Salutes
Jordan’s Al-Mamlaka channel broadcast a special two-minute report showing the Mossad agents’ appearance and discussing the operation’s impact in Lebanon. Saudi channels Al Arabiya and Al Hadath shared a short video stating: “A year and a half after the Grim Beeper explosions, Israel salutes the three agents who planned and carried out the operation.”
Hezbollah in Uproar
By contrast, Hezbollah-affiliated media reacted with fury. Lebanon’s Al Akhbar newspaper criticized Gulf media outlets for failing to use hostile language toward Israel. The paper claimed the coverage “portrayed the Mossad agents as heroes, as if they were defenders of holy sites.”
Operation Grim Beeper occurred a year and a half ago, in which Israel successfully embedded explosive devices in pagers used exclusively by the Hezbollah terror organization. These pagers simultaneously exploded in the hands of Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon and Syria—an extraordinary Israeli feat that took out dozens injured over 3,000 of the organization’s operatives. The operation had remained classified until Prime Minister Netanyahu recently confirmed it as an Israeli initiative and revealed some of its planning details.
