According to reports in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, The Guardian and The Telegraph, a top-secret letter in the Israeli state archives indicates that Mandela was trained by the Mossad in judo, sabotage and the use of weapons. The letter, obtained by Haaretz, indicates Mandela trained under an assumed name, and the Israeli secret service did not know his true identity at the time.
The letter indicates that Mandela approached the Israeli embassy in Ethiopia in 1962 to seek help in fighting apartheid. Later in 1962 Mandela received training from Mossad agents code-named "Ethiopians." His trainers tried to convince him to serve Israel's interests, but he leaned toward socialism and communism, the letter says.
Mandela was referred to as "the Black Pimpernel" in the letter, though his true identity was disclosed in an attached note.
Later in 1962 Mandela was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. He was released 37 years later, was elected as the first president of an integrated South Africa, and died earlier this month.
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