Adolf Eichmann (1906~1962) was the top Nazi general in charge of killing six million Jews in extermination camps during World War II. At Eichmann's trial in Jerusalem in 1961, he insisted that he was only "following orders.”
A German American political theorist, Hannah Arendt (1906~1975) who watched his trial described the behavior as "the banality of evil" meaning ordinary people accepted the premises of their state and participated in action thinking they were normal.
For the first time since the trial, Israel's spy agency, Mossad, has opened up its archives to reveal the story behind the legendary capture of Eichmann in 1960, according to the Associated Press on Feb. 8
The highlights of the exhibition in Tel Aviv are the original Mossad file on Eichmann, the briefcase with a concealed camera that took the first pictures of Eichmann in Buenos Aires, the fake license plates the agents made for vehicles to track Eichmann, the gloves used to nab him and the needle used to sedate him. It also showcases the personal belongings found on Eichmann's body ― a comb, a pocket knife and a plastic cigarette holder.
In 1950, Eichmann escaped American captivity and fled to Argentina under a new identity as Ricardo Klement. He lived in hiding for several years working at a Mercedes Benz factory until his son Nick befriended a girl named Silvia whose father was a Holocaust survivor.
Being suspicious of Eichmann, Silvia’s father Lothar Hermann sent a letter to Fritz Bauer, a fellow Jewish Holocaust survivor, who was the chief prosecutor of German State of Hesse. Bauer informed Israeli of the fact, which led to launch of investigation.
Two years later, a Mossad agent located the family home in Buenos Aires and returned with photographs of Klement that matched with those taken of Eichmann. Israeli forensic experts matched the details of the ears in each photo.
On the evening of May 11, 1960, Eichmann was kidnapped by a seven-man team near the bus station where he arrived every evening from his job. According to the exhibition, Eichmann told Mossad agents that he accepted his fate when he was caught.
Eichmann was sentenced to death for war crimes in Jerusalem on April 11, 1961. He was executed the following year on May 31, the only execution Israel has carried out.