Among the hundreds of thousands of classified US documents put into the public domain this week by Wikileaks, there is one I found particularly shocking. It is a long and comprehensive report on the alleged growth of organised crime in Israel, its increasing sophistication and its overseas connections. Sent last year from the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, it lists names of what are claimed to be Israe’s leading crime families, their territories and their activities. Addressed not only to the State Department but also the immigration and homeland security authorities in Washington, it reports that the US consular authorities in Israel are working hard to prevent any of Israel’s gang members infiltrating into the US. It is the kind of document I might have expected to come out of some unpoliced, third world country. Not Israel. What underscores the shocking nature of the content is the title given by the US Embassy to its report: "Israel, a Promised Land for Organised Crime? " You can read it if you want to be disturbed at:
http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/05/09TELAVIV1098.html