Who would imagine?

It all began with some health problems and ended up in a strong and warm relationship that lasted for years between a senior Israeli doctor and prominent Arab figures and rulers.

In mid-July, the mass-circulation Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot published in its weekend issue, a several page report on Prof. Mani and his secret encounters within the highest circles of the Arab world including close ties with the late Saudi King Fahd. 

With the help of Saudi billionaire, Adnan Khashoggi, Israel’s Professor Moshe Mani would wrap himself up in a traditional Arab Jalabiya, and leap from one Arab leader to the other. According to the report, he went horse-back riding with the late Moroccan King Hassan, spoke with Sudan’s president Jaffer Numeiri – as he tried to convince him to assist Ethiopian Jews in coming to Israel through Sudan. Mani would celebrate in extravagant meals on yachts in Jeddah and other Arab cities, until the day he felt he had enough caviar…

For months, Prof. Moshe Mani, head of "Tel HaShomer’s Urology" department, would reportedly disappear from Israel and travel on to London, Rome or Geneva. He would secretly join others on Khashoggi’s private Boeing to various Mid-East and European destinations.

Upon his arrival, he would change into silk jalabiyas, which were made especially for him by top Riyadh tailors. His shoes were purchased in special fashionable stores in Morocco. “During all my visits to Saudi Arabia, I would wear this costume. That’s how I managed to fit into Khashoggi’s entourage without being suspected by anyone ever”, he said.

In a private air field in the Saudi capital, the limousines would await his arrival. None of his special Saudi patients knew that he was actually Israeli. Moshe Mani, born in Jerusalem, the son of a well-off family that included distinguished Rabbis and lawyers, with roots in Baghdad and Georgia, had undertaken a new identity during his secret journeys. With the help of a British passport that was issued in Rome – he had “turned into” a Palestine-born son of an Iranian mother and Italian mother. His new name was Manual Mani.

“When I had entered the Saudi experience, I informed the relevant people (in Israel), and an order from the prime-minister’s office came out to Tel HaShomer not to ask me any questions regarding my long absences. They (the hospital officials) were also ordered to save my position and salary, also if I were absent for long periods of time, and not to intervene (in my affairs)”. 

“When someone tried to ask any questions, I would state that I was going to take care of patients in Iran - and that sounded reasonable. Throughout the years, we received many patients from Tehran that had kept in touch with me, so those patients basically served as my cover story”.

The road to the Saudi royal family began incidentally in 1978. Prof. Mani was asked by two of his friends to take part in a meeting with businessman and billionaire Khashoggi in the Iranian island of Kish. Khashoggi, “the wondering ambassador” of the Saudi Royal house, had a flourishing agricultural farm in Kenya (with Israeli experts and knowledge). The Iranian Shah was expected to offer him a tourist project in the island, but at the end, he hadn’t arrived.

After a week, one of Khashoggi’s aides phoned Mani, and asked him to come to Geneva for a meeting. There, in a fancy hotel suite, Khashoggi’s entourage awaited. The team included, among others, head of staff Bob Shahin, a Christian of Syrian descent who was married to a Jewish woman and “Sheikh Yousef” (whose true identity was later on revealed – he was actually Eugene Warner – a Jewish lawyer of Hungarian descent).

“Khashoggi knew the entire truth about me: that I am a Jewish urologist, that I live in Israel, and that I have roots in the Orient.”

“We discussed various medical issues, and at one point, when he mentioned problems of impotence that Royal Arab leaders suffered from, I scribbled on a piece of paper a picture that automatically caught his attention.”

“It was a picture of a prosthesis that we inserted in those days into male sexual organs of various patients that complained of chronic erection problems.”

According to Mani, Khashoggi grabbed the drawing and asked for a more detailed explanation. The Saudi billionaire told Mani that he was exactly what Khashoggi needed – a man like Mani that felt comfortable in the company of Arabs, one who speaks the language, has European gestures and is a doctor for “problematic” issues. Khashoggi reportedly invited Mani to join his entourage.

“There is nothing that an Arab loves more than a Jewish doctor”, Khashoggi said.

In October 1978, Mani arrived in Khashoggi’s palace in the Saudi Kingdom. Khashoggi took him to the palace of the Crown Prince. “It was Fahd”.

“I have been following media reports about the deterioration in his health in the past several weeks, and I doubt he is still alive”, Mani told Yediot last month. King Fahd died on August 1, 2005.

Saudi King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud suffered a major stroke in 1995 and since has been unable to perform his official duties; his half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, served as de facto regent of the kingdom.

On May 27, 2005, the Saudi government announced King Fahd had been hospitalized, with other sources claiming he was in a serious condition.

According to Mani, then-Crown Prince Fahd invited Khashoggi, Shahin, and Mani to the clinic. There, they discussed various global issues, the conversation was held in English. “Fahd was a very friendly host,” Mani said.

“Since I didn’t want to embarrass Khashoggi, I didn’t speak about politics”.

At one point, Fahd signaled to Mani to accompany him. The two entered the bedroom. “It was a gigantic mansion that was built inside the palace, with expensive furniture, a gigantic bed, designed closets and a desk”. Mani checked, listened to Fahd’s complaints, established a medical diagnosis and provided medical prescriptions. After two hours, Khashoggi told Mani, “You passed the test, there is chemistry. The Crown Prince is very pleased”.

The rumor about a visiting urologist spread among the princes, and the Israeli professor received invitations to attend elegant dinners that ended with Mani providing medical advice in closed rooms.

At one point in time, Mani felt he had enough of the life he was leading. He came to Khashoggi and told him he needed time off. This came after years of journeys to Saudi Arabia, as well as many stop-offs in various destinations, in which Saudi princes, as well as Crown Prince Fahd, had met him. A warm relationship was established between Mani and Fahd, according to the Jewish doctor.

During one of his visits to Saudi Arabia, Mani met Fahd’s half-brother, Abdullah, who has been the Saudi Kingdom’s de-facto ruler for the last 10 years. “I wasn’t asked to treat Abdullah, but I would attend events that he had attended. In contrast to Fahd, who was very friendly, Abdullah seemed to be quite cold and conservative. He wouldn’t let me get close to him, and there was no chemistry between us”.

Whether Mani was sent by the Mossad to Riyadh and other Arab capitals is a matter that wasn’t mentioned in the report, but, between the lines, one can understand that this may be the case.

Was Mani actually sent to “check out” other matters, besides the physical condition of Arab Royals and leading figures?

© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)