The making of a Mossad transplant tourist

Here's a report from yesterday's Independent on how former Mossad chief, Meir Dagan, has had to go to Belarus for a liver transplant operation after surgeons in western countries refused to operate on him:

Meir Dagan, the former head of Israel’s spy agency Mossad, has been forced to seek a liver transplant in Belarus, Europe’s most autocratic state, after European and American surgeons reportedly refused to treat him. He is said to be in critical condition.

Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus’ hardline ruler, leaked details of the highly-secret medical operation late yesterday, revealing the patient’s identity only as a former head of Mossad. Israeli media worked out that the patient was Meir Dagan, 67, who stepped down as head of the spy agency last year.

Portraying himself as the Israeli’s last hope, Mr Lukashenko, who has funneled his country’s resources into shoring up the country’s dictatorship, said that he agreed to take in the high-profile patient after America, Sweden and Germany refused. “No one wanted to conduct this operation on a former head of the Mossad,” Israeli media quoted him as saying at a news conference.

I'm guessing that Lukashenko was trying to make his regime appear more humanitarian but the case does show that in various areas, high profile Israelis have been painted into a corner.