But even had he done nothing else, his place in history
would be secure because of his action on May 11, 1960–the night he
physically captured Adolf Eichmann, the most hunted of Nazi war
criminals, with an elite commando team in Argentina. This story, which
he recounts in his compelling and widely-praised memoir, Eichmann In
My Hands, was made into a TNT movie, "The Man Who Captured
Eichmann" in 1996, starring Robert Duvall as Adolf Eichmann.
Born Zvi Malchin in British Palestine, he spent his early childhood
in Zolkiewka, Poland. In 1936, his family returned to Palestine to
escape the rising tide of anti-Semitism; his sister, Fruma, and her
three children who remained behind with 150 other relatives, died in the
Nazi Holocaust.
At the age of 12, Malkin was recruited into the Palestine Jewish
underground. Later, this fearless young man was invited to join the new
Jewish state's fledgling security service as an explosives expert, and
using his skills as a master of martial arts and disguises, rose through
the ranks. Though many of his covert exploits still remain cloaked in official
secrecy, he was twice awarded the Prime Minister's medal,
Israel's highest honor.
Since his retirement in 1976, Peter Malkin has devoted his time to
the artistic pursuits that served as his cover during his years in the
Mossad. His paintings at the time of the capture of Eichmann in
Argentina through the present have won international acclaim in
Brussels, Israel, Japan, London, and Paris. He is the author of five
books and a much sought after lecturer around the world. He is also a
private international consultant on anti-terrorism methods.
Peter Malkin's special quality was best expressed by Major General
(Ret.) Meir Amit, who
wrote in 1968 upon Peter's retirement as Chief of Operations: "I
have seen in my lifetime many missions and I have worked with many
different kinds of people. But, I have never come across anyone like
you. You are the embodiment of the classic intelligence image: a
combination of wisdom and daring, of resourcefulness and always
maintaining the objective. This is how I saw you and this is how I
learned to love you."
Peter Malkin and his wife, Roni, divide their time between Israel and
New York. They have three children.
