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10 - PEOPLE/(A-G)/Nicholas Davies.md
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@ -6,9 +6,13 @@ tags:
- IranContra
- Arms
- Media
- NicholasDavies
- RobertMaxwell
- AriBenMenashe
- Vanunu
summary: "Nicholas Davies was the foreign editor of the Daily Mirror under Robert Maxwell, accused by Seymour Hersh in 1991 of operating as a Mossad intelligence asset, passing Mordechai Vanunu's location to the Mossad, and co-directing an arms-dealing firm with Ari Ben-Menashe."
created: 2026-05-14
updated: 2026-05-14
updated: 2026-09-21
born: 1937-03-14
died: 2016-01-28
location: "London, United Kingdom"
@ -23,6 +27,11 @@ Ben-Menashe stated that Davies and he became business partners in an internation
The most specific allegation was that Davies passed [[Mordecai Vanunu|Mordechai Vanunu]]'s location to Mossad operatives, enabling the 1986 honey-trap operation in Rome that led to Vanunu's abduction and return to Israel for trial on nuclear secrets charges.[^3]
### In Parliament
Hersh's book went on sale in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] on October 20, 1991. Two members of the [[House of Commons]] raised it under privilege and put down motions. That of [[George Galloway]] stated that Davies "has been involved in substantial arms sales of Israeli equipment to [[Iran]] and other countries over the last 10 years, is a longstanding and highly-paid Israeli Intelligence asset and that he betrayed the whereabouts in a hotel in [[London]] of Mordechai Vanunu to Mossad," and called on Robert Maxwell to appoint an independent tribunal to establish "the extent of foreign intelligence penetration of Mirror Group newspapers." That of [[Rupert Allason]], who wrote on intelligence as [[Nigel West]], stated that the Daily Mirror and its proprietor "have maintained a close relationship with the Israeli Intelligence Service," that Davies in 1983 "entered into a business partnership with an Israeli citizen, Mr Ari Ben-Menashe, and based a company incorporated as [[Ora Limited]] at 41 Becmead Avenue, London S.E.15, and 1 Trafalgar Avenue, London S.W.16," that the company "negotiated the sale of 4,000 TOW anti-tank missiles to Iran," and that it "allegedly conspired in September 1986 to supply information regarding the whereabouts in London of Mr Mordechai Vanunu to the [[Embassy of Israel, London|Israeli Embassy]]." It asked the [[Department of Trade and Industry]] to investigate a breach of the arms embargo and the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|Foreign Office]] to suspend the access of Mirror Group staff to its confidential briefings.[^4]
Davies, who was in [[Harare]] covering the Commonwealth conference, said: "The allegations are a complete and total lie. I reject them in every respect." Maxwell, in [[New York City|New York]], called them "ludicrous, a total invention," issued writs against [[Faber and Faber]], and sought an injunction against distribution of the book. The Mirror's front page said the two members had "as much honor as a pair of jackals scavenging in a rubbish heap." Asked in November 1986 whether information on Vanunu's presence in Britain had passed from government sources to [[Israel]], Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] had answered: "No."[^5][^6]
### Libel Litigation and Resolution
Maxwell and Davies both sued Hersh and his publisher for libel following publication. Maxwell's suit terminated with his death in November 1991. Mirror Group Newspapers, after Maxwell's estate became embroiled in the pension fraud scandal, reversed course and settled with Hersh, issuing an apology and paying substantial damages. Davies did not pursue his own libel case to trial.[^1]
@ -34,3 +43,6 @@ Sources in Britain and Israel publicly disputed Ben-Menashe's reliability as a w
[^1]: "Nicholas Davies (journalist)," Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Davies_(journalist)
[^2]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy.* Random House, 1991.
[^3]: UK Parliament Early Day Motion 2134, "Mirror Group Newspapers and Israeli Intelligence," 1992. https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/2134/mirror-group-newspapers-and-israeli-intelligence
[^4]: House of Commons, Early Day Motion 2134, "Mirror Group Newspapers and Israeli Intelligence," and Early Day Motion 2136, "Arms Sales," October 1991. https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/2136/arms-sales
[^5]: United Press International, "Maxwell to seek injunction against book," London, October 23, 1991.
[^6]: House of Commons, written answers, November 27, 1986, vol. 106, col. 299W, "Mr. Mordechai Vanunu."