---
title: Achille Lauro
aliases:
  - Achille Lauro
  - Achille Lauro hijacking
created: 2026-05-17
updated: 2026-05-17
tags:
  - Event
  - Terrorism
  - Italy
  - Israel
category: "Terrorism"
summary: "1985 cruise ship attack described as an Israeli black propaganda operation designed to portray Palestinians as terrorists."
start: 1985-10-07
location: "Mediterranean Sea"
---
The [[Achille Lauro]] was a cruise ship that was attacked in 1985. This event is described as an [[Israel|Israeli]] "black" propaganda operation designed to portray Palestinians as deadly and cutthroat.[^1]

The operation was orchestrated by [[Rafi]], who passed instructions to [[Mohammed Radi Abdullah]]. [[Mohammed Radi Abdullah|Radi]] then relayed orders to [[Abul Abbas]], who was reportedly receiving millions from [[Israel|Israeli]] intelligence officers posing as Sicilian dons. [[Abul Abbas|Abbas]] gathered a team to attack the cruise ship, with instructions to make the attack severe to show the world what would happen if Palestinian demands were not met.[^1]

During the attack, an elderly [[United States|American]] Jewish man in a wheelchair was killed and his body thrown overboard. For [[Israel]], this was considered the best kind of anti-Palestinian propaganda.[^1]

### Footnotes
[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.