An inside look at the Eichmann trial

'I told Adolf Eichmann my name and that I was an Israel Police commander. He saw the number tattooed on my arm, which spoke for itself and didn't require any further explanation. Neither did he ask me any questions. For most of the interrogation, Eichmann kept a poker face, but every once in a while we saw that he was getting annoyed and uneasy, especially when we showed him letters from that period with his signature at the bottom of the page,” recounts retired Chief Inspector Michael (Mickey) Goldman-Gilad, 95, one of the police officers who was heavily involved in Eichmann's interrogation after he was captured. The recently launched Bureau 06: Adolf Eichmann's Interrogation by Israel Police tells the story of the special police unit that was formed to interrogate Eichmann. “The book was published to mark the 60th anniversary of the formation of Bureau 06,” explains commander Dr. Yossi Hemi, who has a doctorate in Jewish history, is the deputy commander of the Israel Police Heritage Center, and was in charge of the research and writing of the book. “One of our goals was to bring to light the story of the interrogation itself, of which Bureau 06 had been put charge,” continues Hemi. “The evidence that was collected during the investigation played a crucial role in Eichmann's conviction. The book opens with the story of Bureau 06, including who founded it, who its interrogators were, behind-the-scenes stories, and requests that were sent to the bureau by Israeli citizens. The second part of the book delineates the role Eichmann played in the 'Final Solution' up until his capture and identification, which took place upon arrival in Israel. The third and main part of the book covers the gathering of evidence, the interrogation of Eichmann, the examination of documents and the testimonials collected from Holocaust survivors.” MICHAEL (MICKEY) GOLDMAN-GILAD, as the young police officer who was heavily involved in Eichmann's interrogation after he was captured MICHAEL (MICKEY) GOLDMAN-GILAD at 95. Only 1,000 copies of the book's first edition were printed, which were then distributed to police officers, historians and others who work in related fields. “Our next step is to look into the possibility of making this book available to people outside of the police who might be interested in the subject,” Hemi explains. “The Israel Police is not authorized to sell books, so we might carry this out using a third party – not for profit, of course.” Goldman-Gilad was born in Katowice, Poland. When the Second World War broke out, he fled with his parents, brothers and sister to Przemysl, and then from there he was deported to Szebnie labor camp. In November 1943, he was sent to Birkenau and then after six weeks to Auschwitz III-Monowitz. Goldman-Gilad succeeded in escaping during the death march and hid with a Polish family. In early 1945, he joined the Red Army. In May 1947, he boarded the immigrant ship Hatikva that set sail for the Land of Israel. The British seized the ship at sea and Goldman-Gilad ended up in a detention camp in Cyprus. After Israel was declared a state, he reached Israel and joined the Israel Police. In the months leading up to the Eichmann trial, Goldman-Gilad had not been working for the Israel Police. “In 1958, I left the police because of the meager salary I was receiving,” he recalls. “We wanted to have another child and so I needed to find a better paying job. But then when [prime minister David] Ben-Gurion announced that Eichmann had been captured [on May 23, 1960], I immediately wrote to then police chief Yosef Nachmias, offering him my services. They offered me a chance to return to the police, and I agreed on the condition that I received a higher rank. They agreed, and that's how I began my work with Bureau 06 as a commander.” What was your motive for offering your services to the police? “Well, I knew German, Polish, Russian and Yiddish, which was important for communicating with the witnesses who testified. I was convinced that I could be of help. I was certainly not doing this as a way to come full circle – I don't think that any of us can ever come to terms with the horrors we experienced – but I was convinced that I could assist with the interrogation of Eichmann. I felt it was a moral imperative to offer my help.” Goldman-Gilad recalls that the unit numbered close to 40 individuals, “including a commander (Avraham 'Rami' Selinger, I.S.), his deputy, (Ephraim Elrom Hofstaetter, I.S.), 12 investigative officers, technicians and translators,” he describes. “The investigation encompassed all of the European countries that had been under German occupation or influence, which numbered 18 countries. We split up the investigation into regions. I was put in charge of Poland, the USSR, the Baltics, Latvia, Estonia, as well as all of the extermination camps located in the region to which Jews had been transported from all over Europe. “I knew who Eichmann was,” continues Goldman-Gilad. “When the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals began, I carefully followed the protocols. I knew that Eichmann had headed the Gestapo Department for Jewish Affairs, and was responsible for sending Europe's Jews to extermination camps, including Treblinka, Auschwitz, Sobibor and Bełzec. My parents and sister perished in Bełzec, along with close to 40 members of my extended family. I had a brother who'd been inducted into the Red Army. I was sure he'd been killed during the war, but I found him 17 years later.” What was it like the first time you met Eichmann? “I'd always pictured him like he was in the photo, wearing his uniform. Then suddenly in April 1961, when he was brought into my room for the interrogation, I looked up and was shocked to see before me a scared and wretched man. It was hard for me to believe that this man was Eichmann, the man who'd sent so many European Jews to their death.” What was the dynamic in the room like? “We were police commanders, professional investigators. We had been given very specific instructions to treat him as we would have any other murder suspect. In fact, we'd been told never to raise our voice to him so that he couldn't complain in court that we had exerted excessive pressure on him, and he did not use claim this. The interrogation lasted for nine months. “The interrogator who sat with Eichmann on an almost daily schedule was commander Avner Less. When we needed to clarify something specific about the area we were responsible for, we'd meet with Eichmann in the interrogation room. There was a microphone and everything was recorded. We asked questions and he answered. Two days later, a written transcription of what had been said was placed in front of him, and he would sign it. These papers were used as proof in court once the trial began.” According to Goldman-Gilad, Eichmann never took personal responsibility for anything. DISCUSSING THE extension of Eichmann's arrest. “He consistently presented himself as a cog in the Nazi machine and put all the blame on others, pleading that he was just following orders from above,” he recalls. “But we presented him with hundreds of documents with his signature on them that had been located in archives in Europe and the US. He had signed letters and directives that he would give to all of his emissaries in the countries that had been occupied by Germany, regarding the transport of Jews to extermination camps. In order to deflect any personal responsibility for these actions, Eichmann claimed that he'd been merely following orders. We were able to prove, however, that he was the one who gave the orders himself. I spoke with him in German. His testimony was recorded in German. Of course, we had everything translated into Hebrew before we submitted the statements to the court.” Did this work take a toll on you emotionally? “Yes, it was very hard, but we'd been instructed to keep control of ourselves at all times during the interrogation. We did so, even at the expense of our own mental health. Almost half of our interrogators, as well as a number of technicians working with us were Holocaust survivors. One of the hardest moments for me was when I came upon a document that included orders to transport the Jews from the Przemyśl Ghetto to Bełżec. From this document, I learned that on July 26, 1942, which also happens to be my birthday, my parents and little sister were sent to Bełzec extermination camp.” Goldman-Gilad interrogated Eichmann five times. “I sat with him each time for an hour and a half or two hours,” Goldman-Gilad recalls. “My main task in Bureau 06 was to uncover relevant documents that delineated his actions. I also met with Holocaust survivors so I could take down their testimonies, in preparation of calling them up as witnesses during the trial. This part of the job was also tremendously difficult. I would sit and listen to their stories, and then try to convince them to offer testimony in court. They would tell me, 'No one will believe me.' “And it's true. Back in those days, there were plenty of people who didn't believe the stories survivors told. There was one woman, Rivka Yosselevska, who was shot with her whole family by the SS. But Rivka had only been wounded, and managed to climb out of the pit. She found her way, naked, to a farmer who took pity on her and gave her shelter. This is a famous story that is still taught in Israeli schools.” The Eichmann trial was conducted under a veil of secrecy. “We were only allowed to go home once a week, for Shabbat. We were forbidden from saying where we'd been or where the interrogation was taking place. And in fact, no information was leaked during that period,” recalls Goldman-Gilad. Was it difficult having to keep everything inside? “Yes, it was extremely hard. I wasn't even allowed to tell my wife or kids anything. When the trial itself began, Gideon Hausner, the lead prosecutor, asked me to be his personal assistant during the trial. I sat at the table next to Hausner throughout the entire trial. Sitting through the trial was no less difficult than the work I'd carried out in Bureau 06. When survivors like Rivka Yosselevska took the stand and told their stories, I felt like I was experiencing the Holocaust right along with them. It's no surprise that I suffered a heart attack a few years later.” 'I WAS shocked to see before me a scared and wretched man.' Pictured: In the prison courtyard. How did you feel when you heard the verdict? “We, the investigating officers, weren't sure that Eichmann would receive the death penalty. We were sure that he deserved it, but we weren't sure the judges would sentence him to death. There is no way for us as humans to avenge what the Jewish people suffered. I am sure that only God can take revenge for what they did to us. We are not capable. “I was also one of the two police officers who were present at Eichmann's hanging, which took place on May 31, 1962. Even at that moment, I didn't feel like this was an act of revenge. Maybe this could be considered justice for one person, but he couldn't be hanged six million times. The true revenge is my five children and my 12 grandchildren.” After the Eichmann trial ended, Goldman-Gilad continued working for the Israel Police for another two years. “Afterwards, I was sent by the Jewish Agency to work in South America, and subsequently, I served in a number of civil service roles.” Goldman-Gilad says that he was very moved when the book was finally published. He was also among the people who scattered Eichmann's ashes at sea. As he did so, he said the following words out loud: So may perish all your enemies, Israel. Translated by Hannah Hochner.

An inside look at the Eichmann trial

The recently launched Bureau 06: Adolf Eichmann’s Interrogation by Israel Police tells the story of the special police unit that was formed to interrogate Eichmann.

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An inside look at the Eichmann trial

The recently launched Bureau 06: Adolf Eichmann’s Interrogation by Israel Police tells the story of the special police unit that was formed to interrogate Eichmann.

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