The private intelligence agency Black Cube, founded by Dan Zorella and Dr. Avi Yanus, is staffed by former members of Israel's intelligence services and Israel’s illustrious foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad. Its most recent operation has shaken Icelandic politics. The firm has exposed intelligence implicating Jón Gunnarsson, a former minister holding Iceland's transportation, justice, and interior portfolios. And this time, their spying could end up saving countless whales.
Espionage meets conservation
On November 11, Gunnarsson posted on Facebook a lengthy post detailing how a Swiss businessman expressed interest in buying Icelandic real estate and quickly established rapport with Gunnarson’s son, Gunnar Bergmann. After two months of interaction and negotiations, they met for dinner at a Reykjavik hotel. There, the Swiss businessman turned the conversation to Jón Gunnarsson’s alleged involvement in renewing whale hunting permits to Iceland’s sole whaling company for another five years. Unbeknownst to Gunnar, the Swiss businessman recorded the conversations, which were released to Icelandic media. The tapes revealed plans to grant an exclusive whale hunting license to the company Hvalur and its owner, Kristján Loftsson, a prominent Icelandic whaling magnate.
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Iceland is one of the last three countries in the world that allow whaling.
(Photo: Anadolu)
According to media in Iceland, it appears that Black Cube orchestrated the interactions, leveraging Gunnár's connections, recording incriminating evidence, and obtaining audio-visual proof of corruption and collusion between business magnate Loftsson and the senior politician Gunnarsson.
A battle over whaling licenses
The controversy mirrors another in 2009, when Iceland’s government renewed whale hunting licenses during an economic crisis. Once again, a transitional government following a coalition collapse sought to reauthorize whaling, despite public opposition, potentially tying the hands of the next administration, which had planned to curb or fully ban the practice.
Gunnarsson, a staunch supporter of whaling, was appointed to serve as a special advisor to the ministry responsible for issuing these licenses and advanced related legislative processes. While Gunnarsson has long advocated for whaling, he denies involvement in the scandal and insists he wields no influence over licensing decisions.
The population of whales, which can live over 80 years, has been decimated by brutal hunting methods involving explosive harpoons. These techniques have led to prolonged suffering and ecological damage, reinforcing the urgent need to end whaling. Iceland is one of only three countries in the world that still permits the practice.
Government shake-up
Following Black Cube’s revelations, interim Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson removed Gunnarsson from any government position related to whale hunting licenses. However, critics note that Benediktsson, who as agriculture minister appointed Gunnarsson, shares ties with the whaling industry.
In June 2023, Iceland’s Green Party-led coalition suspended whaling licenses. Gunnarsson and his party protested vehemently, citing significant economic losses for Hvalur and the Icelandic economy.
The coalition collapse in October set elections for November 30, creating a political vacuum exploited by the whaling industry. The scandal has revealed intricate quid-pro-quo relationships between politicians and business interests, highlighting glaring conflicts of interest.
Dismissing all accusations against him, Gunnarsson has decried media sensationalism, questioning the legality of the recordings and evidence. "After 18 years in politics, you develop a thick skin for scandals," he told an Icelandic newspaper. However, he expressed outrage over his children being dragged into the affair.
Black Cube's strategy
After its controversial role in disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein's legal defense, Black Cube restructured, establishing an advisory committee to vet cases. "Clients are categorized as red (off-limits), green (acceptable), or yellow (economically viable but sensitive)," explains Giora Eiland, one of 5 to 6 advisors on the committee. The advisory board holds veto power over cases, ensuring ethical scrutiny.
Black Cube “takes a single pro-bono case annually, and though the Iceland case wasn't that, we were incentivized by its human-interest aspect,” said Giora Eiland, one of the five or six consultants who sit on the company's advisory committee and hold absolute veto rights over any deal.
Months ago, Icelandic and international environmental groups approached the firm to investigate suspected political-business corruption. “And then we did what we do as a company in all projects,” explains Eiland. “An in-depth and thorough open source investigation online, human-centric research into friends, family members, colleagues and look for exposure. Once we find it, we awake one of our cover companies, and deploy an operative fluent in the objects’ language and eliciting the intelligence of the object. Here, we knew it was Gunnar, who has a lot of self confidence and a tendency to want to impress you."
Black Cube’s swift operation was extremely successful. Gunnar was quick to divulge his family's deep ties to whaling politics and business, the deal closed between his father and the businessman, and how his family will be one the main beneficiaries of this ordeal. The intelligence exploded in Icelandic media, halting all whale hunting license discussions. "It's a good feeling," Eiland reflects. "It was a successful operation, and no one in Iceland will be talking about whale hunting licenses for a while."