No, Israel's mistake was not in supporting the shah. Israel was
acting according to the "periphery theory" - termed by [prime minister] David Ben-Gurion and [Mossad founder] Reuven Shiloah - which called for clandestine relations with movements or countries in the outer belt of Israel's proximity, basically to create alliances with movements and countries who shared enemies with Israel. You know, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. It is thus that secret relations were created with the Iranians, the Turks, the Moroccans, the Ethiopians, the Christians in southern Sudan and in Lebanon.