The Israeli Secret Service

Fülszöveg

Organised espionage was a recognised profession among the ancient Israelites, as the Old Testament bears witness, and, though the State of Israel is only thirty years old, the Israeli Secret Service is one of the oldest of the world's intelligence bodies. In The Israeli Secret Service Richard Deacon, who has also written books on the British, Russian and Chinese Secret Services, shows how centuries of persecution helped to equip the Jews with a talent for espionage and how this played a vital role in the events leading up to the creation of Israel. Because it is surrounded by enemies and ever since its inception has had to fight for survival, this small nation has been forced to develop a highly efficient Secret Service. Today it is without doubt one of the finest and most sophisticated intelligence organisations in the world, the envy of those of the larger powers. This book tells of the achievements, the fierce controversies and the tales of individual initiative in the Israeli... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Organised espionage was a recognised profession among the ancient Israelites, as the Old Testament bears witness, and, though the State of Israel is only thirty years old, the Israeli Secret Service is one of the oldest of the world's intelligence bodies. In The Israeli Secret Service Richard Deacon, who has also written books on the British, Russian and Chinese Secret Services, shows how centuries of persecution helped to equip the Jews with a talent for espionage and how this played a vital role in the events leading up to the creation of Israel. Because it is surrounded by enemies and ever since its inception has had to fight for survival, this small nation has been forced to develop a highly efficient Secret Service. Today it is without doubt one of the finest and most sophisticated intelligence organisations in the world, the envy of those of the larger powers. This book tells of the achievements, the fierce controversies and the tales of individual initiative in the Israeli Secret Service, including the hunting down of the Nazi war criminals who escaped after World War II; the brilliant infiltration and 'cooking' of enemy signals during the Six-Day War; of Elie Cohen, the Israeli spy who was executed by the Syrians, despite an offer of a million dollars to save his life; of Wolfgang Lotz who posed as an ex-Nazi in Cairo and obtained a wealth of Egyptian military secrets; the Entebbe Raid and some of the spectacular raids carried out by the secret 'avenger squads' which range from a frogman's foray into the Beirut headquarters of the PLO to the capture of an enemy radar station and its removal by helicopter. One of the most fascinating features of Deacon's work is the revelation of the surprising extent of the links and interrelation between the Israeli Secret Service and those of Britain, France, West Germany and the American CIA. Sometimes these Intelligence Services have co-operated with the Israelis against the wishes of their own governments. But perhaps the highest tribute paid to the Israelis' intelligence set-up is the fact that Soviet Russia has maintained an espionage drive against Israel throughout the new country's brief history. Vissza