The document provides an overview of the main intelligence agencies in Israel: - Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) focuses on internal security, counterterrorism, and protecting Israel from terrorist activity. - Aman (Military Intelligence Directorate) is the military intelligence agency that collects and analyzes intelligence for the IDF. - Mossad is responsible for overseas intelligence collection, covert operations, and counterterrorism abroad. It has units focused on different intelligence functions.

1. The Israeli
Intelligence Community
Caroline Brockett, Nick Stachowiak, Rachel Serebrenik, and Shrey Majmudar
Professor Nichols
U.S. Intelligence Enterprise
April 22, 2019 1

2. A Broad Overview
Mossad
External/Overseas Intelligence
Shin Bet (Shabak/ISA)
Internal Security &
Intelligence
Aman
Military Intelligence Directorate
Centre for PoliticalResearch
Intelligence Branch for
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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3. Shin Bet
Founded on February 8, 1949
Originally: Branch of the Israel Defense
Forces
Who: Then-Prime Minister Ben Gurion
Charter:
Today: Israel’s Security Agency
3 Major Departments
Oversight:
Reports directly to the
Prime Minister of Israel
and Head of Agency
Size:
Estimatedaround 1,000
members in late 1900s
Budget:
Shin Bet + Mossad=
$2.8 billion USD ($9.6B
Shekel) as of Jan. 2018
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4. Organization:
• Three operational wings
• Arab Affairs Department: monitor and
neutralize subversive activities and those
suspectedof Arabic radicalism
• Non-Arab Affairs Department
(counterintelligence):obstruct FIE infiltration
in Israel
• Security Department (counterterrorism):
protect Israeli activities and companies from
terrorist attacks
“The Unseen Shield”
Shin Bet
Responsibilities:
• Provide security against any party
seeking to undermine Israel
through terrorist activity or violent
revolution
• Provide the IDF with
counterespionageintelligence and
counterterrorism intelligence to
stop suicide bombers
Purely an intelligence and analysis
agency with no arrest powers
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5. West Bank and Gaza Strip
5
• Work alongside Israel Police
• Examples
• 2017: ISA revealed Hamas operations exploiting Gaza
Strip residents going to Israel for medical, business
purposes
• 2018: ISA uncovers Palestinian arms smuggling cell
• "The Israeli security forces will continue using
all available means to disrupt plans by Gaza-
based terrorists to execute terrorist activity in
Israel and the West Bank."

6. Law Enforcement and IntelligenceRelationship
• Israeli Police has an Intelligence Branch that focuses
exclusively on criminal intelligence
• Turn over any information uncovered about terrorism to ISA
• Border Police: paramilitary component that has full police
powers but specializes in patrols along Israel’s borders
(along with the military) and counterterrorism operations
within Israel
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7. Homeland Security: Israelvs. United States
• Shin Bet has no arrest
powers, must work
through Israel Police and
IDF
• Israel has unified police force
• Shin Bet travels with IDF
• Focus on counterterrorism
intelligence collection
• FBI has arrest powers
• US has close to 18,000 local
and state police forces,
federal law enforcement,
intelligence and military
entities
• Focus on law enforcement
and solving committed
crimes
Israel United States
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8. Assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
A portrait of Rabin at the Nov. 12,
1995 memorial ceremonies in Tel Aviv
Front page of The Jerusalem Post, Nov. 4, 1995
“Although there was critical information that a Jewish terrorist intended to kill Prime Minister
Rabin, the ISA did not believe it could happen, mainly because it had never occurred before and
also because there was a strong believe in the quality of the security around the prime minister.”
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9. Aman
Founded in 1950
Originally: The IDF was created on
May 26, 1948
Who: Then-Prime Minister Ben Gurion
Charter:
• Aman is the official Directorate of
Military Intelligence for Israel
(military is primary customer)
• 4 Main Departments/Units
Oversight:
Reports to Prime Minister, IDF’s
General Staff, and Head of
Agency
Size:
Estimatedaround 8,000 members;
Unit 8200 itself has 5,000 people
Budget:
Aman’s specific budget is classified.
IDF Total = $20.15B USD ($72.9B
Shekel)
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10. Organization:
• Main Units:
• 3 Collection Units
• Haman & 8200 Unit – primary
collection unit (SIGINT, IMINT &
OSINT)
• 9900 Unit – VISINT
• 504 Unit – HUMINT
• Sayeret Matkal
• Research Division: analyzes
information and produces
intelligence
Responsibilities:
• Intelligence collection, analysis,
and dissemination to IDF and
political leaders regarding security
policy and military planning
• Counterterrorism
• Supervising for military attachés
overseas
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Aman

11. Military Intelligence: Israel vs. United States
• Aman serves as the leading
national intelligence estimator on
not only military issues, but also
political and economic
• High level of influence yielded by
Aman’s chiefs, facilitated through
intensive interactions with Israeli
policymakers, including Defense
Minister and Prime Minister
• ODNI was established to
integrate intelligence and
coordinate the 17
departments, minimizing
prioritizing one agency over
another — unlike Israel
Israel United States
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12. Operation Thunderbolt: Entebbe, 1976
An Israeli map of Entebbe
The successful Israeli troops
"The entire operation was planned over 48 hours. Planning an operation like this might take
another military a month, two months, six months or more, but we had two days, so we
probably covered only 2 percent of the plan, leaving 98 percent to improvisation.”
– Lt. Col. Joshua Shani
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13. Mossad
Founded on December 13, 1949
Original Title: Central Institute for
Coordination
Who: Then-Prime Minister Ben Gurion
Charter:
Originally: Created as body to coordinate
between existing services (i.e. ODNI equivalent)
Today: Responsible for all external intelligence
collection, covert ops, and counterterrorism
Oversight:
Reports directly to the
Prime Minister of Israel
and Head of Agency
Size:
Estimatedbetween
2,000 and 2,500 people
Budget:
Mossad + Shin Bet =
$2.8 billion USD ($9.6B
Shekel) as of Jan. 2018
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14. Responsibilities:
• Intelligence gathering and operations in
foreign countries
• Figuring out the plans and strengths of
the Arab military forces opposing Israel
• Combating Arab terrorism in Israel and
abroad against Israeli and Jewish targets
• Collecting sensitive technical data
• Conducting political-liaison and
propaganda operations
"Where there is no guidance, a nation
falls, but in an abundance of counselors
there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14)
Operational Units:
• Tsomet
• Intelligence Branch
• Neviot
• Tevel
• Tsafririm
• Metsada
(special ops division)
Mossad
14

15. Director
Director:
Collection
HQ Level
Geographic &
Functional
Departments
Regional
Controller
Stations
Director:
Political Action
and Liaison
HQ Level
Geographic &
Functional
Departments
Regional
Controller
Stations
Director:
Training
Training Staff
Field Level
Director: Manpower,
Finance, Logistics, and
Security
Security Staff
Field Level
Director: Operational
Planning and
Coordination
Research
Technology
Technical
Operations
Mossad Org
Circa 1977
Source: CIA Document 15

16. The Captureof Nazi Adolf Eichmann
Eichmannon trial in Jerusalem
Eichmann'sfalse identificationpapers
“In Israel, Isser drove to Ben-Gurion’s
house. ‘We have located Eichmann in
Argentina,’ he said. ‘I think we can
capture him and bring him to Israel.’"
"Ben-Gurion immediately responded. ‘Bring him
dead or alive,’ he said. He thought for a moment
and added, ‘It would be better to bring him alive.
This will be very important for our youth.’”
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17. IntelligenceIntegration
• Prime Minister has direct authority over all intelligence organizations
• Heads of Services Committee
• Leaders of Aman, Mossad, Shin Bet and Prime Minister's Military
Secretary
• NIE’s are produced by Israel as well
• No centers for CT and counterproliferation, because IC didn’t want
gap between “analysis of logic and rationale & operational activities”
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18. IntelligenceOversight
• Legal counsel: the three main organizations operate under
the scrutiny of the attorney general
• Parliamentary supervision: Knesset's Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee, specifically the Subcommittee for
Intelligence and Secret Services
• Routine oversight and special inquiries
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19. Israeli IntelligenceReform
Since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israel failed to accurately predict when
Egypt and Syria would strike, intelligence leaders knew reform was necessary...
The 1990's:
• Improving the synergy between collectors and analysts
• Strengthening relationship between decisionmakers and intelligence
• Redefining intelligence products and goals
• New electronic tools for dissemination
• Enhancing relations with foreign intelligence agencies
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20. Questions?
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21. Selected References
"About: Israeli Security Agency", 2017,https://www.shabak.gov.il/english/about/Pages/about.aspx.
Barak, O. and Sheffer, G. (2006)Israel’s “Security Network” and its Impact: An explorationof a new approach.Int. J.
Middle East Stud. 38, 235–261.DOI: 10.1017.S0020743806382049
Board,Editorial. “How the Israeli Secret Services Have Been Changing.”MediterraneanAffairs,Mediterranean Affairs,
22 Nov. 2015,mediterraneanaffairs.com/how-the-israeli-secret-services-have-been-changing/.
CounterSpy:Secret CIA Documentson Mossad.
http://www.serendipity.li/cia/counterspy/secret_cia_documents_on_mossad.htm#12.
Israel ForeignIntelligenceand Security Services https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB407/docs/EBB-
PollardDoc1.pdf
Kahana,Ephraim. “Israeli Intelligence: Organization,Failures,and Successes.” The Oxford Handbookof National
Security Intelligence,Mar.2010.www.oxfordhandbooks.com,doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195375886.003.0048.
Kuperwasser, Yossef. "Lessons from Israel’sIntelligence Reforms." BrookingsInstitute(2007)Web.
Levinson, Chaim. “A Golden Age for the Mossad:More Targets,More Ops, More Money.”Haaretz, Haaretz Daily
Newspaper Ltd.,26 Aug. 2018,www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-more-ops-more-secrets-more-
money-mossad-s-supercharged-makeover-1.6410934.
"Military Intelligence Directorate."www.idf.il. Web. <https://www.idf.il/en/minisites/military-intelligence-
directorate/>.
Vilasi, Antonella C. "The Israeli Intelligence Community." Sociology Mind,8(2), 2018,pp. 114-122,
doi:10.4236/sm.2018.82009.
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22. Failureto Discover Nuclear Reactors: Iran & Syria
Satellite imageof Iran's nuclear facility
“For several years now
Iran had been building its
nuclear might — and
Israel had no clue. Iran
invested huge sums of
money, recruited
scientists,built secret
bases, carried out
sophisticatedtests — and
Israel had no idea.”
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23. Exposure of Jewish-Arab Espionage& Terror
Network
“Shin Bet’s assessment that the network was operatingon behalf of the Syrian intelligencewas confirmed in
September 1971…The Syrianstook it upon themselves to finance their activities in Israel. Turki informed his recruits
that from that pointon, in addition to preparing for terrorist operations,they were to gather information. During
that month, Shin Bet discoveredthat the network includedJewish recruits.”
Udi Adiv, Jewish head of a cell
Daud Turki, Arab
leader of the org.
The sentencing of the central figures
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24. Yom KippurWar, 1973: Failureto Warn
“24 hours before the war started, Aman had an almost perfect
picture of the Syrian and Egyptiandeployment,yet it estimated that
the likelihoodof war was low…resting on the assumption that Egypt
did not perceive itself to be capableof launchingan all-out war…”
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25. Shin Bet Interrogations
• Accusations of:
• Torture, including beating, sleep
deprivation, humiliation, medical
neglect, and prolonged
handcuffing
• Israeli doctor involvement
• Sept 1999: Public Committee
against Torture in Israel vs. The
State of Israel
• Inspector for Complaints
Against the ISA (Ministry of
Justice) formed in 1992
Actors demonstrate the ISA "banana b'kiseh" torture method.
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