Shin Bet

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The Israel Security Agency (ISA) or General Security Agency, known in Hebrew as Shabak (an abbreviation for Sherut ha-Bitachon ha-Klali) or Shin Bet, is the Israeli counterintelligence and internal security service.[1]

History

the Shin Bet was founded as Israel's domestic security service in June 1948, when the new state's intelligence community was organised out of Shai, the intelligence wing of the Haganah militia.[2]

Bus 300 Affair

In 1984, two detained Palestinian hijackers were beaten to death by agents in what became known as the Bus 300 Affair. A government report later revealed that the Shin Bet chief at the time, Avraham Shalom, had ordered the two Palestinians killed and them attempted to cover this up.[3]

Izzat Nafsu case

In 1987, Shin Bet was found to have extracted a false confession of espionage from an Israeli army officer Izzat Nafsu, who had been imprisoned for 18 years.[4]

Rabin Assassination

Following the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a right-wing extremist in 1995, the head of Shin Bet, Carmi Gillon resigned.[5]

Structure and Personnel

Shin Bet has three operational departments and five for operational support.[6]

Directors

Deputy Directors

[15]

Arab Affairs

The department of Arab Affairs is responsible for counter-terrorism, counter-subversion and monitoring 'Arab militants'. Its Henza detachments work with Aman Mista'averim units in occupied territories and some neighboring states.[6]

Non-Arab Affairs

The department of Non-Arab Affairs has a wider counter-intelligence role which includes monitoring immigrants and foreign diplomatic missions.[6] At one time its was divided into communist and non-communist departments.[17] It's role includes responsibility for the Jewish Division.[18]

Jewish Division

The Jewish division is responsible for investigating subversive activity by far right Jewish militants.[20]

Protective Security

The protective security department is responsible for protecting strategic infrastructure and for the El Al airline.[6]

Support Divisions

Support branch departments have included administration, interrogation and legal counsel, technology, co-ordination and planning, and logistics.[23]

Administrative Division

Training Division

Miscellaneous Staff

External Resources

Notes

  1. Shabak/Shin Bet/Israel Security Agency/Sherut ha-Bitachon ha-Klali, Federation of American Scientists, accessed 9 May 2009.
  2. Yossi Melman and Dan Raviv, Every Spy a Prince: The Secret History of Israel's Intelligence Community, Houghton Mifflin, 1991, pp.16-18.
  3. Profile: Israel's Shin Bet agency Wednesday, 30 January, 2002.
  4. Profile: Israel's Shin Bet agency Wednesday, 30 January, 2002.
  5. Profile: Israel's Shin Bet agency Wednesday, 30 January, 2002.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Paul Todd and Jonathan Bloch, Global Intelligence: The World's Secret Services Today, Zed Books, 2003, p.153.
  7. ISA Directors Then and Now, ISA Security Agency (Shin Bet), accessed 9 April 2009.
  8. Yuval Diskin appointed ISA Director, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 10 February 2005.
  9. Netanyahu appoints Yoram Cohen as Israel's next Shin Bet chief, Haaretz, 28 March 2011.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Efrat Weiss, Former Shin Bet chief Amos Manor dies, age 89, Ynet, 5 August 2007.
  11. Yosef Harmelin, Israel Security Agency, accessed 24 July 2012.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Yossi Melman and Dan Raviv, Every Spy a Prince: The Secret History of Israel's Intelligence Community, Houghton Mifflin, 1991, p.284.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Yaakov Peri, Israel Security Agency, accessed 24 July 2012.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Avid Dichter, Israel Security Agency, accessed 24 July 2012
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Avraham (Shalom) Ben-Dor , Israel Security Agency, accessed 24 July 2012.
  16. Yossi Melman and Dan Raviv, Every Spy a Prince: The Secret History of Israel's Intelligence Community, Houghton Mifflin, 1991, p.169.
  17. Profile: Israel's Shin Bet agency Wednesday, 30 January, 2002.
  18. Tomer Zarchin and Amos Harel, Shin Bet deputy suspended for role in lover's promotion, Haaretz, 9 June 2010.
  19. Tomer Zarchin and Amos Harel, Shin Bet deputy suspended for role in lover's promotion, Haaretz, 9 June 2010.
  20. J.J. Goldberg, IDF Probe: Troops' Hands Tied Controlling Rightist Jewish Extremism, forward.com, 27 June 2011.
  21. Richard Silverstein, Jewish Terrorist, Charged With Multiple Palestinian Murders, ‘Outs’ Chief of Shin Bet’s Jewish Terror Department, Tikun Olam, 16 July 2010.
  22. Israeli Security Services Tell Codel Talent That Interagency Connectivity Is Key In The Fight Against Terror, US Embassy Tel Aviv, 21 December 2004, published by Wikileaks, 1 September 2011.
  23. Yossi Melman and Dan Raviv, Every Spy a Prince: The Secret History of Israel's Intelligence Community, Houghton Mifflin, 1991, p.50.
  24. Carmi Gillon, Israel Security Agency, accessed 24 July 2012.
  25. Deputy Secretary Raises Transit Of Gaza Students With Shin Bet: Followup, US Embassy Tel Aviv, 11 December 2009, published by Wikileaks, 1 September 2011.
  26. Rafah Security Working Group Meeting, US Consulate Jerusalem, 19 April 2007, published by Wikileaks, 1 September 2011.
  27. Israeli Ct Officials Discuss Israel-hizballah War, U.s.-israel Ct Cooperation, US Embassy Tel Aviv, 19 September 2006, unredacted publication by Wikileaks, 8 September 2011.
  28. Jcg: Israel Nsc's 2/23 Session With S/ct Amb. Crumpton, US Embassy Tel Aviv, 17 March, 2006, unredacted publication by Wikileaks, 8 September 2011.
  29. 29.0 29.1 Goi Info On Ramallah Bank Raid, US Embassy Tel Aviv, 5 March 2004, published by Wikileaks, 1 September 2011.
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Mann Mairone's private anti-terrorist squad, Intelligence Online, 8 April 2010.