NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Shin Bet

The Shabak (help· info) (Hebrew: שב"כ‎, an acronym for Sherut Bitahon Klali (Hebrew: שירות ביטחון כללי‎), lit. General Security Service), commonly known as the Shin Bet,^[1] is Israel's internal security service. Its motto is "Magen VeLo Yera'e" (Hebrew: מגן ולא יראה‎, lit. Defender that shall not be seen). It is one of three principal organizations of the Israeli Intelligence Community, alongside Aman (the military intelligence of the IDF) and Mossad (responsible for overseas intelligence work). Shabak (Shin Bet) Logo This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Shabak (Shin Bet) Logo This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Image File history File links He-Shabak. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... An intelligence agency is a governmental organization that for the purposes of national security is devoted to the gathering of information (known in the context as intelligence) by means of espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public sources. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... Hebrew redirects here. ... The Israeli Intelligence Community (Hebrew: ×§×”×™×œ×ª ×”×ž×•×“×™×¢×™×Ÿ ×”×™×©×¨××œ×™×ª) is the designation given to the complex of organizations responsible for intelligence collection, dissemination, and research for the State of Israel. ... Aman badge The Directorate of Military Intelligence (Hebrew: , Agaf HaModiin - lit. ... Military intelligence (abbreviated MI, int. ... Emblem of the IDF The Israel Defense Forces are part of the Israeli Security Forces. ... For the Haganah branch responsible for coordinating Jewish immigration into the British Mandate of Palestine, see Mossad Lealiyah Bet. ... Intelligence (abbreviated or ) is the process and the result of gathering information and analyzing it to answer questions or obtain advance warnings needed to plan for the future. ...

Duties and roles

For other uses, see Security (disambiguation). ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Military intelligence (abbreviated MI, int. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... Counter-intelligence ... A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ...

Legal status and methods

Shabak relies mainly on HUMINT to gather information and intelligence.^{[citation needed]} It uses informants from the local population in order to gather intelligence about planned attacks or about the location of opposition leaders.^{[citation needed]} Shabak has overwhelming success with informants, managing to target the top leaders of the Palestinian terrorist organizations—including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. The killing of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abed al-Aziz Rantissi shows how deeply Shabak has penetrated into the Palestinian militias.^{[citation needed]} As a result, the Palestinian groups, mainly the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, have killed many countrymen suspected of being collaborators. HUMINT, a syllabic abbreviation of the words HUMan INTelligence, is a category of intelligence gathering disciplines that encompasses all gathering of intelligence by means of interpersonal contact. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the term Palestinian as applied to Jews, see Palestinian Jew. ... á¸¤amas (; acronym: , or á¸¤arakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement) is a democratically-elected Palestinian Sunni Islamist[1] militant organization and political party which currently holds a majority of seats in the legislative council of the Palestinian Authority. ... Islamic Jihad (Arabic: â€Ž, Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami) is a terrorist Islamist group based in the Syrian capital, Damascus. ... For other uses, see Sheikh (disambiguation). ... Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Yassin (1936 - 2004 (about 68 years old)) (Arabic: ) was the co-founder (with Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi) and the spiritual leader of the militant Palestinian Islamist organization of Hamas,[1] originally calling it the Palestinian Wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. ... Dr. Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi (in the Arabic script عبدالعزيز الرنتيسي) (October 23, 1947 - April 17, 2004) was the co-founder of the Palestinian Islamist paramilitary and political organization Hamas. ... For other uses, see al-Aqsa (disambiguation). ... Collaboration, literally, consists of working together with one or more others. ...

Shabak also extracts information by interrogating suspects. In 1987, after complaints about excessive use of violence in interrogations of Palestinian prisoners, the Landoy Committee (headed by a former Supreme Court President) prepared a two-part report on Shabak's interrogation methods. Only one part was made public. It revealed that the Shabak regularly used violent methods of interrogation and that Shabak agents were tutored to lie in court about how evidence was uncovered. The committee report also gave guidelines for future interrogations, but most of the details were in the secret part of the report. The open part revealed that the guidelines allowed Shabak to apply "moderate physical pressure" in the case of "necessity". In 1994, State Comptroller Miriam Ben-Porat, in a report not made public until February 2000, found that during 1988–1992, "Violation of the Landoy Commission and the GSS regulations continued to be widespread in the interrogation facility in Gaza and, to some extent, in other facilities.… Veteran and senior investigators in the Gaza facility carried out severe and systematic violations. Senior GSS commanders did not prevent these violations."^[2] The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

In 1999, the Israeli Supreme Court heard several petitions against Shabak methods. It found that these included: (1) "forceful and repeated shaking of the suspect's upper torso, in a manner which causes the neck and head to swing rapidly," (2) manacling of the suspect in a painful "Shabach position" for a long period of time, (3) the "frog crouch" consisting of "consecutive, periodical crouches on the tips of one's toes," and other methods. The Court ruled that Shabak did not have the authority, even under the defense of "necessity," to employ such methods. The Supreme Court (Hebrew: ×‘×™×ª ×”×ž×©×¤×˜ ×”×¢×œ×™×•×Ÿ, Beit Hamishpat Haelyon ) is at the head of the court system in the State of Israel. ...

In the Justice Ministry, the Department For Special Roles, there is a senior investigator who checks complaints about Shabak interrogations. Shabak claims that it is now basing its interrogations only on psychological means. However, organizations such as B'Tselem and Amnesty International still accuse Shabak of employing physical methods that amount to torture under international conventions. BTselem (Hebrew: , in the image of, as in Genesis 1:27) is an Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO) that describes itself as The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience...

In 2002, the Knesset passed a law regulating the activity of Shabak. The law ruled that: Type Unicameral Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik, Kadima since May 4, 2006 Deputy Speaker Majalli Wahabi, Kadima since May 4, 2006 Members 120 Political groups Kadima Labour-Meimad Shas Likud Last elections March 28, 2006 Meeting place Knesset, Jerusalem, Israel Web site www. ...

The Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew: ×¨××© ×”×ž×ž×©×œ×”, Rosh HaMemshala, lit. ...

History

Foundation

With the Israeli declaration of independence in 1948, the Shabak was founded as a branch of the Israel Defense Forces and was initially headed by Isser Harel (the father of Israeli Intelligence, who later headed the Mossad). Responsibility for Shabak activity was later moved from the IDF to the office of the prime minister. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Shabak's responsibilities included only internal security affairs. It was only later that its responsibilities were extended to counter-espionage and the monitoring of Israeli Arabs. David Ben Gurion (First Prime Minister of Israel) publicly pronouncing the Declaration of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948. ... Emblem of the IDF The Israel Defense Forces are part of the Israeli Security Forces. ... Isser Harel (1912 â€” 18 February 2003) was spymaster of the intelligence and the security services of Israel and the Director of the Mossad (1952 - 1963). ... For the Haganah branch responsible for coordinating Jewish immigration into the British Mandate of Palestine, see Mossad Lealiyah Bet. ... Combatants Israel Haganah Irgun Lehi Palmach Foreign Volunteers Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen[2], Holy War Army, Arab Liberation Army Commanders Yaakov Dori, Yigael Yadin John Bagot Glubb, Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni, Hasan Salama, Fawzi Al-Qawuqji, Ahmed Ali al-Mwawi Strength Israel: 29,677 initially... The Israeli Arabs, or 1948 Palestinians, are those Arabs who remained inside the borders of what would become Israel after 1948, when most Arabs fled the country in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (see also Nakba). They make up roughly 20% of Israels population. ...

Early days

In the beginning, as part of efforts to prevent anti-state activity, the Shin Bet monitored pro-Soviet opposition parties suspected of supporting the Soviet Union over Israel if the Cold War were to become an active full-scale war. The political leadership, headed by David Ben-Gurion, silenced publications that dealt with these activities. Only Uri Avneri successfully published about these activities in the Haolam Hazeh newspaper. A great controversy was created when two Shin Bet agents were caught installing a bugging device in Meir Yaari's office (Yaari was the leader of Mapam — a Socialist Zionist party with favorable views of the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin). CCCP redirects here. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Ben Gurion redirects here. ... Uri Avnery (Hebrew: אורי אבנרי), born September 10, 1923 in Beckum (Germany) as Helmut Ostermann, is an Israeli journalist and controversial peace activist. ... Haolam Hazeh (Hebrew: העולם הזה, meaning This World) was a weekly news magazine published in Israel until 1993. ... Mapam - United Workers Party (in Hebrew: מפם - מפלגת פועלים מאוחדת Mifleget Poalim Meuhedet) was initially a Marxist-Zionist party. ... Socialism refers to the goal of a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... This article is about Zionism as a movement, not the History of Israel. ... Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: , Ioseb Besarionis Dze Jughashvili; Russian: , Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) (December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] â€“ March 5, 1953), better known by his adopted name, Joseph Stalin (alternatively transliterated Josef Stalin), was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from...

One of the Shabak's most important successes, though often incorrectly attributed to Mossad, was to obtain a copy of the secret speech made by Nikita Khrushchev in 1956, in which he denounced Stalin. A Polish edition of the speech was provided to the Israeli embassy in Warsaw by the boyfriend of the secretary of a Polish communist official. The Shabak's Polish liaison officer conveyed the copy to Israel. The Israeli government then decided to share the information with the United States, which published it with Israeli approval. On the Personality Cult and its Consequences (Russian: ), commonly known as the Secret Speech was a report to the 20th Party Congress on February 25, 1956 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, in which he denounced the actions of Joseph Stalin. ... Khrushchev redirects here. ... For other uses, see Warsaw (disambiguation) and Warszawa (disambiguation). ...

Up until the Six-Day War, the Shin Bet continued to focus on counter-espionage and monitoring political activity among the Israeli Arabs. Shabak's most notable achievement in counter-espionage was the 1961 capture of Israel Bar, who was revealed to be a Soviet spy. Bar was a Lieutenant Colonel in the reserves, a senior security commentator and close friend of Ben-Gurion and reached high Israeli circles. Bar was tried and sentenced to ten years in prison (which was later extended by the Supreme Court to fifteen years, following his appeal), where he died. In the same year, Kurt Sita, a Christian German from the Sudetenland and a professor in the Technion, was revealed as a Czechoslovakian spy. Combatants Israel Egypt Syria Jordan Iraq Commanders Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Dayan, Uzi Narkiss, Israel Tal, Mordechai Hod, Ariel Sharon Abdel Hakim Amer, Abdul Munim Riad, Zaid ibn Shaker, Hafez al-Assad Strength 264,000 (incl. ... Spy and Secret agent redirect here. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Sudetenland (Czech and Polish: Sudety) was the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the Western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia associated with Bohemia. ... The meaning of the word professor (Latin: [1]) varies. ... Computer Science Faculty Building The Technion â€“ Israel Institute of Technology (â€Ž; commonly abbreviated as Technion IIT) is a university in Haifa, Israel, founded 1924. ... Motto Czech: Pravda vÃtÄ›zÃ (Truth prevails; 1918-1989) Latin: Veritas Vincit (Truth prevails; 1989-1992) Anthem Kde domov mÅ¯j and Nad Tatrou sa blÃ½ska Capital Prague Language(s) Czech, Slovak, Rusyn, Polish Government Republic President - 1918-1935 TomÃ¡Å¡ G. Masaryk (first) - 1989-1992 VÃ¡clav Havel...

Post Six-Day War

After the Six-Day War, Shabak efforts to monitor terrorist activity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip become a more dominant part of the organization activity, and today, it is considered to be the major part of Shabak's mission. Yeshayahu Leibowitz warned that the control over the territories would turn Israel into a "Shabak state". However, Shabak imposed restrictions on itself in order not to harm democratic values or separation of authorities and to prevent the risk that Shabak will be used in a totalitarian manner.^{[citation needed]} Yeshayahu Leibowitz (1903-1994) was an Israeli scientist, philosopher and public figure noted for his outspoken and often controversial opinions regarding morals, ethics, politics, and religion. ...

Years of crisis

During 1984–1986, Shabak experienced a major crisis following the Kav 300 affair in which two terrorists who hijacked a bus and took hostages were executed without trial by Shabak officers, who later covered up the event and gave false testimonies. Following the affair, Shabak head Avraham Shalom was forced to resign. The Kav 300 affair (Bus 300 affair) denotes the controversy resulting from the 1984 hijacking of an Israeli bus by Palestinian gunmen and the allegations that two of the gunmen were subsequently executed by General Security Service (Shin Bet) agents while being held captive. ...

The event resulted in the Landoy committee, which regulated Shabak interrogation methods.

In 1995, a crisis followed the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Following the Shabak's failure to protect Rabin, Carmi Gillon was forced to resign. Later, the Shamgar investigation committee learned of serious flaws in the personal security unit and the provocative and inciting behavior of Avishai Raviv — an agent provocateur of the Shabak's Jewish Unit. Raviv created a "photoshopped" picture of Rabin in an SS uniform, and presented it in the infamous Zion Square demonstration in Jerusalem prior to Rabin's murder. Raviv was acquitted from accusations of encouraging Yigal Amir to kill Yitzhak Rabin. Site of the rally before the assassination: Rabin Square and Tel Aviv City Hall during the day. ... For other persons named Rabin, see Rabin (disambiguation). ... Carmi Gillon is a former Israeli ambassador in Denmark and a former head of the SHABAK. He was sacked as the head of the SHABAK because of the failure of SHABAK to prevent the assassination of Israeli prime-minister Yitzhak Rabin. ... Meir Shamgar (b. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... An agent provocateur (plural: agents provocateurs) is a person assigned to provoke unrest, violence, debate, or argument by or within a group while acting as a member of the group but covertly representing the interests of another. ... Adobe Photoshop is a bitmap graphics editor (with some text and vector graphics capabilities) published by Adobe Systems. ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... Yigal Amir (â€Ž, born May 23, 1970) is the Israeli assassin of Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin. ...

Gillon was replaced by outside "import", Israeli Navy admiral Ami Ayalon. Ayalon rehabilitated Shabak after Rabin's murder and worked hard to restore its reputation with the general public. The naval ensign of Israel The Israeli Sea Corps (Hebrew: ×—×™×œ ×”×™× ×”×™×©×¨××œ×™) is the naval arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in the Mediterranean Sea in the west and to the Gulf of Eilat, Red Sea, and Gulf of Suez in the south. ... For other uses, see Admiral (disambiguation). ... Ami Ayalon (â€Ž; born 27 June 1945) is an Israeli politician and Knesset member representing the Labor Party. ...

In 1996, a unit of the Shabak assassinated Hamas chief bombmaker Yahya Ayyash by planting an explosive device in his cellular phone. The operation was carried out after an instruction by then Prime Minister Shimon Peres. á¸¤amas (; acronym: , or á¸¤arakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement) is a democratically-elected Palestinian Sunni Islamist[1] militant organization and political party which currently holds a majority of seats in the legislative council of the Palestinian Authority. ... Yahya Abdal-Tif Ayyash (ÙŠØÙŠÙ‰ Ø¹ÙŠØ§Ø´; February 22, 1966 - January 5, 1996) was the chief bombmaker of Hamas and the leader of the Samaria battalion of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. ... Cellular redirects here. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Second Intifada

In 2000, Ayalon ended his five-year term, and was replaced by veteran Shabak official, Avi Dichter. Dichter, an ex-Sayeret Matkal commando and an experienced Shabak agent, tightened the working relationship with the Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli police. Foreign press hinted that Shabak is working tightly with the elite Israeli counter-terror unit, Yamam. Avi Dichter (Hebrew: ××‘×™ ×“×™×›×˜×¨) (born: December 4, 1952) is an Israeli politician, former head of the Shabak, and member of the Knesset. ... Sayeret Matkal (Hebrew: ×¡×™×™×¨×ª ×ž×˜×›×œ, translation: General Staff Reconnaissance unit) is the elite special forces unit of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). ... For other uses, see Commando (disambiguation). ... Israeli Police logo The Israeli police (×ž×©×˜×¨×ª ×™×©×¨××œ) is a civilian force in the State of Israel. ... YAMAM symbol The YAMAM ( ×™×ž×ž ), is the acronym for Special Police Unit (×™×—×™×“×ª ×ž×©×˜×¨×” ×ž×™×•×—×“×ª) in Hebrew, Israels elite civilian counter-terrorism unit. ...

Dichter was in charge when the al-Aqsa Intifada erupted. He managed to react quickly to changes and turn Shabak into a prominent player in Israel's war against Palestinians after the collapse of the 2000 Camp David Summit. For other uses, see al-Aqsa (disambiguation). ... (Redirected from 2000 Camp David Summit) The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. ...

The Shin Bet is most known for its role in the conflict with Palestinians. The Shin Bet produces intelligence which enables the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to prevent suicide bombings before they reach their destinations. This is usually done by preventive arrests and deploying road blocks when there is a serious alert. A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ...

In addition to preventing suicide bombings from the West Bank by arrests and special operations, Shabak is working tightly with the Israeli Air Force in order to pinpoint and kill terror masterminds and terrorist leaders by precision air strike. The targets are field commanders and senior leaders of Palestinian militant factions (which many consider to be terrorists), mainly those of Hamas, but also of the Islamic Jihad, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the Fatah and even one Al-Qaeda linkman (Iad Al-Bik). These assassinations, called "targeted killings", are usually done by helicopter gunships, where both IAF commanders and Shabak agents sit together in the command center monitoring the operation. Shabak's task is to give intelligence when and where the target will be available for a strike and then reacting to IAF drone feedback and ensuring the men on the sight are indeed the wanted terrorists (this part is called "identification and incrimination"). The Israeli Air Force (IAF; Hebrew: ×–×¨×•×¢ ×”××•×™×¨ ×•×”×—×œ×œ, Zroa HaAvir VeHaá¸¤alal, Air and Space Division, commonly known as ×—×™×œ ×”××•×•×™×¨ Hel HaAvir) is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces. ... A military strike is a limited attack on a specified target. ... á¸¤amas (; acronym: , or á¸¤arakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement) is a democratically-elected Palestinian Sunni Islamist[1] militant organization and political party which currently holds a majority of seats in the legislative council of the Palestinian Authority. ... The emblem of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad shows a map of the land they claim as Palestine (roughly, present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip) superimposed on the images of the Dome of the Rock, two fists and two rifles. ... The Al_Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (كتائب شهداء الاقصى) are one of the militias of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafats al_Fatah faction. ... Not to be confused with Fatah Revolutionary Council or Fatah al-Islam. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Assassination. ... A helicopter gunship is a military helicopter armed for attacking targets on the ground, using automatic cannon and machinegun fire, rockets, and precision guided missiles such as the Hellfire. ... An RQ-2 Pioneer, a reconnaissance UAV used by the US military during the Gulf and Iraq Wars. ...

Shabak's effective activity during the second Intifada boosted its reputation both among the Israeli public and counter-terror experts.^[3]

2003 to 2006

In November 2003, four former heads of Shin Bet (Avraham Shalom, Yaakov Peri, Carmi Gillon and Ami Ayalon) called upon the Government of Israel to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.^[4] Yaakov Peri was the head of Shabak (Shin-Bet). ... Carmi Gillon is a former Israeli ambassador in Denmark and a former head of the SHABAK. He was sacked as the head of the SHABAK because of the failure of SHABAK to prevent the assassination of Israeli prime-minister Yitzhak Rabin. ... Ami Ayalon (â€Ž; born 27 June 1945) is an Israeli politician and Knesset member representing the Labor Party. ...

Avi Dichter is one of the chief supporters of building a defence barrier opposite to the Palestinians in the West Bank. The Israeli government began building the Israeli West Bank Barrier in 2003. Dichter has since said that the barrier "is working" and helps to prevent and reduce terror attacks.^[5]^[6] Avi Dichter (Hebrew: ××‘×™ ×“×™×›×˜×¨) (born: December 4, 1952) is an Israeli politician, former head of the Shabak, and member of the Knesset. ... The barrier route as of July 2006. ...

In February 2005, Ariel Sharon announced that Yuval Diskin, a veteran Shabak field agent, senior negotiator with Palestinian officers and mastermind of the "targeted killings", will replace Dichter after he ends his five-year term. On May 15, 2005 Diskin entered into office after Dichter left with great applause from the press, the politicians, and the public. Dichter has joined the political arena and is now a member of the Kadima party, founded by the former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon. (Hebrew: , also known by his diminutive Arik ×Ö¸×¨Ö´×™×§) (born February 27, 1928) is a former Israeli politician and general. ... Yuval Diskin (Hebrew: ×™×•×‘×œ ×“×™×¡×§×™×Ÿ) (born: 1956) is the 12th and current Director of Shabak. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kadima (Hebrew: ×§×“×™×ž×”, Forward) is a political party in Israel. ... The State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, transliteration: ; Arabic: دَوْلَةْ اِسْرَائِيل, transliteration: ) is a country in the Middle East on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. ...

In September 2006, the Shin Bet launched its first-ever public recruitment drive with the creation of a Web site. The employment campaign, coming on the heels of a newly approved defense budget, is targeting computer programmers.

Rising profile

Once considered a commitment to lifelong anonymity and even invisibility in Israeli society, today a Shabak agent who achieves high rank in the service, especially the director, is considered a candidate for membership in the top brass of the Israeli government and business community. This process follows a trend started by ex-generals and colonels of the Israel Defense Forces, the trailblazers including Moshe Dayan, Ariel Sharon, and Yitzhak Rabin. In the Shabak and the foreign intelligence Mossad service, the trend showed up much later (during the mid-1990s), even though Isser Harel (who served as head of both services) and Meir Amit of the Mossad both served as lawmakers. Moshe Dayan (â€Ž, born 20 May 1915, died 16 October 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. ... For other persons named Rabin, see Rabin (disambiguation). ...

Ex-Shabak directors today are increasingly visible as candidates for higher office. Yaakov Peri became the chairman of Bank HaMizrahi in 2002, and also became a highly visible guest on television programs. Carmi Gillon serves as Chairman of the Local Council of Mevaseret Zion, a Jerusalem suburb, while Avi Dichter and Ami Ayalon were at one time leading candidates for defense minister (Dichter for the Kadima party formed by prime minister Ariel Sharon, Ayalon on the Labour party ticket). Dichter eventually became Minister of Internal Security in the current government led by Ehud Olmert. Ayalon has attracted widespread following as a co-initiator with Palestinian dignitary Sari Nusseibeh of the non-governmental Peoples' Voice initiative to petition the governments in Israel and the Palestinian Authority for a permanent settlement. Mevaseret Zion (Hebrew: ×ž×‘×©×¨×ª ×¦×™×•×Ÿ, literally herald of Zion) is a town (local council) in Israel. ... Ehud Olmert (â€Ž; Arabic: â€Ž; pronounced , born 30 September 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel. ... Sari Nusseibeh Sari Nusseibeh (born in 1949), is a Palestinian professor of philosophy and president of the Al-Quds University in Jerusalem (Al Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem). ...

In 2007, the service launched its first ever public recruitment drive, unveiling a "slick Web site" and buying on-line ads in Israel and abroad in a campaign aimed at "attract[ing] top-tier computer programmers" to its "cutting-edge" IT division. On March 18, 2008, it was announced that Shabak's official website would also offer a blog, where four of its agents would discuss anonymously how they were recruited, and what sort of work they perform; they would also answer questions sent in by members of the public^[7]. The decision to launch the blog was made by the Shin Bet's top brass, including head Yuval Diskin, and is part of an attempt to attract hi-tech workers to the agency's growing IT department. According to Shabak officers, the Web site and blog are aimed also at promoting a more accessible and positive public image for the secret service, long associated with "dark, undercover and even violent activity"^[8]. is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Yuval Diskin (Hebrew: ×™×•×‘×œ ×“×™×¡×§×™×Ÿ) (born: 1956) is the 12th and current Director of Shabak. ...

Equipment

The Glock 17 was the first pistol designed and manufactured by the Austrian company Glock. ... The Glock 19 is a pistol designed and manufactured by Glock. ...

Criticism

Torture

On 6 May 2007 two Israeli human rights organizations, B'Tselem and Hamoked, released a report in which they charged Shabak with continuing its torture techniques despite the 1999 court ruling. The report is based on testimony from 73 prisoners who were in Shabak custody between March 2005 and July 2006. The report provides descriptions of these techniques, all of which the report claims are classified as torture under international law: physical beatings, painful binding, back bending, body stretching and prolonged sleep deprivation.^[9] is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... BTselem (Hebrew: , in the image of, as in Genesis 1:27) is an Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO) that describes itself as The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. ... Hamoked (Hebrew:×”×ž×•×§×“, Center for the Defence of the Individual) is an Israeli human and civil rights group that works on behalf of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. ...

Furthermore, the report criticizes the lack of accountability within the Shabak stating that despite over 500 complaints of abuse made to the attorney's office since 2001, no criminal investigation was launched as complaints are investigated by a member of the Shabak. [3]

Controversial detainings

Jewish-American political scientist and author Norman Finkelstein was denied entry to Israel in May 2008 when the Shin Bet said he was "not permitted to enter Israel because of suspicions involving hostile elements in Lebanon" and also because he "did not give a full accounting to interrogators with regard to these suspicions."^[10] Finkelstein said that he had been questioned by the Shin Bet and had answered truthfully, while the Shin Bet said they were not persuaded that Finkelstein answered their questions fully.^[10] Finkelstein, who has been to Israel 15 other times, was banned for 10 years and said he has no intention of appealing the decision.^[11] The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said "the decision to prevent someone from voicing their opinions by arresting and deporting them is typical of a totalitarian regime" and that a democratic state "does not shut out criticism or ideas just because they are uncomfortable for its authorities to hear".^[12] For other uses, see Norman Finkelstein (disambiguation). ...

Salah Haj Yihyeh, an Israeli who runs mobile clinics for Physician for Human Rights, was detained for questioning by the Shin Bet. In the questioning, Yihyeh answered questions about the activities of the organization, its budget, the identity of its donors, and details about others employed by PHR. The board of Physicians for Human Rights, in a letter to Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin, rejected the "crossing of a red line in a democracy." The letter argued that since the only cause for calling an employee of the group was to scare him, the tactics were unacceptable and illegal.^[13]

Lists and tables

Important events in Shabak history

CCCP redirects here. ... Spy and Secret agent redirect here. ... The Kav 300 affair (Bus 300 affair) denotes the controversy resulting from the 1984 hijacking of an Israeli bus by Palestinian gunmen and the allegations that two of the gunmen were subsequently executed by General Security Service (Shin Bet) agents while being held captive. ... Danny Yatom also Dani Yatom was the Director of the Mossad from 1996 to 1998. ... Assassin and Assassins redirect here. ... For other persons named Rabin, see Rabin (disambiguation). ... Yigal Amir (â€Ž, born May 23, 1970) is the Israeli assassin of Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin. ... Carmi Gillon is a former Israeli ambassador in Denmark and a former head of the SHABAK. He was sacked as the head of the SHABAK because of the failure of SHABAK to prevent the assassination of Israeli prime-minister Yitzhak Rabin. ... á¸¤amas (; acronym: , or á¸¤arakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement) is a democratically-elected Palestinian Sunni Islamist[1] militant organization and political party which currently holds a majority of seats in the legislative council of the Palestinian Authority. ... Yahya Abdal-Tif Ayyash (ÙŠØÙŠÙ‰ Ø¹ÙŠØ§Ø´; February 22, 1966 - January 5, 1996) was the chief bombmaker of Hamas and the leader of the Samaria battalion of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. ... For other uses, see al-Aqsa (disambiguation). ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... The Israeli Security Forces are several organizations collectively responsible for Israels security. ... Targeted killing is a controversial strategy whereby anticipated acts of terrorism are prevented by killing a person deemed to be related to those acts. ... A suicide attack is an attack on a military or civilian target, in which an attacker intends to kill others, knowing that he or she will either certainly or most likely die in the process (see suicide). ...

Heads of the Shabak

Isser Harel (1912 â€” 18 February 2003) was spymaster of the intelligence and the security services of Israel and the Director of the Mossad (1952 - 1963). ... Amos Manor was a former Head of Israels internal intelligence security service, Shin Bet. ... Yaakov Peri was the head of Shabak (Shin-Bet). ... Carmi Gillon is a former Israeli ambassador in Denmark and a former head of the SHABAK. He was sacked as the head of the SHABAK because of the failure of SHABAK to prevent the assassination of Israeli prime-minister Yitzhak Rabin. ... Ami Ayalon (â€Ž; born 27 June 1945) is an Israeli politician and Knesset member representing the Labor Party. ... Avi Dichter (Hebrew: ××‘×™ ×“×™×›×˜×¨) (born: December 4, 1952) is an Israeli politician, former head of the Shabak, and member of the Knesset. ... Yuval Diskin (Hebrew: ×™×•×‘×œ ×“×™×¡×§×™×Ÿ) (born: 1956) is the 12th and current Director of Shabak. ...

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