The Most Famous Operations of Israel’s Secret Services

Abstract

The intelligence services of the State of Israel are formint one of the most secretive national security systems in the world. The aim of this study was to provide an insight into the operational site of the Israeli intelligence services, their functions, their evolution and the development of the methods they use, based on selected operations. The analysed case studies cover various types of operations, including classical intelligence, industrial espionage, targeted killing, sabotage, hostage rescue, as well as the use of new technologies such as cyber operations.

The paper discusses in detail the information available and verifiable about these operations, examining their effectiveness and impact on organisations, Israel and the security of the region. Moving along the case studies, it is aim to systematize the activities of Israeli national security agencies along different analytical dimensions, such as geographical scope, types of operations or motivation. In addition to the scientific part, a small 'pop culture digest' has been included as an element of 'entertainment', recommending books, documentaries and fictional film adaptations of the operations to highlight the real curiosities.