Mossad – History of the Popular Israeli Secret Service (Book Review)
Mossad is one of the world’s most popular and effective secret services. It belongs to the little country of Jewish Israel, surrounded by hostile neighbors.
I read ‘Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service‘ by Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal. It’s a riveting account of some of the daring missions undertaken by Mossad from the time of its inception shortly after World War II.
It seems the British brought affected Jews from Germany and settled them in their (former) colony in Asia, which later became independent Israel. See Israel and surrounding countries in Google Maps.
This book gives information about a few of Mossad’s important missions in history – from finding and prosecuting Nazi criminals who escaped after the allied and soviet conquest of Germany, to rescuing and uniting Jews from across the world.
In the initial years, the CIA didn’t take Mossad seriously. Mossad got hold of a highly secret document containing details about the crimes committed by the former Soviet chief Joseph Stalin. The western intelligence agencies had been looking to get this document for a long but failed. When the new Mossad handed it over to the CIA, the latter recognized Mossad’s capabilities and gradually started working with them.
How far would someone go to gather intelligence? A Mossad agent becomes an important politician in an enemy country who has access to the most important people (and classified information) of that country. He was about to be appointed as the law minister of that country when, accidentally, he was caught!
In another account, the author goes to describe how far the agency goes to find a single child who could have been hidden anywhere in the world. The kidnapping of that child was the reason for an internal strife between liberal and conservative Jews in Israel and Mossad is tasked with the impossible task of finding the child. Yes, they find him – mostly by instinct than by just investigative procedures.
Many other activities of Mossad, including the destruction of weapons of mass destruction in enemy countries, the rescue of hijacked civilians from terrorists in enemy countries, etc., have been detailed in good measure. No wonder there are so many Hollywood movies that feature Mossad agents.
One thing that struck me the most is how far Mossad (and Israel) would go to rescue and unite Jews, even from the remotest parts of the world. That brotherhood and mutual compassion are what keeps the little but powerful country united, I guess.
Read or listen to the book, you won’t be disappointed.
Destination Infinity
Thanks for the nice review. The Israeli secret service and the military are excellent. Please see the movie Raid on Entebbe. This is a movie based on real incident where Israeli commandos rescued civilian people kept as hostages at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda. In that raid, the only Israeli soldier to die was Lt.Col. Yoni Netanyahu. He was the older brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This incident has been described shortly in this book too. Thanks for the movie name – I will try to watch it.
Destination Infinity
International affairs is one of my favourite subjects. And I am sure I am going to like this book. Thank you for the suggestion. I shall get hold of it.
As SG suggested above, you must watch that movie. It gives you a good insight into the incredible capabilities of the secret service.
Ninety Minutes at Entebbe is available as an audio book too.
https://www.audible.in/pd/90-Minutes-at-Entebbe-Audiobook/B01MY0KB4Z?source_code=IAAOTH131121819001W&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqoibBhDUARIsAH2OpWj0wwM3_l7We5HF7S8pWTY207LTRJ_iwcFUr6fRo0js444RJ1cDbR4aAunLEALw_wcB
International affairs wrt India is increasingly becoming my favorite nowadays!
Destination Infinity
That sounds incredible, and it should be fascinating to read about the rescue specifically! I like to read the book
Try to watch the movie suggested above too, that should be more thrilling than the book I think…
Destination Infinity
Sounds interesting!
Yes it is 🙂
Destination Infinity