Israeli Intelligence Community

Last updated

The Israeli Intelligence Community is made up of Aman (military intelligence), Mossad (overseas intelligence) and Shin Bet (internal security). [1]

Contents

Current agencies


SymbolOrganizationPurpose

Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman): military-intelligence branch of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)

AmanLogo.svg
Intelligence Corps The main intelligence-collection and -analysis body of the IDF General Staff; also includes the Israeli signals-intelligence agency known as Unit 8200
Information Security Department The main information-security and counterintelligence unit of Aman
IDI logo.png
Research Department The main all-source intelligence-assessment unit of Aman
IsraelAirforceIntelligencelogo2023.png
Air Intelligence Directorate The intelligence unit of the Israeli Air Force
Israel Navy Intelligence logo.svg
Naval Intelligence Division The intelligence unit of the Israeli Navy
Aysvp qrby.png
Combat Intelligence Collection Corps The intelligence unit of Israeli Ground Forces
Flag of Sayeret Matkal.svg
Sayeret Matkal The IDF's premier special-forces unit, directly subordinate to Aman
The intelligence units of the four Regional Commands (Central, Northern, Southern, Home Front).

Prime Minister's Office

Mossad seal.svg
Mossad The agency responsible primarily for foreign-intelligence work
Shabak ("Shin bet")The organization charged with maintaining internal security, including in the Israeli-occupied territories

Israeli Police

Emblem of Israel Police.svg
Investigations and Intelligence Division The central body in the police that is responsible for gathering intelligence in the fields of fighting terrorism and crimes.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

ForeignAffairsIsrael.svg
The Center for Political Research A research and assessment body of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that focuses on the countries and issues that stand at the center of Israel's political-diplomatic activity

Former agencies

Parliamentary supervision

Parliamentary supervision over the intelligence community is undertaken by the Subcommittee for Intelligence and Secret Services, a subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, which supervises the entire Israeli Security Forces.

Structure and organization

The issue regarding the suitable structure of the IIC, and questions as to dividing responsibilities and jurisdictions between Aman, Shabak, and Mossad, as well as the format of work for the three in relation to prime ministers and ministers, all of these became agenda issues many times in the past. Various commissions and individual inspectors were appointed throughout the years, whether due to traumatic experiences or as a matter of routine, in order to examine the issues and propose recommendations. These were:

The government was tasked with the matter on a number of occasions and arrived at various decisions. The State Comptroller made the issue his agenda and submitted to the Knesset his findings and conclusions. In 1994, the Subcommittee for Intelligence also examined the questions and brought its recommendations before the Prime Minister.

The division of labour among the intelligence arms, Aman, Shabak, and Mossad, in the current structure of the IIC, is usually established upon a geographical basis. There are interfacing and overlapping segments, often rather wide, among the organizations. The level of coordination and inter-regional cooperation has suffered in the past from fundamental shortcomings, which has hindered the effectiveness of intelligence work on several fronts. The organizations repressed the necessity for the mutual sharing of intelligence information and in synchronizing some activities.

There are still open-ended issues remaining to be discussed, including disputed ones, as to the division of jurisdictions and inter-regional sectoral boundaries. In a document known as the "Magna Carta," the heads of the three services continue their attempt to arrive at agreements regarding these. The Intelligence Subcommittee follows this discourse and examines the steps required to practically settle key areas of dispute. If needed, the Subcommittee could become actively involved in the matter so as to ensure appropriate and reasonable standards for overall intelligence work in Israel.

Role of Aman

The historical development of the IIC destined Aman with a range of activities and tasks that are conventionally outside the realm of military intelligence in the West, such as the responsibility for intelligence research in political matters and other markedly non-military affairs. This largely followed from the reliance by the State of Israel during its first years on the IDF as an anchor and mechanism to fulfill national tasks, it being a system with organizational capacities, resources, and available human resources. As such, Aman has assumed functions which ordinarily would be handled by other intelligence agencies. Accordingly, some critics say, there is a need to reexamine the position and placement assumed by intelligence bodies within the current structure, and transferring certain strategic and political areas and non-military ones, from Aman to a civilian intelligence authority.

Reforms

The commission to investigate the intelligence network following the War in Iraq maintained that, notwithstanding the historical consolidation behind the current IIC structure, and despite the advantages gained by Aman's Research Department and Unit 8200 during many years of service, it is finally time to restructure the IIC in accordance with a proper work distribution, professional designation, as well as a correct constitutional and legal frame of reference.

The Commission recommended on reforming the current IIC structure, ending up with three or four independent intelligence services, alongside the National Security Council, with the distinction between them being based upon the respective spheres of responsibility of each service:

See also

Related Research Articles

Special forces units in the Israel Defense Forces encompass a broad definition of specialist units. Such units are usually a regiment or a battalion in strength.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shin Bet</span> Israels internal security service

The Israel Security Agency, better known by the acronyms Shabak or Shin Bet, is Israel's internal security service. Its motto is "Magen v'lo Yera'eh". The Shin Bet's headquarters are located in northwest Tel Aviv, north of Yarkon Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli security forces</span> Security and law enforcement apparatus of Israel

Security forces in Israel include a variety of organizations, including military, law enforcement, paramilitary, governmental, and intelligence agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Intelligence Directorate (Israel)</span> Intelligence body of the Israel Defense Forces

The Israeli Military Intelligence, often abbreviated to Aman, is the central, overarching military intelligence body of the Israel Defense Forces. Aman was created in 1950, when the Intelligence Department was spun off from the IDF's General Staff. The Intelligence Department was composed largely of former members of the Haganah Intelligence Service. Aman is an independent service, and not part of the ground forces, Navy or the Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meir Dagan</span> Major General for the Israel Defence Forces and head of the Mossad, Israels intelligence service

Aluf Meir Dagan was an Israel Defense Forces Major General (reserve) and Director of the Mossad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Advocate General</span>

The Military Advocate General is responsible for implementing the rule of law within the Israel Defense Forces. The unit's objectives include integrating the rule of law amongst IDF commanders and soldiers; providing commanders with the tools for the effective performance of their missions in accordance with the law; and working with the IDF to achieve its goals on all legal fronts. The MAG Corps has the ability to provide legal advice in emergencies and during warfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli Military Censor</span> Israeli military unit

The Israeli Military Censor is a unit in the IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence tasked with carrying out preventive censorship inside the State of Israel regarding the publication of information that might affect the security of Israel. The body is headed by the Israeli Chief Censor, a military official is appointed by Israel's Minister of Defense, who bestows upon the Chief Censor the authority to suppress information he deems compromising from being made public in the media. On average, 2240 press articles in Israel are censored by the Israeli Military Censor each year, approximately 240 of which in full, and around 2000 partially.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unit 8200</span> Intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces

Unit 8200 is an Israeli Intelligence Corps unit of the Israel Defense Forces responsible for clandestine operation, collecting signal intelligence (SIGINT) and code decryption, counterintelligence, cyberwarfare, military intelligence, and surveillance. Military publications include references to Unit 8200 as the Central Collection Unit of the Intelligence Corps, and it is sometimes referred to as Israeli SIGINT National Unit (ISNU). It is subordinate to Aman, the military intelligence directorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuval Diskin</span> Ex-director of Israels Shin Bet

Yuval Diskin is a former director of the Israeli Internal Security Service Shabak, serving as its 13th director from 2005 to 2011. He was appointed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and later served under subsequent Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Research Department is a unit in the IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence (Aman) that serves as the national assessor of intelligence in the State of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuval Steinitz</span> Israeli politician (born 1958)

Yuval Steinitz is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Likud party. He also held several ministerial posts, including Minister of Finance, Minister of Intelligence, Minister of Strategic Affairs and Minister of Energy. Steinitz holds a PhD in philosophy and has been a senior lecturer at the University of Haifa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee</span> Israeli Knesset committee

The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is a permanent Knesset committee which oversees key Foreign and Defense issues of the State of Israel, including the drafting of legislation, supervision over related government ministries and the approval of their budgets. It is regarded as one of two most important Knesset committees.

Signals intelligence by alliances, nations and industries comprises signals intelligence (SIGINT) gathering activities by national and non-national entities; these entities are commonly responsible for communications security (COMSEC) as well.

The counter-terrorism page primarily deals with special police or military organizations that carry out arrest or direct combat with terrorists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Intelligence (Israel)</span> Former Israeli ministry

The Ministry of Intelligence was a government ministry in Israel. It oversaw policies related to the operation of the intelligence organizations, the Mossad and the Shabak, in support of the national security of the State of Israel, in coordination with and under the guidance of the prime minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mossad</span> National intelligence agency of Israel

The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, popularly known as Mossad, is the national intelligence agency of the State of Israel. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community, along with Aman and Shin Bet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Havatzalot Program</span> Elite program in the Israel Defense Forces

The Havatzalot Program is an elite program in the Israel Defense Forces, aimed at training highly skilled intelligence officers for key roles in Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate, also known as Aman. Havatzalot's cadets complete a full three-year bachelor's double major degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The first major is a unique compilation of different courses in Middle Eastern studies, political science and sociology. The cadets are free to choose their second major from the following options: Mathematics, Philosophy, Computer Science and Economics. In addition to academic studies, the cadets go through rigorous military and intelligence training, including visits to various IDF units, combat recruit training and officers' course. The three years of training are followed by six years of service in key positions in Aman. The Havatzalot Program is Aman's flagship program and is regarded as one of the most prestigious programs in the IDF.

Shimon Levinson was a senior Israeli intelligence officer who was arrested for spying for the Soviet Union in 1991. He is considered to have been one of the highest-ranking KGB moles in Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli Intelligence Corps</span> Israel Defense Forces corps

The Israeli Intelligence Corps, abbreviated to Haman is an Israel Defense Forces corps which falls under the jurisdiction of IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence (Aman) and is responsible for collecting, disseminating, and publishing intelligence information for the General Staff and the political branch.

The history of Israel's intelligence services dates back to 1929, during the British Mandate in Palestine, many years before the declaration of an independent Jewish state. Conflicts with the Arab population, as well as contradictions with the British authorities, required intelligence assessment to prevent militant attacks on Jewish settlements and to ensure the illegal immigration of Jews into Palestine. It was at this time that the first Jewish intelligence service, the Shai, was established.

References

Citations

  1. Kahana 2002, pp. 417–420.

Sources

Kahana, Ephraim (2002). "Reorganizing Israel's Intelligence Community". International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence . 15 (3): 415–428. doi:10.1080/08850600290101686. ISSN   0885-0607. S2CID   154008409.

Further reading