the full title of this unit is not known exactly on account of its ultrase-
crecy. The closest possible Hebrew phrase for this acronym is Memu-
neh Al Ha’Bitahon Be’Ma’arekhet Ha’Bitahon. When MALMAB was
established is also a matter of conjecture. Some claim that it was set up
in 1974. However, according to certain documents recently released by
the Defense Ministry, MALMAB was created in the 1960s as part of the
Bureau of Scientific Liaison(LAKAM). It was so secret that it could
be referred to in the Israeli press only as “Y.”
MALMAB is apparently responsible for physical security of the
Defense Ministry and its research facilities, including the nuclear re-
actor at Dimona. MALMAB is also charged with preventing leaks
from the Israeli security institutions, including the Mossadand the
Israeli Security Agency(ISA). MALMAB, together with Security
Support (Siyua Bithoni, or SIBAT) in the Ministry of Defense,
closely supervises Israeli arms manufacturers, whose aim is to sell as
many arms as possible. This supervision is aimed at reducing any po-
tential damage caused by spreading Israeli weapons technology too
far around the world.
The first DSDE was Chaim Carmon. MALMAB was then a small
unit under the authority of the ISA. Carmon frequently met Avraham
Shalom, then head of the security section of the ISA, and Avraham
Ahituv, director of the ISA. Carmon received his instructions from
these two men.
In the mid-1980s MALMAB failed in securing the Dimona nuclear
reactor. A joint internal investigation by the ISA and MALMAB af-
ter the disclosure of the Mordechai Vanunuaffair concluded that no
one was directly responsible for the lapse, and no one was held ac-
countable for the fact that the information on Vanunu’s political ac-
tivities at Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba—his relations with
Arab students and his comments critical of Israel’s nuclear policy—
never sounded a warning bell among those responsible for the secu-
rity of the most secret facility in Israel. Yehiel Horevrepresented
MALMAB on the investigating committee; Avner Barnea repre-
sented the ISA. Clearly, the committee’s work was a whitewash.
Prior to the Vanunu affair, in the early 1980s Carmon’s name was
mentioned as the person appointed at the Defense Ministry to take
overall charge of MALMAB, SIBAT, and LAKAM; Horev was ap-
pointed DSDE sometime in 1986 or 1987. Soon after Horev took of-78 • DIRECTOR OF SECURITY FOR THE DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENT06-102 (02) A-G.qxd 3/24/06 7:23 AM Page 78