Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence

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for Tel Aviv via Rome. Harel himself, for the first time as director of
the ISA, flew to Italy to ensure that Gross would be brought to Israel.
On arrival, Gross was arrested. During his trial, he maintained that he
contacted Egyptian intelligence to deceive the Egyptians and that he
was loyal to Israel. His argument was not accepted, however, and
Gross was convicted of espionage for Egypt and sentenced to 15 years
in jail. He died in prison.

GUR-ARYEH, ZEEV.See LOTZ, WOLFGANG.

GURIEL, BORIS.Born Boris Gurevitch in Latvia before changing his
family name to the Hebrew Guriel, he immigrated to Palestine in


  1. He obtained considerable experience with foreigners when
    serving in the British Army during World War II. Guriel was captured
    by the Nazis, but survived to return to Palestine in 1945, where he
    was recruited by Information Service(Shai). He rose through the
    ranks and became head of the organization’s Political Department in
    Jerusalem. In 1947 he headed the Shai’s Political Department in Tel
    Aviv. The Shai was disbanded on 30 June 1948, and Guriel was ap-
    pointed director of the Political Department (Ha’mahlaka Ha’me-
    dinit) in the Foreign Ministry of the newly established State of Israel,
    serving in this position until 1951. While holding this post, Guriel set
    up an ultrasecret subdepartment, Heker 2. With the establishment of
    the Mossadin April 1949, the Foreign Ministry’s Political Depart-
    ment began its process of dismantling. Most of its functions were
    transferred to the Mossad. Heker 2 was transformed into Unit 131in
    Military Intelligenceof the Israel Defense Forces. Following these
    changes, Guriel resigned from the intelligence service and became
    keeper of the Weizmann Archives in Rehovot, Israel.


GUTMANN, SHMARYA (1909–1996).Born in Scotland, Gutmann
immigrated to Palestine as an infant in 1912. In 1942 he was dis-
patched by the Mossad Le’Aliyah Bethto Iraq. After returning to
Palestine, he commanded Shahar, the Arab Platoonof the Palmah
underground militia. Gutmann became a dominant figure in Shahar
and instructed many of its members in techniques of operating like
Arabs. After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, he re-
turned to his civilian profession of archaeology.

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