Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence

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  • The special operations division, known as Metsada (formerly
    known as Caesarea), conducts sabotage and paramilitary projects.

  • A top classified subdepartment known as Kidon(Bayonet) conducts
    assassinations, as approved by Committee X, which is chaired by
    the prime minister.

  • The Intelligence Branchis responsible for LAP, the putative abbre-
    viation for Literature and Publications, though it is actually the He-
    brew acronym for Lohama Psikhologit, meaning psychological
    warfare, for which it is indeed responsible, along with propaganda
    and deception operations. The Intelligence Branch is also responsi-
    ble for collecting information on prisoners of war and those missing
    in action, nonconventional weapons, and hostile sabotage activities.

  • The political action and liaison department, known as Te v e l, con-
    ducts political activities and liaison work with friendly foreign in-
    telligence services and with nations with which Israel does not
    have normal diplomatic relations.

  • Tsafririmis a unique department distinguished by its concern for the
    security of the Jewish people around the globe. This department,
    among other things, directed the Moses Operation(Mivtsa Moshe)
    and Solomon Operation(Mivtsa Shlomo) with the goal of bring-
    ing Ethiopian Jews to Israel. In the 1950s and 1960s, Tsafririm was
    engaged in setting up defense groups in Jewish communities outside
    of Israel, mainly in the Maghreb, known by the name Misgeret
    (Framework).


All of the above units are under the aegis of the deputy director of the
Mossad for activating the force. The administrator for construction of
the force is responsible for the following units: Training Branch; Per-
sonnel and Finances; Technology and Spy Gadgets; Research; and
the Chief Security Officer.
The Mossad is one of the leading intelligence agencies in the world
in the field of high-tech electronics. It has developed a powerful com-
puter database, known as PROMIS, which can store and retrieve
enormous quantities of information. This technology is even sold by
the Mossad to intelligence communities of foreign countries.
Since its establishment, the Mossad’s best-known successful oper-
ations have been the obtaining of Khrushchev’s Speechin 1956;
Eichmann’s Capturein 1960; the Wrath of God Operationafter

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