Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence

(contrary to the minister’s expectations); but the report added that if the

minister found no interest in the center, it was not required at all.

The MI and Mossad disregarded the CPR and did not convey raw

intelligence material to it. The result was that the center did not man-

age to rise to the status of a significant intelligence factor, although

with far smaller budgets than those of other intelligence bodies in Is-

rael, it was able to supply evaluations that sometimes were better. For

example, when MI estimated that the brother of King Hussein would

succeed him, the CPR correctly estimated that his successor would be

one of his sons.

Currently the Center for Political Research consists of 10 sections

and monitors events, developments, and political processes, mainly

in the Middle East, including international involvement there. The

center’s main tasks include gathering, analyzing, and evaluating po-

litical information, as required by the Foreign Ministry; providing

regular political briefings and guidance to Israel’s missions through-

out the world; and assisting the political information network, in Is-

rael and overseas, with its expertise in Middle East affairs.

The CPR has succeeded in building its image as a body capable of

producing intelligence assessments on international political affairs

generally. Still, when Ehud Barakserved as foreign minister (No-

vember 1995–June 1996), he preferred the assessments of MI to

those of the CPR in his own ministry. The CPR is regarded as a kind

of “deep freeze” for Israeli diplomats returning from missions abroad

and awaiting new jobs in Jerusalem or overseas.

CENTER FOR SPECIAL STUDIES (CSS)/HA’MERKAZ LE’-

MORESHET HA’MODI’IN.The literal translation is Center for

the Legacy of Intelligence. It was established on 6 June 1985 in mem-

ory of the fallen of the Israeli intelligence community. The CSS de-

votes its resources to the education of the younger generation about

past deeds of Israeli intelligence, holding conferences, and publish-

ing newsletters. The center has a web site, http://intelligence.org.il. It

is located at the Glilot Junction, north of Tel Aviv.

CENTRAL THEATER/ZIRA MERKAZIT(ZIMAR).The desk in

Military Intelligence(MI) responsible for the assessments on Iran,

Iraq, northern Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Until the 1973 Yom Kippur

CENTRAL THEATER/ZIRA MERKAZIT•61

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