Halevy’s first task as director was to ease the high tensions and
resentments within the organization that had seriously damaged its
image in Israel and abroad. Halevy initiated a reorganization, tak-
ing as his model the Central Intelligence Agency in the United
States. This meant creating three main divisions: intelligence col-
lection, analysis, and operations. The first two indeed came into be-
ing, but the operations division did not and operational activities
were hardly conducted.
Halevy retired from the Mossad in September 2002 and was ap-
pointed director of Israel’s National Security Council, a post he held un-
til June 2003. Thereafter he established the Center for Strategic Thought
and Policy at the School of Public Policy at Hebrew University.
On 13 April 2005 Halevy was awarded the Chaim Herzog Prize for
special contribution to the State of Israel by Hebrew University and
Yad Chaim Weizmann for his major contribution to Israel’s security.HALPERIN, ISSER.SeeHAREL, ISSER.HA’MEMUNEH.See HAREL, ISSER.HAMSHARI, MAHMOUD. Dr. Mahmoud Hamshari, an intellectual,
was a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization. He resided at
no. 175 Champs Elysées in Paris with his French wife and small
daughter. Hamshari was responsible for the bombing of a Swissair
aircraft in 1970, an aerial terror attack in which 47 people lost their
lives. Hamshari was also suspected as the planner of an assassination
attempt on Israeli prime minister David Ben-Gurion when the latter
visited Denmark in 1969. After the Munich massacre(1972), Com-
mittee Xlisted Hamshari as a target for assassination. Close surveil-
lance on Hamshari by a team of the Kidon unit of the Mossadre-
vealed that he was alone at home only during the morning hours,
when his wife took their daughter to kindergarten. One morning
when the entire family, including Hamshari, was known to be out of
the apartment, a team member entered and installed an explosive de-
vice beneath the telephone table. On the morning of 8 December
1972, Hamshari, alone in his apartment as usual, heard his phone
ring. As he approached the telephone, the small bomb was remotely
activated by one of the team members from a nearby café.106 • HALPERIN, ISSER06-102 (03) H-P.qxd 3/24/06 7:24 AM Page 106