Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence

– U –

ULSHAN-DORI COMMISSION.This commission was appointed by

Prime Minister Moshe Sharettto investigate who gave the order for

the sabotage acts in Egypt in 1954 undertaken by the Jewish espi-

onage network in Egypt in the affair known as the Bad Business. The

commission started its work on 2 January 1955. It was composed of

Supreme Court Judge Ya’acov Ulshan and the first chief of the Gen-

eral Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Ya’acov Dori. The commis-

sion adjourned in mid-January 1955 without clear-cut conclusions

with regard to direct responsibility for the activities of the network in

1954. The commission concluded: “The truth is that we were not pre-
      pared to state, from evidence presented on behalf of Binyamin Gibli,
      that he received an instruction from Pinhas Lavon—not because we
      were convinced that he did not receive one.” See alsoAMIAD COM-
      MISSION; COHEN COMMISSION; COMMITTEE OF SEVEN.

UNIT 131.This ultrasecret unit was first known as Heker 2. It was set

up in 1948 inside the Political Department of the Israeli Foreign Min-

istry. Its assignments were to conduct sabotage and propaganda be-

hind enemy borders. When the Political Department was disbanded

in 1950, its missions were transferred to Military Intelligence(MI).

Unit 131 operations abroad were overseen by a committee of two:

Reuven Shiloahand the deputy chief of the General Staff. In 1951

Colonel Mordechai (Motke) Ben-Tsurwas made the unit’s com-

mander. Its main assignment was to set up an espionage network in

Egypt.

Since the day of its establishment, Unit 131 has been a source of

controversy. The chief of the General Staff, Moshe Dayan, main-

tained it was a waste of money and manpower for the Israel Defense

Forces to be engaged in clandestine activities. The director of the

Mossad, Isser Harel, maintained that all foreign operations, includ-

ing those of Unit 131, should be under the aegis of the Mossad. The

director of MI, Yehoshafat Harkabi, believed that Unit 131 should

not be activated in peace time.

In 1954 Unit 131 was involved in the Bad Business, using the Jew-

ish espionage network in Egypt for sabotage against Western targets

in Egypt. This mission failed and created a massive scandal in Israel.

UNIT 131• 297

06-102 (04) Q-Z.qxd 3/24/06 7:26 AM Page 297