Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service By Michael Bar-Zohar

한 카트

I have two problems with this book. The first one is that it's way too James Bond-y, it's not an objective book at all, it sensationalizes the "missions" to the extent where you just feel a lot of things are made up. Yes, the gist of the stories might be true, but too many descriptions of who felt what and who thought what and who whispered what make it look like a work of fiction straight out of the author's mind.

The second problem is the hypocrisy of this book! At the end of the day, let's not forget that these are people who work as hired killers and I don't care how you spin it to make it look like they're protecting the greater good of the "nation of jews", they still remain criminals who roam the world to murder others, with complete disregard to the judiciary system.

Francesc

Todo aquel libro que te enseña algo que no sabías merece tenerlo en consideración. No obstante, también se debe saber ver la orientación del libro. Para eso, debes investigar, conocer un poco de mundo y no tener ninguna idea preconcebida.

Esta obra sobre el "Mossad" es muy buena. Es interesantísimo conocer las interioridades de una organización tan renombrada y seguro que los autores no te lo están contando todo porqué hay cosas que no se pueden contar.
Aunque la información que te ofrecen es muy didáctica, es demasiado partidista. Es un relato hecho por una parte desde el punto de vista de esa parte. Yo soy el bueno y lo que hago está justificado y los demás son muy malos y no tienen justificación.

El trabajo de investigación es excelente, de eso no hay duda. Se han recopilado muchos datos y se han relatado fidedignamente, pero no es una obra objetiva en cuanto a las motivaciones que subyacen a los actos. Ni yo soy tan bueno como creo ni los demás son tan malos como pienso.

Insisto. El libro es genial y he aprendido mucho, pero no he visto mucha autocrítica precisamente en cuanto a los motivos. Sí se comentan los errores en las operaciones, pero poco más.

Si uno sabe ver más allá de las letras, el libro es fantástico. Si uno se queda con que el libro está contando la verdad absoluta, nada más lejos de la realidad. Para mi, este hecho le quita bastante mérito, pero, como he disfrutado mucho, lo valoro muy positivamente.

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Any book that teaches you something you didn't know is worth considering. However, you must also be able to see the orientation of the book. For that, you have to do your research, know a bit of the world and not have any preconceived ideas.

This book about the "Mossad" is very good. It is very interesting to learn about the inner workings of such a renowned organisation and I am sure that the authors are not telling you everything because there are some things that cannot be told.
Although the information they offer is very didactic, it is too partisan. It is a story told by one side from the point of view of that side. I am the good guy and what I do is justified and the others are very bad and have no justification.

The research work is excellent, there is no doubt about that. A lot of data has been collected and reliably reported, but it is not an objective work in terms of the motivations behind the acts. I am not as good as I think I am, nor are others as bad as I think they are.

I insist. The book is great and I have learned a lot, but I have not seen much self-criticism precisely in terms of motives. It does comment on mistakes in operations, but little else.

If you can see beyond the letters, the book is fantastic. If one assumes that the book is telling the absolute truth, nothing could be further from the reality. For me, this fact detracts from its merit, but, as I enjoyed it very much, I rate it very highly.

Darryl Greer

Israel is only small country with an area of 22000 square kilometres and a population of 8.6 million, but it is surrounded by countless millions who would like to see it wiped from the face of the planet. It is, therefore, imperative that its security services are second to none. Mossad is the organisation charged with intelligence collection, covert operations and counter-terrorism. No law defines its purpose – it is accountable only to the prime minister. With a budget of $US2.73 billion and 7,000 direct employees, it is the second-largest espionage agency in the Western world after the CIA. In their insightful book, "Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service", authors Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal put the world’s best intelligence service under the microscope, providing in incredible detail, not only its outstanding successes but its bungled missions as well.

Bar-Zohar is a former member of the Israeli Knesset – its parliament – and Mishal a journalist so you would expect them to know what they are talking about, even when writing about the incredibly secretive Mossad. Missions described in the book are set out in extraordinary detail. The amount of research carried out to write such a book is evident from the length of the reference sources at the end. Some missions described have become legendary, such as the abduction of the Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann from Argentina and many notable historic events are also accurately recorded. "Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service" is a fascinating insight into the inner workings of this renowned security service.

Woman Reading

almost 4 ☆

To many thriller fans, the word "Mossad" evokes the incomparable Israeli espionage agency which possesses an uncanny ability to ferret out intelligence and to act upon it. The two authors burnished that reputation with their nonfiction
Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service.

After Israel's 1948 war for independence, Prime Minister Ben-Gurion ordered the establishment of the Institute ("Mossad" in Hebrew) for Intelligence and Special Operations. Ben-Gurion's intent was to coordinate the existing security services: the Shabak (aka "Shin Bet" or the Internal Security Service, which is akin to the FBI in the US); the Aman (the army's military intelligence); the special branch of police; and the research division of the foreign ministry. The first two plus the newly formed Mossad would be the prominent players, but only the latter would be directly answerable to the Prime Minister for the intelligence community as a whole. Mossad's roots sprang from the Haganah, the Zionist paramilitary organization, thus beginning the decades-long tradition of each ramsad (or Mossad chief) being selected from among the highest ranks of Israel's military.

It was the first ramsad Reuven Shiloah who had determined the Mossad's mission:

Beside all the functions of a secret service, we have another major task: to protect the Jewish people, wherever they are, and to organize their immigration to Israel.

This book was neither non-partisan nor a comprehensive history. The two authors didn't mention the necessary preparatory intelligence gathering but focused on the days when the operations went live. Major successful ops, primarily those before the 1980s, were described. Triumphs included the abduction of the Nazi war criminal - SS Colonel Adolf Eichmann - from Argentina and his subsequent trial in Israel and Israel's response to the murders of its athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Some situations went FUBAR in spectacular fashion in the 1980s and 1990s such as the international revelation of Israel's nuclear program and the failed assassination of Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al in Jordan.

I'm a big fan of crime and thriller fiction. Israel's Mossad has occasionally popped up in those thrillers as a minor, yet crucial contributor for intel. So I had expected to enjoy the nonfiction
Mossad much more than I actually did.

This book's early chapters detailed the Mossad's assassinations of scientists who were involved in Iran's nuclear program. I maintain two different standards -- what I find acceptable or entertaining in fiction isn't necessarily also true in "in real life." This chapter raised disquieting thoughts - such as, is it acceptable to enter a foreign country and assassinate their law abiding citizens? The Iranian nuclear programs hadn't yet progressed to the stage of making weapons. Nonetheless, the Mossad had decided to act preemptively. When the later chapters described the assassination ops against internationally designated terrorists, however, I had no such compunction. The ease in which Mossad agents were able to execute their ops in foreign nations was impressive. I think one strength the authors had not singled out, however, was the loyalty from the extensive Jewish diaspora in assisting Mossad's intelligence gathering.

The second issue I had with this book was the authors' organization. Their first edition was published in 2010 to great acclaim in Israel. They updated their 2012 edition and their editorial choices for the most recent segments were a bit confusing, especially as they were on top of the entirely unfamiliar (to me) names for people and places. I read this with my atlas in close proximity.

Mossad was my first nonfiction book centered around Israel, a part of the world for which I possess only rudimentary knowledge. What I did end up liking most was the peripheral glimpse I got of the Middle East's history albeit one entirely from Israel's perspective. From the neighbors Israel labeled as "enemy," I learned how the Jewish people (or at least those in leadership during the 20th century) saw themselves in the world.

[Prime Minister Golda Meir] mentioned the horrid memory of the Holocaust and the tragic march of the Jewish people through the ages, always persecuted, hunted, and massacred.

This mindset made the Mossad's efforts to relocate Jewish people from Syria and Ethiopia, both which had become extremely inhospitable, all the more emotionally moving.

I also liked learning what my own country's covert ops were occasionally up to or at least whenever the two countries' interests were in alignment. The US - Israel relationship has not always been in harmony as the first Bush administration had ousted a Mossad spy employed in the US' intelligence community.

Nat

The dirtiest actions should be carried out by the most honest men.

I've been eyeing this book, sitting patiently on my library shelves, enough visits to finally peak my interest, but I knew that lugging this beast of a book home was commitment enough, so I waited for a sign and it came that same week when my mother mentioned the movie The Debt. And, oh, what a racing read! No thriller has been as nail-biting intense as the recounting of these Mossad missions.

The Mossad is widely recognized today as the best intelligence service in the world. It is also the most enigmatic, shrouded in secrecy. Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service unveils the defi ning and most dangerous operations that have shaped Israel and the world at large from the agency's more than sixty-year history, among them: the capture of Adolf Eichmann, the eradication of Black September, the destruction of the Syrian nuclear facility, and the elimination of key Iranian nuclear scientists.

Through intensive research and exclusive interviews with Israeli leaders and Mossad agents, authors Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal re-create these missions in riveting detail, vividly bringing to life the heroic operatives who risked everything in the face of unimaginable danger. In the words of Shimon Peres, president of Israel, this gripping, white-knuckle read "tells what should have been known and isn't--that Israel's hidden force is as formidable as its recognized physical strength."

To lay it all on the table, I wasn't sure before starting this book if I'd even bother to read through more than one story because the book is quite intimidating in its size. But then I opened the first chapter, titled “ King of Shadows,” and was swept right up into the world of high-stake Mossad operations, led at the hands of the "legendary fighter," Meir Dagan.

“He had planned the entire operation: posing as Lebanese terrorists, sailing in an old vessel from Ashdod, a port in Israel, the long night of hiding, the meeting with the terrorist leaders, and the escape route after the hit. He had even organized the fake pursuit by the Israeli torpedo boat. Dagan was the ultimate guerilla, bold and creative, not someone who stuck to the rules of engagement. Yitzhak Rabin once said: “Meir has the unique capacity to invent antiterrorist operations that look like movie thrillers.”

And it's thanks to the authors writing skills, wherein they don't reveal their cards right away and make us wait for the reveal to drop, that holds for such a thrilling ride ahead.

The chapters to make my heart skip a beat contain: capturing spies, trying to infiltrate the Mossad, on a gut feeling, capturing traitors, bringing justice to the Jewish state, and so much more that held me practically glued to the pages of this book.

• “A Hanging in Bagdhad”
• “Oh, That? It’s Khrushchev’s Speech …”
• “Bring Eichmann Dead or Alive!”

Hands down the most gripping chapter in this book was the capturing of Eichmann, yimakh shemo , and also my main reason for wanting to read Mossad in the first place.

I appreciated how the book showed the intense preparation that goes behind the scenes to succeed in a secret mission. The following of the target, learning his habits and maintaining his routine... The tiniest of details that had to be pinned down, all of which are worth to reach this moment:

“They shook hands. Eichmann was in their grasp.
Eitan thought he had his feelings under control. But then he suddenly realized that he was humming the song of the Jewish partisans in the war against the Nazis, and repeating the refrain: “We are here! We are here!”

This was a beyond moving chapter, for me. And I only wish they could’ve elaborated a bit more on the trial that took place in Israel, considering the fascinating
lesson I listened to that points out Eichmann’s flawed attempt at bringing Kant's philosophy to his defence - the theory of relative morality - claiming that, in Germany 1940-something, it was considered a moral act to obliterate Jews. In Eichmann’s trial, the lecturer brings to light philosopher Israel Eldad's argument that, in this case, judge Halevi should've taken apart the philosophy as a whole; "the courts of Jerusalem should put relative morality at trial." "Because it's not enough to try one man for the murder of 6 million Jews. You have to put on trial not only the man and not only the nation that participated in the act but also the very philosophy that allowed mankind to reach such barbarism."

And it felt as if the entire Jewish people identified with the prosecutor, Gideon Hausner, who confronted the Nazi criminal as the representative of his 6 million victims.

Never again.

“Two police officers behind a screen simultaneously pressed two buttons, only one of which worked the trapdoor. Neither knew who had the controlling button, so the name of Eichmann’s executioner remains unknown.”

So the following chapter, fittingly titled “Those Who’ll Never Forget,” only four years after the Eichmann trial, got my blood boiling like no other, wherein “the West Germany’s parliament would adopt a statute of limitations regarding war crimes, which meant that Nazi criminals—living now undercover—would be able to re-emerge from hiding and resume normal lives, as if they had never committed their atrocious acts. ” This type of atrocity of erasing the Holocaust is happening in this day and age, as well, and it makes me furious. So reading about the Mossad bringing justice to the Jewish nation by killing “one of the greatest Nazi criminals,” Herberts Cukurs, who's personally responsible for massacring 30,000 Jews, was enough to calm my rage in that moment.

The world needed to be reminded that monsters were still at large.

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Supratim

Being a lover of spy fiction I have across Mossad in many thrillers. All these novels & movies would portray Mossad as the most lethal secret service in the world. Many online articles also make the same claim. When I learnt about this non-fiction book which claims to tell the stories of the greatest missions of the agency, I knew I had to get the book.

I was expecting that the book would probably throw light on the spectacular success stories of the agency. But, as it turned out the book also talked about the failures, embarrassments, misuse of power at the agency’s top,and internal disputes in the organization.

There are 21 chapters in the book – each tells the story of a different mission.

You will see Mossad agents hunting Nazi war criminals in South America, apprehending deserters, assassinating enemies, and even carrying out rescue operations involving Jews in hostile nations. One mission stood out when Mossad had been tasked with rescuing a child kidnapped by his Orthodox grandfather and smuggled abroad with the help of some powerful people. Once, Mossad also made a Nazi war hero work for them.

In the pages of this book – you will meet some extraordinary men & women; some in the service of Mossad while some were the “enemies”.

Each mission reads like a spy thriller. Not some outlandish James Bond adventure – but, something more realistic. The planning, the reconnaissance, the actual execution, the dangers & consequences of capture and not to forget the element of dumb luck – everything is so thrilling.

The authors have included thirty odd pages of bibliography at the end of the book and claimed to use the most reliable information sources. But, in my humble opinion when Mossad is involved – we can never be sure of anything. The authors might have spared no effort but still! We will probably never know the complete truth. Nevertheless, the book was an entertaining read.

It would have been better if the authors had included some geo-political background. It would have allowed readers to better understand the context.

We can debate the legality or ethics of these missions endlessly – people had been assassinated and at times even innocents died. I would only say that if you find the content interesting then you might want to give the book a try.

Ammit P Chawda

5.0 ⭐

GENRE - NON FICTION/MILITARY HISTORY

BOMBASTIC !!!! is the word, First of all a thank you to all the secret service agencies of the world I admire, notably (CIA, USA), (MOSSAD, ISRAEL), (RAW, INDIA), (MI6,UK) altough a few bad episodes every secret service agency has had in their History of operation but one must know that these guys are the ones who put themselves on the line of duty in order to bring peace to their country first and then to the world.

MOSSAD one such secret service agency of a country which has been mentioned in the Bible as the promised land which only came into existence in 1948 i.e ISRAEL 🇮🇱.

Now when you belong to a community that has faced persecution for ages and presently you are surrounded by countries who wish to annihilate you on the first thought of it than you have no other option but to stand one step ahead of your enemies in order to save your community.
Isreal in the past has faced alot of wars and mostly 3 front wars but hasn't lost a single war thanks to the secret service agency MOSSAD that has always brought Intel which has helped them maintain their interest and integrity.
Having lived in the Gulf region as an Indian working in the Middle East I have seen how hostile Arabs can be to the Jews of that nation and I believe ISRAEL & JEWS who represent MOSSAD for that matter are so dedicated in saving their people an country because they have no other option but to fight for existence.

About the Book - The best Spy Novel I have read so far, it kept me interested and glued from page 1, the book has Drama, Thrill, Adventure, Action, History & every thing one wants to read in a SPY Novel.
I wish this book is made into a TV show with 5-6 seasons.
The chapter are systematic bearing proper sequence to events, incidents of great leaders, Supporters & Enemies of Israel and world politics have been mentioned and talked about like Ben Gurion, Moshe Dyan, Golda Meir, Adolf Eichmann, Herbert Cukurs ( Butcher of Riga), Ashraf Marwan, George Bush, Barrack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoni Nethanyahu.

I got to know that my Name Amit is also a Hebrew name and that there was one head of MOSSAB by the name MR.AMIT MEIR.

The only thing I missed about the book and would suggest the author in their next edition to use pictures and maps of historical figures mentioned in the book and historical events that happened in their History.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BOOK.
Thank You.. 😊 🙏

Sumit RK

Mossad, the formidable Israeli Intelligence Agency, needs no introduction. It is widely regarded as one of the best Intelligence agencies in the world. This remarkable book documents the amazing and controversial events in the history of Mossad. Well documented and authoritative, Mossad is a collection of 21 true stories about operations conducted by Mossad since 1948 against many of Israel’s most determined enemies. Without going into the politics & morality of some of the actions, I would say every country in the world engages in such secret missions to protect it’s interest & sovereignty and that’s the reality we have to accept. Regardless of one’s feelings about the Mossad’s work, most readers will find this book difficult to put down.

Each of the missions has been described like a suspense story. The book’s core strength is undoubtedly are the unknown facts about the Mossad & it’s missions. From slowing down the Iranian nuclear program, to obtaining Khrushchev’s secret speech. From assassinating the PLO leaders, to stealing a MIG-21 fighter jets. From blowing up the Syrian nuclear reactor, to capturing hidden Nazi war criminals. From rescuing Jews from enemy countries, to double agents. It’s all there and each mission is equally well researched & varied from the rest. Each chapter unfolds like a thriller and keeps you hooked right till the end.

The book is largely written in a chronological order that gives you a sense of key events in Israel’s history. Also it analyses Mossad’s leadership (usually referred as the Ramsad) in all of the chapters. It analyses the agency’s leaders and the personal price those leaders pay for their leadership and the toll it takes on them. Another interesting aspect is that it also covers the biggest failures of Mossad; from failed missions to diplomatic turmoil, without an attempt to gloss over the agency’s shortcomings.

Overall ‘Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service’ is a superlative effort and If you enjoy spy thrillers & history, you will surely enjoy this. Most recommended (4.5/5)

Jean

The book is written more like a spy novel than a dry history book. The authors tell the stories of the more famous and well known escapades of the Mossad. The Mossad is recognized as the best intelligence agency in the world. The authors tell the story of the most famous and well justified mission of the kidnapping by the Mossad of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and bringing him back to Israel to stand trial for war crimes. Bar-Zohar tells about the bombing of the Syrian nuclear reactor and the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist. They also tell the escapades of master spy Elie Cohen. Bar-Zohar not only reports the successful cases, but ones that turned into a disaster for the agency.

The book is a fun read but the book fails to provide the wider perspective of the events. The authors failed to provide the political context of each event. Very little is told about the founding of the Jewish State in 1948 or about the geopolitical outcome of the Six Day War in 1967. Without all the background, one would not understand the problems with the Palestinians. The authors do provide a brief history of the founding of the Mossad and a brief biography of its early leaders.
.
But if you are looking for a light weight spy story, the book is a fun read. The book had the potential of providing an in-depth view of the role of the Mossad and its effects on Israel. Instead, they went for a lightweight fun read.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is about fourteen and half hours long. Benjamin Isaac does a good job narrating the book.

Cassidy Quimby

This is a nonfiction book written like a spy novel. The organization of the book is by covert mission which makes it very easy to pick up and read a chapter at a time and put back down. I usually wanted to read the next though!

The most remarkable thing about the Mossad in my opinion is that they extend their protection to Jews all over the world, not just from Israel. I found it remarkable that they risk their lives for missions that might not sound that important. For example rescuing the "Syrian virgins". Because they had a shortage of Jewish young men left in Syria, there was no one for them to marry. The Mossad went into hostile enemy territory and took them out with them to Israel.

The sad thing about this book is that it seems no matter how many terrorist leaders they eliminate, there is always someone else to take their place. It's a never ending cycle of madness.

I give this book 5 stars. The authors did a great job of bringing it to life without too much information.

I would have liked the pictures to be organized per chapter and a map to consult would have been nice. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the middle eastern and Israel conflicts carried out at a covert level. It's full of information I did not previously know about.

Nikunj

There is no doubt that 'Mossad' was and is probably one of the best secret service agencies in the world at present. After reading Start-Up nation I became a fan of Israel but now I salute their spirit, their patriotism and their talent in every sphere they wish to engage. Though some of the stories may look like movie pick ups we should remind ourselves of the old saying-"Truth is stranger than Fiction". If you wish to pick something enthralling, scintillating and titillating the secret fighter inside you then read this book.

Apratim Mukherjee

There is no way the book deserves less than five stars as Mossad it self is a five star secret service.As the pages are turned,the book describes execution of Nazis,PLO members,Hamas and Hezbollah agents etc.The book is well written and better than many spy novels. In my opinion,Mossad agents are better than fictional character of James Bond.

Makrand

After reading this fantastic book by Michael Bar-Zohar, I am really enchanted and feel utmost respect for the Israelis and of course for Mossad
The book describes various prominent missions in form of separate Chapters, Mossad carried out under the support of Israeli Government.

Loved the way Michael has described almost all of the missions and the way they were carried out, right from planning to execution to completion.
The book gives out a lot of factual data and real names, the sources of which are added in the end.

Stories of

- Elie Cohen
- The execution of Eichemann
- Khrushchev’s speech
- Israel's first MiG-21
- Bringing back Yossel

will live forever in the heart of the reader.

The reason I'd give this book a solid 5 star is primarily the simplicity with which the complex operations are described carefully filtering the sensitive information,
secondarily for making it as interesting as Fiction novel and finally for The Mossad !!

Absolutely thrilled! Most recommended if you have an inclination towards watching/reading Spy stories!

Ps. One of the chapters has come up as a TV series on Netflix. It's called The Spy and it's entirely based on the greatest spy ever known - Elie Cohen. The Tv series is as thrilling as the book, most recommended!

Mohamed

let me start by explaining how I think. I believe that every nation/ Country/ Culture... etc.. has the right to defend itself and do what is necessary according to their point of views.

if you like espionage stories, then its a good, light reading and will keep you busy until you finish it. However, being a book about the shadow world and the dark operations, you can't be sure that any of its stories are accurate or true and maybe if you are of a national that one of the operations took place against, then you might have your own version or versions.the stories could be 100% accurate..maybe 20% accurate, or maybe not accurate at all. some information could be true as the Israelis believe or came to a conclusion that their version is the right version (like Ashraf Marawan's case) they could be wrong and he was actually playing them and he is a hero to the Egyptian Intelligence and Israel can't accept that because it will make them fools, or maybe that is what really happened.

The Israelis as always call anyone doing anything they don't like a terrorist. I would prefer they accept that they have enemies like any other nation and as they gave the right to themselves to do what's necessary for their survival and plans, they have to give it to others.
The book clearly in more than one occasion call the territory "the Occupied" and that is enough reason to justify what all the neighboring countries are doing and especially the Palestinians to fight the people who occupied their land by force. I don't care if its the promised land or if its an Arab land and I am talking about the reality that hundreds and thousands of Jews immigrated to this land and took it from the people who already lived there. this justifies anything and any action the Palestinians are doing and I don't want to talk about the organizations that are fighting Israel and whether they are terrorists or not because, as I see it, they are doing exactly what the Israelis are doing. there is no difference.

In the book, the Israelis have killed innocent people (by mistake or not), used terror to frighten their enemies and to prove that they are superior than their enemies and everybody else...which again is their right as its everyone else.

I liked the hunt for Nazis and i am fascinated by how they were able to accomplish the missions, like any operation that ends in bringing the target from abroad and from a foreign country is always fascinating.

I am also sad that the creation of Israel and what the Zionist did intentionally or unintentionally created the fear and hate between the Jews and Arabs in Arabic countries, and I can only talk about Egypt. Before Israel, there were no difference between Jews or non Jews in Egypt...many artists and actors who were famous and loved by all were Jews and to this day I still find out about more and more. with the creation of Israel and what they did in the region, people suddenly or gradually forgot that Israel doesn't mean Jews and the acts of the Israelis don't reflect all Jews pov, so they hated them and maybe even treated them differently which in return would make the Jews think and decide that the only way is to leave and immigrate to Israel (many just left Egypt and went to Europe or the U.S) and I imagine that some started to hate the Arabs and so on. it also helped Israel to sell its case that the Jews are in danger and mistreated and also helped the rulers in the Arab countries to have an enemy to blame for everything they fail in.

I also learned from the book that Israel is not that perfect...as the orthodox judge others and decide if they are real Jews or not. Inside the religion are sub-religions as in other religion. Maybe some call for peace, others call for annihilating non jews..and son on..this matter requires more research and reading, but the book gives a slight look inside this world and how even some groups are working against the officials in the "State of Israel". It also shows how Israel doesn't respect any agreements with other countries will do whatever is best for its interest.

As you read and find out what the Mossad will do to eliminate or take out threats, you should begin to think whether they are lying, faking, or staging incidents just to justify killing others who they regard as enemies or "terrorists".

every country has its own spies and its own plans and we shouldn't blame them if they acted against our own countries. We however, have to blame our own intelligence bodies for their failure not to act..defensively or offensively. At the end there is no such thing as peace..there is only common interest. Peace is the highest degree humanity can achieve and that will not happen because , at the end, we are humans.

as I wrote.. If you like spies stories, then its a good book to read and maybe cross reference the stories with other stories or sources...as most of the stories could be fake, inaccurate, or just a part of the propaganda.

ManOfLaBook.com

Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service by Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal is a non-fictionbook by Israeli journalists Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal. The book recounts some of the great successes and failures of the secret Israeli agency.

The book is divided into twenty two distinct chapters, each one a story of its own. The operations range from the complex assassinations of Syrian general Muhammad Suleiman, finding and assassinating rogue scientist Gerald Bull(he was developing a supergun for Saddam Hussein), the kidnapping Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and luring Mordechai Vanunu out of England into Rome as to not suffer the wrath of Thatcher.

Even operations which seem mundane, such as smuggling out of the Soviet Union of Nikita Khrushchev’s secret speech, or sneaking across the border Jewish Syrian women (the Syrian brides) gets an air of reverence and complexity. Other chapters include a run down of the years Israel’s greatest spy, Eli Cohen, spent in Syria as well as bringing the Jews of Ethiopia to Israel.

The chapter about the elimination of Black September’s leadership does not fail to mention the innocent Moroccan waiter, whose only crime was resembling Ali Hassan Salameh, one of the Mossad’s target. One of the biggest failures of the Mossad that we know of.

I am familiar with Professor Bar-Zohar’s writings, he is a leading Israeli writer on espionage. As most of his books, Mossad is also a fast paced, fascinating look behind thick curtains which have been previously closed. The authors’ analysis and insight are mesmerizing and usually spot on, while the new information they present, information that just recently has been uncensored, is simply amazing.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is not the spectacular successes, but the equally spectacular failures. Some of these failures are so astonishing one has to look at the cover to make sure the book is about the Mossad and not the keystone cops. Afterwards pounding ones head – “what were they thinking”.

Author Michael Bar-Zohar said that this is due to "The feeling is that we are the best in the world, and therefore a sense of Israeli amateurishness sometimes creeps into the system. This means they send people who are not as seasoned as they should be and they trust that they will not be caught and identified.”

That being said, the Mossad certainly has an extraordinary achievement record. That record though, coupled with classic Israeli self-assurance and overconfidence, can easily get smirched.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit:
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Morgan

It is a very rare thing to get a look into the operations of the secret service of any country. The Mossad especially I would have thought.

I was awed by this book which details some of Mossad’s most important missions, not only the brilliant successes but also their most epic failures.

Even though some of their greatest missions are well documented in public forums it was exciting to read background details of them in this book.

Kudos to the authors for thrilling me with your book.

Fred Shaw

To be humbled by a story and its authors is extraordinary for me. This is the true account of the Israeli Secret Service: Mossad and its greatest achievements (and a few SNAFUs) beginning in the 1950’s to 2012. The little country Israel, surrounded by giants, roars like a thousand lions with Mossad against world terrorist organizations to include the PLO, HAMAS, and attacks by Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Syria. It is a truly powerful story worth reading.

Le_Suti

In 21 Kapitel werden Missionen des Mossad offen gelegt und analysiert. Sei es die Verhaftung Eichmanns oder das Geiseldrama in München. Michael Bar-Zohar schafft es, den Leser zu fesseln, indem das Buch mehr wie ein Spionageroman als ein Geschichtsbuch aufgebaut wurde. Nichtdestotroz wird jede Mission, so präzise wie es die Quellenlage nur zulässt, erläutert.

Anurag Lamba

Israel's relations with his neighbours and it's secret service is and was always intriguing subject. I have never encountered a book so true and directly indicating names, dates and modus operandi of the operations by any secret service. This book is full of modern history,secret warfare and intelligence some propaganda too. It could have been better if the author didn't mixed too many details and the flavour of a spy novel.

Overall it is a must read for history buffs. It also arouses so many questions and thoughts about israel's relation with its neighbours, the support from west (right from the crusade wars), the hypocrisy of politicians, ideologies, religion, innocents civilians killed on both sides , the hatred which fuels countries to destroy each other to the core, cultural clashes, identities, hypocrisy of united nation and West, the dictators, daring heroes of israel,middlemens, manupulators, dictators that tried to be God and because of their pride and ego took extreme measures, terrorism, USA, Cia, secret patches between enemy states, oil, civil wars, colonisation and it's aftermath, power vaccume, west's need to control everything and everyone, their ignorance towards civilians of Arab countries, peace.

Their is so much I cannot describe it in here.

Note: I am not am expert in Israel Arab relations these are my personal opinions from years of news watching, meeting people from both sides and mostly this book. No offense intended.

Shivani Palekar

Mossad is a fast paced, thrilling work of non-fiction that gives the reader a glance into the seemingly impenetrable, censored world of one the most powerful secret service agencies. It is divided into 22 distinct chapters, covering several operations from the kidnapping and execution of the Nazi - Adolf Eichmann to the Israel sponsored emigration of Ethiopian Jews. A must read for anyone interested in the world of espionage - the book not only covers the greatest successes of the agency, but also delves into its failures (although in a slightly rushed and superficial manner). My only complaints about the book are that at times the authors get a little too particular with the physical descriptions of the numerous characters, as well as with the conversations that took place, blurring the lines between fiction and non fiction as I'm not sure how well the narrators could recall events that occurred decades ago. Lastly, the ending was a little too abrupt for my taste, and I would have liked a little more insight into the Iran scenario.

Rohit Enghakat

The book is well researched and gives an insight into the Israeli agency's operations. The book is divided in 21 chapters each a different operation undertaken. Each of the story reads like a thriller and I enjoyed the book tremendously.

Chris Brown

Interesting, but poorly written and disjointed. The author jumps between dates that makes it hard to follow the incidents chronicled in the book.

Pramodya

I’d actually like to give 3.5 stars
This was a really good read. I have to say that I learned loads of stuff from this book. It brushes over most of the elite sections and leaders of mossad and most of their big operations.

I like that the authors highlight both the victories and failures of the past operations of mossad. But I would have liked it if it was written with more depth. Some chapters cover particular operations with many details and researched information. But some chapters fell short of this.

But I still enjoyed this and am glad that I picked it up. 😃

Sanjana Agarwal

3.5.

This book reads like a spy novel, but also not because instead of building up, it includes short stories that effectively describes the potency, lethality of Mossad; the secret service of Israel. It includes several high-profile missions and assassinations, some of which are pretty efficiently and effortlessly ordered and carried out.

The different branches of the organization and the changing 'ramsads'/heads of Mossad may prove to be confusing, does not in any way take from the nerve of the service.
But, the way sentences were carried out to kill scientists, officers, members of the Arab countries and organizations, nonchalantly, not in the least caring about their families.

Still, the book explains the reasons why such assassinations were carried out. Many might disagree, 'an eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind' is not something Mossad believes in.

Other than that, the sincerity with which Mossad made sure to get its agents safely back if caught was applaudable. Also includes the Black September Case which has been adapted in the movie, 'Munich', do give that a watch!

If you are looking for a spy novel, do not pick this one up, because all the missions are real and while they may seem impossible, they are not. Pick it up to know more about how Mossad functions and to know the various deadly secret missions it undertook, since Israel's formation to the very recent ones.

Varun

The book is badly written with most of the stories and opinions being one-sided. When an Israeli was assassinated, it is described as an 'act of terrorism'; when the assassin was an Israel it is a 'necessary move to protect Israel'.
The authors try to spice up the story and make it sound like a spy novel with unnecessary, and often cumbersome, detail -- and fail quite terribly. Covert operations, as anyone who watched 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' would know, are nothing like an Ian Fleming book.
The only way in which this book has made me wiser is by giving me a close-up, albeit one-sided, picture of the geopolitical situation in and around Israel.

Bohdana Vavrynchuk

«Якщо хтось приходить убити тебе, повстань і убий його першим.»

Ізраїльський Моссад - це, звісно, сила і мистецтво реалізації операцій і проектів.

Чекаю на подібну книгу за декілька років про наші спецслужби.

Deepthi

This book was equal parts fascinating and horrifying. You can almost feel the thrill of operations being precisely planned and executed as if you were a participant yourself. However, the ease with which lives are taken, borders crossed and identities changed makes it all a little scary. On the whole though, a great read.

Abdul Basith

I really enjoyed reading this book. By seeing the title one may include that book only deals with successful operations of missed. But this book also deals with several failures.
One chapter is amusing when failed operation meant that Mossad has to save the Life of the enemy whom they intend to kill.
Very neatly written and highly recommendEd to those who love spy and action books

Title	:	Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service
Author	:	Michael Bar-Zohar
Rating	:
ISBN	:	0062123408
ISBN-10	:	9780062123404
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Hardcover
Number of Pages	:	388
Publication	:	First published January 1, 2010

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