Isser Harel
1912 - 2003
"Little Isser," the second and most powerful head of Israeli Mossad, considered to be the founder of the country's intelligence community.
Born Isser Halperin in Russia, Harel emigrated in 1931 with his family to Palestine, where he was among the founders of Kibbutz Shefayim. He served in the Haganah and with the British coast guard during World War II. In 1944 Harel was appointed secretary of the "Jewish Department" of the Haganah's intelligence service (Shai), and was responsible for counterespionage and for operations against "dissident" Jewish underground groups, the Irgun Zvaʾi Leʾumi and LEHI. His ruthless successes endeared Harel to Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, and he rose from Tel Aviv district commander of the Shai (1947) to head the newly formed General Security Service (Shin Bet, or Shabak, 1948 - 1952), replacing Reuven Shiloah as head of the Mossad and becoming memuneh ("the one in charge") of all Israeli intelligence agencies (1953 - 1963).
While maintaining extensive (and often criticized) internal surveillance, primarily of the pro-Soviet left, the fiercely anticommunist Harel also developed a powerful international intelligence operations network. He was credited with the exposure of several Soviet spies, including Yisrael Beer. He orchestrated the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960, and he oversaw the beginnings of Israel's "periphery doctrine," forging ties with non-Arab Middle Eastern regimes such Turkey, Iran, and Ethiopia.
Harel left office in April 1963 following a bitter dispute with Ben-Gurion and the Israel Defense Force (IDF) and with military intelligence chief Meir Amit over operations against the German rocket scientists in Egypt and elsewhere. He briefly coordinated Levi Eshkol's intelligence apparatus in 1965 and 1966, when he was accused of working to undermine Amit, his successor as Mossad chief. He later won a seat in the eighth Knesset (parliament) on the Rafi Party list. He authored several books on episodes of his career and Israeli security.
Bibliography
Black, Ian, and Morris, Benny. Israel's Secret Wars: A History of Israel's Intelligence Services. New York: Grove Press, 1991.
Harel, Isser. The House on Garibaldi Street, 2d edition. London: Frank Cass, 1997.
— ZEV MAGHEN
UPDATED BY IAN BLACK





