Why intelligence PR?

Yossi Melman

Part two. Part one:

The Secret Mossad far more than apparent. And that is clearly controlled by the organization itself much more severely than in many Western countries.

Familiar to veteran Israeli intelligence once told me that all we know about them is either that they want us to know, or if they failed, we know only what the other side wants us to know. Mossad – the intelligence Agency and special task was considered so secret that its function, unlike the CIA, for example, even not defined by law. Only 17 years ago, the Israeli legislature decided to define the functions of intelligence Shin bet (security Service), or, as they are increasingly called on the Israeli manner, the Shin bet, the Mossad but is operates in secret. There is a formal Commission, which must supervise the activities of the Mossad. There are special Subcommittee on intelligence of the Knesset. The head of the Mossad directly reports to the head of the government and reports to the Cabinet.

A Veteran of Israel's war journalism Yossi Melman is the author of several books, numerous articles and television series "Inside the Mossad," says that heads of Mossad, like other intelligence agencies of Israel (Shin bet, military intelligence and others), served the government with recommendations that are almost always accepted without much discussion.

– Mossad secrets to manipulate as they wish, said Melman Simon Spungin in the weekly podcast of the newspaper "Haaretz". Then they are all secret, and then suddenly occurs for no apparent reason. Most importantly, that they fully control all the information.

In recent years, the Mossad and its current and former employees are actively involved in various media projects, books, movies, TV shows. Yossi Melman has written about the Mossad several books, made a popular documentary series "Inside the Mossad." It rebroadcast on Israeli TV, and he has appeared on "Netflix" with English subtitles. Why is that? For PR or Mossad came a time of openness?

– part of the PR, says Melman. – If they have, it's secrets cease to be secrets and they find ways to publish them. Officially former employees of the Mossad (not to mention current) are not allowed to talk to the press or something to publish without the permission of the authorities. This rule somehow does not apply to chiefs of the organization that give interviews where they want and answer to no one. For the rest it is an effective means of control. Sometimes allowed to speak for the sake of PR for the organization. Sometimes in order to help a loved one to promote your book. But sometimes they ban the publication.



Journalists with ties face such vagaries and are constantly not only in the Mossad. Most recently, the head of Israeli military intelligence major-General Tamir Hyman and chief of staff General Kohavi suddenly sanctioned information about the failure of the Israeli special forces in Khan Yunis last year. A detachment of commandos were discovered, and the commander in the rank of Colonel was killed in battle. Only recently was enveloped in a dense veil of secrecy and suddenly popular program "Uvda" ("fact", Hebrew.) has received approval for very detailed investigation. Yossi Melman wrote a critical article, where he criticized such surprises. He rightly asked why this is done? To appease the influential TV show? His sources in the intelligence community, too, shrugged their shoulders and saw no reasonable explanation.

While intelligence agencies are increasingly immersed in show business of modern media under their nose in Israel occur massive infiltration of China.

The New port in Haifa, built by the Chinese

An Israeli Ministry of transport and other government agencies have made Herculean efforts to attract Chinese investment to Israel. Over the past decade the Chinese have built in Israel, a huge economic Empire, and it is not only transport infrastructure, agriculture, energy. Inside this intelligence operates. Israel has an active Chinese agents, is an information war. Americans have repeatedly expressed concern with the scale of Chinese intelligence activity in Israel.

– I will give just one example of our bureaucratic idiocy, says Melman. – Head of the strategic studies Center of the University of Haifa, Dr. Shaul Horev has sounded the alarm about the fact that the Chinese built and controlled underwater docks, which is based on Israeli Navy, including submarines, capable (according to foreignpress) to carry nuclear warheads. Anyone who is willing to listen, Horev complains – why we allowed the Chinese to build them?

My question Horeb: "And where were you?" Just a few years ago, Vice-Admiral, Horev commanded the Israeli naval forces and build these submarines. And then he headed a government Commission on nuclear energy (an extremely influential body dealing with all matters of nuclear energy in Israel, including the protection of nuclear secrets).


Just stop the construction now will not work. Israel gave the Chinese the key concession for 25 years, and within a quarter of a century they will be able to control all the movements of the Israeli Navy. And there are many examples.

I Must say, no one was against the Chinese project. Intelligence service Shin bet sought to limit foreign investment. For many years they lobbied for the law, which, of course, does not mention the Chinese. The bill provides control over all foreign investment related to defense, but we all understand that we are talking about China and Russia. The bill always comes up against the resistance of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his economic Ministers interested in indicators of economic growth affecting the popularity. However, an informed source in Israel told me that the Chinese also have their own lobby. It is also possible that politicians and senior officials have personal economic interests in these projects. Now Israel is trying to create a Commission that will monitor these things, but apparently too late.

– a Trojan horse in the city, concludes Yossi Melman.