Difference between revisions of "Shin Bet"

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The [[Israel Security Agency]] or [[General Security Agency]], known in Hebrew as [[Shabak]] (an abbreviation for [[Sherut ha-Bitachon ha-Klali]]) or [[Shin Bet]], is the Israeli counterintelligence and internal security service.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/irp/world/israel/shin_bet/ Shabak/Shin Bet/Israel Security Agency/Sherut ha-Bitachon ha-Klali], Federation of American Scientists, accessed 9 May 2009.</ref>
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{{group
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|wikipedia=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Bet
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|type=intelligence agency
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|start=February 8, 1949
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|constitutes=Intelligence Agency
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|logo=ShabakLogo.png
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|leaders=Director of The Shin Bet
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|powerbase=http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/Shin_Bet
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|abbreviation=English: ISA, Local: Shabak - Hebrew: שב״כ, Arabic: شاباك
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|motto=מגן ולא יראהMagen veLo Yera'e The Defender that shall not be seen, The unseen shield
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}}
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The [[Israel Security Agency]] or [[General Security Agency]], known in Hebrew as [[Shabak]] (an abbreviation for [[Sherut ha-Bitachon ha-Klali]]) or [[Shin Bet]], is the Israeli counterintelligence and internal security service.<ref>''[http://www.fas.org/irp/world/israel/shin_bet/ Shabak/Shin Bet/Israel Security Agency/Sherut "ha-Bitachon ha-Klali"]'', Federation of American Scientists, accessed 9 May 2009.</ref>
  
===People===
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==The 'Tool'==
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On 15 March 2020, the [[Israeli]] government introduced emergency regulations granting Shin Bet permission to use what it calls the 'Tool' – essentially a secret intelligence database where information about every citizen is constantly collected – to track [[COVID-19]] patients and those around them. According to an investigative report by journalists [[Ronen Bergman]] and [[Ido Shvartztuch]] published on 27 March by ''Yedioth Ahronoth'', while the database was originally intended to be used in the [[War on Terror|war against terrorism]], the possibility of it being used for other purposes poses a real threat to civil liberties. One unnamed former top Shin Bet officer was quoted in the piece as saying:
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“The 'Tool' has saved countless of [[Israeli]] lives. It is hard to imagine us waging the [[War on Terror|war against terrorism]] or our efforts to expose [[espionage]] without it.”
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As part of this investigation, an unnamed senior manager of cyber technologies at the Ministry of Communications said:
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“Communication companies are required by law to provide all information deemed necessary to the security services. Every conversation that takes place leaves a record in the communication companies’ systems. This record contains lots of data, including the phone number that initiated the conversation, the target of that conversation, the phone number of that conversation’s target, the location of that phone and the location of towers through which the call was initiated. The same is true of the phone receiving the call. The phone location is recorded even if the owner of the phone does not accept the conversation or sends a text. The network knows exactly where the person is at any given moment.”
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The investigation also revealed that the five members of the [[Knesset]]’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee’s Subcommittee for Intelligence are aware of the Shin Bet's activity as well as the heads of the various branches of Israel’s security services such as the Minister of Defence, chief of staff, director of the Shin Bet and director of the [[Mossad]]. And, of course, the prime minister. It was [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] who initiated the use of the database in the fight against the [[COVID-19/Pandemic|coronavirus]], and in doing so, made its existence public knowledge.<ref>''[https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/israel-palestinians-shin-bet-coronavirus-surveillence.html "Coronavirus crisis exposes Shin Bet's secret database"]''</ref>
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On 12 May 2020, the [[BBC]] reported:
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[[Israel]] has made extensive use of surveillance technology to try tackle [[COVID-19]], as countries around the world grapple with the trade-off between privacy and monitoring infection. The Shin Bet can access the location data of millions of mobile phone users to trace those who have been in proximity to confirmed patients. Israel credits the system, among other measures, with reducing the rate of infection.
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"It is precisely now when we need this 'Tool' to break the chain of contagion and permit the people to go on with their lives," said National Security Adviser [[Meir Ben-Shabbat]] at a parliamentary oversight committee last week.<ref>''[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-52579475 "Coronavirus: Israel turns surveillance tools on itself"]''</ref>
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==People==
 
===Directors===
 
===Directors===
 
*[[Isser Harel]] 1948-52
 
*[[Isser Harel]] 1948-52
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*[[Carmi Gillon]] 1995-96
 
*[[Carmi Gillon]] 1995-96
 
*[[Ami Ayalon]]  1996-2000
 
*[[Ami Ayalon]]  1996-2000
*[[Avi Dichter]] 2000-05<ref>[http://www.shabak.gov.il/English/History/heads/Pages/default.aspx ISA Directors Then and Now], ISA Security Agency (Shin Bet), accessed 9 April 2009.</ref>
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*[[Avi Dichter]] 2000-05<ref>''[http://www.shabak.gov.il/English/History/heads/Pages/default.aspx "ISA Directors Then and Now"]''</ref>
*[[Yuval Diskin]] 2005-<ref>[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Personalities/From+A-Z/Yuval+Diskin+appointed+ISA+Director+10-Feb-2005.htm Yuval Diskin appointed ISA Director], Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 10 February 2005.</ref>
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*[[Yuval Diskin]] 2005-2011)<ref>''[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Personalities/From+A-Z/Yuval+Diskin+appointed+ISA+Director+10-Feb-2005.htm "Yuval Diskin appointed ISA Director]''</ref>
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*[[Yoram Cohen]] (2011–2016)
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*[[Nadav Argaman]] (2016–present)
  
 
===Others===
 
===Others===
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==Resources==
 
==Resources==
 
*BBC Online [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1791564.stm Profile: Israel's Shin Bet agency] Wednesday, 30 January, 2002, 14:41 GMT.
 
*BBC Online [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1791564.stm Profile: Israel's Shin Bet agency] Wednesday, 30 January, 2002, 14:41 GMT.
 
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{{SMWDocs}}
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
 
[[Category:SIS]]
 
[[Category:SIS]]

Latest revision as of 19:56, 14 October 2023

Group.png Shin Bet  
(Intelligence AgencyPowerbaseRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
ShabakLogo.png
AbbreviationEnglish: ISA, Local: Shabak - Hebrew: שב״כ, Arabic: شاباك
Mottoמגן ולא יראהMagen veLo Yera'e The Defender that shall not be seen, The unseen shield
FormationFebruary 8, 1949
LeaderDirector of The Shin Bet
Typeintelligence agency
Interest ofNahum Manbar

The Israel Security Agency or General Security Agency, known in Hebrew as Shabak (an abbreviation for Sherut ha-Bitachon ha-Klali) or Shin Bet, is the Israeli counterintelligence and internal security service.[1]

The 'Tool'

On 15 March 2020, the Israeli government introduced emergency regulations granting Shin Bet permission to use what it calls the 'Tool' – essentially a secret intelligence database where information about every citizen is constantly collected – to track COVID-19 patients and those around them. According to an investigative report by journalists Ronen Bergman and Ido Shvartztuch published on 27 March by Yedioth Ahronoth, while the database was originally intended to be used in the war against terrorism, the possibility of it being used for other purposes poses a real threat to civil liberties. One unnamed former top Shin Bet officer was quoted in the piece as saying:

“The 'Tool' has saved countless of Israeli lives. It is hard to imagine us waging the war against terrorism or our efforts to expose espionage without it.”

As part of this investigation, an unnamed senior manager of cyber technologies at the Ministry of Communications said:

“Communication companies are required by law to provide all information deemed necessary to the security services. Every conversation that takes place leaves a record in the communication companies’ systems. This record contains lots of data, including the phone number that initiated the conversation, the target of that conversation, the phone number of that conversation’s target, the location of that phone and the location of towers through which the call was initiated. The same is true of the phone receiving the call. The phone location is recorded even if the owner of the phone does not accept the conversation or sends a text. The network knows exactly where the person is at any given moment.”

The investigation also revealed that the five members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee’s Subcommittee for Intelligence are aware of the Shin Bet's activity as well as the heads of the various branches of Israel’s security services such as the Minister of Defence, chief of staff, director of the Shin Bet and director of the Mossad. And, of course, the prime minister. It was Benjamin Netanyahu who initiated the use of the database in the fight against the coronavirus, and in doing so, made its existence public knowledge.[2]

On 12 May 2020, the BBC reported:

Israel has made extensive use of surveillance technology to try tackle COVID-19, as countries around the world grapple with the trade-off between privacy and monitoring infection. The Shin Bet can access the location data of millions of mobile phone users to trace those who have been in proximity to confirmed patients. Israel credits the system, among other measures, with reducing the rate of infection.

"It is precisely now when we need this 'Tool' to break the chain of contagion and permit the people to go on with their lives," said National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat at a parliamentary oversight committee last week.[3]

People

Directors

Others

Resources

 

Related Quotations

PageQuoteAuthorDate
2023-2024 Israel-Hamas War“Under no circumstances and at no stage was Prime Minister Netanyahu warned of war intentions on the part of Hamas. On the contrary, the assessment of the entire security echelon, including the head of military intelligence and the head of Shin Bet, was that Hamas was deterred and was seeking an arrangement".”Benjamin NetanyahuOctober 2023
Yuval Diskin“The attacks on 9/11 gave our own war international legitimacy. We were able to completely untie the ropes that had bound us.”Yuval Diskin2005

 

Employee on Wikispooks

EmployeeJobAppointedEnd
Meir Ben ShabbatVarious command roles19892017
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References