The secret history of Israel’s targeted assassinations
My version: Paperback
Genre: Non-Fiction, Israel, Arabs
Publisher: John Murray, Hachette
First published: 2018
ISBN: 978-1-473-69474-3
Pages: 631 (plus acknowledgements, notes, bibliography, index)
Bought
From the cover:
From the very beginning of its statehood in 1948, the instinct to take every measure to defend the Jewish people has been hardwired into Israel’s DNA. This is the riveting inside account of the targeted assassinations that have been used countless times, on enemies large and small, sometimes in response to attacks against the Israeli people and someyimes pre-emptively.
Rise and Kill First, counts their successes, failures and the moral and political price exacted on those who carried out the missions which have shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East and the entire world.
A real warts and all, and absolutely fascinating look at pretty much the whole history of the state of Israel. I’m not saying it will, with reference to the current situation in Palestine, make you better able to understand the Israelis, or find justification for either side’s current position. It will give you a more nuanced opinion, even if that opinion is just to let them sort it out themselves.Let’s face it, it’s an unsolveable problem. They need to live together, that is obvious. But no side it likely to make a first move, or give ground, are they?
Though, I never thought the Berlin Wall would come down, so who knows?
Rise And Kill First is a fascinating and disturbing book that reveals the history and secrets of Israel’s covert assassination program. The author, Ronen Bergman, is an investigative journalist who has interviewed more than a thousand people, including former prime ministers, intelligence chiefs, and assassins, and accessed thousands of documents to write this comprehensive and authoritative account.
How they kept returning to the policy of targeted assassination, when other methods were either not practical, would see them ostracised by the international community – primarily their main backer, the USA – or were just not in their dna. Which means, or shows that Israel has always been held to different standards than the Arabic terrorists. They come into Israel and blow a bus load of random Israelis (and themselves of course), up. The Israelis are urged to be cautious and not risk upsetting the delicate balance, etc, etc. so, going behind the scenes, as it were, and hitting specific targets, does something without, often, hitting the headlines.
The book covers the period from the early days of the Zionist movement in Palestine, when Jewish militias targeted British officials and Nazi war criminals, to the present day, when Israel faces threats from Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other enemies. Bergman describes the methods, motives, and moral dilemmas of the people who planned and executed the killings, as well as the consequences and controversies that followed.
The book is full of shocking and thrilling stories, such as the poisoning of a Hamas leader with a lethal dose of radioactive polonium, the bombing of a Syrian nuclear reactor, the kidnapping of a Nazi doctor from Argentina, and the assassination of a Moroccan waiter who was mistaken for a Palestinian terrorist. Bergman also reveals the failures and blunders that cost lives and damaged Israel’s reputation, such as the botched attempt to kill Khaled Mashal, the leader of Hamas, in Jordan, and the exposure of the Mossad agents who killed Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, an arms dealer for Hamas, in Dubai.
Rise And Kill First is not only a gripping and informative book, but also a sobering and challenging one. It raises important questions about the morality, legality, and effectiveness of Israel’s use of targeted killings as a tool of statecraft. Bergman does not shy away from criticizing the flaws and excesses of Israel’s assassination program, but he also acknowledges the dilemmas and dangers that Israel faces in a hostile and volatile region. He shows that the decision to kill is not always easy or clear-cut, but often driven by a sense of existential threat and a belief in the Talmudic principle that “if someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first”.
I can recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history and politics of Israel, the Middle East, and the world of espionage and counterterrorism. It is a well-written, well-researched, and well-balanced book that sheds light on a dark and hidden aspect of Israel’s statehood. It is also a book that makes you think and question your own views and values..
You can buy Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergman from Amazon
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