Mossad: A Book Review

A review of the non-fiction Israeli spy stories written by Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal

“Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service” by Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal is a non-fiction that tells the stories of many extraordinary missions of the secret service agency of Israel, called Mossad (a Hebrew word which means Institute), which was initially an intelligence gathering unit of security services which eventually also morphed into an execution unit exerting secret ops. Mossad was established after Israel’s 1948 war for independence, for assisting Shabak (the internal security service), Aman (the military intelligence), and others, in intelligence and special operations. It is one of the greatest espionage organizations in the world and had many accomplishments. This book is a fascinating insight into the life of the various Mossad agents, the missions they had accomplished, and also the missions they had botched. The amount of research done in writing this book was evident by the lengthy bibliography. The authors have done an excellent job in writing this book through intensive research and exclusive interviews with agents and govt officials.

This book has 22 chapters in it and each chapter feels like a short story. The missions or the secret operations were described in impressive detail, the book perfectly depicts the secret service's work; investigating, planning, and executing remarkable assignments. The missions mention in this book were quite astonishing and ascertain the geopolitical environment of Israel and also make readers more aware of the brutal history associated with the Jews community. Mossad is responsible for executing many missions like; capturing Nazi war criminals like Adolf Eichman, eradicating terrorist organizations like Black September, shattering the Middle East’s nuclear potential, and aiding the immigration of Jews in Israel from all over the world. All of these and many others were presented in detail. This book is not at all opinionated and it is an unbias account of the secret service’s functioning. The authors have not only talked about Mossad’s successes but also given critiques on its failure. The criticism is well articulated and fair. Historical events were told in form of stories, which were gripping and interesting. These stories were full of tension, suspense, thrill, and action all evoking patriotism and general respect for the agents who had repeatedly risked their lives for their country. Readers will get a sense of behind-the-scenes of the secret ops and fully appreciate the details with which these events were described. The authors have painted an exquisite picture for readers, the stories about the legends and their associates were depicted in an action-thriller fashion, and it does not feel like non-fiction, which is very interesting, as reading history as a story makes it easy to comprehend.

I loved this book and enjoyed reading it. It perfectly explains the modus operandi of a secret agency and also educates us about the history of Israel and how Mossad gained the reputation that it has now. Many misconceptions were cleared out and a fair account of all its conduct was described in the book. Huge shoutout to the authors for delivering such a work which is greatly appreciated by readers all around the world. This is the first time ever I read a book that was recommended to me by my brother, and I am grateful to him and also will take his suggestions seriously now!

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