ISSER HALPERIN RETURNS TO INTELLIGENCE DUTIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000300430020-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 1998
• Sequence Number: 20
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000300430020-3
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CPYRGHT
a,-, 3 > 02 ISS~.,R ljALr'r:lli~` 'TUwt1S TO ZNTMLIG.jNc`:', burl, ;ES
(By Ze'ev Schi f, "r.A.ARil2Z, Sept-17,1965)
There is a striking similarity between Isser Harel (Halperin), the
forcer Chief of Israel's Security Services, and David Ben-Gurion, the former
Praise Minister. Those vino know both of them olaim that there is even a,
c,artain similia.rity in character. There may be some-ching in this similarity
w:iich ms one of the reasons for the faith they had in each other during
15 years. But it may also be the reason for their clash'at the fir,t dif-
ference of opinion. It is said that after Hnrel's resignation Ben-=urion
tried several times to induce him to return to his post, but in vai,-i. They
did not meet Again for two years.
It was Ben-Gurion who discoverad Harel and raised him to various positions
of great importance, and Isser showed his appreciation by his faith 'u1ness and
by building up an Intelligence Service whose name was fannous throulhout tile
world. It was a case of mutual loyalty which also expressed the qualities
common to both of them. It is diffieul-c, to gain their confidence, tut once.
gained it was absolute. In most of security matters they were of tl;a same
opinion without there being any need of one influencing the other. ''or that
reason one might say that 1!,shkol has appointed a"Ben- Gurioni,t" adviser,
as regards his character and opinion on security matters. It will b) very
instructive to see how a man like Isser will adjust himself to the new rcgirne,
which is almost completely devoid of any assistants close to Ben-Gur._on or h1.a
advisers.
It is not exactly known/ ' Set Isser Karel, but from the estab::ishnYe,it
o. the State of Israel untilIsser's .resi ration in 1963 the,r were ar.aost in
daily contact. With the establishment of the State Bon-Gurion appointed hili
11cwc3 of the Internal Security Services. For years the very existence a the
Internal Security Services was ke.z secret. It was Isser Harel who actually
organized them. They had previously been various branchea of underground in-
tellig;ence services. Today this job may soom simple, but in the f irs ; days of
the State, which was still fightirm for its very existence and many Croups
,'ti'1l imagined to be living under the mandatory regime with everythin,, that
that involved (lack of discipline, sense of public duty, an underLrroi id "parti-
san" character, etc) it was not so easy.
it :seems th a.t the Intelligence: Service of Isra l wa:3 brought onto dc mo-
cratic tracks ;raster than one might' have expectod in our country wh .c} io
torn by party strife and wide differences of opinion between so many t-roups.
it would 431so appear, that evori I,arel's re:aitmntatioa wan an ux 3:nplc of
dc~mocr. c tie bc'h viour. Instead of enforcing the will of the powerful :ao 'et
r rvico, [I.zrt l decided to resi, n, because his superior (by election) iad .,r:de
}.4.c7 rni , d aiid wa-s unwil lie; t u change, it. It ' i s possible that, if tae di s-
pato had been a matter of concicience or outside interference, Isser woilu have
aooepced the verdict and would have remained on his post. Those who attribute
to either of the two personal reasons for their dispute, do both ofn an
injustice. It was the least ui:ly of any dispute one could inia? ,no. wren today,
two ::;:tid :calf years after Iosar'.s resignation, it is still difficult to deter-
:.ne which policy wa: the better one or more just, the one towards the
L rrrman scientists in Egypt, or the one towards Germany.
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C&3
of t- :=22
In 1952 laser was head of the internal Security Service. .:hen ;;.G.
called upon him to take over from euven Shiloah who had died. It wa.s at
that time that one began to learn from all the experience:- of all inaelli-
genes branches, whose business was partly carried out in.a "partisan"
(haphazard) manner. In order to avoid duplication aril rivalry between cer-
vices, it was decided to set up a roof organization for all intelligence nor-
vices, including the intelligence activities abroad. Reuven Shilcah had be-
g uiz that task and Isser Hare l. continued with it. The roof or,;arsiz~zt on was
the Central Intelligence ency. laser found it, added many departmo is and
branches to it, and made it an organization of renown. Together with that
roof o.rg,,inization a coiuicil was set up consisting of all heads of varzous
i.ntelli,.nce branches, and Isser Hare/ -was appointed Chief. Close to his
loafing the aemiership for the first time, ben-Gurion appointed Hare to
head the Intelligence Service. Since then and until H:are11s resignation he
was responsible for all security services with the exception of milit. ry
intelligence. hen B. G. returned to the Government, 'their ties becam even
closer.
Isser was found to be an 'wintelligence" man of the first order. He is
:straightforward to the point of naivety, oecasional?:r dry, but keeps his word
to the end. In the beginning suspicious, he believes as soon as you havo
gained his confidence. That is the opinion of persons who have worked with hi
for many years. He did not become inflated by his successes and cont; nued in
his simple ways. Many people are now wondering what his reaction will be to
his emerging from his anonymity.
In matter: of intelligence he excelled in operations, organizational skil
and gift for establishing relations with persons and organizations. ha is an
artist of coordination, collection of information, assisted.by his painstaking
sticking to purpose and insistir ; on high quality work, keen,.on personally tak
irig :part in operation: vhile being Chief of the Security 'Services. He has a ke
sense lbr development of intelligende. He has. a certain similarity of behavior
to that of a bloodhound. All these characteristics are :s:-. to acquire; you
either have them or you don't. That was a reason why so :many regrettel his
re ignationq and there can be no doubt that our intelligence services as a
whole are better off by his present appointment.
The question arises how Is:ser will adjust himself to his now dutit;s. In
h: s ca?pac'ity as General 1 viser it is part of his job to lay dorm high policy
and to plan for the 'rime Minister ' or,g-range security tarj.;ets. No doubt Issu
will be the stronc e:+t man smong those surrounding Eshk.ol. It ti~~ ll be my
naturai 'that i ser ?ii1. be given. ai? nority beyond the limitations of an ordi:.~_fy
and laser vei.11 develop, in' 'view of their difference in personality.
yhau`h l aser has been appointed General adviser, it is clear that his nai
V 1i1
i;`1 Cyre at.; will lie its the field of intelli nco . That appointment had. been
recou,xn,ended by the commision of two, after his resi, nation. Issor does not
hi 4a from this friends the fact that ho had not been happy during the time of
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t eturn to Government service ever since Eshkol became Prime Ministc-r_
the State it cannot be denied that his return is beneficial. Onemu, t~rem~nber
that the security of the State surpasses in its imDortanna +hp
CURRICULMI VITAE
c
Isser Harel (IL Perin) was born in Vitevsk in White ttussia 53 years ag o.~.
His father was an industrialist and Zionism was imbued in his home. Then I:2ser
was a young man his family moved to Dvinsk. In 1930 Isser immigratec_ to Pales-
tine within the framework of the Youth ATovement. IIis mother follower later.
Aq a, member of the Kibbutz Hameuchac in Herzlia, which later set up Kabbutz
Shefayim, he worked as physical laborer for two years. There he met his wife
(who was born in Poland). Isser has an only daughter and agranddaughter of
five to when, he is greatly attached. after he left the .Kibbutz, Iss?-r was for
years living in Herzlia and worked in agriculture, including packing of citrus
fruit. In 1942 he enlisted in thOritish Army. Since he had been a veteran
member of` Ha anah it was
? t~' , was proposed that he remain in Palestine and be attached
to the Supplementary Police ?orce,, but from the first day of his service. he was
engaged, in intelligence duties. Because of a quarrel with his British superior,
he was discharged from the Army. He then joined the settlement Police Force.
3:r:"194. he was already head of -ah, Intelligence Branch of .Haganah, and was in
fact hahdling all matters of Shai (Sherutei 141odi'in - the Haganah Intelligence
Service), with the exception of Arab weirs.. Soon he arrived at a. senior
position, Deputy to the Chief, David Sh:a. tiel. Isser was then responsible
for foreigners, especially Germans, Jewish subjects, etc.
At the outbreak of hostilities between Arabs and Jews in 1947 he was in
charge of the Tea. Aviv district and the South within the Intelligence Branch of
Haganah, and was a member of the Tel Aviv Command Staff. In that cap-Lcity he
began to deal with Arab affairs. When members of the IDF were ,waded into
ni litany -ranks rvhe was made Sgan Aluf (Lt. Colonel) and was later made Chief
of Security ziervi ee sr c s j q 5' 3
Translated by FSL M. flavour
FOIAb3b
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000300430020-3