Blinding the Bear: Israeli Double Agents and Russian Intelligence

The Israeli General Security Services, commonly known as the Shabak, is responsible for counterintelligence inside Israel. In the 1960s, the Shabak was struggling to counter the operations of Russian intelligence in Israel. Committee for State Security (KGB) case officers, working under diplomatic cover from the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv, recruited and ran agents in Israel. The Shabak was able to turn some of those recruited by the KGB into double agents. These double agents were used to learn about KGB tradecraft, identify Russian intelligence operatives, and feed the Soviets harmless or false information, known as “chickenfeed.” This article examines the recruitment and running of two Shabak double agents, their value for the KGB, and unique aspects of Israeli double agent tradecraft. It concludes that Israeli double agents were good for tactical purposes, learning about enemy intelligence personnel and practices, but were not of high value when used as part of strategic deceptions.