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The Mossad Agent's Narrative: Three Tips for Being the Perfect Spy

2023-01-11 12:12:45Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The Mossad Agent's Narrative: Three Tips for Being the Perfect Spy

Spies have a world full of mysteries. Avner Avraham was a Mossad (Israeli secret service) agent for twenty-eight years. Today he runs Spy Legends, an agency that has gathered spies to share their secrets with the public. This interview was given for the magazine of the Jews of France, "L'Eclaireur" to the journalist Lise Benkemoun.


By LISE BENKEMOUN

How were you recruited by the Mossad?

As often happens when I was in the army. I served four years in the IDF (Israeli army), and, just before I became an officer, they gave me an undercover mission for a month in Lebanon. It was very interesting and a great challenge for me. But obviously I did pretty well. Two days after leaving the army, I decided to thank the Mossad. It happened in 1987, and I stayed there for twenty-eight years... I retired when I turned 50.

Why do you think they chose you? Because you spoke Arabic?

Not only … it's more about the variety of my skills. But yes, speaking Arabic and sounding like “Mr. Everything" in a country like Lebanon, you are one of them…

When you were a Mossad agent, who knew that? Your wife? Your relatives? Your friends ? What were you saying to them?

They know you work for the government, but they don't really ask for details, and you don't. That's how it is... The family learns. You lose a lot of friends over the years because you travel and are far away. And when you go home, you don't necessarily want to go out in the evening and see people, so you end up a bit isolated.

Do you have children?

I have a 24 year old daughter and a 28 year old son who works with me today. Last year, just before the pandemic started, I wasn't sure what to do, but I wanted to go back to work. I didn't even know Zoom existed. But hey, I started teaching online since I couldn't travel anymore. I was in an agency, but they didn't give me the missions, so I took my courage and set up my own speaking agency specializing in espionage and intelligence. Its name is Spy Legends, and my son is the general manager. I started by calling all the people one by one from my address book. Two hundred calls … And then I built my website. Even spying on other agencies.

And does it work well?

It's cool and works all over the world! At first I had to beg people to join the agency, now they are calling me. I don't ask about any franchise, everyone does what they want next to Spy Legends. But if you need help (to introduce yourself, to put a nice photo, to make a professional video ...), we will do it. We have speakers in virtually all countries. When I started Spy Legends, I also recruited women, and I realized that I had no more than 20 out of 200… This is not normal! So I started another agency, called Women Speakers Online. With Spy Legends I will become the Wikipedia of spies.

Why are people so fascinated by spies?

I think it's because of the James Bond movies. He is handsome. English, polite. Fresh. He has all the women he wants. And he saves the world! All alone... He's a hero, but mostly it's a dream, it's not realistic at all! Today, I'm a consultant on spy movies and series, and if they want to do something realistic, I tell them to do the exact opposite! For example, in the movies we see the spy arriving at a hotel, speaking in Russian, etc. We in the Mossad would have done the opposite... In an international mission, we never say what language we speak. Instead, we listen and gather information. These are the details that make the difference between fact and fiction.

In how many countries have you had missions?

I can't say in detail yet. Let's say in the East, Africa and Europe. I have traveled to over forty countries in about fifteen years.

One gets the impression that the Mossad is less secretive in recent years. For example, everyone knows the face of Yossi Cohen, the current boss. Isn't it dangerous?

The change has already appeared, it seems to me, when Danny Yatom was the head of Mossad. Personally, I don't think it's a good thing. You must travel stealthily, not to attract attention, etc. On the other hand, what is certain is that today part of the battle is also being played out in the media and further social networks. Take, for example, the attack on Iran that Benjamin Netanyahu revealed to the world at the United Nations: it was a nice move, both to have done it and to have advertised it. Ditto for the supposedly secret meetings before the signing of the Abraham Accords or other peace treaties. Don't be fooled by the alleged leaks to the press: whenever something comes out, the Mossad wanted it. There is no coincidence, it is controlled.

So, you're saying that the Mossad is still a mythical spy service?

Yes, they have become better than before, stronger, more integrated in the government system, especially with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They really help the State of Israel fight against its enemies, especially Iran. Yossi Cohen is very knowledgeable. This is the first person to have been Head of Homeland Security and Head of Mossad, so he knows both sides of the story, the public and the secret, and knows how to maneuver both. This is a major asset. In any case, it is clear that the Mossad is still in the Top 3 of the best secret services in the world along with the CIA and MI5.

What explains this?

First, we have suffered a lot as a people, and since the Shoah we have learned to fight. We have the experience of war. Then we are all different, cosmopolitan, which is a major asset. You can have a beautiful blonde, a gentle boy, a Frenchman, a Norwegian, all Jewish and devoted to the same cause and who can "blend" in many places. Well, we are smart and it is not for nothing that Israel is the original nation. We know how to quickly adapt technology to our needs.

Can you explain to us the motto of the Mossad, taken from the Bible: “Without stratagems, men fall; salvation is in the great number of counselors "(Proverbs 11,14)?

My interpretation is that to make war you have to be intelligent, creative and very well surrounded by specialists to advise you in your decisions. This is what the Mossad does. And that's a good motto.

This edition of "L'Eclaireur" is about the truth. How do you deal with it and lying when you are a Mossad agent?

It depends. Obviously, if you travel under a false identity, you, you'll call it a lie… I, I'll just say it's part of the mission and that's the rules of the game… 99% of the time, in the Mossad, we tell the truth, we are honest.. I would say even better: you know you can trust others, even when it comes to your life. On the contrary, now that I have started working in the private sector, I see that it is a jungle and no one can be trusted! One thing I have learned from my assignments is that at the end of any project, success or failure, you have to sit down and think. The goal is to keep three "tips" for the future and change three others. You can try it!


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