My experience with the Israeli intelligence community this summer

By Roberto Alcalay

This past June, I had the great opportunity to participate in the 1st Intelligence Course for Jewish Leaders at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC) in Ramat Hasharon, north of Tel Aviv. It provided me the privilege to hear from Israel’s best intelligence personnel.

The IICC commemorates fallen intelligence community members, operates a terrorism information center, an intelligence methodology research institute and houses two exhibitions.

During the six-day seminar, we engaged firsthand with experts from Israeli intelligence. We learned about the “process of gathering intelligence” at the academic level; the workflow from national security staff to the Security Cabinet and, finally, up to the Prime Minister; and the differences between the Mossad (Institution), Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the IDF (Military Intelligence Directorate).

We had mind-blowing meetings with former and current officials of all three intelligence branches, including the famous 8200 unit that handles cyber, artificial intelligence and big data.

To gain a better geopolitical and practical perspective, we visited IDF bases, the northern border and a cross-border attack tunnel, which Hezbollah has used.

We visited a military monitoring center at the Gaza and Sinai borders, Iron Dome battery bases and Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. It gave us a better understanding of the threats and their proximity to Israel’s borders and civilian communities.

On June 13, we joined the annual commemoration ceremony for the fallen from the Israeli intelligence community, where the Minister of Defense and heads of all intelligence branches were present to comfort the families. Photos of Eli Cohen, captured in Syria in 1965, along with the most recent fallen agents, were displayed on a big screen during the emotional ceremony that takes place every year.

The course was organized by the American Friends of the Israel Intelligence Heritage Center (AFIICC), headed by its founder and president, Mr. Igal Zaidenstein, whose mission is to raise awareness of the projects and activities, provide financial support to IICC and serve as a liaison between the American Jewish community and the organization in Israel.

I came back with the firm belief that more people should know about Israel’s intelligence history, achievements and values. It makes us all proud and even more connected to the Jewish state.

With the help of Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, I plan to bring former Israel Intelligence officers of the IDF and the 8200 to visit our community and talk about the organization and upcoming 2024 courses. Stay tuned!

In the words of Mr. Zaidenstein, “We believe that Israel cannot survive without the Diaspora and the Diaspora cannot survive without a strong Israel. We want to strengthen the bonds between U.S. Jewry and Israel.”

Stay tuned for more information on when we can meet the officers here in Naples!

Roberto Alcalay has lived in Naples with his wife, Thais, since 2020 — founder of Sashay Sourcing and KØKKEN Sports.