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| {{Short description|Director of Mossad from 1949 to 1953}} | |||
| {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} | |||
| {{Infobox spy | {{Infobox spy | ||
| | name = |
| name = Reuven Shiloah | ||
| | native_name = {{Nobold|{{Script/Hebrew|ראובן שילוח}}}} | |||
| | native_name_lang = he | |||
| | nickname = | | nickname = | ||
| | image = |
| image = Reuven Shiloah 1948.jpg | ||
| | caption = | |||
| ⚫ | | |
||
| | allegiance = ] ] | | allegiance = ] | ||
| | service = ] |
| service = ] | ||
| | serviceyears = |
| serviceyears = 1949–1952 | ||
| | rank = | | rank = | ||
| | operation = | | operation = | ||
| | |
| awards = ] | ||
| | birth_name = | | birth_name = | ||
| | birth_date = 1909 | | birth_date = December 20, 1909 | ||
| | birth_place = ] | | birth_place = ], ] | ||
| | death_date = 1959 | | death_date = May 10, 1959 (aged 49) | ||
| | death_place = | | death_place = ], Israel | ||
| ⚫ | | nationality = Israeli | ||
| | cause = | |||
| ⚫ | | occupation = ] | ||
| | buried = | |||
| | height = | |||
| ⚫ | | nationality = |
||
| | religion = | |||
| | residence = | |||
| | parents = | |||
| | spouse = | |||
| | children = | |||
| ⚫ | | occupation =] | ||
| | profession = | |||
| | alma_mater = | |||
| | signature = | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Reuven Shiloah''' ({{langx|he|ראובן שילוח}}; born '''Zaslansky''', later shortened to '''Zaslani'''; '''Shiloah''' was his underground alias; December 20, 1909 – May 10, 1959) was a leader of the ] and one of its founders. He was the founder and the first head of ]. | |||
| '''Reuven Shiloah''' (December 1909-1959) was the first Director of the ] from 1949 to 1952. Born in ] ruled ] as '''Reuven Zaslanski''', he would later shorten his last name to Zaslani and use the codeword Shiloah. From an ] family and with a rabbi for a father, Shiloah abandoned the religious life of his family at an early age. In the mid-1930s he met Betty Borden of ] and the two were married in 1936. | |||
| == Early life == | |||
| Shiloah was involved in Israeli political and defense matters since before its creation, and was a close friend of ]. Before the ] Shiloah obtained the invasion plans of the ], and he began building relationships with other ], particularly in the West. At the urging of Shiloah, Prime Minister Ben-Gurion created the "Central Institute for Coordination" (Mossad) in December 1949 and appointed Shiloah as it first Director. However, it was not until April 1, 1951 that the Mossad became operational under Shiloah because bureaucratic fighting had delayed Ben-Gurion's initial order. After his tenure at the Mossad Shiloah worked in the ] in ] and continued serving as an advisor. | |||
| ⚫ | ] for talks on ]]] | ||
| ] | |||
| Shiloah was born into a religious family in ] during the late ]. He was the son of Sarah and Rabbi Aharon Yitzhak Zaslansky (a native of Lithuania), one of the rabbis of Jerusalem. He studied at the Tachkemoni School in the city, and later at the David Yellin Teachers College, where he learned ] and graduated in 1929. In his youth, he transitioned to secular Zionism and studied ] at the ], where he was recruited into the ]. | |||
| == Intelligence beginnings == | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| Zaslansky, who had by then shortened his surname to Zaslani, was recruited by ] to the Haganah and assigned to intelligence missions on behalf of the Yishuv leadership, receiving the underground alias "Shiloah." His first mission abroad was in 1932 as an envoy of the department to ], where he operated under the cover of a Hebrew teacher and a student of Oriental Studies at the ]. During his time there, he reported on the state of the ] and on British and Iraqi evaluations of the situation in the Land of Israel. In 1935, he was sent again to Baghdad, this time under the cover of a journalist for the '']''. During this mission, he developed connections with Kurdish activists. After his return, he operated in the Haganah's ] section among the local Arabs. From 1936 onward, he belonged to the Political Department of the ], undertaking intelligence collection missions in ] and ], and was responsible for liaising with British intelligence agencies. In this role, Zaslani helped establish the ] and maintained contact with the unit's commander, ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shlomi Shtrit, '''The Special Night Squads (SNS) during the Arab Revolt – Characteristics of the Unit and its Combat Doctrine in the Test of Military Operations in Kaoukab al-Hawa, Dabburiyya, and Khirbet Lid al-Awadin''', 2013 |url=http://lisa.biu.ac.il/files/lisa/shared/shlomi_shtrit.pdf}}</ref> Shiloah recognized the potential in forging ties with the United States and developed relationships with the ] (OSS), the precursor to the ]. | |||
| In 1941, Shiloah (then still Zaslani) lived next to Tzvi and Rachel Schwartz, the in-laws of ], and befriended Dayan. He even assisted Dayan during his recovery from the injury in which he lost his eye. Zaslani, who served as head of the Special Affairs Section of the Jewish Agency's Political Department, suggested to Dayan that they establish a spy network to assist the British Army. With its approval and support, the network operated for about a year, until the defeat of ]'s forces at the ].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bar-On|first=Mordechai|title='''Moshe Dayan, His Life Story 1915–1981'''|publisher=] and Sapir Library|year=2014|page=55}}</ref> | |||
| He was a member of the Jewish Agency delegation to the ] in 1945, which lobbied for the inclusion of Article 80, Chapter 12 in the United Nations Charter.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Eilat|first=Eliyahu|title='''San Francisco Diary'''|publisher=Dvir Publishing|year=1971|page=9}}</ref> | |||
| Immediately after the establishment of the state, ], the first Prime Minister, considered the creation of official state intelligence bodies to replace the clandestine organizations that had operated during the Yishuv period. The decision made in 1949 according to Ben-Gurion's diary reads: | |||
| {{Quote|text=We must establish a military intelligence service under the General Staff led by ] and Vivian (]). The military intelligence will be responsible for security (caution), ], and ]; an internal intelligence service under Isser (the Small) ]] and Yosef Y. (Yosef Yizraeli); an external political intelligence service – '''Reuven Shiloah''' will head it. It will be subordinate to the ] until the war ends; afterward, perhaps to the ].|source=According to Ben-Gurion's diary}} | |||
| Following Ben-Gurion's decision, Reuven Shiloah was appointed head of the Political Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tasked with completing the role of the "external political intelligence service." He also served as a "Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister."<ref name="name">{{Cite web|url=http://www.israeldefense.co.il/he/content/דמותו-של-איש-המודיעין|title=The Figure of the Intelligence Man|website=Israel Defense}}</ref> | |||
| In 1949, he was part of the Israeli delegation to the armistice talks with Egypt in ] and headed the Israeli delegation to the armistice talks with Jordan. During this time, he provided cover for the ]'s operation to capture southern ] (Operation Uvda) and played a key role in negotiations with UN mediator ], who led the talks in Rhodes.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ben-Dror|first=Elad|title='''The Mediator: Ralph Bunche and the Arab-Israeli Conflict 1947–1949'''|publisher=]|year=2012|pages=233–249}}</ref> | |||
| == Founding of Mossad == | |||
| In July 1949, Shiloah proposed to Ben-Gurion the creation of a "central institute for coordinating intelligence and security services" to improve intelligence coordination. On December 13, 1949, this body was established and named the "Coordination Bureau." It oversaw the Political Department and was supposed to coordinate the activities of the other two bodies – ] and ] (the IDF's intelligence branch). The new organization was still under the Foreign Ministry. In March 1951, the final organizational step in its creation took place. With Ben-Gurion's approval, an independent central authority was established to handle all foreign intelligence activities. This authority, known as "The Authority," formed the main part of what became ] and included representatives from the other two services at both the headquarters and field levels. Mossad was now detached from the Foreign Ministry and placed under the Prime Minister's office.<ref name="name"/> In the following period, the "Coordination Bureau" under Shiloah's leadership took on more and more responsibilities and roles, and on April 1, 1951, the Political Department's operations were transferred to a new body, "Mossad." At this time, Shiloah also served as the Director of Intelligence Services. | |||
| == Retirement from Mossad and further work == | |||
| In September 1952, Shiloah was severely injured in a car accident. After his recovery, he returned to head Mossad. During his absence, ], the head of ], intensified his efforts to undermine Shiloah to replace him. At the end of that year, despite Ben-Gurion's support, Shiloah decided to step down from Mossad. | |||
| For a few months, he remained the chairman of the Committee of Heads of Services, but he also resigned from this position when he was appointed in 1953 as a diplomatic envoy to the Israeli Embassy in the United States, a role he fulfilled until 1957. After retiring from Mossad and during his time in the United States, he served as a secret advisor to Prime Minister ]. After completing his post in the United States, he was appointed as a special advisor to Foreign Minister ]. During this period, his two main focuses were developing relations with peripheral nations and attempting, alongside Deputy Defense Minister ], to secure Israel's entry into ]. In January 1959, he was granted the personal rank of Ambassador. | |||
| He passed away in 1959 from a heart attack at the age of 49. He was buried at the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reuven Shiloah |url=https://gravez.com/547B4043-2B03-4427-9DA2-710503666AB6 |access-date=October 15, 2024}}</ref> His brother, Dr. Aryeh Zaslani, a Jerusalem-based ], was buried next to him.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zaslani |first=Dr. |title=To Rest |year=1968 |page=76}}</ref> | |||
| == Personal life == | |||
| From 1936, he was married to Betty (née Borden) and was the father of Dov and Naomi. His son Dov (Dubi) served in the Mossad and was married to Yael (née Gillon), the sister of former Shin Bet head ]. | |||
| In memory of Reuven Shiloah, the Shiloah Institute for Middle Eastern and African Studies was established in the Ministry of Defense. After a few years, the institute was transferred to ]. In 1983, the institute was incorporated into the ]. | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| *{{Cite book |last=Black |first=Ian |last2=Morris |first2=Benny |title=] |location=New York |publisher=Grove Press |year=1991 |isbn=0802111599 |pages=82–84 }} | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| *{{Cite book |last=Raviv |first=Dan |last2=Melman |first2=Yossi |title=] |location=Boston |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |year=1990 |isbn=0395471028 |page=20 }} | |||
| ==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
| *{{Cite book |last=Eshed |first=Haggai |title=Reuven Shiloah – the Man Behind the Mossad; Secret Diplomacy in the Creation of Israel |
*{{Cite book |last=Eshed |first=Haggai |title=Reuven Shiloah – the Man Behind the Mossad; Secret Diplomacy in the Creation of Israel |publisher=Frank Cass |year=1997 |isbn=0-7146-4812-4 }} | ||
| {{Mossad Directors}} | {{Mossad Directors}} | ||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. --> | |||
| | NAME = Shiloah, Reuven | |||
| | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | |||
| | SHORT DESCRIPTION = director of the Mossad | |||
| | DATE OF BIRTH = 1909 | |||
| | PLACE OF BIRTH = Jerusalem, ] | |||
| | DATE OF DEATH = 1959 | |||
| | PLACE OF DEATH = | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Shiloah, Reuven}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Shiloah, Reuven}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 02:54, 23 November 2024
Director of Mossad from 1949 to 1953
| Reuven Shiloah | |
|---|---|
| ראובן שילוח | |
 | |
| Born | December 20, 1909 Jerusalem, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | May 10, 1959 (aged 49) Jerusalem, Israel |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Occupation | Director of Mossad |
| Awards | Medal of Courage |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance | State of Israel |
| Service branch | Mossad |
| Service years | 1949–1952 |
Reuven Shiloah (Hebrew: ראובן שילוח; born Zaslansky, later shortened to Zaslani; Shiloah was his underground alias; December 20, 1909 – May 10, 1959) was a leader of the Israeli Intelligence Community and one of its founders. He was the founder and the first head of Mossad.
Early life
Shiloah was born into a religious family in Jerusalem during the late Ottoman period in the Land of Israel. He was the son of Sarah and Rabbi Aharon Yitzhak Zaslansky (a native of Lithuania), one of the rabbis of Jerusalem. He studied at the Tachkemoni School in the city, and later at the David Yellin Teachers College, where he learned Arabic and graduated in 1929. In his youth, he transitioned to secular Zionism and studied Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he was recruited into the Haganah.
Intelligence beginnings
Zaslansky, who had by then shortened his surname to Zaslani, was recruited by Dov Hoz to the Haganah and assigned to intelligence missions on behalf of the Yishuv leadership, receiving the underground alias "Shiloah." His first mission abroad was in 1932 as an envoy of the department to Iraq, where he operated under the cover of a Hebrew teacher and a student of Oriental Studies at the University of Baghdad. During his time there, he reported on the state of the Iraqi Jews and on British and Iraqi evaluations of the situation in the Land of Israel. In 1935, he was sent again to Baghdad, this time under the cover of a journalist for the Palestine Post. During this mission, he developed connections with Kurdish activists. After his return, he operated in the Haganah's military intelligence section among the local Arabs. From 1936 onward, he belonged to the Political Department of the Jewish Agency, undertaking intelligence collection missions in Lebanon and Syria, and was responsible for liaising with British intelligence agencies. In this role, Zaslani helped establish the Special Night Squads and maintained contact with the unit's commander, Orde Charles Wingate. Shiloah recognized the potential in forging ties with the United States and developed relationships with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the CIA.
In 1941, Shiloah (then still Zaslani) lived next to Tzvi and Rachel Schwartz, the in-laws of Moshe Dayan, and befriended Dayan. He even assisted Dayan during his recovery from the injury in which he lost his eye. Zaslani, who served as head of the Special Affairs Section of the Jewish Agency's Political Department, suggested to Dayan that they establish a spy network to assist the British Army. With its approval and support, the network operated for about a year, until the defeat of Erwin Rommel's forces at the Second Battle of El Alamein.
He was a member of the Jewish Agency delegation to the San Francisco Conference in 1945, which lobbied for the inclusion of Article 80, Chapter 12 in the United Nations Charter.
Immediately after the establishment of the state, David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister, considered the creation of official state intelligence bodies to replace the clandestine organizations that had operated during the Yishuv period. The decision made in 1949 according to Ben-Gurion's diary reads:
We must establish a military intelligence service under the General Staff led by Isser Be'eri and Vivian (Chaim Herzog). The military intelligence will be responsible for security (caution), censorship, and counter-espionage; an internal intelligence service under Isser (the Small) and Yosef Y. (Yosef Yizraeli); an external political intelligence service – Reuven Shiloah will head it. It will be subordinate to the Ministry of Defense until the war ends; afterward, perhaps to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
— According to Ben-Gurion's diary
Following Ben-Gurion's decision, Reuven Shiloah was appointed head of the Political Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tasked with completing the role of the "external political intelligence service." He also served as a "Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister."
In 1949, he was part of the Israeli delegation to the armistice talks with Egypt in Rhodes and headed the Israeli delegation to the armistice talks with Jordan. During this time, he provided cover for the IDF's operation to capture southern Negev (Operation Uvda) and played a key role in negotiations with UN mediator Ralph Bunche, who led the talks in Rhodes.
Founding of Mossad
In July 1949, Shiloah proposed to Ben-Gurion the creation of a "central institute for coordinating intelligence and security services" to improve intelligence coordination. On December 13, 1949, this body was established and named the "Coordination Bureau." It oversaw the Political Department and was supposed to coordinate the activities of the other two bodies – Shabak and AMAN (the IDF's intelligence branch). The new organization was still under the Foreign Ministry. In March 1951, the final organizational step in its creation took place. With Ben-Gurion's approval, an independent central authority was established to handle all foreign intelligence activities. This authority, known as "The Authority," formed the main part of what became Mossad and included representatives from the other two services at both the headquarters and field levels. Mossad was now detached from the Foreign Ministry and placed under the Prime Minister's office. In the following period, the "Coordination Bureau" under Shiloah's leadership took on more and more responsibilities and roles, and on April 1, 1951, the Political Department's operations were transferred to a new body, "Mossad." At this time, Shiloah also served as the Director of Intelligence Services.
Retirement from Mossad and further work
In September 1952, Shiloah was severely injured in a car accident. After his recovery, he returned to head Mossad. During his absence, Isser Harel, the head of Shin Bet, intensified his efforts to undermine Shiloah to replace him. At the end of that year, despite Ben-Gurion's support, Shiloah decided to step down from Mossad.
For a few months, he remained the chairman of the Committee of Heads of Services, but he also resigned from this position when he was appointed in 1953 as a diplomatic envoy to the Israeli Embassy in the United States, a role he fulfilled until 1957. After retiring from Mossad and during his time in the United States, he served as a secret advisor to Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. After completing his post in the United States, he was appointed as a special advisor to Foreign Minister Golda Meir. During this period, his two main focuses were developing relations with peripheral nations and attempting, alongside Deputy Defense Minister Shimon Peres, to secure Israel's entry into NATO. In January 1959, he was granted the personal rank of Ambassador.
He passed away in 1959 from a heart attack at the age of 49. He was buried at the Sanhedria Cemetery. His brother, Dr. Aryeh Zaslani, a Jerusalem-based psychiatrist, was buried next to him.
Personal life
From 1936, he was married to Betty (née Borden) and was the father of Dov and Naomi. His son Dov (Dubi) served in the Mossad and was married to Yael (née Gillon), the sister of former Shin Bet head Carmi Gillon.
In memory of Reuven Shiloah, the Shiloah Institute for Middle Eastern and African Studies was established in the Ministry of Defense. After a few years, the institute was transferred to Tel Aviv University. In 1983, the institute was incorporated into the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.
References
- "Shlomi Shtrit, The Special Night Squads (SNS) during the Arab Revolt – Characteristics of the Unit and its Combat Doctrine in the Test of Military Operations in Kaoukab al-Hawa, Dabburiyya, and Khirbet Lid al-Awadin, 2013" (PDF).
- Bar-On, Mordechai (2014). Moshe Dayan, His Life Story 1915–1981. Am Oved and Sapir Library. p. 55.
- Eilat, Eliyahu (1971). San Francisco Diary. Dvir Publishing. p. 9.
- ^ "The Figure of the Intelligence Man". Israel Defense.
- Ben-Dror, Elad (2012). The Mediator: Ralph Bunche and the Arab-Israeli Conflict 1947–1949. Ben-Gurion Institute. pp. 233–249.
- "Reuven Shiloah". Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- Zaslani, Dr. (1968). To Rest. p. 76.
Further reading
- Eshed, Haggai (1997). Reuven Shiloah – the Man Behind the Mossad; Secret Diplomacy in the Creation of Israel. Frank Cass. ISBN 0-7146-4812-4.
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