Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations

The State of Israel came to fruition after many turbulent years. The Israelis had battled British and Arabs to lay claim to what they believed was theirs for many years. Statehood in 1947 didn’t guarantee safety. The initial leaders of the country were reluctant to resort to violence to counterattack the Palestinians. The more radical of the Israelis held a different view. The intelligence arm of Israel, the Mossad, would become the covert mechanism keeping the barbarians from the gate. The act of assassination would be utilized against select targets who were deemed imminent threats. The targets would vary over time. The soldiers (men and women) carried out orders with stealth efficiency. A case of mistaken identity would prove costly in the early 1970s, as well as a more transparent hit in the 2010s. The spotlight would fall on the executive actions of Israeli intelligence, but the killing continued. The ends justified the means, no matter who was in charge.

Ronen Bergman’s book is a chronology of brutality. It is a book that hawks wouldn’t want to see come to light, but transparency-minded individuals beg to differ. This is a historical tale needing to be told in its entirety. But as 70 years have elapsed since its statehood, the targeted assassinations will likely continue despite others’ reservations. An excellently told historical epic.