Avraham Shalom

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Avraham Shalom Bendor
אַבְרָהָם שָׁלוֹם בֵּנְדּוֹר
Director of the Shin Bet
In office
1981–1986
Preceded byAvraham Ahituv
Succeeded byYaakov Peri
Personal details
Born(1928-07-07)7 July 1928
Vienna, Austria
Died19 June 2014(2014-06-19) (aged 85)
Tel Aviv, Israel
NationalityFile:Flag of Israel.svg Israel
OccupationIntelligence officer
Military career
AllegianceFile:Flag of Israel.svg Israel
BranchShin Bet
Service years1950–1986

Avraham Shalom Bendor (Hebrew: אַבְרָהָם שָׁלוֹם בֵּנְדּוֹר; 7 July 1928 – 19 June 2014) was head of Shin Bet from 1981 to 1986.[1] He resigned after being accused of ordering the killing of two Palestinian prisoners and organising the subsequent cover-up.[2]

Early life

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Shalom was born in Vienna, Austria.[3] In 1939, he moved with his family to what was then Mandatory Palestine.[3] In 1946, he joined the Palmach and later fought in the battle of Mishmar HaEmek amongst other battles.[1]

Shin Bet

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He joined the Shin Bet in 1950, and participated in the capture of Adolf Eichmann in 1960.[3] He was eventually appointed to the head of the Shin Bet in 1980.[1][3]

Shalom Bendor was one of the head of company Atwell Security in Tel Aviv, an Israeli security company staffed with high-ranking Shin Bet and Mossad agents. Peter Malkin helped to the deal which would put control of security at the World Trade Center through a contract with the Port Authority of New York in 1987. Atwell Security was a subsidiary of Eisenberg Group.[4][5][6]

Kav 300 affair

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Main article: Kav 300

After the hijacking of a bus from Tel Aviv on 12 April 1984, it was reported that all four hijackers had been killed.[7] However, following publication of pictures taken at the scene it emerged that two surviving hijackers were questioned by Brigadier General Yitzhak Mordechai and then handed over to Shin Bet agents who executed the prisoners—allegedly on the orders of Shalom.[8][9]

At least one witness indicated Shalom personally beat one of the prisoners to death. "Avrum was holding a pistol and he brought its butt with all of his strength on the head of one of the terrorists. I saw the butt actually entering the skull."[10]

During the subsequent investigation, Shalom led a cover-up in the Shin Bet that implicated Mordechai as responsible for the killings. In 1985, General Mordechai was put on trial but his acquittal led to questions being asked about Shalom's role.[11][12]

The cover-up caused internal disorder and dysfunction within the Shin Bet,[13] but only became public when in May 1986 Attorney-General Yitzhak Zamir resigned after attempting to pursue a course of holding Shalom to account for falsifying evidence.[14]

In June 1986, Shalom offered his resignation in exchange for a pardon from President Chaim Herzog.[3] Herzog controversially issued pardons to Shalom and four other Shin Bet officers.[14]

In July 1986, during a high court appeal against the pardons, it was revealed in a letter of application for pardon that Shalom claimed that all his actions were "authorised and approved". This placed responsibility on his immediate superior, the Prime Minister at the time, Yitzhak Shamir.[15] Shamir denied the blame.[3] The supreme court upheld the pardons.[3]

After leaving the Shin Bet, Shalom became an advocate for peace with the Palestinians, criticizing prime minister Ariel Sharon's efforts to sideline Yasser Arafat.[3] He later appeared in the film The Gatekeepers, where he described his experience in the Shin Bet.[3]

Death

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Shalom died at the age of 86 on 19 June 2014 in Tel Aviv, Israel.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Avraham (Shalom) Ben-Dor Archived 2010-04-08 at the Wayback Machine, profile on ISA website
  2. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  7. ^ The Times (London), Friday 13 April, Tuesday 17 April 1984.
  8. ^ Michael Keren (1995) Professionals against populism: the Peres government and democracy SUNY Press, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). pp 32-33
  9. ^ "Newly released papers reveal how Shin Bet tried to hide 'Bus 300' killings", 27 Sept 2001, Haaretz.com
  10. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ^ Middle East International, issue 276, page 5. Peretz Kidron.
  12. ^ Michael Keren (2002) Zichroni v. state of Israel: the biography of a civil rights lawyer Lexington Books, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). p 172
  13. ^ By Eur, Europa Publications Staff, Europa Publications Staff Europa Publications (2002) The Middle East and North Africa 2003 Routledge, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). P 512
  14. ^ a b Mideast File By Mekhon Shiloaḥ le-ḥeḳer ha-Mizraḥ ha-tikhon ṿe-Afriḳah Published by Learned Information, 1986 pp 592-593
  15. ^ Middle East International, issue 279, pages 8-10. Peretz Kidron.

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