The Gatekeepers

by Dror Moreh

»Seit Rabin tot ist, sieht Israels Zukunft düster, düster, düster aus.« Carmi Gillon, Schin-Bet-Chef 1994–1996 Zum ersten Mal überhaupt geben sechs frühere Chefs des israelischen Geheimdienstes Schin Bet Auskunft über ihr Handeln und ihre Entscheidungen – und werfen damit ein neues Licht auf die Besatzungspolitik in den palästinensischen Gebieten. Das Buch basiert auf dem sensationellen Dokumentarfilm »The Gatekeepers« (deutscher Titel: »Töte zuerst«) und enthält eine Fülle von Material, das der Autor und Regisseur im Film nicht verwenden konnte. Dem Filmemacher Dror Moreh ist es gelungen, alle sechs noch lebenden Ex-Chefs des israelischen Geheimdienstes Schin Bet vor die Kamera zu bekommen. Und nicht nur das: Sie sprechen so schonungslos offen und (selbst-)kritisch über Folterungen, gezielte Tötungen, Bombenangriffe, all die Maßnahmen, die sie seit dem Sechstagekrieg 1967 gegen die Palästinenser in den besetzten Gebieten angeordnet haben. Und sie stellen im Rückblick die Frage nach der moralischen Legitimation ihrer Aktionen. Ihr Urteil fällt vernichtend aus. So sagt Avraham Sharon, Schin-Bet-Chef 1980–1986: »Was wir den Palästinensern antun, unterscheidet sich, abgesehen von der Judenvernichtung, nicht von den Nazis in Osteuropa.« Politisch besonders brisant, dass die sechs Männer, allesamt israelische Patrioten, die ständig an den jeweiligen Premierminister berichtet haben, sämtlichen israelischen Regierungen seit 1967 (mit Ausnahme der von Jitzhak Rabin) vorwerfen, die falsche Palästina-Politik betrieben zu haben und zu betreiben: »Israel kapiert nicht, dass es jeden Kampf gewinnt. Aber den Krieg verliert.«

Genres: Nonfiction, Israel, History, Espionage, Politics, Jewish, Historical

Hardcover

First published August 14, 2014

Reviews

[corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Briefly put: a rather self-serving dialog, but quite telling about the mindset of this conscienceless group of state-sponsored racists.

[Salonee Sonawane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What do the Intellects of Shin Bet think about various incidents that shaped Israel's future?"

The book has interviews with 6 Shin Bet Directors. The Directors also give a brief about their childhood and background. The interviews cover their personal standpoints on 2 States policy, various operations they took part in like the Green Island Raid, how they assist in protecting the citizens of Israel from the Jihadi and Islamic radicals, Rabin's assassination attempt, abduction of Israeli soldiers and so on.

Some of the anecdotes will make you laugh at the folly of human beings. For example, there is one anecdote when a suicide bomber could not cause devastation but ended up in hospital. When he opened his eyes the officer asked him if he knows where he is. The suicide bomber said that it must be heaven. The officer tried to convince him that he wasn't in heaven but in a hospital. Finally, the officer asked him whether the suicide bomber knows who he is. The suicide bomber said that the officer is a Jew and the officer asked him if Jews are supposed to be in Heaven. The suicide bomber then realised that he is still on Earth because no Jew is supposed to be in Heaven.
I laughed really hard at this point!

I saw the documentary after reading the book.
And I would like to recommend the book.

[Anthony O'Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very fascinating content!

YET, you must understand that this is basically a transcript of many interviews. Not to minimize the sheer unique and rare nature of the interviews, but you have to wade through much dialogue to get "tidbits".

I didn't finish the very last part of the book as it was just more of the same.

The star rating reflects on its ability to hold interest. The book was well written, relevant and again, very fascinating content.

This is more of a written historical record than a book. If memory serves me correct the author even says that at the beginning.

I DO recommend, just get ready to slog.

[Trax Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a collector's item

This a book anyone with any interest in the Jewish-Palestinian conflict must read.

It explores the hard questions with those who have wrestled, breathe, and struggled with these.

Quite illuminating.

[Jurij Fedorov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, but this is not it. It's about Shin Bet managers speaking out yet they can't reveal anything concrete like a mission, plan, concrete strategies. Hence it becomes a ton of personal statements like "we needed to make hard decisions like killing a terrorist and it was hard for me to make these mystery decisions". Rinse and repeat 100 times over with different people all tooting their own horn bragging about how complex the job is yet all they can reveal is that "it was a complex decision and you need to be smart to make it".

Introspection diaries basically. You do get some facts about strategies like them wanting to kill terrorists rather than capture at times. And using missiles when you are not on the ground with agents. Like Gaza today. While in West Bank PA and IDF can make arrests meaning fewer civilian casualties. They learn all names in a village and try to make people talk. Even using some sort of torture that is still legal against terrorists. It really feels pointless as the documentary has all these points in it so why even write a book? There are no factual details here.

You may be a tad interested in the concepts yet it's so shallow no intellectual person will learn much new here.

[Tim Schiraldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An honest look inside the Shin Bet from the mouths of the chiefs themselves. An interesting and enlightening take on the Isreali - Palestinian issues and what is / is not accepted in the fight against terrorism. Brutally honest!

[Dоcтоr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read (and a documentary to watch) if you're interested in actions of
Israeli Intelligence, and the fight against terrorism in Middle East.

[The Jewish Book Council]

Review by Libby K. White for the Jewish Book Council.