Operation Red Falcon

by Ronen Bergman

Early on the morning of September 1, 1996, the Israeli military began preparing for a war with Syria they were convinced was imminent. The Israelis had received top-secret intelligence from a Syrian general and informant code-named Red Falcon, recruited 23 years earlier by Mossad spy Yehuda Gil—himself known as "the man of a thousand faces." Gil had been the general's sole handler, the conduit of decades of critical intelligence. But now, on the brink of war, questions arose about who exactly was handling whom. What information was real and what was a lie? Was Gil, a man of mythic exploits in Israeli intelligence, a hero or a traitor?

With exclusive access to Gil and other key figures in one of the greatest intelligence intrigues in modern history, celebrated Israeli investigative journalist Ronen Bergman unravels the incredible true story of the Yehuda Gil affair. Bergman's unprecedented reporting takes him to the heart of Israel's shadowy spy agencies, arguments at the highest levels of a government lurching toward war, and last-minute secret meetings at the CIA and the White House to avert it. At the center of it all is the mystery of Red Falcon, his spymaster handler, and the very nature of deception.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle East, Espionage, History, Israel

45 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2015

About the author

Ronen Bergman (Hebrew: רונן ברגמן) was born in 1972, and grew up in Kiryat Bialik. His mother was a teacher and his father was an accountant. He is the youngest of three children. As a boy, he was a reporter for a youth television show.

He studied law at the University of Haifa, and graduated cum laude from its law school. He is a member of the Israeli Bar. He also studied history and international relations at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and was awarded an M.Phil. degree in international relations, and then a PhD for his dissertation on the Israeli Mossad.

He is a member of the Körber Foundation "Munich Young Leaders 2010" and participated in the prestigious the "Munich 46 Security Conference".

He is a former senior staff feature writer for Haaretz.

Bergman is the recipient of the 1995 Bnei Brith Worlds Center Award for Journalism and the 1996 Ha’aretz award for Best Story.

Reviews

[Tomasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

No match for "Rise and Kill First", sadly - this is basically a "he said, she said" barebones deal, with almost no sources beyond the statements of the two sides. The translation wobbles a bit, too, and so we end up with a disappointing taste of tempting premise, unrealized.

[Michael Flanagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Operation Red Falcon is a interesting short read that takes the reader into the world of intelligence gathering and Mossad. The book looks into the validity of certain intelligence that nearly sent Syria and Israeli into a bloody war. The author gives the reader the information and it is up to them to who they believe.

[Jan Jaap]

inventio
Looking for non Hebrew publications (GR gives 3 and LOC doesn't list this title) I found an original source.

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The AtavistMagazine, no 47 March 2015 html file

[Jayanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An almost unbelievable story of how one man fooled one of the world's most elite intelligence agencies over 30 years.

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reports another chapter in the book of Middle East war of espionage in the second half of the 20th century. It deals with a very controversial case that remains unresolved, or at least for the public.
Bergman, a skilled academic and a professional journalist, manages to leave no stone unturned regarding this 25-years long operation. However, it leaves us with more questions than answers: was Gil indeed a traitor, or somebody whose mental capacity was compromised, or perhaps he was manipulated by his Syrian asset throughout this long operation?

I would certainly recommend this book.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting "spy story" about a Mossad agent who may have been misleading his agency for years, potentially greatly to the detriment of Israel. Mostly raises questions rather than answering anything, but an interesting and entertaining read.

[Tam Le Blanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tight summary of an instance in which a Mossad case officer nearly started an unnecessary war. There are no firm conclusions because the subject matter is so slippery. A cautionary tale for all who are interested in intelligence matters.

[jon power · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting subject matter

A well-written, accessible and comprehensively researched book about the often solitary and dangerous life of a spy. Another good book by Mr. Bergman.

[Manav · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short book that gives details about how one person can manipulate the whole intelligence community of a nation like Israel. It is short but nice read for thriller loving people.

[Jeff Swystun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tremendously entertaining short story on Yehuda Gill, a decades serving Mossad operative. It begs a more in depth effort as this reads like a preface and does not give enough information to form an opinion. There is just too much to speculate on especially when it comes to intelligence services. So we are entertained while reading but left to wonder whether hubris or personal deception drove this man or whether there was more to the tensions with Syria two decades ago.

[andrew y · Rating 3 out of 5]

kept me turning the digital pages. but I feel like its BIG TAKE was mostly over by the end of the first section.

[Hemang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping read for someone who likes geo-politics.