Photo Credit: Amos Ben Gershom / GPO
Israel Security Agency Director Nadav Argaman awarded prizes Monday morning for outstanding agents and operations of the Shin Bet.
Speaking at the award ceremony to honor operational and intelligence achievements that took place in 2019, Argaman said more than 560 “significant” terror plots – including suicide bombings – aimed at Israeli civilians and infrastructure, were thwarted last year.
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“This past year was full of security challenges on all fronts,” Argaman said. “We foiled 10 suicide attacks, four abductions and more than 300 shootings.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the ceremony, and added, “”Hundreds of Israelis have been saved thanks to your activity and I thank you for it. The number of tourists entering Israel in recent years has risen by 50 percent.
“Were it not for your activity, this would not happen. This is an indicator of the feeling of security. You are also concerned about life itself as well as the quality of life of the citizens of Israel and all those who visit our country. This is a very great achievement that requires the combined effort of heart and mind.
I could count on my hand the number of countries that do not want to cooperate with us. We are in touch with various countries that once, we could not even dream that they would cooperate with us; however, today, very many of them are doing so. They all want to cooperate with Israeli intelligence. We are in an unprecedented diplomatic, economic, operational and military opening.
“In the end, the major objective that must be overcome is the Iranian threat, which is a conventional, nuclear and terrorist threat – which must be overcome just as we overcame the great threat of pan-Arabism. We can do this; we have proven that we can.
“Our determination to struggle for our future and defeat our enemies must be much stronger than theirs. Go and succeed. Thank you very much.”
Those who participated in six groundbreaking operations and several Shin Bet agents who excelled in their positions received special certificates of honor at the ceremony.
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