Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman with Prime Minister Netanyahu. 'The sky is the limit'
More than 400 significant terror attacks foiled in 2016, Shin Bet says
Prime Minister Netanyahu and the secret security agency’s director hand out the Prime Minister’s Prize for the six ‘most unique, sophisticated and creative operations’ carried out by the Shin Bet's men and women over the last two years: ‘Thank you, Israel’s unseen shield.’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday presented the Prime Minister’s Prize for operational-intelligence achievements in 2015-2016 for six groundbreaking operations and handed out certificates of merit to the men and women of the Shin Bet who led them. The ceremony was held at the Israeli security agency’s headquarters.
According to a Shin Bet statement, “The prize is handed out every two years as an expression of appreciation for high-level planning, impeccable professional performance and a result which holds a significant contribution to the achievement of the service’s objectives in the field of prevention and state security.
“The operations that were chosen to receive the award are the most unique, sophisticated and creative kind carried out by the Shin Bet in the past two years in the operational, intelligence, technological and cyber field—in close and distant arenas," the statement continued.
PM Netanyahu and Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman
The winning operations included the development of sophisticated technologies for handling the wave of lone-wolf terrorism, implementing a process to attain access to groundbreaking intelligence information, uncovering and thwarting dangerous terror infrastructures working to carry out attacks, and developing surreptitious techniques and operational tools to combat the variety of enemies the Shin Bet faces.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said during the ceremony that “the General Security Service carries out hundreds of operations a year that constitute a defensive wall against the terror working to harm the security of Israel and its citizens. The men and women of the service who took part in these operations demonstrated exceptional creativity, boldness, sophistication and courage. The quality intelligence provided by these operations is priceless.
The prime minister expressed his gratitude to the Shin Bet and praised the innovative methods it has devised to provide a comprehensive counter to terrorism.
“The lives of many citizens have been saved thanks to the amazing preventive actions led by the Shin Bet, using advanced technological means, groundbreaking cyber and mainly creativity and never-ending determination," he said. "In the name of Israel’s citizens, I salute you and thank you for your work as an ‘unseen shield.’”
Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman also delivered a speech during the ceremony. “We have gathered here tonight to express our appreciation of our people, who advanced and executed unique and unprecedented operations. These operations led to intelligence achievements and significant preventions. Thanks to the quality intelligence, the advanced technology and the excellent human capital, the Shin Bet thwarted more than 400 significant terror attacks this year," Argaman boasted.
Turning to the Shin Bet agensts directly, he added: “You, in the achievements to which you have led us, saw everything that we saw but thought what no one else ever thought before you. You had the courage to think and act beyond the familiar and safe borders, and make things happen. You saw a challenge in the difficulties created by reality, and found the way to solve it."
He went on to say, “Excellence contains a component of innovation and creativity as well. The ability to create something out of nothing, to think beyond the familiar borders, to believe in an idea, even if it seems crazy at first, and not to give up in light of the difficulties encountered on the way. You successfully passed this test too, proving to all of us that the sky is the limit.”
