For the first time, the Mossad intelligence agency has launched a public recruitment campaign targeting young women performing national service — a civilian alternative to military service for those exempt from enlisting in the IDF.
National service, known in Hebrew as sherut leumi, is typically carried out by religious Jewish women and other exempted citizens who choose to volunteer for one to two years in hospitals, schools, welfare offices or emergency services. While most participants are women, a small number of men also join the program.
Mossad, Israel’s shadowy foreign intelligence agency, has quietly operated a national service track for over two decades. What began as a small pilot with only a few women each year has grown significantly as the program’s value became clear — both to participants and to the agency.
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Today, dozens of national service volunteers are recruited annually into Mossad, with the number expected to rise by another 20% in 2026. Candidates come from diverse backgrounds and undergo a rigorous screening process. Those selected are placed in roles spanning technology, digital operations, intelligence gathering and administrative support.
The two-year program offers participants hands-on experience in the core of Israel’s intelligence operations. In recent years, many volunteers have chosen to remain at the agency after completing their service, with some rising to take on permanent roles at the center of Mossad’s secretive work.