Rise and kill first : the secret history of Israel's targeted assassinations / Ronen Bergman ; translated by Ronnie Hope.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 637-725) and index.

"The history of the Mossad, Shin Bet, and the IDF's targeted killing programs, from David Remnick." The Talmud says: "If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first." This instinct to take every measure, even the most aggressive, to defend the Jewish people is hardwired into Israel's DNA. From the very beginning of its statehood in 1948, protecting the nation from harm has been the responsibility of its intelligence community and armed services, and there is one weapon in their vast arsenal that they have relied upon to thwart the most serious threats: Targeted assassinations have been used countless times, on enemies large and small, sometimes in response to attacks against the Israeli people and sometimes preemptively. Ronen Bergman offers an inside account of the targeted killing programs--their successes, their failures, and the moral and political price exacted on the men and women who approved and carried out the missions."-- Provided by the publisher.