Sayanim
Sayanim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sayanim (Hebrew: helpers, assistants) is a term used to describe a loose network of Jews living outside Israel who volunteer to provide assistance to the Mossad.[1]
According to former Mossad officer Victor Ostrovsky and author Thomas Gordon, the sayanim provide assistance of various kinds to Mossad officers operating in foreign countries. This assistance can include facilitating medical care, money, logistics, and even overt intelligence gathering. However, sayanim are not directly involved in the intelligence operation in question, and are only paid for their expenses.
No official number is known, but estimates put the number of sayanim in the thousands.
The existence of this large body of volunteers allows the costs of intelligence gathering to be greatly reduced, and may be one reason why the Mossad operates with fewer case officers than fellow intelligence agencies.
Ostrovsky's claims have not been verified from other sources.
[edit] Sayanim in fiction
- Sayanim feature prominently in Frederick Forsyth's novel The Fist of God, depicting Mossad operations in Iraq and other countries.
[edit] References
- ^ According to former Mossad katsa and author Victor Ostrovsky and Thomas Gordon.
[edit] Further reading
- Ostrovsky, Victor. By Way of Deception-The making and unmaking of a Mossad Officer. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990. ISBN 0-9717595-0-2
- Thomas Gordon. Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. ISBN 0-312-25284-6