Tamir Pardo

Tamir Pardo (Hebrew: תמיר פרדו; born 1953) is the former Director of Mossad, taking over the role from Meir Dagan on January 1, 2011. The appointment was announced by Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 29, 2010.[1] He served in the role from 2011 until 2016.

Tamir Pardo
תמיר פרדו‎
11th Director of the Mossad
In office
January 1, 2011 – January 5, 2016
Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu
Preceded byMeir Dagan
Succeeded byYossi Cohen
Personal details
Born1953
Tel Aviv, Israel
Alma materTel Aviv University
Military service
AllegianceIsrael Israel
Branch/serviceIsrael Defense Forces
Years of service1971–present
Battles/warsOperation Entebbe

Since he stepped down as Director of Mossad, he has been a vocal critic of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 2023 judicial reforms. He has called for Netanyahu to resign and stand trial on charges of engaging in a coup, and accused the Israeli government of overseeing an apartheid state.[2][3][4][5] He has also accused Netanyahu of planning to directly attack Iran, and of spying on both himself and Benny Gantz, then chief of General Staff of the IDF.[6][7][8]

Biography

Pardo was born in Tel Aviv to a Sephardi-Jewish family. His father was an immigrant from Turkey, and his mother was of Serbian-Jewish origin. At age 18, when he began his compulsory service in the Israel Defense Forces, he volunteered for the paratroopers. He graduated from an officers' course, and later served as a communication officer in the elite special forces unit Sayeret Matkal. He also served in the Shaldag Unit. He was a member of the unit under the command of Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu and participated in Operation Entebbe. Netanyahu, elder brother to current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was killed during the operation.

After completing his military service, Pardo joined the Mossad in 1980, and served in entry-level technical positions. He took part in several classified operations, and was awarded the Israel Security Prize three times. He rose through the ranks and eventually became head of the "Keshet" department, responsible for operations, including obtaining electronic intelligence through wiretaps and photographic methods. In 2005, he was in line for promotion to the organization's number 2 position, when another individual was given the job. Mossad Director-General Meir Dagan thereupon lent Pardo to the IDF, where he served as a senior advisor for operations to the Israeli General Staff. He served in this position during the 2006 Lebanon War. After Dagan fired his number 2, he invited Pardo to return to the Mossad and assume the role. Pardo did so in the belief that when Dagan retired, he would be offered the job. However, Dagan's term was extended and he did not retire when expected. This led Pardo to leave the Mossad, whereupon he went into private business with Israeli Internet gambling entrepreneur Noam Lanir, and to serve as chairman of Shizim Group.

Mossad leadership

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu's first candidate for the role of Mossad chief, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries's CEO, retired Major General Shlomo Yanai, was offered the job but turned it down. Of several other candidates, Pardo was the only one to have served in the Mossad. His choice may reflect a wish on the part of Prime Minister Netanyahu to signal continuity by choosing a candidate from within the ranks.[9]

It was anticipated that Pardo would continue the work of his predecessor, Meir Dagan, in attempting to thwart any attempts by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to build a nuclear weapon.[10]

On August 2, 2011, German news website Spiegel Online published an article named "Mossad Behind Tehran Assassinations, Says Source", claiming receiving information from "an Israeli intelligence source", linking Mossad under Tamir Pardo as its chief to the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Darioush Rezaeinejad in Tehran on July 23, 2011.[11] The report was reprinted by several news agencies, yet without providing additional sources to confirm the information.[12][13][14][15][16]

Post–Mossad

In June 2016, the American NGO United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) announced that Pardo had joined the group's Advisory Board.[17] Upon joining, Pardo said, "The leading global powers cannot turn a blind eye to the clear and present dangers the Iranian regime poses to the safety and freedoms of millions of people within their borders and throughout the world."[18]

In addition, in 2016 Pardo founded together with Noam Erez, and Boaz Gorodiski XM Cyber, a company that developed a technology to help other companies improve their cyber defense by simulating organized cyber attacks.[19]

During an interview with Haaretz in May 2018, Pardo said that in 2011 Netanyahu ordered the Mossad and IDF to prepare for an attack on Iran within 15 days, but he and Chief of Staff Benny Gantz questioned the Prime Minister's legal authority to give such an order without Cabinet approval, so Netanyahu backed off.[20]

In June 2018 Pardo stated that Mossad was 'a crime organization with a license,' something which, he added, made working for it the 'fun part'.[21]

On 6 September 2023 in a statement to the Associated Press, Pardo claimed that Israel is an apartheid state: “There is an apartheid state here. In a territory where two people are judged under two legal systems, that is an apartheid state."[2][22] He also claimed that while Director of Mossad he saw the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the most important threat to Israel, and "repeatedly warned Netanyahu that he needed to decide what Israel’s borders were, or risk the destruction of a state for the Jews."[2][23]

References
  1. Melman, Yossi (November 29, 2010). "Who is new Mossad chief Tamir Pardo?". Haaretz. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  2. Goldenberg, Tia (2023-09-06). "A former Mossad chief says Israel is enforcing an apartheid system in the West Bank". AP News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  3. "Former Mossad Head Calls for Netanyahu to Resign, Asks on 'Every Israeli Citizen' to Protest". Haaretz. 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  4. "Ex-Mossad chief Pardo says Netanyahu should be put on trial if legal overhaul passes". Times of Israel. 2023-07-20. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  5. Shamir, Jonathan (2023-07-23). "Ex-Mossad Chief Compares Israeli Right to the KKK". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  6. "Ex-Mossad Chief Says He Questioned Legality of Netanyahu's Order to Prepare Iran Strike". Haaretz. 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  7. Gross, Judah Ari. "Netanyahu asked Shin Bet to tap phones of IDF, Mossad heads — report". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  8. Harel, Amos (2018-06-01). "A Non-denial Denial: Did Netanyahu Ask ex-Shin Bet Chief to Tap IDF, Mossad Heads?". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  9. Melman, Yossi (November 29, 2010). ראש המוסד הבא תמיר פרדו - מהתפקיד הזוטר ביותר עד לצמרת הארגון [Next Mossad chief Tamir Pardo—from the lowest job to the top of the organization]. Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  10. Gross, Tom (December 12, 2010). "Egypt claims Mossad to blame for shark attacks (& details of new Mossad head)". Tom Gross Media. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  11. Ulrike Putz (August 2, 2011). "Mossad Behind Tehran Assassinations, Says Source". Spiegel Online. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  12. "'Mossad shot dead' Iranian scientist". The Sydney Morning Herald. AFP. August 2, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  13. "Mossad behind murder of Iranian scientist". Middle East Online. August 2, 2011. Archived from the original on August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  14. "Der Spiegel: Israel killed Iranian". UPI. August 2, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  15. "Israel's Mossad behind killing of Iranian scientist: report". IBN Live. August 2, 2011. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  16. Ofer Aderet (August 2, 2011). "Israel's new Mossad chief behind assassination of Iran nuclear scientist". Haaretz. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  17. "Former Mossad director joins anti-Iran organization". Ynetnews. 18 June 2016.
  18. "UANI Expands Global Reach, Deepens Defense and Foreign Policy Expertise with New Advisory Board Members". United Against Nuclear Iran. 16 June 2016.
  19. "Cybersecurity startup XM Cyber acquired for $700 million by Schwarz Group". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. 22 November 2021.
  20. "Ex-Mossad Chief Says He Questioned Legality of Netanyahu's Order to Prepare Iran Strike". Haaretz. May 31, 2018.
  21. Noa Landau,  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-netanyahu-responds-to-ex-spy-chief-mossad-is-no-crime-organization-1.6138956 Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said it's 'a crime organization with a license.' Haaretz 3 June 2018.
  22. McGreal, Chris (6 September 2023). "Israel imposing apartheid on Palestinians, says former Mossad chief". The Guardian.
  23. "Former Mossad chief: Israel enforcing apartheid system against Palestinians". www.aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. 6 September 2023.
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