Mossad
The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (Hebrew: המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים ha-Mosád le-Modiʿín u-le-Tafkidím Meyuḥadím), popularly known as Mossad (UK: /ˈmɒsæd/ MOSS-ad; US: /moʊˈsɑːd/ moh-SAHD), is the national intelligence agency of the State of Israel. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community, along with Aman (military intelligence) and Shin Bet (internal security).
Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים الموساد للاستخبارات والمهام الخاصة | |
"Where there is no guidance, a nation falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." (Proverbs 11:14) | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | December 13, 1949 (as the Central Institute for Coordination) |
Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel |
Employees | Classified (est. 7,000) |
Annual budget | Classified (est. US$2.73 billion) |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | Office of the Prime Minister |
Website | www |
Mossad is responsible for intelligence collection, covert operations, and counter-terrorism. Its director answers directly and only to the Prime Minister. Its annual budget is estimated to be around ₪10 billion (US$2.73 billion), and it is estimated that it employs around 7,000 people, making it one of the world's largest espionage agencies.