As 2016 comes to an end, the Shin Bet reports B’chasdei Hashem it prevent “over 400 significant terror attacks”. This was made known in the presence of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who was attending the awards ceremony for the Prime Minister’s Prize for Intelligence-Operational Achievements on Tuesday evening the eve of 28 Kislev at Shin Bet Headquarters.

The prize is awarded once every two years in appreciation for high-level planning, flawless professional operation and outcomes that significantly contribute toward achieving goals of the service in the field of preventative action and state security.

PM Netanyahu and Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman attended the ceremony at which prizes were awarded for six pioneering operations; certificates of appreciation were awarded to personnel who took part in leading them.

The operations that were chosen were among the most unique, sophisticated and highly creative that were carried out by the Shin Bet over the past two years in the areas of operations, intelligence, technology and cyber in both near and distant arenas. Among these were: The development of sophisticated technological capabilities to deal with the wave of lone terrorists, carrying out an operation to achieve access to high-value and pioneering intelligence information, foiling a dangerous terrorist infrastructure that worked to carry out severe attacks, and the development of secret methods of operation and operational tools vis-à-vis various elements that the Shin Bet must deal with.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “The Shin Bet carries out many hundreds of operations annually that constitute a protective shield against the terrorism that seeks to harm the security of Israel and its citizens. Shin Bet personnel who took part in some of these operations showed exceptional creativity, daring, sophistication and courage. The quality intelligence provided in these operations is beyond price. The lives of many citizens were saved thanks to the amazing pre-emptive operations led by the Shin Bet and which incorporated advanced technological means, pioneering cyber and especially boundless creativity and determination. On behalf of the citizens of Israel, I salute you and thank you for your work as an unseen shield.”

Director Argaman added, “We have gathered here this evening to express appreciation to our people, thanks to whom unique and unprecedented operations were advanced and implemented, operations which led to significant intelligence and pre-emptive achievements. Thanks to quality intelligence, advanced technologies and outstanding human capital, this year the Shin bet foiled over 400 significant terrorist attacks.

“In your achievements, you saw everything that we saw but you thought what nobody thought before you. You had the courage to think and act beyond the boundaries of what is known and certain, and to make things happen. You saw the difficulties that reality placed before us as challenges and you found the way to deal with them.

“Excellence also contains within itself an element of innovation and creativity: The ability to create something from nothing, to think outside the box, to believe in an idea even if it seems crazy at first, and not to slacken in the face of the difficulties that pile up along the way. You were successful in this test as well and you proved to all pf us that the sky is the limit.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)