Former national security adviser slams 'gatekeepers'

Former National Security Adviser Uzi Arad has slammed the six former heads of the General Security Service (Shabak) who were interviewed in the 'documentary' The Gatekeepers.

“In no other democracy in the world would six heads of the security services line up, lend themselves to be quoted and blame their government,” Arad said of the documentary, which features six former directors of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in a film highly critical of Israel’s policies in the territories.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Herzliya Conference, which opened on Monday, Arad said he could not imagine six former heads of the FBI or MI5 lining up to bash their countries’ policies.

“This is hefkerut [anarchy],” he said, “a lack of respect. It shows a lack of professionalism. The head of the secret service has to know to keep his mouth shut, both during and after his service. If he cannot, he is no professional and has betrayed his profession.”

Arad added that the “prevailing feeling” the documentary left within the ranks of Israel’s intelligence community was “one of betrayal and contempt.”

The willingness of the six – Ami Ayalon, Avi Dichter, Yuval Diskin, Carmi Gillon, Yaakov Peri and Avraham Shalom – to take part in the documentary “shows a very low sensitivity to democratic norms,” Arad said, rejecting the idea that the men felt it was imperative for them to go public with their criticism.

 Indeed. The same can be said about former Mossad director Meir Dagan. And no, I cannot think of a whole lot of other democracies in the world where doing something that ought to be considered treason makes you a hero.