Five former Mossad directors with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (bottom left) and President Reuven Rivlin (bottom right) in 2015. From top left: Yossi Cohen (2016-21), Shabtai Shavit (1989-96), Tamir Pardo (2010-16), Nahum Admoni (1982-89) and Efraim Halevi (1998-2002). Image: Haim Zach, Spokesperson Unit of the President of Israel (CC3.0).
Mossad (Hebrew for Institute) is an abbreviation for ha-Mossad le-Modiin ule-Tafkidim Meyuhadim (Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks), an Israeli intelligence agency focused on foreign intelligence.1 In English, Mossad officers have in the past used the acronym ISIS (Israel Secret Intelligence Service).2
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