A Katsa is a field intelligence officer of the Mossad,[1] the national intelligence agency of Israel. The word katsa is a Hebrew acronym for Hebrew: קצין איסוף, romanized: ktsin issuf, "intelligence officer", literally "gathering officer". A katsa is a case officer who runs agents to clandestinely collect intelligence.

Use of sayanim

Katsas may utilise sayanim, singular: sayan, (Hebrew: סייענים, lit. Helpers, Assistants) for their operations. Sayanim are recruited to provide support for Mossad operations, and may or may not receive payment. A sayan running a car rental agency, for instance, could help Mossad officers rent a car without the usual documentation.[2][3] Sayanim are often not citizens of Israel or may be dual nationals.[4][5] The use of sayanim enables the Mossad to operate with a smaller budget to conduct operations worldwide.[6]

Notable katsas

References

  1. "Mossad's licence to kill". The Telegraph. 17 February 2010.
  2. Thomas, Gordon (17 February 2010). "Mossad's licence to kill". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. Kahana, Ephraim (2006). Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence (Historical Dictionaries of Intelligence and Counterintelligence). Scarecrow Press; Illustrated edition. p. 244. ISBN 978-0810855816.
  4. Richelson, Jeffrey T. (15 February 2007). "The Mossad Imagined: The Israeli Secret Service in Film and Fiction". International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence. 20 (1): 138. doi:10.1080/08850600600889431. S2CID 154278415. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  5. Dajani, Jamal (6 December 2017). "Mossad's Little Helpers". Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  6. Hallel, Amir (1 October 2004). "At home with the Mossad men". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
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