In September 1948, a vessel named “Igris” docked in the port of Beirut — a ship that, in a previous incarnation, had served Adolf Hitler himself for leisure. Israeli officials feared it would be rearmed with cannons and converted into an Egyptian warship.
In a joint operation by the Israeli Navy and an undercover IDF unit, the ship was sabotaged and rendered inoperable — removing a serious threat to the young State of Israel. This is the remarkable story behind “Operation David.”
During the British Mandate, Palmach commander Yigal Allon established an “Arab Department” known as “Hashachar,” tasked with gathering intelligence among Arab populations in the region. Its operatives, known as “Mista’arvim,” blended into Arab communities in Israel and neighboring countries, including Baghdad and Damascus, while also assisting in smuggling Jewish immigrants.
Following Israel’s War of Independence, the unit became part of IDF Military Intelligence under the name “Intelligence 18.” Its agents established networks in Beirut and Damascus, collecting intelligence and carrying out covert operations.