Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize to Mossad operatives in a ceremony on Wednesday attended by the agency’s employees, its commanders and partners from the security and intelligence community.
The prize for the years 2023-24 is given to groundbreaking and inspiring operatives, chosen to represent the tip of the iceberg of the Mossad’s broad activity over the past two years, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Speaking to the audience, Netanyahu mentioned the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, the slaying of terror master Hassan Nasrallah and the unprecedented beepers mission that took out thousands of Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon in one fell swoop during Israel’s multi-front war since Hamas invaded Israel’s south on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Of course, I knew it wasn’t the [beeper] device, it was the people, the work—it was the first massive targeted prevention operation in history. For years, we meet and every time I talk to you about what is really most important, it is the existential threat posed by Iran’s intentions and its actions to arm itself with nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said.
He went on to stress that although others have helped in executing a successful military campaign against Iran in June, most of the activity was carried out by the Mossad—although he did not disclose which activity he was referring to.
“I came here to tell you that I am convinced that the people of Israel … have the strength, the reserves of spirit, the creativity, the courage, the audacity and the determination to secure our future: for us, for our children, for our grandchildren and for the generations that will follow,” said Netanyahu.
Barnea also spoke at the event, saying, “Exactly one year and two hours ago, at 15:30, the prime minister ordered the launch of Operation Beepers, after which the Israel Defense Forces’ offensive plan to decisively defeat Hezbollah and eliminate the threat on our northern border was put into effect.”
He added, “The killing of (Hezbollah leader) Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s leadership, ten days later, put an end to the faint hope they still had. The spirit of the enemy was broken.”
The Mossad director hailed the “perhaps greatest of all” events in the past year: Operation Rising Lion.
“Led by the IDF and in cooperation with the Mossad, we were able to deliver a severe and painful blow to an enemy that acts to pose an existential threat to the State of Israel. The Mossad worked for many years and brought its relative advantages to bear. We carried out a series of almost fantastical operations, one after another. The IDF, foremost with its tremendous capabilities and the Mossad alongside it succeeded in tipping the balance in the war. We won and we will continue to win,” he said.
“The Mossad has very strong operational capabilities, more imaginative than before and more forceful, especially inside Iran and even in the heart of Tehran. We proved the capabilities, but also what we are prepared to do to preserve Israel’s security. We will continue to build and strengthen our capabilities regarding Iran, keep watch from within Iran on what is carried out behind closed doors, and will not allow ideas that could harm our security to take root,” Barnea vowed.
