Rise and Kill First

The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations

By: Ronen Bergman

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first definitive history of Israel’s targeted killing programs, which have shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East, and the larger world—from the man hailed by David Remnick as “arguably [Israel’s] best investigative reporter.”

“An exceptional work, a humane book about an incendiary subject . . . full of shocking moments, surprising disturbances in a narrative full of fateful twists and unintended consequences.”—The New York Times

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD IN HISTORY • ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Economist, The New York Times Book Review, BBC History Magazine, Mother Jones

The Talmud says: “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.” This instinct to take every measure, even the most aggressive, to defend the Jewish people is hardwired into Israel’s DNA. From the very beginning of its statehood in 1948, protecting the nation from harm has been the responsibility of its intelligence community and armed services, and there is one weapon in their vast arsenal that they have relied upon to thwart the most serious threats: Targeted assassinations have been used countless times, on enemies large and small, sometimes in response to attacks against the Israeli people and sometimes preemptively.

In this page-turning, eye-opening book, journalist and military analyst Ronen Bergman—praised by David Remnick as “arguably [Israel’s] best investigative reporter”—offers a riveting inside account of the targeted killing programs: their successes, their failures, and the moral and political price exacted on the men and women who approved and carried out the missions.

Bergman has gained the exceedingly rare cooperation of many current and former members of the Israeli government, including Prime Ministers Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, and Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as high-level figures in the country’s military and intelligence services: the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), the Mossad (the world’s most feared intelligence agency), Caesarea (a “Mossad within the Mossad” that carries out attacks on the highest-value targets), and the Shin Bet (an internal security service that implemented the largest targeted assassination campaign ever, in order to stop what had once appeared to be unstoppable: suicide terrorism).

Including never-before-reported, behind-the-curtain accounts of key operations, and based on hundreds of on-the-record interviews and thousands of files to which Bergman has gotten exclusive access over his decades of reporting, Rise and Kill First brings us deep into the heart of Israel’s most secret activities. Bergman traces, from statehood to the present, the gripping events and thorny ethical questions underlying Israel’s targeted killing campaign, which has shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East, and the larger world.

Eye Opening

This book has had a profound effect on the way I perceive evens in the past,
and the dynamics of current events.
The books was extremely hard to stop listening to. Never felt board or wanting the author to move on with it.
Narration was appeasing to the ears and had a good use of voice inflection.
Would recommend to anyone who wants to step into another angle of Israel’s history past and present. From my understanding the Author only published what could be verified so I feel these accounts are valid.

Expand your knowledge due to underreporting

This book jumps around a bit but provides a fuller understanding of Israeli and Palestinian fighting. It doesn't spend much time dwelling on large scale societal repression of Palestinians. It does make the case for a 2 state solution and casts Netanyahu as a dishonest politician who is at odds with his intelligence community.
The focus is on Mossad and other Israeli intelligence agencies battling Hezbollah, PLO, Hamas, Iran, Syrian, and Egypt.

Massacres names

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Would have given overall 5 starts, and 5 to narrator, as well, but he absolutely massacred the Hebrew and Arabic names. Surely there is a way for narrators to clarify correct pronunciation before they begin recording. He pronounced Arik Sharon's name in a way (a-'rik) that means " [soldier] deserter" in Hebrew!.

A fantastic thriller!

This book is nothing short of amazing! A well written documentation of Israel’s boldest operation told by Ronen Bergman, a stellar Israeli journalist. I highly recommend it!

Sorry Book

Anti-Israli IDF bias too evident...good history lesson of IDF & Mossad however. allow a two.