Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke this morning at the funeral of former Mossad chief Shabtai Shavit, who passed away this week after suffering a heart attack during a trip to Italy.
Gallant recounted, "There are people whom you meet early in your life, but the strong impression from that encounter and the personality you met stay with you for many years ahead. Such was my first meeting with Shabtai Shavit in 1980, when I was a young officer in the flotilla, and he was the head of the 'Caesarea' division in the Mossad. I remember well his thoughtful and responsible words, said, as always, in the characteristic calm demeanor, during the briefing for a joint operation of the Mossad, General Staff commando unit, and the flotilla."
The Defense Minister shared, "Over the years, our paths crossed several times. When Shabtai was the Deputy Head of the Mossad, the joint project of the Mossad and the flotilla known as 'Naaray Hachof' set out, and later, when he became the head of the Mossad and the flotilla operated under my command, we worked together to assist the Mossad in a series of daring operations.
"At every decision point and in every crucial moment, during operations and throughout them, we knew that a responsible, balanced, and confident hand was holding the helm. The Mossad personnel and the Shayetet fighters esteemed Shabtai as their commander and leader, always seeing him as a source of authority and stability, especially when the challenges were complex. Many of the citizens of Israel do not know, and perhaps will never know, the extent to which they owe a debt of gratitude to this extraordinary individual and his significant and enduring contributions to the security of the State of Israel."
