This was a fascinating history about four spies working in Arab countries as Israel was being formed as a nation. The spies were very young Jewish men who grew up in Arab countries or regions, such as Aleppo, Damascus, Haifa, or Beirut. They were fluent in Arabic and could pass as Arabs. As Israel was established as a country and the surrounding Arab countries declared war, these four (and many other) spies formed the Arab Section of what would in later years become Mossad. They were not very experienced and they were very vulnerable as they established themselves in Beirut and tried to gather information that they could report back to Israel using contraband radios and other methods. Facing torture and execution if they were caught, they lived a precarious life while providing actionable intelligence to Israel. Author Matti Friedman brings to life their struggles, including the high levels of anxiety and tension as anything could go wrong and out them as spies.
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