Avraham Shalom

Avraham Shalom Ben-Dor (born 1928 in Vienna ) was head of GSS ( Shin Bet ) from 1981-1986.¹ He resigned after being accused of ordering the killing of two Palestinian prisoners and organising the subsequent cover-up. This followed the hijacking of a bus from Tel Aviv , 12 April 1984, after which it was reported that all four hijackers had been killed. Following the publication of pictures taken at the scene it emerged that the two surviving hijackers were questioned by Brigadier General Yitzhak Mordechai and then handed over to GSS agents who allegedly executed the prisoners on the orders of Shalom. During the subsequent investigation Shalom led an cover-up in the GSS which implicated Mordechai as responsible for the killings. In 1985 General Mordechai was put on trial but his acquittal led to questions being asked about Shalom's role. The cover-up caused internal disorder and dysfunction within the GSS. In May 1986 the issue became public when Israeli Attorney-General Yitzhak Zamir resigned after attempting to pursue a course of holding Shalom to account for falsifying evidence. President Chaim Herzog controversially issued pardons to Shalom and four other GSS officers. In July 1986 during a high court appeal against the pardons it was revealed in a letter of application for pardon that Shalom claimed that all his actions were "authorised and approved". This placed responsibility on his immediate superior, the Prime Minister at the time - Yitzhak Shamir . The public disquiet and pressure in legal circles meant this was one of the reasons behind the establishment of the Landau Commission into GSS "Methods of Investigation".²