Rafi Eitan

Rafi Eitan
Ministerial roles
2006–2009Minister of Pensioner Affairs
Faction represented in the Knesset
2006–2009Gil
Personal details
Born(1926-11-23)23 November 1926
Ein Harod, Mandatory Palestine
Died23 March 2019(2019-03-23) (aged 92)
Tel Aviv, Israel

Rafael Eitan (Hebrew: רפי איתן; 23 November 1926 – 23 March 2019)[1] was an Israeli politician and intelligence officer. He also led Gil and served as Minister of Senior Citizens. He was in charge of the Mossad operation that led to the arrest of Adolf Eichmann. He served as an advisor on terrorism to Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and in 1981 he was appointed to head the Bureau of Scientific Relations, then an intelligence entity on par with Mossad, Aman and Shabak. Eitan assumed responsibility for and resigned over the Jonathan Pollard affair, and the Bureau was disbanded. He was subject to an arrest warrant issued by the United States FBI.[2] From 1985 until 1993, he was head of the government's Chemicals company, which was expanded under his leadership. After 1993, he became a businessman, noted for several large scale agricultural and construction ventures in Cuba. He was the chairman of the Vetek (Seniority) Association – the Senior Citizens Movement.[3]

  1. ^ "Rafi Eitan, ex-minister and legendary spy who captured Eichmann, dies aged 92". The Times of Israel. March 23, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  2. ^ "Rafi Eitan: Mossad spy who captured Adolf Eichmann dies". BBC News. March 23, 2019.
  3. ^ "ISRAELI LONGEVITY ALLIANCE – ISRLA – VETEK | ISRLA – VETEK".