There was a time when the very name Mossad inspired a mixture of admiration, mystery, and respect in me. Of all the intelligence services in the world, it was the one institution that fascinated me the most. Perhaps that admiration was inseparable from my love for Israel. Israel was my first love, and it will remain my last. Because of that connection, anything that contributed to the safety and survival of the Jewish state naturally earned my respect.

I am not someone who admires people easily. In fact, there are only a handful of individuals in my life whom I truly respect. Those people can be counted on one hand. If you belong to that small circle, I will go above and beyond for you. In extreme circumstances, I would even risk my own life for someone or something that holds such a special place in my heart.

Influenced by my unconditional love for Israel and by the work my parents quietly did for Israeli intelligence many decades ago, I once dreamed of serving Israel in that field myself. I would have done anything to contribute. Unfortunately, I never came across reliable contacts who could help me pursue such a path. At one point someone even told me that I was too honest for intelligence work and that I could never pretend to hate Israel because my face would immediately reveal the truth.

Whether that assessment was accurate or not, I will never know. What I do know is that time has passed. I am now too old for such ambitions, and I have accepted........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)