Gonen Ben Itzhak

Gonen Ben Itzhak (Hebrew: גונן בן יצחק‎; born: 3 March 1971) is an Israeli lawyer, former Shin Bet coordinator, and social activist. He is one of the former handlers of mole Mosab Hassan Yousef ("The Green Prince").[1] He is one of the leading figures in the protests against Benjamin Netanyahu,[2] and is among the founders of the anti-Netanyahu protest movement "Crime Minister".

Gonen Ben Itzhak
גונן בן יצחק
Gonen Ben Itzhak at a protest in Haifa, 26 November 2020
Born (1971-03-03) 3 March 1971
NationalityIsraeli
Alma mater
Occupationlawyer
Years active1996–present
Known for

Biography

Gonen Ben Itzhak grew up in Ness Ziona. His father is Brigadier General Uzi Ben Itzhak and his mother, Ronit, is a music teacher. In 1985, the family moved to the United States due to his father's military service. Ben Itzhak served in the Israeli Navy. Following his discharge, he studied psychology at the University of Beer Sheva and completed a bachelor's degree. He was a troop coordinator and was the Southern District coordinator of the Israeli Scouts movement. In 2005, he began studying law and business administration at IDC Herzliya. He completed his master's degree with distinction at Tel-Aviv University.[3]

Shin Bet position

In 1996, Ben Itzhak was recruited to the Shin Bet as an intelligence officer in the Arab sector – in the area of Ramallah. In this capacity, he was entrusted with the task of recruiting and handling agents and preventing terrorist attacks in the area. In 2002, he was appointed deputy coordinator of the district of Ramallah.[4] He commanded the area during Operation Defensive Shield, among other operations. In this capacity, he handled agents within the ranks of terrorist organization members. Ben Itzhak was involved with the 2002 arrest of Marwan Barghouti.[5]

"The Green Prince"

Ben Itzhak was among the handlers of Mosab Hassan Yousef ("The Green Prince"), son of Sheik Hassan Yousef, one of the leaders of Hamas.[5] Yousef ranked among the top Shin Bet agents within Hamas and worked for the Shin Bet for nearly ten years.[5] Together with Yousef, Ben Itzhak worked to prevent Hamas terrorist operations in the area of Ramallah. Ben Itzhak stood behind the arrest of Shadi Saadiya, the terrorist behind the Ein 'Arik checkpoint attack in which six Israeli soldiers were killed.[6]

Ben Itzhak was interviewed in the 2014 documentary film The Green Prince.[7] He also served as professional advisor for the 2013 Israeli film Bethlehem and throughout the first season of the acclaimed Israeli television series, Fauda.[8][9]

Social and political activism
Gonen Ben Itzhak lying down under a water cannon in order to prevent its use, 18 July 2020.

Ben Itzhak is part of the struggle against "The Gas Plan", the decision made by the Israeli government, in August 2015, to regulate the natural gas industry in the country. He was arrested during a protest near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. On 6 October 2008, he was arrested in Beit She'an for obstructing the prime minister's convoy.[10] He took part in protests against the attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit.[10][11]

Ben Itzhak is a member of "Israel Yekara Lanu" (Israel is Dear to Us), which fights against the cost of living in Israel.[1]

In 2019, Ben Itzhak joined the "Eretz Hadasha" (New Country) party which ran in the general elections.[12] In January 2021 he announced he was joining the Telem political party led by Moshe Ya'alon.[13]

In 2020, Ben Itzhak was listed in TheMarker's list of the 100 most influential people in Israel.[14]

Crime Minister

Ben Itzhak is among the founding members of the "Hoze Hadash" (New Contract) movement, better known as "Crime Minister".[15] He is involved in many protests across the country and near the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem. Along with other lawyers, he represents people who have been arrested during the protests against Benjamin Netanyahu. Ben Itzhak serves as legal advisor for various protest movements, which include the "Black Flag" protests. On 18 July 2020, Ben Itzhak was arrested after lying down under a water cannon in order to prevent its use. On 24 November 2020, Ben Itzhak was indicted on grounds of "disturbing public order and preventing the police from carrying out their duties".[16]

Personal life

Ben Itzhak is a married father of four.[17]

References
  1. Ben Itzhak, Gonen. "The Right Panthers of Government" (in Hebrew). Zman Israel. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  2. Brainer, Joshua (24 October 2020). "A Protester Against Netanyahu Received Death Threats" (in Hebrew). Haaretz. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  3. Cohen, Omer (1 January 2019). "Seeing D Neighborhood in Beer Sheva Gave Me The Social Bug" (in Hebrew). Davar. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  4. Heller, Debra (14 November 2015). "Handling the Son of Hamas". aish.com. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  5. The Editors (29 June 2010). "Asylum for Yousef". National Review. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  6. Nanos, Zion (16 May 2014). "Ex Shin Bet Agent: "This is How I Befriended 'The Green Prince'"" (in Hebrew). Mako. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  7. Duvdevani, Shmulik (18 May 2014). "The Green Prince: Rise of the Dark Knight" (in Hebrew). Ynet. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  8. Or-El, Ayala (3 September 2014). "Cousins in Arms" (in Hebrew). Ynet. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  9. Karish-Hazoni, Hodaya (17 April 2015). "Is Fauda Realistic? Real Agents Answer" (in Hebrew). Makor Rishon. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  10. Morag, Gilad; Rubinstein, Roey (7 October 2018). ""A Locomotive Rear-Ended Me": Man Arrested at Netanyahu's Convoy – Former Shin Bet Agent" (in Hebrew). Ynet. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  11. Faraj, Yahel (17 August 2019). "Protest Inc" (in Hebrew). Davar. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  12. 103FM (30 December 2018). "Former Shin Bet Coordinator: "Gantz and Boogie's Story Won't Hold Up"" (in Hebrew). Maariv. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  13. "Gonen Ben Yitzhak, anti-Netanyahu activist, joins Telem Party". The Jerusalem Post. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  14. "100 Most Influential People in Israel 2020" (in Hebrew). The Marker. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  15. "Hoze Hadash (חוזה חדש)" (in Hebrew). Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  16. Dolev, Daniel; Horodenchanu, Maya; Yegane, Yanir (24 November 2020). "For the First Time, The Prosecution Has Indicted Protesters Against Netanyahu" (in Hebrew). Walla!. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  17. Ben Itzhak, Gonen (4 August 2019). "Gonen Ben Itzhak: Is Israel Still a Democracy?" (in Hebrew). Zman Israel. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
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