# Itzhak Ilan
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{{Short description|Israeli security official (1956–2020)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| birth_name = Itzhak Ilan
| native_name = יצחק אילן
| native_name_lang = he
| image = יצחק אילן.jpg
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption = Itzhak Ilan, 2016
| order =
| office = Deputy Director of the Shin-Bet
| status =
| term_start = 2010
| term_end = 2011
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1956|7|28|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [Surami](/source/Surami), Georgia
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|10|16|1956|7|28|df=yes}}
| death_place = [Petah Tikva](/source/Petah_Tikva), Israel
}}
'''Itzhak Ilan''' or '''Yitzhak Ilan''' ({{langx|he|יצחק אילן}}; 28 July 1956 – 16 October 2020), served in the [Israel Security Agency](/source/Israel_Security_Agency) (a.k.a. ISA, Shin-Bet, Shabak) during the years 1982–2012, and served during his last position as the Deputy Director of the ISA during the years 2010–2011.[[http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/disengagement-gaza-nine-years-hamas-rule-gaza-rocket-fire.html Knesset debates whether Gaza disengagement helped Hamas], By Mazal Mualem, Published: 18.07.2014,[Al-Monitor](/source/Al-Monitor)][[http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160216006726/en/ Former Deputy Director of the Israeli Security Agency (“Shin-Bet”) joins Brainwave Science’s International Advisory Board], [Business Wire](/source/Business_Wire), 16 February 2016]
==Biography==
Itzhak Ilan was born in the town of [Surami](/source/Surami) in central [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(country)) on 28 July 1956.
In the summer of 1973, Itzhak graduated [cum laude](/source/cum_laude) (with excellence) from the physics and mathematics engineers High School in [Tbilisi](/source/Tbilisi), and immediately thereafter, on August 17, 1973, immigrated to [Israel](/source/Israel) with his family and lived in [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem).
During the years 1976–1980, Itzhak served in the [Israel Defense Forces](/source/Israel_Defense_Forces) (IDF), in the anti-aircraft division of the [Israeli Air Force](/source/Israeli_Air_Force). His last position in the IDF was as a Commander of the Anti-aircraft Artillery Battery Division of the Air Force, and he reached the rank of [Lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant).
Ilan died on 16 October 2020, from [COVID-19](/source/COVID-19) during the [COVID-19 pandemic in Israel](/source/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Israel).[{{cite news|date=16 October 2020|agency=The Jerusalem Post|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/former-shin-bet-deputy-director-yitzhak-ilan-died-from-corona-at-64-645924|title=Former Shin Bet deputy director Yitzhak Ilan died from COVID-19 at 64}}]
==Service in the Israel Security Agency==
In January 1982, Mr. Ilan was recruited to the Israel Security Agency, and began working in the Department for the Prevention of Russian Espionage.
In August 1985, Mr. Ilan was transferred to the Arab Sector, and after completing his education in the [Arabic](/source/Arabic) language and full training as an Investigator, he was posted in the Interrogations Division of the Judea & Samaria Region in the [Ramallah](/source/Ramallah) Unit.
It was there that he was promoted to the position of Chief Investigator in Ramallah and Deputy Chief Investigator in Judea.
Between the years 1995–1997, Mr. Ilan served as the Head of the [Gaza](/source/Gaza_Strip) Desk, acting as the Chief Intelligence and Operations Officer of the Gaza Region. It was in this position that Mr. Ilan played a crucial and decisive role in the elimination of the top terrorist known as the “Engineer”, [Yahya Ayyash](/source/Yahya_Ayyash), the chief bombmaker of [Hamas](/source/Hamas) and the leader of the [West Bank](/source/West_Bank) battalion of the [Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades](/source/Izz_ad-Din_al-Qassam_Brigades).[{{cite news|last1=Oren|first1=Amir|title=Description of proposed deputy|url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/misc/1.1164162|agency=Haaretz|language=he}}]
Mr. Ilan served for a total of 31 years in the Israel Security Agency, during which he climbed the Agency’s ranks and held an impressive number of top positions. From these it is worth noting the following prominent roles:
Commander of the Israel Security Agency in [Samaria](/source/Samaria) during the [Second Intifada](/source/Second_Intifada), during the years 2000–2003. It was during these years that [Operation Defensive Shield](/source/Operation_Defensive_Shield) was implemented, which dealt severe blows to the terrorist infrastructure in [Judea](/source/Judea) & [Samaria](/source/Samaria).
During a 2013 interview with [Alex Fishman](/source/Alex_Fishman), the Israeli newspaper [Yediot Achronot](/source/Yediot_Achronot)’s veteran military affairs correspondent, Mr. Ilan noted four important factors which led to the successful suppression of terrorism during that time:
* ''"The first factor was the physical entry to town centers and refugee camps.''
* ''The second factor was the determination to eliminate terror. The Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency understood the need to destroy terror cells that took part in organizing suicide attacks. In this region I quickly realized that if we chase the lone suicide terrorist we will not succeed in getting anywhere; therefore, we focused our efforts against the elements producing the explosives and the commanders of the suicide cells. Within two years, they were either arrested or eliminated. That’s when the number of suicide terrorist attacks decreased significantly.''
* ''The third factor was the construction of the separation wall, a physical obstacle to terror.''
* ''And the fourth factor which brought about the current victory against terror was the death of Yasser Arafat." ''[[Alex Fishman](/source/Alex_Fishman), "Bekoach Whobemoach" - Itzhak Ilan, Former Deputy of the shin-bet in first and An exclusive interview, The "Mussaf Leshabat" of [Yediot Achronot](/source/Yediot_Achronot), 1 March 2013.]
Mr. Ilan was then promoted to the Chief of the Interrogations Division at the Israel Security Agency, a leadership position he held from 2004–2006.
As the Chief of the Interrogations Division, one of Mr. Ilan’s crucial roles was to manage and head the Special Interrogations Units of the Israel Security Agency, the [Israel Police Force](/source/Israel_Police_Force) and the [Israel Defense Force](/source/Israel_Defense_Force), which questioned [Elhanan Tannenbaum](/source/Elhanan_Tannenbaum), an Israeli reserve [colonel](/source/colonel) in the IDF, when he was returned from his capture with the Lebanese terrorist group [Hezbollah](/source/Hezbollah).
Thereafter he was appointed to the Chief of the Prevention of [Terror](/source/Terrorism) and [Espionage](/source/Espionage) of Arab-Iranian Division (in the Arab Sector) during the years 2006–2008.
His last position as a Division Head was as the Chief of Israeli and Foreign Affairs Division during 2008–2010. Such Division is charged with the prevention of terror within the Jewish population, foiling Western (non-Arab-Iranian) espionage, safekeeping national Israeli security secrets and Security Classification. During his successes as Chief of Israeli and Foreign Affairs Division, Mr. Ilan was very instrumental in the capture of [Jack Teitel](/source/Jack_Teitel), an American-born Israeli technician and [serial killer](/source/serial_killer).
At the beginning of 2010, Mr. Ilan was appointed to the top security leadership role of Deputy Director of the Israel Security Agency, and served in this position until his honorable retirement from the Israel Security Agency in September 2011.
Mr. Ilan spoke five languages, held a degree cum laude (with excellence) from a combined [social science](/source/social_science), [economics](/source/economics), [political science](/source/political_science) and [sociology](/source/sociology) course from [Bar-Ilan University](/source/Bar-Ilan_University), and held a master's degree in [Diplomacy](/source/Diplomacy) and Security Studies from [Tel Aviv University](/source/Tel_Aviv_University).
Mr. Ilan competed with Yoram Cohen for the coveted, top position of Director-General of the Israel Security Agency in March 2011. He was not chosen to head the organization, despite the overwhelming predictions in his favor and the strong recommendation of [Yuval Diskin](/source/Yuval_Diskin), the ISA’s previous Director-General.[[https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2014-11-17/ty-article/.premium/israels-shin-bet-needs-a-clean-chief/0000017f-f6a9-d318-afff-f7eb05240000 "The Shin Bet Needs a Chief Who'll Clean the Place Up"], By Amir Oren, Published: 17.11.2014, [Haaretz](/source/Haaretz) Daily Newspaper]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ilan, Itzhak}}
Category:1956 births
Category:2020 deaths
Category:Emigrants from Georgia (country) to Israel
Category:Israeli people of Georgian-Jewish descent
Category:Jews from Georgia (country)
Category:People from Shida Kartli
Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
Category:People of the Shin Bet
Category:20th-century Jews from Georgia (country)
Category:Bar-Ilan University alumni
Category:Tel Aviv University alumni
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Itzhak Ilan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itzhak_Ilan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itzhak_Ilan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.