Victor Ostrovsky
Encyclopedia
Victor John Ostrovsky is an author, artist and former katsa
(case officer) for the Israeli Mossad
(foreign intelligence service). He authored two non-fiction books about his service with the Mossad: By Way of Deception
, a New York Times
No. 1 bestseller in 1990, and The Other Side of Deception
several years later. He also authored two novels, Lion of Judah and Black Ghosts, as well as several screenplays. He is also the founder and CEO of TheBookPatch.com and PrintToPress.com.
, Alberta
on November 28, 1949, and moved to Israel at the age of five.
His mother, a gymnastics teacher by trade, was born in the British Mandate of Palestine. She volunteered with the British Army
(ITS) during World War II
, and drove trucks across the desert from Cairo
to Jerusalem. After the war she joined the Haganah
(Israel's underground) to fight for Israel's independence from the British mandate.
Ostrovsky’s father served with the Royal Canadian Air Force
during World War II as a tail gunner
on a Lancaster bomber, taking part in more than twenty missions over Germany. His plane was shot down over Germany, but he managed to escape and return to active service. After the war, he joined the Israeli military to fight in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, rising to command Sde Dov
, an Air Force
base in Israel.
His grandparents, Haim and Esther Margolin, settled in Palestine in 1912 after fleeing Russia, and Haim later served as Auditor General of the Jewish National Fund
(JNF).
Ostrovsky’s grandmother, a Russian immigrant, introduced him to noted Israeli artist Aharon Giladi, who lived on the same street, and who bought paints and canvasses for him. Giladi mentored Ostrovsky for more than ten years.
Ostrovsky joined the Israeli Youth Brigade at 14 and quickly became an expert marksman
, finishing second in a 1964 national shooting competition with a score of 192 out of 200. At the age of 17 he joined the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) after a minor eye condition ended his hopes of becoming a pilot. He was assigned to the Military Police
and rose to command the Nablus Military Police Base, after which he was made commanding officer of the Military Police West Bank
Central Command.
After his service with the Military Police, Ostrovsky spent six years in the Israeli navy. He was selected to attend the Staff and Command School and attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Ostrovsky was placed in charge of all Navy weapons testing. He helped introduce the Harpoon surface-to-surface missile to the Saar Missile Boats, as well as the Vulcan Phalanx anti-missile defense system.
According to court papers filed by the Israeli government in an attempt to stop the publication of his book "By Way of Deception" In 1982, Ostrovsky was recruited by the Mossad and trained at the Mossad Academy north of Tel Aviv as a katsa
(case officer). It is said that a Mossad cadet experiences more action, terror and physical assault in two and a half years of training than many Special Forces
soldiers will have in a career.
In 1986, he says he left the agency saying it was because of what he considered cases of unnecessarily malicious actions by Mossad operatives. He also accused Mossad directors of knowingly making less than accurate reports to the nation’s political leadership.
Many of Ostrovsky's claims have not been verified from other sources nor have they been refuted, and arguments continue to rage over the credibility of his accounts. However he was named in a lawsuit by the Israeli government saying he was part of the Mossad. Critics such as Benny Morris
, David Wise and others have argued the book is essentially a novel and that a case officer would not have had access to so many operational secrets. They write that intelligence organizations practice strict compartmentalization
of confidential or secretive information.
Ostrovsky argues that their point is moot, as they themselves are outsiders and the only information about the Mossad they have is from their supposed "sources" in the agency which have a very clear agenda.
Ostrovsky also points out that the need to know rule is or at least was not closely followed in the Mossad considering its small size and the need for case officers to fill many roles.
Shortly before official publication of the book, the Israeli government filed lawsuits in both Canada and the United States seeking injunctions against publication. A judge in New York granted the request at a 1 a.m. hearing in his home. The New York Supreme Court
overturned his decision, but the resulting publicity focused national attention on Ostrovsky’s story and guaranteed international success.
Concerns were expressed that by exposing certain prior operations, the book endangered the lives of agency personnel. Ostrovsky maintains he never placed anyone in danger because only first names or code names were used. Furthermore, Ostrovsky says the Mossad was privately allowed to see the book before publication to ensure that lives were not placed in danger.
Ostrovsky and his wife, Bella Ostrovsky, also an artist, operate Ostrovsky Fine Art Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona
. While he has painted many subjects, Ostrovsky is best known for his Metaphors of Espionage collection inspired by his days as a spy for the Mossad.
Victor has also created two web based publishing companies, one a print on demand called PrintToPress.com and the other a writing and publishing tool for authors called TheBookPatch.com
Katsa
A katsa is a field intelligence officer of Mossad. He or she collects information and runs agents, similar to the case officer of the CIA.-Operation:...
(case officer) for the Israeli Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
(foreign intelligence service). He authored two non-fiction books about his service with the Mossad: By Way of Deception
By Way of Deception
By Way of Deception: The Making and Unmaking of a Mossad Officer is a book written by Victor Ostrovsky and Claire Hoy about Ostrovsky's alleged career as a katsa in the Israeli Mossad.-Life story:...
, a New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
No. 1 bestseller in 1990, and The Other Side of Deception
The Other Side of Deception
The Other Side of Deception is a follow up book by Victor Ostrovsky which details other information about Mossad operations that were not covered in the first book and also provides a bibliography of newspaper articles that support the claims that he makes in his original book.The most important...
several years later. He also authored two novels, Lion of Judah and Black Ghosts, as well as several screenplays. He is also the founder and CEO of TheBookPatch.com and PrintToPress.com.
Biography
Victor Ostrovsky was born in EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
on November 28, 1949, and moved to Israel at the age of five.
His mother, a gymnastics teacher by trade, was born in the British Mandate of Palestine. She volunteered with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
(ITS) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and drove trucks across the desert from Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
to Jerusalem. After the war she joined the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
(Israel's underground) to fight for Israel's independence from the British mandate.
Ostrovsky’s father served with the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
during World War II as a tail gunner
Tail gunner
A tail gunner or rear gunner is a crewman on a military aircraft who functions as a gunner defending against enemy fighter attacks from the rear, or "tail", of the plane. The tail gunner operates a flexible machine gun emplacement on either the top or tail end of the aircraft with a generally...
on a Lancaster bomber, taking part in more than twenty missions over Germany. His plane was shot down over Germany, but he managed to escape and return to active service. After the war, he joined the Israeli military to fight in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, rising to command Sde Dov
Sde Dov Airport
Sde Dov Airport , also known as Dov Hoz Airport is an airport located in Tel Aviv, Israel which mainly handles scheduled domestic flights to Eilat and , northern Israel , and the Israeli Golan Heights. It is Tel Aviv's largest airport and the second largest in the area, after Ben Gurion...
, an Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
base in Israel.
His grandparents, Haim and Esther Margolin, settled in Palestine in 1912 after fleeing Russia, and Haim later served as Auditor General of the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
(JNF).
Ostrovsky’s grandmother, a Russian immigrant, introduced him to noted Israeli artist Aharon Giladi, who lived on the same street, and who bought paints and canvasses for him. Giladi mentored Ostrovsky for more than ten years.
Ostrovsky joined the Israeli Youth Brigade at 14 and quickly became an expert marksman
Marksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
, finishing second in a 1964 national shooting competition with a score of 192 out of 200. At the age of 17 he joined the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) after a minor eye condition ended his hopes of becoming a pilot. He was assigned to the Military Police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
and rose to command the Nablus Military Police Base, after which he was made commanding officer of the Military Police West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
Central Command.
After his service with the Military Police, Ostrovsky spent six years in the Israeli navy. He was selected to attend the Staff and Command School and attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Ostrovsky was placed in charge of all Navy weapons testing. He helped introduce the Harpoon surface-to-surface missile to the Saar Missile Boats, as well as the Vulcan Phalanx anti-missile defense system.
According to court papers filed by the Israeli government in an attempt to stop the publication of his book "By Way of Deception" In 1982, Ostrovsky was recruited by the Mossad and trained at the Mossad Academy north of Tel Aviv as a katsa
Katsa
A katsa is a field intelligence officer of Mossad. He or she collects information and runs agents, similar to the case officer of the CIA.-Operation:...
(case officer). It is said that a Mossad cadet experiences more action, terror and physical assault in two and a half years of training than many Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
soldiers will have in a career.
In 1986, he says he left the agency saying it was because of what he considered cases of unnecessarily malicious actions by Mossad operatives. He also accused Mossad directors of knowingly making less than accurate reports to the nation’s political leadership.
By Way of Deception
In 1990, he published By Way of Deception to draw attention to the corruption and shortcomings he claims to have witnessed in the Mossad. Ostrovsky has repeatedly argued that intelligence-gathering agencies must be permitted certain operational freedoms, but that significantly increased governmental oversight of espionage activities is necessary. Without effective oversight, he has said, the Mossad cannot achieve its full potential and value.Many of Ostrovsky's claims have not been verified from other sources nor have they been refuted, and arguments continue to rage over the credibility of his accounts. However he was named in a lawsuit by the Israeli government saying he was part of the Mossad. Critics such as Benny Morris
Benny Morris
Benny Morris is professor of History in the Middle East Studies department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel...
, David Wise and others have argued the book is essentially a novel and that a case officer would not have had access to so many operational secrets. They write that intelligence organizations practice strict compartmentalization
Compartmentalization
Compartmentalization or compartmentalisation may refer to:* Compartmentalization * Compartmentalization * Compartmentalization * Compartmentalization...
of confidential or secretive information.
Ostrovsky argues that their point is moot, as they themselves are outsiders and the only information about the Mossad they have is from their supposed "sources" in the agency which have a very clear agenda.
Ostrovsky also points out that the need to know rule is or at least was not closely followed in the Mossad considering its small size and the need for case officers to fill many roles.
Shortly before official publication of the book, the Israeli government filed lawsuits in both Canada and the United States seeking injunctions against publication. A judge in New York granted the request at a 1 a.m. hearing in his home. The New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
overturned his decision, but the resulting publicity focused national attention on Ostrovsky’s story and guaranteed international success.
Concerns were expressed that by exposing certain prior operations, the book endangered the lives of agency personnel. Ostrovsky maintains he never placed anyone in danger because only first names or code names were used. Furthermore, Ostrovsky says the Mossad was privately allowed to see the book before publication to ensure that lives were not placed in danger.
Ostrovsky and his wife, Bella Ostrovsky, also an artist, operate Ostrovsky Fine Art Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
. While he has painted many subjects, Ostrovsky is best known for his Metaphors of Espionage collection inspired by his days as a spy for the Mossad.
Victor has also created two web based publishing companies, one a print on demand called PrintToPress.com and the other a writing and publishing tool for authors called TheBookPatch.com
External links
- Victor Ostrovsky art gallery
- Washington-report.org
- Death in Lillehammer a documentary of the Lillehammer affairLillehammer affairThe Lillehammer affair was the killing by Mossad agents of a Moroccan waiter, Ahmed Bouchiki, in Lillehammer, Norway on July 21, 1973. The Israeli agents had mistaken their victim for Ali Hassan Salameh, the chief of operations for Black September...
by Victor Ostrovsky - N. Y. Judge Bans Book
- The Book Patch