Shaul Avigur
Israeli Intelligence Community founder From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Shaul Avigur (Hebrew: שאול אביגור; 11 September 1899 – 29 August 1978) was a founder of the Israeli Intelligence Community.
Shaul Avigur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Saul Meyeroff 11 September 1899 |
| Died | 29 August 1978 (aged 78) |
| Nationality |  Israel |
| Occupation | Intelligence officer |
| Known for | Founding member of the Israeli Intelligence Community |
| Awards | Israel Prize |
| Head of Nativ | |
| In office 1953–1970 | |
Avigur was born in Dvinsk (now Daugavpils in Latvia) under the name Saul Meyeroff (later Meirov; Hebrew: מאירוב), but when his son Gur Meyeroff was killed in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, he changed it to Avigur, meaning "Father of Gur". Along with Reuven Shiloah, Avigur was instrumental in forming SHAI, the intelligence wing of the Haganah, in 1934. Since 1939 he was involved in the Mossad Le'aliyah Bet operations to smuggle Jews into the British Mandate of Palestine and was named its commander. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, he acted as David Ben-Gurion's deputy defense minister. In 1953 he was appointed the founding head of the "Liaison Bureau" (Lishkat Hakesher), also known as "Nativ", an Israeli organization that maintained contact with Jews in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. He headed the organization until 1970. Avigur was the brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Moshe Sharett.
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In 1973, Avigur was awarded the Israel Prize, for his special contribution to society and the State.[1]
- List of Israel Prize recipients
- Nehemiah Levanon (1915–2003), Nativ operative in the USSR
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