Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised the Israel Security Service (ISA), also known as the Shabak or Shin Bet, saying at a toast held on Monday with top Shin Bet officials that its success at thwarting terror attacks enables Israel to prosper.
"I would like to take this opportunity to salute the brave warriors of the Shin Bet," Netanyahu said. "From the cyber and technological experts and to all the employees at the agency, these anonymous heroes saved the lives of many Israeli citizens through their counterterrorism operations."
Netanyahu called the Shin Bet world class in fighting terrorism. "Many world leaders that I meet ask me how the Shin Bet succeeds in fighting the relentless waves of terrorism that Israel suffers from."
"There is no organization in the world that is better at fighting terrorism than the Shin Bet," Netanyahu continued. "You are the foundation that enables Israel to grow and prosper."
Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman also spoke at the toast, telling Shin Bet employees that "we are finishing a year of significant accomplishments. The various areas where the Shin Bet operates have changed, and have become much more diverse The Shin Bet faces these threats using intelligence, technology, and its unique human capital. The hundreds of attacks we have thwarted since the beginning of the year are a direct product of your creative, brave and secret work," Argaman concluded.
While exact numbers are unknown due to the classified nature of its work, the Shin Bet is believed to have thwarted hundreds of terror attacks against Israelis. In June, Argaman told the Cyber Week 2017 conference that the Shin Bet had stopped 2,000 attacks in 2016 alone by using cyber technology. “We are not only defending but also attacking hackers in the world,” he said. “Hackers who operate against Israel around the world find they experience unexpected problems.”