Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Killings

Israeli intelligence agencies are one of the most secretive organizations on earth, ensured by a complex system of laws and regulations, strict military censorship, as well as intimidation, interrogations, and criminal prosecution of journalists and their sources, as well as the solidarity and loyalty of the personnel. Before Ronen Bergman undertook his journalistic investigation, which resulted in this monumental work, all attempts to glimpse behind the scenes of the dramatic events in which Israel played one of the main roles were, at best, episodic. None of the thousands of interviews that this book is based on, conducted with a diverse array of people, from political leaders and intelligence chiefs to ordinary operatives, ever received the approval of Israel's military elite, and none of the thousands of documents handed by these individuals to Bergman were permitted for public disclosure. An enormous amount of previously classified information is published in this book for the first time.
The book made it to the New York Times bestseller list, as well as the list of the 10 best books of the New York Times, and was listed as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, BBC History Magazine, Mother Jones, Kirkus Reviews, and won the National Jewish Book Award (History).