'''Meir Amit''' was the Director of the [[Mossad]] from 1963 to 1968.  Born in [[Israel]], he fought for the [[Haganah]] during the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]].  In the late 1950s Amit studied in the [[United States]], earning a business degree from [[Columbia Business School]].  After returning to Israel, Amit entered the Israeli intelligence community, first as a Major General at the head of [[Aman (IDF)|IDF Intelligence]] in 1961, and then as Mossad Director in 1963.  

As Director, he orchestrated some of the Mossad's greatest successes, including the spy [[Eli Cohen]] who penetrated the highest levels of the [[Syria|Syrian]] government.  It was also during his time that the Mossad engineered the defection of a [[Maronite]] Iraqi pilot who flew the then new [[Mig-21]] from [[Iraq]] to Israel.  Amit is particularly known for his success in expanding Israel's human intelligence ([[HUMINT]]), especially in the [[Arab world]].  During the lead up to the [[Six Day War]] in 1967, Amit had a network of informants that permeated the entire [[Egyptian military]], providing key details for [[Operation Focus|Israel's pre-emptive strike]] on Egyptian air bases and subsequent ground offensive.  Amit also built close personal ties with the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]].  

Since his retirement from the Mossad, he has continued to be an active voice in the intelligence community, and done work for the Israeli government.  Following the lead of other former generals, Amit joined the [[Dash]] party and served in the [[Knesset]].  He is currently the chairman of [[Israel's Center for Special Studies]].   

In a recent [[2006]] interview, Amit assessed the current problem of [[Islamic terrorism]].  He said that he views the conflict as [[World War III]], a widespread attempt to impose Islamic beliefs across the world.<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49459 'We're on the eve of World War III'] excerpts of interview</ref>

==Notes== 
<references/>

==References==
*Oren, Michael B. ''Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making if the Modern Middle East''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 0-19-515174-7, 145-6 p.
*Thomas Gordon.  ''Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad''.  New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. ISBN 0-312-25284-6, 58-60 p.

{{start box}}
{{succession box | title=[[Aman (IDF)#Head of Aman|Director of Aman]] | before=[[Chaim Herzog]] | after=[[Aharon Yariv]] | years=1962&ndash;1963}}
{{succession box | title=[[Mossad#Directors of Mossad|Director of the Mossad]] | before=[[Isser Harel]] | after=[[Zvi Zamir]] | years=1963&ndash;1968}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Directors of the Mossad|Amit, Meir]]
[[Category:Israeli generals|Amit, Meir]]
[[Category:Israel Prize recipients|Amit, Meir]]
[[Category:Jews in Ottoman and British Palestine|Amit, Meir]]
[[Category:Living people|Amit, Meir]]

[[de:Meir Amit]]
[[he:מאיר עמית]]
[[pl:Meir Amit]]