Michael Ross (born c. 1960/1961) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

- Israeli expert on

intelligence gathering This is a list of intelligence gathering disciplines. HUMINT Human intelligence (HUMINT) are gathered from a person in the location in question. Sources can include the following: * Advisors or foreign internal defense (FID) personnel wor ...

and a former Mossad officer, or "combatant" with a focus upon human source intelligence collection (

Humint Human intelligence (abbreviated HUMINT and pronounced as ''hyoo-mint'') is intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the more technical intelligence gathering disciplines such as signals intelligence (SIGINT), imager ...

). Ross speaks upon intelligence issues and publishes articles, and he is the author of the book ''The Volunteer: The Incredible True Story of an Israeli Spy on the Trail of International Terrorists''. Ross advocates vigilance and the continual improvement of intelligence collection systems in order to protect free societies. In August 2007, Ross authored an article in the Canadian daily,

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...

entitled, "Obama got it right" wherein he wrote that Osama bin Laden was hiding in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

having been provided sanctuary by Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI). Ross urged then presidential nominee,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

, to engage in unilateral intelligence and military action in Pakistan to hunt and kill al-Qaeda leaders including Osama bin Laden.

Early biography

Ross was born and raised as an Anglican in Canada. He grew up in

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...

. Following high school, he joined the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...

, and served in the since-disbanded

Canadian Airborne Regiment The Canadian Airborne Regiment (french: links=, Régiment aéroporté canadien) was a Canadian Forces formation created on April 8, 1968. It was not an administrative regiment in the commonly accepted British Commonwealth sense, but rather a tactic ...

of the

Special Service Force The Special Service Force was a designation used by two army units: a World War II Canadian-American formation, and a Canadian Army formation from 1977 to 1995. Motto - OSONS (We Dare) World War II: 1st Special Service Force In 1942 a highly ...

CFB Petawawa Garrison Petawawa is located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by the Canadian Army. Garrison facts The Garrison is located in the Ottawa Valley in Renfrew County, northwest of Ottawa along the western bank of the Ottaw ...

. After he was discharged, he toured

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. In 1982, he arrived in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, planning to volunteer on a kibbutz before returning to Canada. After living in Israel for a while and becoming romantically involved with a member of the kibbutz named Dahlia, Ross decided stay and convert to

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...

. Ross subsequently settled on a kibbutz, completed his Judaism studies and successfully converted, and married Dahlia. Ross was conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces and assigned to the

Combat Engineering Corps The Israeli Combat Engineering Corps ( he, חיל ההנדסה הקרבית, ''Heil HaHandasa HaKravit'') is the combat engineering forces of the Israel Defense Forces. The Combat Engineering Corps beret's color is silver and its symbol featur ...

. He served in the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

, where his unit conducted patrols and searches for wanted terrorists and terror cells. In 1985, he was transferred to a demolitions platoon of the Golani Brigade and deployed to the Israeli security zone in southern

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

. His unit was tasked with keeping the roads free of ambushes and IEDs. His only combat experience was when he participated in an ambush on two Hezbollah vehicles, during which eight militants were killed.

Mossad career

After the end of his military service, Ross returned to his kibbutz, and during this time, the Mossad interviewed him. He took a leave of absence from the kibbutz to return to Canada with his wife, and worked in a federal government job in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

for two years before returning to Israel, where he reestablished contact with the Mossad via a telephone number through a card he had been given before leaving. After repeated interviews, a medical examination and a

polygraph A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked ...

test, he was put through an intense training program, and in 1989, he was accepted into the Mossad. As part of his preparation for service in the Mossad, Ross attended the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...

. He served under a form of

non-official cover In espionage, operatives under non-official cover (NOC) are operatives without official ties to the government for which they work who assume covert roles in organizations. This is in contrast to an operative with official cover, where they ass ...

, which involves working under covers other than as an Israeli diplomat and therefore lacks

diplomatic immunity Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country.

, a status which the Mossad refers to as "combatant". Ross's background and language skills gave him excellent access to sources of intelligence and the ability to travel without suspicion of being an Israeli officer. Ross's work was primarily as an undercover agent in various foreign countries. For many years was the Mossad's man in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although primarily a field operative, he also worked at Mossad headquarters for two and a half years in an official liaison position with the American

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

and

FBI Counterterrorism Division The Counterterrorism Division (CTD) is a division of the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. CTD investigates terrorist threats inside the United States, provides information on terrorists outside the country, and t ...

of the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

. In 2000, Ross was awarded a divisional citation by former Mossad Deputy Director and Head of the National Security Council, Ilan Mizrahi. Ross left the Mossad under honorable circumstances in late 2001 with the equivalent military rank of Sgan Aluf (Lieutenant-Colonel). He subsequently divorced and returned to Canada. Ross's work with the Mossad was spent almost entirely in

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...

. According to his book, he played an integral part in the investigation and subsequent joint operation with the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

that resulted in the capture of Fawzi Mustapha Assi, a Hezbollah operative procuring weapons technology in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Assi was procuring weapons material at the behest of senior Hezbollah leaders, Imad Mughniyeh and Hassan Hilu al-Lakkis. In addition to sub-Saharan Africa, he wrote that he served in the Mossad's CAESAREA division in Syria,

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. At Mossad headquarters he was involved with the TEVEL division, responsible for liaison relationships with allied governments on counter-terrorism, specifically in prevention and investigation of attacks upon embassies. Ross played an integral role in the capture of the al-Qaeda confederates responsible for the 1998 United States embassy bombings in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

and

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

. He later served in the Mossad's BITZUR division, responsible for prevention of terrorist attacks upon Jewish communities worldwide. Ross assisted the escape of Jews from

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

threatened by the

Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...

regime. Ross is credited with bolstering intelligence ties between Israel and

and the interception of two

ian agents attempting to procure weaponry in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. Ross' book has received criticism. '' Haaretz'' journalist

Yossi Melman Yossi Melman (Hebrew: יוסי מלמן, born December 27, 1950) is an Israeli writer and journalist. He was an intelligence and strategic affairs correspondent for the '' Haaretz'' newspaper, and in 2013 he joined ''The Jerusalem Post'' and its ...

claimed that Ross magnified and glorified his adventures and claimed to have participated in operations which it is doubtful he was involved in, however, this has been disputed by CIA, Mossad, and foreign news sources. Melman wrote that sources who knew him within the Mossad told ''Haaretz'' that Ross was never in Iran, and that he was stationed only in "base countries", or countries with which Israel has relations with, and not "target countries" (Arab countries and Iran). Melman claimed that his former colleagues also said that he remained in a junior position throughout his 13 years of service, and resigned due to bitterness about not being promoted and under a cloud due to discipline problems. This has been disputed by foreign news outlets as Israeli media are often co-opted by official government sources. Melman later appeared to contradict himself where he wrote that Ross, according to foreign news outlets, played a pivotal role in the capture of the perpetrators of the Africa embassy bombings in Baku, Azerbaijan. In an interview, former Mossad operative Mishka Ben-David claimed to have known Ross, but said that his book is "not credible" and not a worthwhile source from which to learn of the Mossad's work.https://www.makorrishon.co.il/nrg/online/1/ART2/449/809.html On the other hand, Ben-David has been heavily criticized in Israel for exaggerating his exploits within the Mossad. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' described Ross' discussions of intelligence operations as realistic and not movie-like.

Book publication

Ross wrote ''The Volunteer'' in 2007. The tone of the book is pro-Israeli; Ross sees Israel as an example of civilization's defense against terrorism. He does not appear to draw distinctions between the aims of Islamist

Palestinian nationalism Palestinian nationalism is the national movement of the Palestinian people that espouses self-determination and sovereignty over the region of Palestine.de Waart, 1994p. 223 Referencing Article 9 of ''The Palestinian National Charter of 1968 ...

and al-Qaeda's stated goal to drive Americans and western influence out of all Muslim nations. Ross often cites examples where Iran covertly supports and sponsors Sunni terrorist movements such as al-Qaeda,

Palestinian Islamic Jihad The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist pa ...

and

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam ...

as well as the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

Publications

Book

* ''The Volunteer: The Incredible True Story of an Israeli Spy on the Trail of International Terrorists'', Skyhorse Publishing, September 2007, .

Association with Ishmael Jones

Ross is a friend of Ishmael Jones, a former deep-cover

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

officer and author of ''The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture'',''The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture'', Encounter Books, July 2008, . with whom he collaborates. There is speculation that Ross and Jones operated against similar intelligence targets while working for their respective clandestine services.

Articles

Back Syria's Chemical Warfare Stockpile to the Gulf War" by Ronen Bergman
Al-Monitor, August 24, 2012.
No. 1 for would-be spies - stay away from the embassy" by Michael Ross

, January 24, 2012.
of a Mossad spy" by Kathryn Blaze Carlson

, January 14, 2012.
national-security amateur hour" by Michael Ross

, November 16, 2011.
a message to Assad" by Michael Ross

, October 5, 2011.
of Lethbridge distances itself from truther grad" by Michael Ross

, September 28, 2011.
student rising to top of conspiracy theory class" by Michael Ross

, September 23, 2011.
spring renders the left even less coherent than usual" by Michael Ross

, September 21, 2011.
rules that Israeli blockade is legal in blow to failing flotilla" by Michael Ross

, July 8, 2011.
Hamas apologists denounce Israel from sunny Greece" by Michael Ross

, July 4, 2011.
sour new face has a Canadian connection" by Michael Ross

, May 19, 2011.
strikes a blow against duplicity in Pakistan" by Michael Ross

, May 2, 2011.
death sentence for a well-meaning naif" by Michael Ross

, April 18, 2011.
special place as the Middle East’s mafioso" by Michael Ross

, March 30, 2011.
needs a dedicated clandestine foreign intelligence service" by Michael Ross

, February 15, 2011.
"Mini-Book review-Ross-The Volunteer: A Canadian's Secret Life in the Mossad" by James McCormick
Chicago Boyz, September 24, 2010.
"Bureaucracy Kills" by Michael Ross and Ishmael Jones

, January 11, 2010.
"Israel: Mossad Hit Didn’t Upset Intel Ties" by Eli Lake

Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...

, February 25, 2010.
"Israeli Passport Row is just Political Theatre" by Michael Ross

, March 25, 2010.
"Obama's Iran dilemma" by Michael Ross

, January 2, 2009.
"No intelligence" by Michael Ross

Maclean's Magazine ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...

, August 6, 2008.
"Good-bye, Zimbabwe" by Michael Ross

, June 4, 2008.
"The Iran hawks' latest surge" by Gregory Levy

Salon.com ''Salon'' is an American politically progressive/ liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events. Content and coverage ''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, including re ...

, March 7, 2008.
"A true arch-terrorist" by Michael Ross
,

, February 15, 2008.
"Jews are news" by Michael Ross
,

, December 29, 2008.
"Obama got it right" by Michael Ross

, August 8, 2007.

References

External links

Mossad (English)Interview with Michael Ross
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Michael 1965 births Converts to Judaism from Anglicanism Israeli spies Espionage writers Israeli memoirists Living people Post–Cold War spies War on terror 20th-century memoirists