--- product_id: 131313971 title: "Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations" price: "R1001" currency: ZAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/131313971-rise-and-kill-first-the-secret-history-of-israels-targeted store_origin: ZA region: South Africa --- # Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations **Price:** R1001 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations - **How much does it cost?** R1001 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/131313971-rise-and-kill-first-the-secret-history-of-israels-targeted) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first definitive history of Israel’s targeted killing programs, which have shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East, and the larger world—from the man hailed by David Remnick as “arguably [Israel’s] best investigative reporter.” “An exceptional work, a humane book about an incendiary subject . . . full of shocking moments, surprising disturbances in a narrative full of fateful twists and unintended consequences.”— The New York Times WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD IN HISTORY • ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Economist, The New York Times Book Review, BBC History Magazine, Mother Jones The Talmud says: “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.” This instinct to take every measure, even the most aggressive, to defend the Jewish people is hardwired into Israel’s DNA. From the very beginning of its statehood in 1948, protecting the nation from harm has been the responsibility of its intelligence community and armed services, and there is one weapon in their vast arsenal that they have relied upon to thwart the most serious threats: Targeted assassinations have been used countless times, on enemies large and small, sometimes in response to attacks against the Israeli people and sometimes preemptively. In this page-turning, eye-opening book, journalist and military analyst Ronen Bergman—praised by David Remnick as “arguably [Israel’s] best investigative reporter”—offers a riveting inside account of the targeted killing programs: their successes, their failures, and the moral and political price exacted on the men and women who approved and carried out the missions. Bergman has gained the exceedingly rare cooperation of many current and former members of the Israeli government, including Prime Ministers Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, and Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as high-level figures in the country’s military and intelligence services: the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), the Mossad (the world’s most feared intelligence agency), Caesarea (a “Mossad within the Mossad” that carries out attacks on the highest-value targets), and the Shin Bet (an internal security service that implemented the largest targeted assassination campaign ever, in order to stop what had once appeared to be unstoppable: suicide terrorism). Including never-before-reported, behind-the-curtain accounts of key operations, and based on hundreds of on-the-record interviews and thousands of files to which Bergman has gotten exclusive access over his decades of reporting, Rise and Kill First brings us deep into the heart of Israel’s most secret activities. Bergman traces, from statehood to the present, the gripping events and thorny ethical questions underlying Israel’s targeted killing campaign, which has shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East, and the larger world. Review: An Eye opener!!! - I knew very little of the Mossad. Most of it told in “mythical awe” in the historical fiction and spy fiction I like to read. I always assumed the targeted killings were slick operations and rarely failed. Also I never thought how an assignation could be tactically successful but strategically disastrous. In addition I thought Mossad was the only intelligence agency in Israel apart from the IDF. This book dispelled a lot of those myths and misunderstandings. However the out of box thinking for most of targeted killings was fascinating. It often felt like I was reading a spy novel. The descriptions of the operations were so detailed you felt like you were right there observing the whole process. But this book is NOT fiction. Many people died during the killings and retaliations after. The book did give me a better understanding of the existential threat Israel is up against in the Middle East. I place no judgment on the targeted killings. One wishes it wouldn’t be “standard practice”’ but understand why it may be the only solution available. I still believe in the two state solution but understand better the hard work and trust needed to achieve it. Highly recommend the read! Review: Amazing yet terrifying read - I’ve known about the Israeli targeted assignations, but never the size and breadth them. This book brought to light the many reasons why the Mossad, and Israeli intelligence as a whole, is so revered and feared. Reading this book also brought to light a lot of understanding of current events and how many of the leaders of Israel, much like other countries, get recycled. Often not for the good of the country. At the end of this book it’s hard to decide whether I feel sorry for Israelis, the Palestinians, both, or neither. They both seem hell bent on destroying each other, yet as this book, and current events show, continue recreate the cycles of hate through new generations. Either way, amazing book, well written, exciting, and certainly well worth the read. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #30,670 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Syria History #2 in Lebanon History #9 in Iran History | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,561 Reviews | ## Images ![Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/916chNFgp2L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Eye opener!!! *by A***A on August 25, 2025* I knew very little of the Mossad. Most of it told in “mythical awe” in the historical fiction and spy fiction I like to read. I always assumed the targeted killings were slick operations and rarely failed. Also I never thought how an assignation could be tactically successful but strategically disastrous. In addition I thought Mossad was the only intelligence agency in Israel apart from the IDF. This book dispelled a lot of those myths and misunderstandings. However the out of box thinking for most of targeted killings was fascinating. It often felt like I was reading a spy novel. The descriptions of the operations were so detailed you felt like you were right there observing the whole process. But this book is NOT fiction. Many people died during the killings and retaliations after. The book did give me a better understanding of the existential threat Israel is up against in the Middle East. I place no judgment on the targeted killings. One wishes it wouldn’t be “standard practice”’ but understand why it may be the only solution available. I still believe in the two state solution but understand better the hard work and trust needed to achieve it. Highly recommend the read! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing yet terrifying read *by R***H on October 22, 2025* I’ve known about the Israeli targeted assignations, but never the size and breadth them. This book brought to light the many reasons why the Mossad, and Israeli intelligence as a whole, is so revered and feared. Reading this book also brought to light a lot of understanding of current events and how many of the leaders of Israel, much like other countries, get recycled. Often not for the good of the country. At the end of this book it’s hard to decide whether I feel sorry for Israelis, the Palestinians, both, or neither. They both seem hell bent on destroying each other, yet as this book, and current events show, continue recreate the cycles of hate through new generations. Either way, amazing book, well written, exciting, and certainly well worth the read. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thorough, serious, very interesting (but sometimes a bit looong) *by D***S on August 11, 2018* A very interesting read, very well written (it is reading like a thriller), on a fascinating topic that carries a lot of imagination. This is highly documented, very precise, very in-depth. I had a very good time reading it and I believe it gives very important keys to understand the news. That being said, its thoroughness is sometimes a bit long to read. And one missing point is that it is (obviously) very Israël centered and misses the voices of the other side (but the whole point of the book is how Israël's security services killed those voices...) ## Frequently Bought Together - Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations - Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service - Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/131313971-rise-and-kill-first-the-secret-history-of-israels-targeted](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/131313971-rise-and-kill-first-the-secret-history-of-israels-targeted) --- *Product available on Desertcart South Africa* *Store origin: ZA* *Last updated: 2026-10-12*