Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations By Ronen Bergman

Rise and Kill First is an explosive investigative history that examines Israel’s long-running strategy of targeted assassinations. Drawing from thousands of classified documents and hundreds of interviews with intelligence officers, politicians, and operatives, Ronen Bergman provides an unprecedented look inside the operations of Israeli intelligence agencies such as Mossad, Shin Bet, and the Israeli Defense Forces.

The book explores the ethical and political dilemmas surrounding assassination as a tool of national security. From early operations during Israel’s founding years to modern counterterrorism campaigns, the narrative reveals how covert killings became a central element of Israel’s defense strategy.

Combining gripping storytelling with deep investigative research, the book exposes secret missions, internal debates, and the human cost of one of the most controversial tactics in modern warfare.