Yossef Harmelin

Yossef Harmelin (1922 – December 12, 1994) was an Israeli civil servant, serving as the director of the Shabak from 1964 to 1974 and again from 1986 to 1988 and as ambassador in Iran and South Africa.

Yossef Harmelin
יוסף הרמלין
Director of the Shin Bet
In office 1964–1974
Preceded by	Amos Manor
Succeeded by	Avraham Ahituv
In office 1986–1988
Preceded by	Avraham Shalom
Succeeded by	Yaakov Peri
Israeli Ambassador to Iran
Israeli Ambassador to South Africa
Personal details
Born	1922 Vienna, Austria
Died	12 December 1994(1994-12-12) (aged 71–72)
Military service
Allegiance	Israel
Branch/service	Israel Defense Forces
Years of service	1940s–1949
Battles/wars	1948 Arab–Israeli War

Born in Vienna, Harmelin was active in Maccabi youth movement and the Hakoah Vienna Jewish sports club. He immigrated to Mandatoy Palestine in 1939 under the Youth Immigration program. He was first at Ben Shemen Youth Village and then founded kibbutz Neve Yam. Harmelin fought with the Israel Defense Forces in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. He joined the shabak in 1949 and became deputy director of Shabak in 1960, rising to his first term as director four years later. In 1974, he left Shabak to pursue other interests, including his ambassadorship. He was the last Israeli ambassador to Iran, before diplomatic relations were severed following the Iranian Revolution. He returned to head the security agency again in 1986 following the Bus 300 affair. He retired in 1988.

Sources

• Yosef Harmelin, Shabak website