Carmi Gillon - Service in Shabak

Service in Shabak

1972 - recruited to the ISA and worked as a bodyguard in the field as well as in senior headquarter positions. 1982 – served as head of the Jewish Department in the ISA 1987 - left his position in order to begin studies in the National Security College. He served in a number of senior positions during study for an MA in political science and public administration. 1989 - served as head of the Training Division 1990 - served as head of the Northern Command in the ISA, a position in which he was responsible for ISA activity in Lebanon. 1993 - appointed head of the Administrative Division, and was responsible for HR, finances and logistics. 1994 -appointed proxy ISA Director during the four months of Yaakov Peri’s academic leave.

Gillon headed Shabak, Israel's General Security Service, from 1994 to 1996. Gillon joined Shabak in 1988, and became overall head of the service from March 1995 to February 1996. B'Tselem, Human Rights Watch, and other human rights organizations have criticized his oversight. "During his tenure, and until the Israel High Court of Justice ruled against such methods in 1999, GSS interrogators were officially sanctioned to use 'moderate physical pressure' on detainees (the vast majority of them Palestinians)," according to Amnesty International. From October 1994, when a suicide bomb killed 23 people, they were allowed to use "increased physical pressure". Secret government guidelines set down what "moderate physical pressure" and "increased physical pressure" allowed; according to court testimonies of GSS members themselves, this included subjecting detainees to sleep deprivation, prolonged shackling in painful positions, hooding with filthy sacks, being forced to squat like a frog (gambaz) and violent shaking (tiltul). During Carmi Gillon's period of service with the GSS such methods of interrogation were used against several hundred Palestinian detainees every year, many of whom were later released without charge.

He resigned from command of Shin Bet in the aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. The Shamgar Commission was critical of the Shin Bet under his tenure.

After leaving the service, Gillon served as general manager of the Avner Insurance Company (1997–2000) and then as director-general of the Peres Center for Peace (2000–2001).