Operation Bethlehem

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR HEBREW FICTION IN TRANSLATION

The coat is real. The name tag is real. The man wearing them does not exist. Operation Bethlehem is a gripping Mossad espionage thriller about the most dangerous instrument in intelligence work: a man living full-time as someone else.

Daniel, a Mossad intelligence operative, has a tempestuous personality which has led him to lose everything. A single uncontrolled decision ended his career. Now he walks the wards of a psychiatric hospital in Bethlehem as Jalal, a French volunteer—no handler, no backup, no authorization. Only the conviction that something hidden inside this compound is worth his life to find.

In complete secrecy, Daniel sets out on a private operation to restore meaning in his life. Daniel infiltrates hostile territory and tries to locate a national treasure seemingly hidden on the site of a psychiatric hospital in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem. So determined, he finds himself in grave danger, risking not just himself but a mission far more significant than even he is aware.

Operation Bethlehem explores the existential questions and tough decisions faced by those responsible for Israel's security, probing the moral complexities of espionage and national defense. Full of unexpected twists and turns, Operation Bethlehem documents the human reality behind the James Bond acts of espionage, leaving you pondering its complex issues long after you turn the final page.

"Even if you think spy novels aren't for you, this book will pull you in. You won't regret a moment of being immersed in the exhilarating world of Operation Bethlehem." —Merle Eisman Carrus, Jewish Book Council

"This propulsive thriller will not only have you on the edge of your seat but also force you to stay up way past your bedtime, turning pages." —Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire

"Yariv writes with great expertise. He successfully draws us into the spy world, creating a sense of authenticity without falling into the trap of too many tedious details." —Jonathan de Shalit, author of Traitor

"Yariv Inbar—whatever his real identity is—positions himself among the best thriller novelists writing in Hebrew." —Israel, Haaretz

"A political and operational thriller that offers an interesting glimpse into the dark world of case officers." —Israel Makor Rishon