How Mossad Built a Secret Army With Ordinary People

Few intelligence secrets are as startling as Mossad’s hidden volunteer army—ordinary people across the globe who quietly stepped in to rescue agents, hide fugitives, or erase traces of covert operations, all without ever appearing on a payroll. From London accountants to Paris doctors, these “helpers” formed a silent force that allowed Mossad to operate in cities where it had no official presence and no legal cover. Born out of desperation in the 1950s, this network—known as sayanim—grew into a worldwide shadow system that provided cars, apartments, medical care, and emergency extraction with a single coded phone call. They asked for nothing in return. No payment. No recognition. Only secrecy and loyalty. But this hidden network also carried heavy consequences. It blurred the line between patriotism and espionage, raised complex ethical questions, and fueled decades of controversy about identity, loyalty, and the true reach of Mossad’s global influence. This is the story of the invisible civilians who made some of Mossad’s boldest operations possible.