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{{short description|Israeli-based research group}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
| image =
| caption =
| formation = {{Start date and age|2002|df=yes}}
| founder =
| founding_location = {{flag|Israel}}
| purpose = Research on intelligence and terrorism
| headquarters =
| location =
| region =
| language = Hebrew, English
| leader_title = Head
| leader_name = Reuven Erlich
}}
The '''Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center''' ('''ITIC'''), also known as '''Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center''' in honor of [[Meir Amit]], is an Israel-based research group. ITIC has close ties to the [[Israel Defense Forces]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-06-01 |title=Profile: Free Gaza Movement |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/10202678 |access-date=2024-12-30 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Its reports on the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]] and [[Israeli–Lebanese conflict|Israeli-Lebanese conflict]] have received media attention.

==Organization ==
The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center was founded in 2001 as part of the [[Center for Special Studies]],<ref>[https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/about/ About Us] (ITIC)</ref> when the [[Israeli Defense Forces]] wanted to analyze and publicize hundreds of Palestinian documents captured during [[Operation Defensive Shield]]. According to the ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'', some of the documents directly implicated [[Yasser Arafat]] in terrorism.<ref name="Bob" />

ITIC's head, retired [[Israel Defense Forces]] Reuven Erlich, cited ITIC's advantage as its workforce with experience in the [[Israeli intelligence community]], including counterterrorism experts.<ref name="Bob">{{cite news |last1=Bob |first1=Yonah Jeremy |title=Meet the people behind the scenes of Israeli spycraft |url=https://www.jpost.com/magazine/inside-intelligence-561074 |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=Jerusalem Post |date=2018-06-29}}</ref><ref name="Melman">{{cite news |last=Melman |first=Yossi |date=14 February 2007 |title=The terrorist kills, and the bank pays |work=[[Haaretz]] |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/the-terrorist-kills-and-the-bank-pays-1.212923}}</ref><ref name = "JC" >{{cite news |date=February 25, 2010 |title=Britain now nerve centre for Hamas support |url=http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/28759/britain-now-nerve-centre-hamas-support |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094953/https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/28759/britain-now-nerve-centre-hamas-support |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

The organization has had close ties with Israel's defense establishment<ref name="NYT09" /><ref name=":0" /> and maintained an office at the Israeli Defense Ministry as of 2006.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |title=Hezbollah Accused of Using Human Shields |language=en-US |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/05/AR2006120500446_pf.html |access-date=2023-11-22 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> As of 2006, ITIC received some funding from the Israeli government,<ref name=NYTSE>{{Cite web| last = Erlanger|first = Steven|title = Militant Zeal |work = [[The New York Times]] |access-date = 11 March 2012|date = June 25, 2006 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/books/review/25erlanger.html?_r=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110023842/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/books/review/25erlanger.html?_r=1 | archive-date=2023-11-10}}</ref> and in 2009 was receiving support from the [[American Jewish Congress]].<ref name="NYT09">{{cite news |last1=Kershner |first1=Isabel |title=Warnings Not Enough for Gaza Families |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/world/middleeast/06scene.html?_r=1&fta=y |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=[[New York Times]] |date=2009-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006204112/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/world/middleeast/06scene.html?_r=1&fta=y |archive-date=2023-10-06}}</ref> The institute's reports are mostly derived from open sources, but it is also well-networked with the Israeli intelligence community.<ref name="Jpost" /><ref name="NYT09" /> The head of ITIC, IDF colonel Reuven Ehrlich, denied in 2018 that ITIC was a "public relations shop" for the Israeli military, but acknowledged that their reports "often happen to turn out to be very good material for public relations for Israel".<ref name="Bob" />

Several former members of the Israeli intelligence community ([[Mossad]], Military Intelligence, the [[Shin Bet]], and [[Nativ (Liaison Bureau)|Nativ]]) have criticized the "symbiotic" relationship between the center and [[Military Intelligence Directorate (Israel)|Israeli military intelligence]] and the center's establishment, arguing that the connection of military intelligence with a propaganda body would be detrimental to "objective" and "ideologically unbiased" analysis.<ref name=Melman/>

== Activities ==
During the [[2006 Lebanon War]], ITIC prepared a 300-page report for the [[American Jewish Congress]] containing a dossier of video and testimony accusing [[Hezbollah]] of using civilians as human shields during the conflict. The report was prepared by a team led by Reuven Ehrlich, a military intelligence expert according to the [[Associated Press]].<ref name=":0" />

During the [[Gaza War (2008–2009)|2008-2009 Gaza War]], ITIC published a report about the [[use of human shields by Hamas]]. According to the report, Hamas methodically built its military infrastructure in the heart of population centers. The report included photographs of Hamas militants manufacturing and storing weapons inside houses and of Israeli soldiers finding weapons hidden in a mosque in northern Gaza during [[Operation Hot Winter]] in 2008. ITIC contends that Hamas not only hid among the population, but made a main component of its combat strategy "channeling" the Israeli military into the most densely populated areas to fight.<ref name="NYT09" />

The institute reported in 2010 that the United Kingdom had become a strategically important hub for Hamas, especially for online and TV media. In response, Member of Parliament [[Louise Ellman]] noted that she had previously raised concerns to the [[UK Home Secretary]]. Then [[Minister of State for Security]] [[David Hanson (politician)|David Hanson]] said that the UK government was assessing whether to include the website on a list of sites to be blocked from school and college networks.<ref name = "JC" />

In 2011, [[McGill University]] professor Rex Brynen stated that the ITIC published a report praising UNRWA summer camps for teaching Palestinian children the values of "peace and coexistence", but later backtracked on that claim due to political pressure.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-08-20 |title=Editing UNRWA: The strange case of the ITIC report on Gaza summer camps |url=https://prrnblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/editing-unrwa-the-strange-case-of-the-itic-report-on-gaza-summer-camps/ |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=PRRN |language=en}}</ref>

The Jerusalem Post covered an ITIC report that said top Iranian and Hamas officials had met at least four times in 2023 ahead of the [[2023 Hamas attack on Israel]]. The report identified Hezbollah as Iran's "preferred strategic arm".<ref name="Jpost">{{cite news |last1=Bob |first1=Yonah Jeremy |title=Top Iran, Hamas officials met 4 times in 2023 prior to October 7 attack - intel |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-770724 |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=[[Jerusalem Post]] |date=2023-10-09}}</ref>

ITIC has criticized the verification methods of the left-wing human rights group [[B'Tselem]] for Gaza casualty numbers during conflicts, such as [[Operation Protective Edge]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weinthal |first1=Benjamin |title=B'Tselem's Gaza war statistics under fire |url=https://www.jpost.com/operation-protective-edge/btselems-gaza-war-statistics-under-fire-by-right-wing-israeli-groups-371590 |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=[[Jerusalem Post]] |date=2014-08-20}}</ref>

The center's research staff, some of whom are former Military Intelligence officers, compile weekly reports that are published online at their website.<ref name="Katz">{{Cite web |date=2012-02-05 |title=Book debunking 'Protocols of Zion' now in Farsi |url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/book-debunking-protocols-of-zion-now-in-farsi |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

An ITIC report on [[Operation Cast Lead]] was found among training materials for US [[Law enforcement in the United States|law enforcement]] in [[BlueLeaks]] files along with presentation documents from the IDF Strategic Division and [[The Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies|The Dado Center]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Jason |date=2023-12-08 |title=US police agencies took intelligence directly from IDF, leaked files show |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/08/us-police-agencies-idf-files-blueleaks |access-date=2023-12-13 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.intelligence.org.il/ Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (main website)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120214013752/http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/site/home/default.asp Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center] (in English)

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Counterterrorist organizations]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Israel]]
[[Category:Organizations involved in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2001]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Israel]]
[[Category:Research institutes in Israel]]
[[Category:Terrorism research institutes]]

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center - Revision history

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