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{{Short description|Israeli governmental liaison organization}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = נתיב<br>The Liaison Bureau
| native_name = Lishkat Hakesher
| image = Nativlogo.png
| formation = 1952-1953
| founder = [[Moshe Sharett]]
| leader_title = leader
| leader_name = [[Naomi Ben-Ami]]
}}
'''Nativ''' ({{langx|he|נתיב}} – '''path'''), or officially '''Lishkat Hakesher''' or '''The Liaison Bureau''', is an Israeli governmental liaison organization that maintained contact with [[Jew]]s living in the [[Eastern Bloc]] during the [[Cold War]] and encouraged [[aliyah]], immigration to Israel.

==History==
Founded as part of the [[Prime Minister of Israel|Prime Minister's office]] by Prime Minister [[Moshe Sharett]] in 1952–1953, Nativ was designed to function covertly, making contacts, fostering [[Jewish education]], and aiding [[Aliyah|immigration to Israel]]. Nativ was not the first organization to do this; [[Mossad Le'aliyah Bet]], part of the [[Haganah]], had brought Jews to Israel in defiance of the [[Mandate for Palestine|British Mandate]], but this ended with the creation of Israel. Nativ was to continue that mission, except now in defiance of the Soviet Union. Although it operated in a clandestine manner, the official policy was never to break Soviet laws.<ref>Levin 64.</ref> This did not stop the [[KGB]] from suspecting that it was spying. In fact, as recently as 1998 Nativ was accused of conducting espionage operations.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/148864.stm "Russia claims Israeli spy ring smashed"], BBC World Service.</ref> A former Israeli ambassador to Moscow claims that the KGB conducted exhaustive surveillance measures on all their operations, but never directly interfered.<ref>Levin 64–65.</ref>

Nativ began its foreign operations out of Israeli embassies, yet this ended after the [[Six-Day War]], when Russia and fellow Soviet countries severed diplomatic ties with Israel. This led Nativ to focus more of its efforts on [[Western world|Western countries]], where it lobbied governments to promote greater emigration freedom in the USSR with the phrase "Let My People Go". While its Soviet operations were stymied, the [[Refusenik]] movement began, bringing greater international attention to the Soviet emigration issue. Nativ assisted the movement by materially supporting the refuseniks and fostering refusenik organizations.{{cn|date=May 2022}}

In the mid 1970s international pressure forced the Soviet Union to allow greater emigration, and the number of Soviet Jews leaving for Israel increased dramatically. The [[History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991)|dissolution of the Soviet Union]] ended the need to conduct operations clandestinely, and today Lishkat Hakesher openly runs Jewish clubs and education services in Russia. It is also tasked with issuing visas and processing immigrants coming to Israel under the [[Law of Return]].<ref name="Haaretz"/> However, it has recently faced budget and personnel cuts, immigrant backlogs, and pressure to close from groups including the [[Mossad]] and [[Shin Bet]]. As of November 2006, Nativ had 60 employees and a budget of approximately 11.6 million [[United States dollar|USD]].<ref name="Haaretz">Melman, Yossi and Barkat, Amiram. "[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/783170.html From Russia with Jews]", ''Haaretz'', November 9, 2006. Retrieved November 23, 2006.</ref>

When [[Kadima]] formed a coalition government with [[Yisrael Beiteinu]], Nativ was moved from the Prime Minister's Office to the Ministry of Strategic Affairs.<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/912617.html Lieberman seeks to encourage aliyah of Russian Jews from Canada]</ref> In February 2007, [[Avigdor Liberman]], the Minister of Strategic Affairs and a Russian emigre, proposed that Lishkat Hakesher move into new operations among Russian Jews who emigrated to the United States, Canada, and Germany.<ref>"[http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070205-094234-9636r Israel considers new campaign among Jews]", UPI, February 5, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2007.</ref> Under Liberman's leadership, Nativ's Operation Germany attempted to convince ethnic Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union to emigrate from Germany to Israel.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kate|last=Connolly|title=Israeli migration agents target German Jews|date=2007-11-28|url=https://www.theguardian.com/israel/Story/0,,2218097,00.html|work=Guardian |accessdate=2007-11-28}}</ref> However, with his resignation in January 2008, plans of placing two Nativ employees in Germany are not likely to be carried out.<ref>{{cite news|first=Haviv|last=Rettig|title=Nativ detractors 'breathe a sigh of relief'|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1200475897620&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull|work=Haaretz|date=2008-01-17|accessdate=2008-01-17}}</ref>

==Organization==

===Head===
As of 2005, the only requirements to lead Lishkat Hakesher were the ability to speak [[Russian language|Russian]] and experience in managing bureaucracies. Headquartered in [[Tel Aviv]], the director reports directly to the prime minister. All Nativ representatives in foreign countries report to the director, and are not responsible to the local diplomats. Representatives are supposed to inform the local ambassador of their activities, though failure to do this has caused tension in the past.<ref>Levin 175.</ref>

The prime minister has the power to directly appoint a new head, although in the last succession Prime Minister [[Ariel Sharon]] created a special committee, chaired by Secretary [[Yisrael Maimon]], to recommend a replacement. The committee continued searching for a candidate under newly elected Prime Minister [[Ehud Olmert]],<ref>[http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/Spokesman/2006/05/spokenativ090506.htm "PM Olmert Instructs Cab.-Secy. Maimon to Choose New Chairman for Nativ" from the Prime Minister's Office.]</ref> finally selecting [[Naomi Ben-Ami]], the Israeli ambassador to [[Ukraine]].

===List of leaders===
* [[Shaul Avigur]], 1953–1970
* [[Nehemiah Levanon]], 1970–1980
* [[Yehuda Lapidot]], 1980–1986
* [[David Bar-Tov]], 1986–1992
* [[Yaakov Kedmi]], 1992–1999
* [[Zvi Magen]], 1999–2006
* [[Naomi Ben-Ami]], 2006–2015
* [[Alex Kushnir]], 2016–2017
* Neta Briskin-Peleg, 2017–present

===Branches===
* [[Intelligence (information gathering)|Information]]
* Activity
* Content

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* [[Yossi Melman|Melman, Yossi]]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620090223/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/623240.html |date=June 20, 2010 |title=Fight over next Nativ head turns ugly" }}, ''Haaretz''. Google cache version
* Melman, Yossi and Barkat, Amiram. [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/783170.html From Russia with Jews]", ''Haaretz'', published Thursday, November 9, 2006
* Freedman, Robert O. ''Soviet Jewry in the 1980s''. Duke University Press, 1989. {{ISBN|0-8223-0906-8}} p. 77
* [[Aryeh Levin (diplomat)|Levin, Aryeh]]. ''Envoy to Moscow: Memoirs of an Israeli Ambassador 1988-92''. Routledge, 1996. {{ISBN|0-7146-4597-4}}
* [http://www.jafi.org.il/agenda/2001/english/wk4-11/8.asp "Liaison Bureau, which played critical role in freeing Soviet Jews, celebrates 50 years"]
* Sa'ar, Relly. "[http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Home/About/Press+Room/Jewish+Agency+In+The+News/2006/2/feb24hz.htm Immigrants to Israel caught in limbo waiting for approval]", ''Haaretz''. Accessed June 20, 2006.
* {{in lang|ru}} [http://www.nativ.h12.ru/ The Israeli Special Service "Nativ"]

==External links==
* [http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/22979 Lishkat Hakesher] at [[The World (radio program)|The World]]
* {{in lang|ru}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20060329205525/http://www.agentura.ru/dossier/izrail/nativ/ "Government Bureau on communications with the Jewish communities"]
* {{in lang|ru}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20051125203534/http://www.agentura.ru/dossier/izrail/nativ/solod/ "Does Israel need Nativ"]
* [https://en.nativ-education.org.il/home Educational website: Let My People Go] – a free educational resource created by Israeli Prime Minister Office - Nativ, to keep the story of Soviet Jewry alive and to inspire the next generation.

{{Refusenik movement and 1990s post-Soviet aliyah}}
{{Israeli Intelligence Community}}
{{Jews in the Soviet Union}}

[[Category:Zionist organizations]]
[[Category:Religious organizations based in Israel]]
[[Category:Jewish outreach]]
[[Category:Israel–Soviet Union relations]]
[[Category:Israeli intelligence agencies]]
[[Category:1952 establishments in Israel]]
[[Category:Jewish organizations established in 1952]]
[[Category:Words and phrases in Modern Hebrew]]
[[Category:Soviet Jewry movement]]

Nativ (Liaison Bureau) - Revision history

imported>Qualiesin: added Category:Soviet Jewry movement using HotCat