The quintessential Israeli

Former Mossad Director Meir Dagan was no James Bond, nor was he a one-man war machine. He was far simpler, and therein lies his greatness.

Dagan was the quintessential Israeli: one whose family suffered greatly during the Holocaust and had embraced revival; a brave, creative, and slightly mischievous man; a loyal warrior of Israel; an intellectual who loved people; and an individual who was never afraid to admit his mistakes.

His strength stemmed from his convictions, the same convictions that led him on an unimaginable journey up the ranks of the Israel Defense Forces and later the Mossad, in search of a better future for his children and grandchildren.

His courage granted him a long military career, and his daring creativity made for a long tenure in the Mossad. It is doubtful whether the past generation has seen a more influential Mossad director. It was the role of a lifetime, and he made the most of it, enjoying almost every step of the way.

One can only imagine the look on his face back in 2007 when he received news of the successful airstrike on the suspected nuclear reactor in Syria, which foreign reports have attributed to Israel, or in later years, following the succession of hits attributed to Israel involving Iranian nuclear scientists and arch terrorists.

One can only imagine that he would have taken a moment to smile when he learned that another sworn enemy of Israel had met an unnatural end, before turning his attention to the work that had to be done -- and there was always work to be done.

Operational achievements aside, Dagan's greatest success was probably the fact that under his command, the Mossad regained and cemented its status in the global intelligence community, striking fear in the hearts of Israel's enemies. He himself was revered by his agents, and his name alone was enough to inspire awe.

While he had often expressed the desire to end his tenure, he was always glad to learn of the government's near-automatic decision to extend it. The end of his term as Mossad chief in 2011 was marred by the fallout from the 2010 assassination attributed to the agency of Hamas arch terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel -- but it is doubtful he would have stayed in office regardless.

While Dagan got along famously with former Prime Ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, he would often lock horns with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mostly over the Iranian threat. True to himself, Dagan never sugarcoated anything and bluntly spoke his mind, all the while making clear that regardless of his opinions, he would always follow his orders.

Dagan continued to pursue his truth after he retired, and he ruffled many feathers in the process. He believed that the directors of the Mossad and Shin Bet security agency and the IDF chief of staff were not junior officers, but experienced, professional and responsible commanders, who shared a profound love for the State of Israel and therefore had to be heard, even -- and especially -- when they hold different opinions on the issues at hand.

"We don't work for the government," he used to say. "We work for the people."

If not for his illness, Dagan might have entered politics to try to effect change, more out of concern for our future than his own. That was his way, and I believe that was his will.

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