Victor Ostrovsky - By Way of Deception

In 1990, he published By Way of Deception to draw attention to the corruption and shortcomings he claims to have witnessed in the Mossad. Ostrovsky has repeatedly argued that intelligence-gathering agencies must be permitted certain operational freedoms, but that significantly increased governmental oversight of espionage activities is necessary. Without effective oversight, he has said, the Mossad cannot achieve its full potential and value. According to Victor Ostrovsky, a sayan (pl. sayanim), Hebrew for "assistant", is a term for a Mossad operative recruited from among the Jewish Diaspora to help the Mossad with operations outside Israel, utilising the capacity of their own nationality to procure assistance.

Many of Ostrovsky's claims have not been verified from other sources, nor have they been refuted, and arguments continue to rage over the credibility of his accounts. However, he was named in a lawsuit by the Israeli government, saying that he was part of the Mossad. Critics, such as Benny Morris, David Wise, and others, have argued that the book is essentially a novel and that a case officer would not have had access to so many operational secrets. They write that intelligence organizations practice strict compartmentalization of confidential or secretive information. Ostrovsky argues that their point is moot, as they themselves are outsiders, and the only information about the Mossad they have is from their supposed "sources" in the agency which have a very clear agenda. Ostrovsky also points out that the need to know rule is or at least was not closely followed in the Mossad, considering its small size and the need for case officers to fill many roles.

Shortly before official publication of the book, the Israeli government filed lawsuits in both Canada and the United States seeking injunctions against publication. A judge in New York granted the request at a 1 a.m. hearing in his home. The New York Supreme Court overturned his decision, but the resulting publicity focused national attention on Ostrovsky’s story and guaranteed international success.

Concerns were expressed that by exposing certain prior operations, the book endangered the lives of agency personnel. Ostrovsky maintains he never placed anyone in danger because only first names or code names were used. Furthermore, Ostrovsky says the Mossad was privately allowed to see the book before publication to ensure that lives were not placed in danger.