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FEATURE

A first-level license holder has the right to conduct surveillance, What other qualities are on this list?
gather information, and conduct covert filming of a target, but
is not allowed to communicate directly with the client. They can Transparency in work, knowledge of the law, openness and honesty with
only act as a party to a lawsuit as the executor of an assignment the client. Money isn’t always the most important factor. Humanity is
from a second-level licensed detective, who is responsible for the also important.
assignment and represents the detective agency in court. There
are currently approximately 600 detective agencies in Israel. What do you mean?

What is required to obtain a Level I private investigator license A client may be naive and trusting, but as a professional, you have no
in Israel? right to take advantage of this. The truth seems simple, but not everyone
follows it.
By law, you must first work continuously for three years in a
detective agency, gaining experience. It’s also helpful to have Can you give me an example?
relevant experience or training. For example, I worked in the police
for ten years before going into private investigation. An elderly man once came to me and asked me to find out why the
“Shabak” (Israeli Secret Service) was following him. He used to work
What next? in the military industry, retired, and recently, according to him, noticed
he was being followed. I asked him how he determined he was being
Then comes a rigorous professional exam under the auspices of the followed, and why he assumed it was “Shabak” agents? And do you
Ministry of Justice, and only then can you obtain a Level I license. know what he said? “They’re all wearing white socks!” And he added,
However, to qualify for a Level II license, which is a detective agency “Wherever I go, wherever I am. I recently went to the dentist, and I saw
license, you must have worked for at least five years beforehand. a man in white socks sitting there—he’d made a special appointment
In other words, to open a reputable detective agency, you need a for me.” I realized my client had mental health issues and tried to calm
total of at least eight years of experience. him down. I didn’t charge him any money, of course, but referred him
to a lawyer I knew, who wrote a letter of inquiry to the “Shabak” in his
Tough! presence and sent it off. The lawyer only charged the standard attorney
fee for drafting the letter. This fact alone calmed the client down. On the
Yes, private investigators in Israel have very strict requirements. We other hand, I know some private detectives who, on the contrary, happily
at the Association of Israeli Private Detectives want to change the take advantage of such situations. My conscience won’t allow it.
law. This includes reducing the three years of experience required
to obtain a Level I license, so that applicants can devote the
extra time to advanced training or attending specialized training
courses.

About working in Russia and the values of a private detective.

Have you worked in Russia for some time?

Yes, I lived and worked in Moscow for eleven years, and in 2019,
the Russian Association of Detectives even recognized me as
Detective of the Year.

I remember when we first met - it was the very early
1990s - you were a little shy about speaking Russian...

That’s true. My family and I immigrated in the early 1970s, at the age
of eleven, from the small city of Berehove in the Transcarpathian
region of Ukraine this days, former USSR. Russian was practically
never spoken at our home, mostly Hungarian, which I still speak
quite well. I learned Russian later. It came in handy when I was
collaborating with Russia, and with my Ukrainian colleagues as
well, being a member of their Associations. Incidentally, at the IKD
conference in Bucharest, I spoke with detectives from Ukraine and
Russia, with whom I have maintained friendly relations. It’s a shame
that the warmth of their relationship is no longer there. Knowledge
of languages—including English as the language of international
communication - is one of the most important qualities a private
investigator must possess. www.wad.net | June 2025 23