Legal residentura Tel Aviv

The Czechoslovak government recognized the independence of Israel on 19 May 1948 and diplomatic relations were established on 3 July 1948. Up until 1952 Israel was supplied with military equipment and weapons from Czechoslovakia, which provided military training as well. Then the communist government ended support and from 1953 began intensive trade and military cooperation with the new Egyptian regime of Gamal Abdel Nasser. From 1956 – 1960 the residentura was directed by First Lieutenant Václav Louda "Havlik", whose deputy was (until 1961) Lieutenant Stanislav Kozubík "Krejčí (The Tailor)". In this period, the residentura was controlled by three secret collaborators. At the beginning of 1960, the Shin Bet arrested Prof. Kurt Sitte "Chudák (The Pauper)", who worked in the Technion technology and research institute in Haifa and as a Czechoslovak agent cooperated in obtaining information on Israel's nuclear program. His last handling officer was Viliam Ciklamini "Cidlinský". After the Six-Day War in 1967, the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria broke off diplomatic relations with Israel. The residentura was abolished and its activities were taken over by the residenturas in neighbouring Arab countries.