By Richard Bronstein, for the Jewish Free Press.

In public Ephraim Halevy bears the manner of a professor and diplomat, careers with which he has some experience, after graduating from university with a degree in law. But it is the time he spent in Mossad, starting in the early 1970s, that reveal his true character. As one exuberant American Jewish blogger recently wrote, “Ephraim Halevy is one tough sombitch, as they’d say out Texas way.”

In his recent presentation before a large audience at Beth Tzedec synagogue in support of the local chapter of Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, Halevy showed that if he indeed does carry a big stick, at least he walks softly.

From 1980 to 1995 Halevy was in charge of three different branches in the Mossad and became deputy chief of the agency. In 1998, following Israel’s botched assassination attempt of Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Jordan, Halevy was appointed head of Mossad by then prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In 2002 prime minister Ariel Sharon named him head of the National Security Council.

One of his most important achievements was helping bring about a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, something he was able to do against all odds because of his strong relationship with the late King Hussein. Halevy was also very instrumental in helping bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel in the mid 1980s.

A review of some historical sources indicates that while many of his subordinates in Mossad found him to be a difficult person, who at times flew into tantrums, all five prime ministers he worked with had great respect and esteem for a man who was very loyal, a discreet confidant, and a highly professional civil servant.

His presentation at Beth Tzedec consisted of a well rounded tour of major issues facing Israel in the Middle East.

Using a recent U.S. national security document as a launching pad, Halevy sketched a view of the world as it might be in the year 2025. It’s a world where human population will increase from 6 billion to 7.5 billion; a world facing scarcities of such basics as energy, food and water, resulting in the potential for new conflicts; a world where states such as India and Brazil will be superpowers, and where non-state actors will continue to play a greater role.

“We are entering a very revolutionary period in the greater Middle East,” Halevy said, warning that Middle East governments in particular will be severely challenged by non-state actors, or radical groups.

He said that from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, to Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan, “central governments do not have control over their own territory.

“The whole idea of national sovereignty is being put to the test and no one knows the outcome of this. Non-state actors do not abide by international law or agreements. What are the international rules of law, the rules of warfare, the treatment of prisoners, such as Gilad Shalit, held for three years now by Hamas?

“If you are able to negotiate an agreement with Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas, leader of Fatah and the Palestinian Administration], what are the chances of him carrying out the agreement?”

Even knowing this, Halevy says Israel must continue to seek an agreement with the Palestinians on the one hand, while preparing for the worst. As an example, he mentioned that Israel has eight distinct elite units who operate clandestinely in the West Bank almost every night of the year in order to protect itself against terrorist attacks.

And while he defends the decision to leave Gaza, he said it was a mistake to not have obtained a quid pro quo agreement from the Palestinians.

He said the challenge to state sovereignty is not only a Middle East problem, but reaches into Europe where large Muslim immigrant communities seem to reject integration and seek cultural independence for their communities through Sharia law. He said in some large European cities where Muslims are in a near majority, state authorities such as police, already refuse to go into these immigrant enclaves.

Another difficult issue for the world community in the years ahead is that warfare is becoming increasingly lethal and that radical groups now have the means to possess weapons of mass destruction. The good news, he believes, is that more countries are cognizant of the dangers of radical groups and there will be a greater co-operative effort to control the activities of such non-state actors.

Halevy said that Israel is being forced to re-evaluate its defence doctrines. It was held in the past that Israel should always be on the offensive, that it should never fight a war on its own territory. For that reason its armed forces have been equipped with superior fighter jets, missiles and highly mobile armoured units.

“But this is changing and Israel is giving more attention and effort to defensive doctrines. And we will soon find solutions to the Kassem rockets of Hamas and the missiles of Hezbollah.

“I believe that in 2009 and in the immediate future Israel is indestructible. I agree with President Obama that Israel is one of the strongest countries in the world.

“We can suffer damage, painful damage, but we cannot be destroyed.”

Turning his attention to Iran, Halevy was blunt.

“There is no existential threat from Iran. Threat, yes. Damage, yes. That Iran is capable of destroying Israel – never.

“Iran is not ten feet tall. Iran is much more vulnerable than Israel."

“I have met many Iranians and they are genuinely afraid of what might happen.”

He said that when Iranians look at the map, they see a very powerful Israel and encirclement by U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, some of the Gulf States and a huge American naval armada patrolling the Indian Ocean.

“They are ringed by U.S. forces and they have every right to be afraid. But I think in the end the international community will find a solution to the Iran issue.”

Halevy said he was less worried by what he knows than by what he doesn’t know. “What are the surprises that we don’t know about? That is what I worry about.”

The answer for Israel, Halevy believes, is to remain cautious but not frightened and to keep on the task of nation building.

“Israel is an oasis of stability in the Middle East. It is one of the greatest strengths of Israel. We are an oasis of common sense and we will need that even more in the future.

“Out of the worst of our catastrophe [Shoah] came the greatest of our redemption [Israel]. If we behave properly God will be on our side. If we put our will to it, we will make it happen.”