Efraim Halevy was born on December 2, 1934, in London, United Kingdom, to an Orthodox Jewish family. A lawyer by training, he built a distinguished career in Israeli intelligence and diplomacy, notably contributing to the Israel-Jordan peace treaty through backchannel negotiations. His expertise spans intelligence operations, strategic studies, and international relations, with occupations including diplomat, pedagogue, and journalist. Prior to his confirmed roles, Halevy served in senior Mossad positions, including as deputy director from approximately 1988 to 1996. Appointed the ninth head of Mossad in 1998, he led the agency until 2002 under three prime ministers: Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, and Ariel Sharon. He later headed the Israeli National Security Council before transitioning to academia. Currently, Halevy serves as Head of the Shasha Center for Strategic Studies at the Federmann School of Public Policy and Government at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He remains active in public discourse on intelligence and security matters, including interviews on topics like Russian intelligence.