Shin Bet
4
7.4
- proper noun
- Shin Bet security
- Shin Bet intelligence agency
- internal Shin Bet
Examples
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Producing from his pocket a sheet of paper that contained a biblical quote from the Prophet Zechariah, the former Shin Bet chief said, 'I will tell you things that might be harsh.'
Blog text (17) -
But as former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon has said, "after the U.S. elections, this issue of the Middle East as a nuclear-free zone will be back on the table."
Blog text (17) -
In 2000-04, according to the Shin Bet security service, Israel's terror-related casualties exceeded those of the preceding 53 years.
Academic text (2010) -
The Shin Bet is responsible for ensuring the internal security of Israel.
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Many citizens support the work of the Shin Bet in protecting the nation from threats.
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As part of its duties, the Shin Bet monitors activities that could endanger public safety.
Surface Forms
Morphology
shin + Bet
This is a proper name and an abbreviation derived from Hebrew letters; the constituent items (a Hebrew letter name and an undefined 'Bet') do not transparently combine to indicate a domestic security/intelligence agency. A B1 learner who knows the literal constituents but not Hebrew naming/abbreviation conventions would not be able to infer the institutional meaning, so the expression is opaque.
Etymology
Shin Bet gets its name from two Hebrew letters, Shin and Bet, which stand for the agency's longer Hebrew title meaning 'internal security service'. That's why the short name points to the group's job of keeping the country safe from threats inside its borders.