a boat, where he injected himself with morphine. For these actions, Ayalon received the Medal of Valor, Israel's highest decoration. In 1979, Ayalon was appointed commander of Shayetet 13, and was decorated for carrying out a long list of operations without casualties. Between 1986 and 1988 he was Defence Attache to South Africa. Ayalon, receiving the rank of major general, served as commander of the Israeli Navy from 1992 through 1996. Following Yitzhak Rabin's assassination in 1995, Ayalon was appointed head of the Shin Bet (Israel's internal security service). Rabin himself suggested the appointment a year before his murder. Ayalon retired in 2000. Peace activism On 25 June 2003, Ayalon launched, together with Palestinian professor Sari Nusseibeh, a peace initiative called "The People's Voice". The goal of the initiative is to collect as many signatures of Israelis and Palestinians as possible for the peace plan guidelines supporting a two-state solution without the right of return for Palestinian refugees. On 14 November 2003, Ami Ayalon with three other former heads of the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), Avraham Shalom, Yaakov Peri and Carmi Gillon gave an interview to Yedioth Ahronoth (one of the leading tabloid newspapers in Israel) based on the paper prepared by Ami Ayalon and Sari Nusseibeh. The interview was conducted by Alex Fishman and Sima Kadmon. In that interview, the former Security Chiefs warn of an impending "catastrophe" for Israel and urge the public to rally behind a document created which sets out the principles of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. The blunt language and statements of grave concern are particularly striking because the ISA is the non-political nerve center of Israeli intelligence, and is the agency responsible both for gathering intelligence and for preventing terrorist attacks—including by such controversial means as targeted killings and other preventive measures. While the interview has been widely quoted, rough translations have only appeared on isolated list servers and websites, and the full power of the meeting—called "historic" by its participants—has often been diluted. Although Ayalon promotes traditional left-wing ideas, he insists he is not a part of the Israeli left, and spurns the Israeli peace camp for its hostility toward the Israeli public and especially toward the settlers. Ayalon managed to outrage many left-wing activists when he said that only Ariel Sharon and the Likud could bring peace. He took part in the "Mateh HaRov" demonstration in support of the