Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen said Tuesday Israel should demand policy concessions from Western countries in exchange for the life-saving intelligence it provides them. Cohen spoke Monday at the second Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center conference in New York, marking the first time a senior Israeli official has proposed adopting such a policy.
At the conference, Cohen revealed cases where the Mossad during his tenure shared life-saving intelligence, including with Australia. "We gave the Australians probably one of the most critical intelligence items, which saved hundreds of lives, when a bomb was en route to an Etihad aircraft scheduled to depart Sydney for Dubai or Abu Dhabi. This was our intelligence, and what do we receive back from Australia?" Cohen asked, referring to Canberra's recognition of a Palestinian state.
Cohen indicated Israel provides life-saving intelligence to other Western intelligence agencies, primarily the American CIA and British MI6. Cohen emphasized Israel shouldn't stop intelligence sharing, explaining, "We need to trade this coordinated intelligence, which ultimately saves lives, for improved support. I'm not proposing the Mossad or Israel's intelligence forces cease collecting or sharing intelligence with our global partners to protect other people's lives [meaning non-Israelis], but I am proposing we trade it differently."
Earlier this week, the Mossad exposed an Iranian operative who planned attacks in Australia, Germany and Greece. Cohen officially stated at the conference he won't run in the upcoming elections. However, he didn't rule out entering political life later. When asked about running for office in elections a year away, Cohen responded, "The answer is no. Not now. We'll see what develops."
Cohen revealed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously told him he considered him his successor. "When I served as Mossad chief, Prime Minister Netanyahu suggested I was his successor. One day I approached him and asked if he genuinely said this, and he confirmed it, explaining his reasoning. This occurred in 2018 or 2019 I believe, and then my wife responded, 'No, absolutely not. We're not entering this.' But I believe everything shifted dramatically after October 7, and there's a need for fresh leadership. So the possibility can't be completely ruled out. I'm weighing everything, but my decision now is no."
Video: Yossi Cohen at the Shurat Hadin conference with Ariel Kahana / Credit : Ohad Kab
Regarding the war-ending agreement, Cohen stated, "This isn't the perfect agreement, but currently it's time for a ceasefire and this was a price worth accepting for freeing the hostages. I don't believe the US or other parties will block Israel from combating terror going forward. Israel should decide whether to cut all ties with Qatar once all deceased hostages return. We lack genuine relations with them, we merely used them as intermediaries for channeling funds to Gaza, ostensibly for the population's welfare, but actually they reached Hamas. This was an error, designed for humanitarian assistance, but concluded with the money financing terror."
Attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, president of the Shurat HaDin organization and conference organizer, concluded, "The war isn't over yet. The policy threats to create a Palestinian state combined with The Hague court's hostility lead to an unprecedented surge in Israel hatred and antisemitism. We must consolidate all forces addressing this issue to push back. Let the entire world understand it's unacceptable to allow terror to gain strength. We must combat it on the battlefield, in courtrooms and also in the global public opinion sphere. If we work together, we can secure the future of the Jewish people in the Land and throughout the Diaspora."
