Cohen’s name is linked to some of the most spectacular operations ever attributed to Mossad. The most famous remains the 2018 operation in Tehran, when a commando managed to stole from the secret archive of the Iranian regime over 50,000 documents on the clandestine nuclear program.
The announcement of his candidacy a Prime minister It was not a surprise for those who know his past, but he still had the effect of shaking Israeli politics: Yossi Cohenformer director of Mossadhe is ready to make the big leap from the guide of the most feared intelligence agency of Middle East to the stage of national politics. Figure beloved by public opinion, Cohen For many Israelis, the strong man capable of guaranteeing security, strategic vision and international prestige in a phase of profound instability represents.
Born in Jerusalem In 1961 in a religious family, Cohen he built his career within the Mossad Up to become the director in 2016, the assignment he held until 2021 Mossad, Cohen was National Security Councilor Of Benjamin Netanyahua role that projected him to the center of Israeli secret diplomacy. From there he consolidated key relationships with the Gulf Stateslaying the foundations for Abraham agreements who would change the face of the Middle East.
The operations that made history
Cohen’s name is linked to some of the most spectacular operations ever attributed to Mossad. The most famous remains the 2018 operation a Tehranwhen a commando managed to stole from the secret archive of the Iranian regime beyond 50,000 documents on the clandestine nuclear program. That mission, conducted in one night and completed with a daring exit fromIranwas presented as a definitive proof of Tehran’s atomic ambitions. Under his direction, the agency intensified the “war between shadows” against the networks of Hezbollah And Hamashitting strategic infrastructures, financial networks and key figures. Even the long campaign of IT and physical sabotage against the Iranian nuclear program brings its imprint: different suspicious explosions on the enrichment sites of the uranium, such as that of Natanzwere attributed to operations conducted during his leadership. Cohen he also guided the Mossad In a phase of expansion of its range, making Israel protagonist not only on the operational front, but also on the diplomatic one. It was he, for example, who tightened confidential relationships with the top saudis and Emiratinihelping to prepare the soil for the historical normalization with part of the Arab world.
The man who likes Israelis
Unlike other directors of secret services, Cohen He has always shown a public and communicative side. Charismatic, elegant, skilled speaker, has been able to build an image of pragmatic and reassuring leader. Its popularity is not only based on operational successes, but also on the widespread perception that it is a man capable of moving with authority in international salons and defending Israel On all fronts. At random, the polls have often placed it among the figures most appreciated by the Israelis. In a country crossed by chronic political crisis and short -lived governments, Cohen It appears as an outsider with the credibility necessary to reappear public opinion. “If there must be a real change, I have to become prime minister,” he recently said, adding that “the people also said it clearly”. Words that reflect rare consensus in Israeli society, usually fragmented and uniform.
The difficulties that will have to overcome
However, the passage of the secret services to the role of Premier candidate is not obvious. Israeli politics is dominated by parties, personal rivalries and coalition games that often leave little room for new figures. Cohen He will have to decide whether to create his own movement or whether to fit into one of the existing sides, inevitably facing the cumbersome figure of Benjamin Netanyahu, his former ally and mentor. Analysts believe that Cohen can represent a threat for Netanyahu: both share a iron security vision and a pragmatic approach to international relations, but Cohen It offers a less worn, fresher image and in tune with the new generations. His profile from Intelligence mancapable of solving problems with decision and speed, fascinates many Israelis, but politics requires compromises, mediations and ability to govern a complex society. This will be the real challenge of Yossi Cohen: demonstrate that he can be not only the master of secret operations, but also a leader capable of guiding Israel in the labyrinth of economic, social and diplomatic challenges. This is certain is that his popularity remains very high. For most of the Israelis, Cohen He is the man who defended the country in the darkest hours, the reassuring face of a Mossad capable of hitting distant and protecting near. Now he wants to transform that trusted capital into a political leadership. And his candidacy marks the beginning of a new season in which the border between intelligence and politics, in Israelappears thinner than ever.
