The former head of Mossad and Netanyahu aide, Yossi Cohen, told an Israeli podcast last week that he “needed” to be prime minister.
Speaking to Israeli entrepreneur Yasmin Lukatz on her eponymous show, Cohen said: “The public is pushing hard, and for real change to happen,” adding: “From your window, you see all the people standing in traffic jams, suffering from lack of security, lack of unity, terrible overcrowding, and the high cost of living.”
Cohen joined Mossad in 1982, rising to become deputy director, before moving to head the National Security Council. He was national security adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu in 2013, and returned to Mossad as director in 2016.
This is not the first time Cohen has spoken of his political ambitions. Earlier this year, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported that he was considering creating a new political party to run in the next election.
“This leadership product, which I will try to sell – when there is an active election campaign – is one of national leadership, which is essentially unity and security,” he told Lukatz.
"I don’t see this as politics,” he added. “I see it differently, and I think this should be defined differently. In my opinion, it’s a leadership role and not necessarily a political role.”
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Join the JC on 28 September for an exclusive evening with Yossi Cohen as he launches his new book, ‘The Sword of Freedom’.
Cohen will sit down with JC editor Daniel Schwammenthal for a wide-ranging conversation on the secret to Israel’s military edge, the future of Gaza and Hamas, and the covert strategies that have kept the Jewish state ahead of its enemies.
Expect a candid, gripping and timely discussion. Books are available for purchase with your ticket, and will also be available for purchase on the night.
Find out more and book your tickets, here
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