The Senior Appointments Advisory Committee has approved Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to appoint the deputy director of Mossad as the next director of the Israeli intelligence agency. The man known as “D” will replace current director Yosef “Yossi” Meir Cohen, whose term is scheduled to end in January.
Committee Chair Supreme Court Justice Eliezer Goldberg said that the members’ decision had been unanimous and found no issues with the appointment despite some criticism from political circles. Netanyahu will bring the committee’s decision to his government for final approval soon and subsequently reveal his name.
The man known as “D” is the deputy director of Mossad, is 55 years of age, and is a father to four children. He is close to Cohen, and it is believed that he will continue his course. He did his military service in Sayeret Matkal, the General Staff’s elite special operations force. Twenty-five years ago, he was transferred to the Mossad to develop his skills, and “D” has been working closely since then with the current deputy, who recommended him as his successor to Netanyahu.
According to Israeli sources, he was recruited by the Mossad at 30 years of age and immediately started training with the Tzomet division, which is responsible for identifying, recruiting, and operating agents around the world. There he met Cohen, who headed the division at the time. Together, the pair cooperated on several sensitive and complicated missions, among the most notable of which was stealing the Iranian nuclear archive from Tehran, transporting it on a truck and bringing it to Tel Aviv before the Iranian authorities noticed it.
Netanyahu didn’t consult security agency officials or Defense Minister Benny Gantz on the decision. However, the latter is unlucky to hinder the appointment.
Writing for Haaretz journalist and research Yossi Molem says new the deputy will face many challenges, most prominent of which will be continuing the successful war against Iran and its vassals in the regions “against the backdrop of Joe Biden’s election as the next US president, and the desire of the president-elect to come to understandings and even a new agreement with Iran that would include removing America’s economic sanctions against it.” However, he believes the Mossad will still have the freedom to conduct its activities, as had been the case under Joe Biden. Another challenge will be maintaining the expansion of the Mossad’s Middle Eastern relationships, which has been pivotal to its recent peace agreements.
