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Israeli PM names close confidant as new spy agency chief

Xinhua, December 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The next chief of the Mossad, the Israeli spy agency, will be Yossi Cohen, the current National Security Adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister revealed on Monday.

Netanyahu announced the nomination in a live statement delivered to Israeli journalists, in an uncommon move by an Israeli leader. Cohen will replace Tamir Pardo, who will finish his five-year tenure in January.

"Yossi has a rich experience and has reached many achievements in various fields of the Mossad's activity," Netanyahu told reporters on Monday evening. "He has leadership and professional skills that are required from someone who is set to lead the organization," he added.

The Israeli leader has the authority to nominate its chief on his own, as the Mossad operates under the direct authority of the Prime Minister's Office.

Yossi Cohen, 54 years old from Jerusalem, served in the Mossad for thirty years.

He managed the operation of agents in various countries throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia, and served as the deputy director to the spy agency between 2011 and 2013.

Netanyahu appointed Cohen as his national security adviser in 2013, and Cohen is considered his close confidant.

Cohen will serve as the 12th head of the agency since its foundation in 1949. Endit