It’s no secret that vaunted former Mossad Director Yossi Cohen, who stepped down earlier this 12 months, aspires to be Benjamin Netanyahu’s inheritor even earlier than the previous prime minister’s political demise has been declared. Netanyahu, too, has been quoted up to now as mentioning Cohen’s identify, along with that of his ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer, as his potential heirs to steer the Likud celebration and run for the premiership.
Cohen would appear to have all the things it takes for such a future: the best look, the understated yet abundant charisma, a document as one of the vital daring Mossad chiefs of all occasions, sharply honed political antennae and a profitable character that has charmed many, journalists of all stripes included. Even earlier than saying his political intentions (if he certainly proclaims), Cohen has been the favourite on Likud members’ WhatsApp betting swimming pools for the day after Netanyahu, though most pray that day won’t ever come.
Cohen sustained a blow Dec. 20, which might develop into an actual downside. Many have been stunned on the expose aired on Channel 13’s present “Hamakor” (“The Supply”) — those that know Cohen much less so.
Cohen is called a rule breaker who provides in to his instincts, typically swept up in his liking for the nice life, drawn to energy, girls, cash and the limelight. He has beforehand been touched by scandal, barely rising unscathed. Cohen’s identify across the Mossad was “the mannequin,” a reference to his prime mannequin seems to be. He wears costly fits, makes use of dear cologne and by no means seems matted, sweaty or bothered. In brief, a shining poster boy for excellence liable for a number of the most superb Mossad operations of current years. However this week, Israel was abuzz not with Cohen’s operations in Tehran, Damascus or Beirut, however with Cohen as a clean operator of a totally completely different type.
The Channel 13 investigation was a one off: A cuckolded husband going through the cameras and telling the nation in regards to the alleged exploits of the spy company chief who was (claimed the husband) having a transatlantic affair along with his flight attendant spouse whom he wooed with tales of his daring, of top-secret Mossad operations and its strategies.
The husband came upon, so it appears, in regards to the affair his spouse was having with one of the vital highly effective males within the Center East and launched a counteroffensive in actual time. Cohen discovered himself susceptible to blackmail, however continued the affair, following the thing of his need on her flights world wide, energetically courting her and making an attempt to “include” her husband’s fury — whilst he was commanding the legendary intelligence company throughout one of the vital fascinating and busy durations in its historical past. Trying into the cameras, the husband stated, “I noticed the time he was investing in my wife and requested myself, ‘When does he work?’”
Cohen’s identify got here up up to now in various extremely publicized embarrassing scandals. Amongst them was a $20,000 gift from Australian playing tycoon James Packer, whom Cohen had invited to his daughter’s household marriage ceremony. Packer is known as in a bribery cost towards Netanyahu for allegedly shopping for the prime minister and his members of the family costly items, together with influential Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. Packer and Milchan reportedly provided Cohen the highest job at a cybersecurity firm they’d opened collectively, together with a $10 million signing bonus. Earlier than that might occur, he was named in 2015 to move the Mossad. Cohen drew harsh criticism in June over his interview on the investigative program “Uvda” (“Reality”) for being a show-off blabber mouth and divulging secrets and techniques to the enemy. Whereas he got here out of all these affairs with barely a scratch, his newest journey has the potential to trigger him nice hurt. One grievance towards him has already been lodged with police.
The favored political thriller “Home of Playing cards” pales compared to a few of Cohen’s escapades. These have all of the components of a blockbuster: worldwide espionage, a battle towards fanatic ayatollahs who’ve threatened to wipe Israel off the map and are intent on growing a nuclear bomb, overseas billionaires, numerous cash, luxurious lodges and homes, shut affiliation with a main minister and his household, mysterious explosions, daring assassinations and girls, after all.
Paradoxically, many in Israel imagine that this all makes Cohen good for the job of prime minister. Netanyahu, too, wooed a flight attendant whom he met on a transatlantic flight and who subsequently turned his spouse. Netanyahu, too, turned his shut affiliation with beneficiant billionaires into an actual artwork type. Netanyahu, too, skated on skinny ice of questionable legality all through his profession. Even the 2 males’s command of English is sort of equal.
Following his interview on “Uvda,” Cohen was pressured to defend himself towards a grievance submitted to the legal professional normal by Col. (Res.) Yossi Langotsky, one of many founders of the navy’s particular ops community and a senior former intelligence official. Langotsky, together with different senior former officers, argued that Cohen’s chatter had disclosed vital operational secrets and techniques enabling the Iranians, in reverse engineering, to grasp issues they need to not have recognized in regards to the Mossad’s strategies in combating them. The grievance remains to be beneath evaluate. It has now been joined by one other grievance, this time to police, over Cohen’s conduct as Mossad director as uncovered on Channel 13.
Cohen himself has but to resolve whether or not to enter politics. Assuming he overcomes the potential above-mentioned hurdles, the person is supplied with a classy software package and is the primary and maybe solely candidate who appears to be in the identical league as Netanyahu when it comes to his charisma, deviousness and dedication. It’s unclear whether or not the most recent scandal will hurt or maybe increase his recognition, particularly among the many right-wing voter base of Netanyahu followers. Nevertheless unusual it sounds, the brink necessities for main Israel lately are fully completely different than they have been up to now. A whiff of criminality might assist, to not point out expertise of deception and manipulation and a killer intuition, all of which Cohen has, in spades.
