Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen is reportedly reassessing his plans and intends to launch a new independent political party, despite offers from prominent figures like Netanyahu, Bennett, and Liberman, says N12 news.

This development, which was revealed in Channel 12's "Meet the Press" with Ben Caspit and Amit Segal, is contradictory to what Cohen has previously said that he “doesn’t see elections on the horizon.” He had been focusing on his business interests, including expanding his collaboration with the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank. 

The shift in Cohen's position likely stemmed from his view of changes in Israeli public sentiment since the outbreak of the war.

“While Netanyahu delivers the right but no change, and Yair Golan, Yair Lapid, and Benny Gantz offer change but no right, Cohen may fill that gap in the political map,” a source explained to N12 news.

In an interview with Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland on the UNHOLY podcast, Cohen stated: “I don’t think this is the time to discuss changing the government, but I do believe that after the war there needs to be a big change here.”

Former Mossad head Yossi Cohen is seen speaking at the Jerusalem Post annual conference at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem, on October 12, 2021. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Former Mossad head Yossi Cohen is seen speaking at the Jerusalem Post annual conference at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem, on October 12, 2021. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
He continued: “One of the inevitable outcomes of this war is that many of the figures involved, some of whom have already taken responsibility, will be replaced. Politicians need to understand that we’re taking a major step toward change in the Israeli arena from here on out. And yes, that includes elections.”

Who is Yossi Cohen?

Cohen, who was born in Jerusalem to a religious Zionist home, began his Mossad career in the early 1980s.

Over the years, he rose through the ranks, holding sensitive positions that included managing the agency’s operations in Europe and leading the Tzomet Division, the unit responsible for Israel’s global network of secret sources. In 2013, Netanyahu appointed him as head of the National Security Council, and three years later, he became the head of the Mossad, according to N12 news.