In the video: Acceptance of the Shabbat of the families of abductees at the Tel Aviv Museum/according to section 27A
Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen was not appointed as the prime minister's envoy, neither on the issue of abductees nor on any other issue, a diplomatic source said Sunday evening. According to the source, Cohen approached Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the beginning of the war and "asked to convey to him a message from an Arab leader. The prime minister accepted the message but instructed him to work under the current Mossad chief Barnea. Parallel axes can complicate matters."
According to the source, the prime minister sent Cohen "on point" for one meeting with an Arab leader and afterwards, all the rest subject to the head of the Mossad. The source added, "It is the Mossad chief who is conducting the talks on the release of the hostages with Qatar, together with the intelligence headquarters of Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. They report to the War Cabinet."
"Parallel axes can complicate matters." Yossi Cohen/Flash 90, official website
Cohen, who served as head of the Mossad, and before that head of the National Security Council under Prime Minister Netanyahu, was considered his confidant for years, but since his term ended in 2021, relations between them have cooled. Since the establishment of the government, Cohen has begun to work on his own initiative with leaders in the Gulf states and other countries on the issue of abductees and missing persons, and other issues related to the day after the war in the Gaza Strip. He meets regularly with the families of the abductees and missing persons and was also interviewed about his activities in the media, where he says that he acts with the authority and authority of the prime minister and that he has a defined role. Some media reports even reported that he had been appointed special envoy to the prime minister, which was denied today by the political source.
Cohen's vigorous activity also drew criticism from the Mossad, which issued an unusual statement last night clarifying that the head of the Mossad is the only authority authorized to negotiate the abductees and missing persons in Gaza. A statement issued through the Prime Minister's Office said, "There is only one official delegate managing the release of the hostages. Any other party claiming to have a connection to this is not authorized to do so." The announcement was made shortly after Cohen said in an interview with Channel 12 News that he was "fully coordinated with the head of the Mossad and we continue to try to identify operational-intelligence opportunities for the release of hostages."
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