Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen this evening (Monday) referred to the deficit agreement that is being formed between Iran and the superpowers during an interview with Makor Rishon’s political correspondent Hoodia Choni Hazoni during the Makor Rishon conference on economics, society and innovation.
“This threat is less felt in the core of Europe, the main concern is ours as Israelis,” Cohen said. “Iran has engraved on its banner, we hear it morning and evening both by the spiritual leader and by the new president of Iran, who together with all the professional teams declare the aspiration to destroy the State of Israel. I do not worry, the State of Israel will not be destroyed. We can not be in a situation where Iran has the potential to go nuclear.
“In practice, what happened before the agreement of the previous administration, the administration of President Obama, when the first agreement was signed, the agreement left Iran with phenomenal nuclear capabilities. In practice, the enriching sites that concern us to this day have not been closed. This is the main concern, the Iranians have been given the written right in the agreement to develop even more advanced centrifuges than they had in 2015. This has led us to see at the intelligence level that Iran is constantly advancing its capabilities to reach that point, a threshold state. Scientists, the one that still exists in the recognized institute that works and exists. Scientists on behalf of the leader and the president continue to advance nuclear capabilities. This process shows us that acceleration is just a matter of Iranian decision. What does this mean? “It is coming to an end in terms of schedules. The agreement is about to expire. Then, Iran can, in principle, with capabilities built in the framework and under the auspices of the agreement, build even better capabilities in the field of enrichment and the institute will continue to serve.
Cohen added: “Therefore, when the effort was first to understand what Iran is doing, we brought intelligence this is how Iran looks and where it aspires, we realized that under the auspices of the agreement our situation is deteriorating, not improving. Iran’s situation in enrichment capabilities is improving. Unequivocally Iran lied, hid a lot of capabilities we did not know, operated secret sites we did not know, and the main problem with the agreement was that it was signed by a fraudulent operation.The Iranians are lying to the West.
“Another thing, within the nuclear agreement there is the ‘military dimensions’ component. Iran was asked before the wrath of the previous agreement to explain what you did. Iran claimed? We never had such capabilities. Iran will consciously lie.”
What was the plan after the withdrawal from the agreement?
“Iran is actually suffering from a certain softness during all the negotiations. Why did Iran come to the negotiations? Because there have been tremendous sanctions from the Obama administration. They did so because they thought it would save Iran’s economy and allow them to develop nuclear capabilities unhindered. The agreement was not rightly liked by President Trump and he decided to step out of it and re-apply the removed sanctions. This is the situation up to this very moment. A whole year with the Biden administration and the sanctions in place.
“We’re arguing at the moment, and I see that the current Rahm, which has returned to the nuclear deal in its format, is also a strategic mistake. I agree with what has been said. The US and the West and Russia and China should insist on the more dramatic nuclear deal with Iran.
“The bottom line, the starting point, is that Iran is enriching in vain. Unless it expects to use a military nucleus with enriched uranium, it has nothing to do with the uranium it is currently enriching. Under the agreement it is enriching and diluting. Why? No other reason known to us than the vision And the aspiration is to reach a nuclear bomb, according to its decision alone, and this thing cannot be accepted in the State of Israel. “
Turkey: Next month the president is expected to visit Erdogan. Should Israel condition the heating of relations on Hamas publishing?
“I am in favor of the new move. I think that after years of dual relations, because on the one hand there are diplomatic relations with Israel, they have deteriorated at the political level, I am in favor of returning our relations with the Turks to the right place. I believe Absolutely the presence of Hamas in Turkey.There have been moves on this issue in the past, they know our demands.
“Bottom line, the move is a right and required move. Turkey was truly one of our strategic friends in the region before the Abrahamic Accords. And it remained an important country, a member of NATO, a significant trader in front of us.”
The Ukrainian story: To what extent should Israel show identification with one of the parties?
“It is better to sit in the corner quietly. We sometimes have the ability to put our heads under the axes, not us. A very difficult and complex international campaign. I know the players well, maybe I can appreciate what Putin wants to do, what I saw this morning they agreed in principle Politically, it may solve the problem. I hope a proper diplomatic move will prevent war. This is certainly not Israel’s concern.
Politics: The Likud? Is there a place you aspire to?
“Not at the moment. I am in a completely business world, not in any political activity, not a member of any party. I really enjoy the fascinating life, especially in Israeli high-tech.”
Do you define yourself as a right-wing man?
“My home education is familiar to all of you, I was educated and grew up in religious Zionism, I am a bad tribe in Bnei Akiva. It may be an up-to-date right, the right itself is not a clear right that can be said at the moment what the more tolerant Zionist right is. For example, former Chief of Staff Einzkot mentioned that you wrote in the national security program when you were in the text of a Palestinian state as a future matter that would contribute to Israel.
“I do not know what the chief of staff referred to, I would be happy to talk to him. When we enter the discussion when there is really a patron on the other side it will be possible to discuss what exactly we want to do with the very complex issue.”
Should a Palestinian state be established?
“That’s not what I said. I need to update my views on this issue.”
In Munich yesterday, he sat in a panel with Defense Minister Ganz Bahrain’s deputy minister and spoke openly about cooperation with the Mossad. Something that happened before the Abrahamic Covenants. What can you tell about it?
“Nothing. I can only say, part of the Mossad’s role is to fight for the citizens of the State of Israel and a significant part of its role is to fight for peace. “To tell another country about our defeat, to show it that we are good people with whom peace agreements should be made. There is secret cooperation for the benefit of both parties.”
Avraham Agreements: You would have thought that signing with Saudi Arabia was a close matter. Why did it not happen?
“I still hope, a very significant wave started here. I want to assume that what my colleagues did with me at the institution until a few months ago continued. And that means the effort and striving for more peace agreements with anyone who is defined as a state of conflict, I’m convinced that this is the direction. “We can believe that this is happening and will continue to happen with other countries. Maybe also with Saudi Arabia within a reasonable period of time.”
At the previous conference, Ron Drummer, who was close to Netanyahu, called him Gulliver among dwarves. Do you share this view of Netanyahu?
“In my opinion, the former prime minister was a prime minister who saw in my eyes the two positions I held both in the text and in the institution, saw the State of Israel and its security at the top of his professional priorities. This is what I saw and I really appreciate it.
From a security point of view, is Israel in good hands today?
“Unequivocally yes.”