Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, at al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2019. [State Department Photo by Ron Przysucha]
Israel has seen improved relations with Saudi Arabia in recent years, with the Arab country allowing airlines to fly through its airspace on flights to and from Israel and is even considering allowing direct flights to Mecca from Israel for Israeli-Muslims making the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca.
In his remarks, Yossi Cohen implied that he might have inside information on the matter saying, “in my opinion, and here I am leaning on personal knowledge on the topic, it is absolutely possible [there will be peace between the two countries]. There is indeed in the Middle East a new era in which brave leaders know how to create normalization.”
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But Cohen also acknowledged that Saudi Arabia is concerned about how the rest of the Arab/Muslim world would react should it make peace with Israel saying, “They need to always check the temperature about whether the Muslim world will forgive them.”
There has been a great deal of speculation about Israel-Saudi relations since the implementation of the Abraham Accords in 2016. The Accords brought peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia’s fellow Arab gulf states the UAE and Bahrain One of the reasons for the improved relations is said to be the fear that the Sunni Arab Gulf nations have of their neighbor to the east the Shia, Persian, Muslim country Iran. In this way they share a common enemy with Israel.
The Institute for National Security Studies launches and engages in what it calls” innovative, relevant, high-quality research that shapes the public discourse of issues on Israel’s national security agenda, and provides policy analysis and recommendations to decision makers, public leaders, and the strategic community, both in Israel and abroad.”
Yossi Cohen served as the 12th Mossad Director, beginning his term on January 6, 2016. He was born in Jerusalem in 1961 and is married with four children, and has one granddaughter. Cohen began his career in the Mossad in 1983, served as a case officer in the HUMINT Division, and was promoted to head the division.
During his service, Cohen was awarded commendations and the Israel Security Award.
In 2011–2013, Yossi Cohen served as Deputy Mossad Director and Head of the Operations Directorate. In November 2013, he was appointed the Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor and Head of the National Security Council, and served in these functions until his appointment as Mossad Director.
