Today, Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed David Barnea as the new head of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad), a key and sensitive position in Israel that addresses external threats to it, especially from Iran.

Barnea, 56, who served as a combat soldier in the General Staff’s reconnaissance unit known as Sayeret Matkal, joined the Mossad in 1996. For 6 years (2013-2019) he served as commander of the “Tzumet” division responsible for recruiting spies. , Before he was appointed in 2019 as vice president of the agency, according to Israeli media.

During a ceremony marking the new appointment, Netanyahu hinted at steps Israel might take to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu said, "The first task entrusted to each of you and each of you (Mossad elements) is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. This is the supreme mission."

Barnea succeeds Yossi Cohen, who has led the Mossad since 2015. Cohen played a prominent role in reaching the recent normalization agreements between Israel and a number of Arab countries.

Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen played a major role in normalizing relations between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain (Reuters)

Cohen traveled to the UAE and Bahrain, with the United States brokering these agreements.

Reports also indicated that he accompanied Netanyahu during a visit to Saudi Arabia in 2020 to hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Riyadh denies that the meeting took place.

Cohen's name was linked to the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh months ago, although Israel has not commented on the incident.

Last December, Netanyahu announced that he had chosen a person identified as "D" as a replacement for Cohen, whose term expires in early June, but his appointment required approval by a ministerial committee.

With or without agreement

In a related context, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there may be a need to take courageous and independent decisions to ensure that Iran does not put an end to the existence of the Jewish people, as he put it.

He added in a tweet on Twitter that he greatly appreciates the role of Washington, which has been on the side of Tel Aviv for years, but indicated that in any case, Tel Aviv will not allow Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu emphasized that whether or not an agreement was reached, Tel Aviv would do everything for this goal, because the discussion revolves around the Israeli presence, he said.

The major powers have been meeting in Vienna since the beginning of last April in an effort to restore the United States again to the nuclear agreement signed in 2015, from which Washington withdrew unilaterally in 2018. The withdrawal of the administration of former US President Donald Trump and the subsequent re-imposition of sanctions led Tehran to withdraw from Some of its obligations under the agreement.

Israel strongly opposes the nuclear agreement with Iran, while the latter insists that its nuclear program is limited to peaceful purposes.