Mossad chief on quiet diplomacy mission with S Arabia, Gulf States

ISLAMABAD: Mossad chief Yossi Cohen has been credited with much of the quiet diplomacy between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, which has led to more public ties between Israel and those countries since 2017.

The leading Israeli media reported Sunday that Mossad Director Yossi Cohen marks the agency's ending its coronavirus related activity, is helping to moderate the opposition of Sunni Arab states to Israeli annexation, Israel’s KAN news reported and The Jerusalem Post confirmed Sunday night.

Though currently Cohen is reaching out to his contacts from Israel, he reportedly could travel to meet with various moderate Sunni Arab leaders in person in the near future.

Cohen has been credited with much of the quiet diplomacy between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, which led to more public ties between Israel and those countries since 2017.

The countries still do not hold official diplomatic relations.

The Mossad chief has worked with these states to help combat Iran and radical terrorism.

Israel has offered expertise in fighting terror, cyber and other areas. Cohen succeeded in getting some of those Gulf countries to quietly sell Israel medical supplies at the start of the coronavirus crisis.

In addition, Cohen was key in opening relations between Israel and Sudan.

Mossad has been important over the decades in clandestine contacts with countries, which would not dialogue with Israel publicly.

In the 1990s, Mossad chief Shabtai Shavit helped former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin open up relations with Indonesia, among other countries.