Israel's ex-Mossad chief had affair, disclosed secrets to woman, her husband: Report

Former chief of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, Yossi Cohen disclosed state secrets to a flight attendant with whom he was having an affair, and also to her husband, claimed an Israeli television report on Sunday. Channel 13’s HaMakor investigative program reported on 11 December that Cohen’s affair began in late 2018 and he bragged about various secret details from Mossad’s operations across the globe to the world. He reportedly used to provide both the woman and her husband with information on his global travel. 

Guy Shiker, a renowned personality in Israeli capital markets, and husband to the flight attendant who was not named told the program that Cohen “told lots of stories, including about Mossad.” Further describing the former Mossad chief, Shiker said, “He’s a blabbermouth. He started telling me that Mossad was ‘sitting’ on a doctor of a well-known Arab leader.” Shiker said that Cohen also shared the details about his management style. 

Shiker also said, “He [Cohen] told me, ‘When I was appointed to be Mossad chief, listen carefully, within 10 days, I fired six [top officials]… because they weren’t loyal to the system. They weren’t good. They thought I was their best friend when we were equals. The moment I was appointed [I fired them], without mercy.’”

Cohen denied sharing any secrets

As per the Times of Israel report, Cohen has denied sharing any secrets or security information that he was barred from doing so. In another clip from the program which was aired fully on Tuesday, Shiker said that Cohen would send his wife messages in which he referred to her as “my princess” and “my beauty”. Shiker said, “You love my wife, she loves you, you’re destroying a family right now.”

It is to note that the Tuesday program aired after Channel 13 reported in June that Cohen was suspected of sharing classified information with a flight attendant with whom he was in close personal contact. It was also reported earlier this year that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit was reviewing a complaint filed with the Israeli  Justice Ministry.

Cohen, however, has categorically rejected the allegations and told the network, “There is no flight attendant, there is no close relationship, the attorney general has not contacted me” about the complaint.