Israel's spy agency Mossad appoints first-ever woman Director of Intelligence Authority

In a historic development, a woman has been appointed as the Director of the Intelligence Authority of the Mossad - the national spy agency of Israel. The Mossad said in a statement that a woman has been appointed to the agency's top position of director of intelligence for the first time ever. The Israeli spy agency stated in a press release that there are now two women in significant roles at the organisation, with the second one already holding a crucial position as the head of the Iran desk, The Times of Israel reported. 

The pair are the first women to hold these positions in the history of the Mossad, and are only identified by their first initials in the Hebrew language - 'Aleph (A)' and 'Kuf (K).' The Israeli embassy in India also took to Twitter to announce the "historic appointment." "A historic appointment! Agent "A" became the first woman in Mossad's history to hold the position of Director of the Intelligence Authority. Mazal Tov, Good Luck! [sic]," it wrote on Twitter. 

As per a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, Aleph has vast experience of working for the intelligence department for about 20 years. The statement further noted that in her new role, she would also be in charge of developing the strategic intelligence picture at the national level on a variety of topics, such as the Iranian nuclear programme, international terrorism, and the normalisation of relations with the Arab world. 

Mossad chief hails historic appointment

Further, agent 'A' would also be in charge of overseeing hundreds of staff members who work in the fields of intelligence collection, analysis, and research, as well as responsible for intelligence in all of Mossad's activities. "I will utilize this distinguished platform to call on women to realize their potential and influence in the security establishment, particularly the combat or technological units, in order to continue making their mark," Aleph stated, The Times of Israel reported. Meanwhile, Mossad chief David Barnea hailed the move, saying that men and women are treated equally once they enter the gates of the organization.

Image: Twitter/@yairlapid/@IsraelinIndia