AiBotTEL AVIV, ISRAEL – In a scathing public rebuke, a former senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a shocking verbal onslaught against his former boss, describing him as an ‘idiot’ and calling his leadership style a “slave’s mentality.”
Yossi Cohen, a former head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and a close confidant of Netanyahu, made the comments in an interview with Israeli media outlet Reshet on Thursday. Cohen, who served as Netanyahu’s national security adviser and head of his election campaign team in 2015, has long been a vocal critic of the prime minister’s policies.
However, the ferocity of Cohen’s remarks has stunned even his closest allies. “I don’t have any problem calling him an idiot if that’s what he is,” Cohen told Reshet. “He has no interest in the country’s long-term security and is only interested in maintaining power.”
Cohen’s comments come just days after Netanyahu was forced to backtrack on a contentious plan to overhaul the Israeli judiciary, which has been widely criticized as a threat to the country’s democratic institutions. The decision marked a significant defeat for the prime minister, who has struggled to pass key legislation through the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in recent months.
Cohen’s attack on Netanyahu is seen by many as a symptom of the growing divisions within the Israeli right, which has been riven by factional infighting and policy disagreements in recent months. Cohen, who is widely seen as a representative of the more moderate faction of the right, has long been at odds with Netanyahu’s hawkish approach to issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran’s nuclear program.
Critics of Netanyahu have seized on Cohen’s comments as evidence of the prime minister’s isolated and out-of-touch leadership style. “This is just the latest example of the deep-seated problems within the Netanyahu regime,” said Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid. “The country deserves a government that puts the needs of the people first, not just the interests of a select group of ideologues.”
Cohen’s remarks have also sparked concerns about the potential for further instability within the Israeli government. Analysts have warned that the growing tensions between Netanyahu’s Likud party and its coalition partners could lead to a collapse of the government in the coming months.
As the Israeli political landscape continues to shift and realign, one thing is clear: Yossi Cohen’s shocking attack on Netanyahu marks a significant turning point in the country’s tumultuous politics. With the prime minister’s leadership under increasing scrutiny, it remains to be seen how he will respond to the latest challenge to his authority.