Former Mossad Chief: "We saved many lives in the UK, it is not safe there for Jews"
In an interview with the British podcast "The General and the Journalist," Yossi Cohen harshly criticized the UK, which should "support Israel - just as we supported them when they suffered from terror." He quoted the former head of MI5, who thanked him for "disrupting a huge amount of terror," and added: "I think the British government should do exactly the same."
"We saved very many lives on British soil," revealed former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen today (Friday) in an interview with the podcast "The General and the Journalist," produced by The Times of London. He argued that the British government is criticizing Israel incorrectly, stating:
"I think that Britain should strongly support the State of Israel — just as we supported you when you suffered from terror on your lands."
Cohen, who served as head of the Mossad between 2016 and 2021, criticized the British government's efforts to distance itself from Israel. Last month, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham publicly apologized for the Labour Party's actions at the end of 2023, saying: "I know that many people feel that at the beginning of Israel's military action in Gaza, my party did not get it right, and I am sorry for that. The response was too often not good enough. We need to do better." However, he also mentioned that he intends to consider sanctions against Israel, claiming the Netanyahu government is "trying to make the two-state solution impossible."
Cohen's response was sharp:
"Criticism is fine, but opposition to what we are doing is not fine. The State of Israel never initiated this war in Gaza. The terrorists did it; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad did it."
While intelligence sharing between Britain and Israel is long-standing, it is rare for a senior official to discuss it publicly. In the podcast, Cohen shared:
"I am quoting your former MI5 head who said, 'Yossi, you deserve an Oscar for what you did here. You disrupted a huge amount of terrorist activity inside Britain. Thank you very much for that.' I think the British government should do exactly the same."
The former Mossad chief explained that the British government must understand the reality of the threat: "You have a huge problem in Britain today. It is not safe to walk the streets of London or Manchester if you are a Jew." He argued that accusing Israel of genocide is "extremely bad politics" that ignores the practical security benefits Israel provides to British citizens. In 2025, lawyers representing the British government confirmed they had seen no evidence that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza or intentionally targeting women and children, noting that Israel makes consistent efforts to limit accidental harm to civilians.
