TRIGGERnometry How We Got Iran's Nuclear Secrets - Ex Mossad Director Yossi Cohen
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Oct 1, 2025 
Yossi Cohen, the former director of Mossad from 2016 to 2021, shares insights from his tenure in one of the world's most notorious intelligence agencies. He discusses the high-stakes operation to seize Iran’s nuclear archive, revealing its implications for international diplomacy. Yossi also unpacks intelligence failures related to the October 7th attack, the mindset of undercover operatives, and the ongoing threats from terrorism, including the rise of lone-actor violence. He stresses the need for unity in addressing societal divisions.
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Intelligence Is The First Line Of Defense
- Israel's first line of defense is intelligence, and it can collapse without deep human presence on the ground.
- Yossi Cohen argues the Gaza intelligence gap made October 7 possible because Israel wasn't physically embedded there.
Offer To Reinforce Gaza Intelligence Rejected
- Cohen offered Mossad support to improve Gaza intelligence when he returned in 2016 and was rejected by military intelligence and Shin Bet.
- He says Mossad's undercover tools could have improved human intelligence inside Gaza but were not authorized to intervene.
Investigate Systems, Not Just Individuals
- Form a high-level investigative committee to diagnose systemic failures, not to assign individual blame.
- Cohen urges reform of intelligence roles and territory responsibilities to prevent future collapses.
