School of War Ep 278: Yossi Cohen on The Mossad
22 snips
Feb 27, 2026 
Yossi Cohen, former Mossad director and national security advisor, led daring clandestine operations and wrote The Sword of Freedom. He discusses joining and recruiting for covert work. He talks HUMINT vs tech, planning high-risk strikes, operations in Iran, and the moral and strategic choices behind clandestine actions.
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How Cohen First Joined The Mossad
- Yossi Cohen was recruited to the Mossad while studying in London and returned to complete an operational course, becoming one of the youngest certified operatives.
- He served 38 years including combat in the 1982 Lebanon war and later rose to deputy director and director.
Two Track Recruitment Model
- Mossad recruits two talent pools: Israeli nationals to operate abroad and non-Israelis recruited as agents via the HUMINT division.
- The agency combines direct Israeli operatives with locally recruited proxies to penetrate target environments like Iran.
Recruit For Resilience Not Just Skill
- Recruit operatives who are aware, brave, adaptable actors and can endure isolation and interrogation pressure.
- Train people to live multiple cover identities, withstand arrest, and operate without local defense support.
