Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
After stepping down last week, Yossi Cohen as the former head of the intelligence agency Israel, Mossad, continues to be in the spotlight for its controversial statements, one of which is its confusion over its stance United States of America to China.
“I don’t understand what America wants from China. If anyone does, please explain to me. China is not against us and is not our enemy,” Cohen was quoted as saying. Haaretz last week.
Cohen made this statement amid increasing US pressure on China under President Joe Biden.
Just like Donald Trump, Biden has also taken a number of crackdowns on the Chinese economic entity, although he lifted the ban on TikTok and WeChat.
According to Cohen, the US had also urged Israel not to allow China to interfere in the 5G network program being developed in the country.
The US also opposes China’s infrastructure cooperation in Israel, including the tunnel project in Haifa, the railroad in Tel Aviv, and the expansion of the Haifa Port.
According to Cohen, Washington is concerned that China’s presence in the Haifa Port could increase the potential for surveillance, including gathering information on Israeli-US operations.
The US even offered to cooperate in a security review at the Port of Haifa. However, Israel rejected the offer because it was not important.
“Security warnings about China are farce and insane. If they wanted to gather intelligence, they could simply rent an apartment in Haifa instead of investing in the port,” a government source told reporters. Haaretz in 2019.
A source in the Israeli transportation industry also said, “China just wants to get involved, and their efforts are more political than economic, namely to create a very limited Chinese presence in Israel than in other parts of the world.”
So far, the US is known as a close ally of Israel. Cohen’s statement, which was made openly, even made a number of parties frown.
After making this statement, Cohen was again in the spotlight for revealing the Mossad’s operations so far against Iran’s nuclear program.
In an interview with Channel 12’s investigative program, Cohen leaked various operations, including the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and the recent sabotage of the Natanz nuclear site.
Cohen considers Israel’s efforts to prevent Iranian scientists from impacting the country’s nuclear program.
He also said some of the top scientists had left their jobs after receiving warnings, even indirect ultimatums by Israel.
“If those scientists want to change their careers and don’t want to hurt us again, then, yes, several times we offer them a way out,” Cohen said in the interview.
Cohen also described various other operations, including the theft of files on Iran’s nuclear program which were then sent to Tel Aviv.
“It is important for us for the world to see this and tell Iran that, dear friends, first, you have been infiltrated; second, we are spying on you; and three, the era of lies is over,” Cohen said.
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