Yoram Cohen’s major miscalculation cost himself and his agency credibility and capital
The latest developments in the operatic struggle between the two Israeli military-intelligence giants, the IDF and Shin Bet, has taken further twists and turns in the past 24 hours. Bibiton (aka Yisrael HaYom), which has the ear of the prime minister and perhaps even his writing hand, writes (Hebrew) today that Shin Bet chief, Yoram Cohen, should resign immediately. He has, in its view, embarrassed not just himself and his agency but the nation, with his unseemly assault on the Israeli army. The reporter says Cohen has “lost the trust of his bosses” in the Knesset, cabinet, and even in the prime minister’s office.
Though at the same time, he suggests that Cohen should learn the motto of his agency and protect while being unseen. So whether Cohen’s job is really in jeopardy is an open question.
But what is unprecedented is open warfare with blood running down the streets from this mortal combat between the two Israeli security monoliths. Conflict has always existed among these entities, sometimes even bursting forth into public view. But never in such a bold, brash fashion, using Israel’s most popular TV news magazine program to advance the agenda of the attacking party.
There once was a time in Israel when these battles were fought in cabinet rooms or in IDF headquarters. The struggle was always to advance the nation’s security and interests despite the war of wills among individuals. But in the age we now live in, generals and spy chiefs mobilize the media to sell themselves and their agenda. It’s become an age of personality and selling, rather than values. Yet another indication of the decline of the Israeli state.
Cohen has shot himself not just in the foot, but in a much more sensitive spot given this humble-pie eating statement Netanyahu forced him to release, which contained this lie:
It’s appropriate to stress that at no point did Shin Bet members claim, including those interviewed for [the Channel 2 Uvda] program, that Shin Bet passed on a warning of a war with Hamas in July.
In a letter to Shabak veterans, Cohen returned to the warpath with this unyielding statement:
We stand behind everything said on the [TV] program by our people. These things [they said] are absolutely accurate and reflect reality and the full chain of events. All the information offered by our people on the show was truthful and supported by hard evidence. We stand behind its [the program’s] integrity and our own authenticity and true professionalism.
In the blatant contradiction between these two passages, it’s hard to see how Cohen will be able to climb down from the tenuous position in which he’s placed himself and the Shabak.
Israel’s most popular media commentator, Nahum Barnea, has entered the field as well against the Shabak. He takes on one specific portion of the Uvdah program which featured a Shin Bet agent with the code name “Shiran.” To bolster the claim that the agency warned the IDF of Hamas’ intent to use tunnels to burrow into Israel, she tells the interviewer of an attack during Operation Protective Edge. In it, militants used a tunnel to penetrate Israeli territory. But Shiran claims the tunnel led directly to a border moshav called N’tiv Ha’Asarah and the attack was intended to kill civilian residents.
That’s news, Barnea says, to the moshav, which says there never was such a tunnel in their midst. In fact, the tunnel in question did enter Israeli territory, but never threatened any civilian target. Rather (though Barnea doesn’t say this explicitly), it was intended to attack a military target. This further bolsters the important note that during Protective Edge, while Israel was killing 1,800 Gaza civilians, Hamas made a point of refusing to use its tunnels to attack Israeli civilians. When its fighters had opportunities to attack civilians, they jeopardized themselves by waiting for a military target to attack.
I am by no means arguing that Hamas was an angel in this conflict. After all, it did fire missiles into Israel which killed five civilians. But compared to Israel’s behavior, Hamas’ was relatively benign. It largely defended its own territory. And contrary to the Shabak claims in Uvdah, it rarely tried to “take the fight to the enemy” and never attempted to conquer Israeli territory.
Not exactly on point, but the latest official count of Gaza casualties is NOT 1,800 but rather 1,568 (http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_protection_of_civilians_weekly_report_2014_11_07_english.pdf). They are both very high numbers that needs to be examined and investigated so I don’t understand why you had to write an inflated number! I doubt it is lack of knowledge.
@ Ariel: Al Mazan counted the deaths meticulously and since it is an independent Palestinian human rights NGO whose credibility is impeccable (except in Tel Aviv), I’ll trust their numbers rather than any you offer to counter. The UN has accepted Al Mazan’s figures as well.
Besides, this topic is OFF-TOPIC.
The most recent number I could find on Al-Mezan website is 1,666 (http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=19514&ddname=IOF&id_dept=9&id2=9&p=center). Off topic or not, Comment rule #3 ask for sources and links!
@ Ariel: Yeah right:
http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=19514
No more for you in this thread.
“Hamas made a point of refusing to use its tunnels to attack Israeli civilians”
A good joke for the weekend.
Why would Hamas use their tunnels to attack civilians when they were already attacking Israeli civilians with their rockets.
This continuous refrain of Hamas targeting civilians, the main propaganda weapon left to the hasbarists, never ceases to amaze me. Doesn’t it stand to reason that Hamas would very much prefer to hit where it hurts? Say the IDF-headquarters or the Shin Bet torture center? Or even Netanyahu’s private residence? Hamas doesn’t target civilians. The simple truth is that Hamas can’t target anything – yet.
The IDF, by contrast, boasts of having precision weapons and with these, surprise surprise, manages to kill mainly civilians and pulverise civilian structures. “It’s a hell of a pinpoint operation” said Kerry when he thought he was not being recorded.
@ Vita: Those rockets killed 2 Israeli civilians (mortars killed another). Compared to the 1,800 Gaza civilians murdered.
I strongly disapprove of hasbara snark. If you think you’re a wit, think again. Save it for your pals at whatever the hasbra watering holes you frequent.
@ Gilead: Care to offer a single instance in which Hamas attacked Israeli civilians using tunnels during Protective Edge???? If not, I’m afraid the joke’s on you.
The attempted attack on Kibbutz Sufa?
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/IDF-thwarts-13-Gaza-terrorists-from-attempted-infiltration-into-Israel-363133
In all fairness, we’ve not seen the unedited interviews. I read that the news station had edited out some very complimentary comments Shin Bet had made about the IDF’s performance during Protective Edge.
@ Vita: Yes, I’m sure Benny Gantz is heartened by the fact that Shin Bet may’ve said things that didn’t end up in the program. I’m sure Shabak can access those unedited interviews and offer them for viewing. Why don’t you check with your supervisor & let us view them?
The sad truth, for Richard, is that I’m not a trained, supervised hasbarist shilling for Mossad.
I’m just a poor schnook with too much time on his hands.
How could Hamas attempt ‘ ..to conquer Israeli territory..’??
… when the entire territory is Palestine; the Zionist/British imperial cuckoo being the invading dispossesser.
Unless you surrender to the Machiavellian morality of might is right, which is gangster ethics.
Peace can only come when the imperial powers admit their historic criminality and make restitution.
Breath-holding inadvisable.
Well in this internecine struggle between two Israeli heavyweights some heads may roll but institutionalised Israeli “intelligence” and its horrendous practices, sanctioned by the highest judicial body of the state, won’t disappear of course.
One of Israel’s most famous public intellectuals, the late Professor Yeshayahu Leibovitz, here speaks his mind about this like one of the Hebrew prophets of old:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM2fXTkjU2E
He doesn’t shy away from the N-word here as neither did Sir Gerald Kaufmann in the British House of Commons.
I don’t know whether they have been targeted by the Simon Wiesenthal Center for this. Max Blumenthal was when he merely quoted Leibovitz.