Yossi Cohen, former head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, engaged with Donald Trump’s transition team after the 2016 election and played a significant role in a key foreign policy initiative of the Trump administration during the 2020 election year.1 However, there is no public evidence to suggest he had a direct role in either of Trump’s presidential campaigns.
In late 2016, following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election, Yossi Cohen, in his capacity as the Director of Mossad, met with members of the President-elect’s transition team. These meetings, reportedly directed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, involved briefing the incoming administration on critical security issues. This interaction was part of the official engagement between the Israeli government and the new U.S. administration, focusing on intelligence and policy matters rather than campaign activities.
During the 2020 election year, Yossi Cohen was a central figure in the normalization of relations between Israel and several Arab nations, a diplomatic achievement known as the Abraham Accords.2 This initiative was a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East. Cohen’s involvement included a notable visit to the United Arab Emirates following the announcement of the normalization agreement.3 While these efforts aligned with the Trump administration’s objectives and were highlighted as a major success during the election season, Cohen’s role was that of a foreign intelligence chief advancing his country’s interests in cooperation with the U.S. government, not as a participant in a political campaign.
