'Iran nuclear threat must be the top priority'

"The Iranian nuclear threat must be a top priority for both Israel and the world," incoming Mossad chief Yossi Cohen said in a speech he gave at the Or Etzion yeshiva last year.

Cohen, who currently serves as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser, was tapped on Monday to replace Tamir Pardo as the head of the Mossad in January.

Cohen, a graduate of Or Etzion, delivered an address to students there last year about security and intelligence affairs. In the wake of his appointment as the next Mossad chief, Cohen's speech has drawn new interest.

"The threat of conventional war is decreasing," Cohen told students. "Tank battles are not expected to happen in the next five years. There is not anyone to fight [tank battles] against. The Syrian army is almost nonexistent, the Jordanians won't fight us and Hezbollah does not have tanks. And Egypt is a country with which we have a peace treaty, which I hope will produce stability. So [Egypt] will not fight us state vs. state as it did in the past."

On the other hand, Cohen noted, the threat of asymmetrical warfare is on the rise. Cohen described the asymmetrical battlefield as follows, "We come with Merkava tanks and precision missiles to face off against terrorist groups -- this makes it very difficult to prepare the IDF for war."

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday morning outside his home, Cohen said, "I am very thrilled by the magnitude of this event and the importance of the nomination. ... I intend to do my utmost to bring good operations and good intelligence to the people of Israel, to do it quietly, modestly and with confidence."

Pardo, who has led the Mossad for the past five years, said on Tuesday, "I'm certain [Cohen] will know how to lead the Mossad with confidence, ingenuity and audacity."

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו