Netanyahu thanks Mossad chief for purchasing coronavirus medical gear

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Mossad director Yossi Cohen on Sunday evening and thanked him for his time leading the joint procurement command center, ahead of its transfer to the Health Ministry on Tuesday. During his time leading the command center, Cohen was responsible for purchasing massive quantities of medical supplies and personal protective equipment as a part of Israel's fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Netanyahu summed up Cohen's performance over the past two-and-a-half months, saying 'Iwant to thank you first. I charged you, Yossi, along with the Defense Ministry, to handle procurement and stocking. You've done it exceptionally well – the results speak for themselves. 'We are currently passing the torch, we do not know what a day child, we do not know what the next day, or the next month, will bring. Since you have acquired the experience, remember it, we may need it again. The citizens of Israel and I thank you for your excellent work.' Despite Netanyahu's praise, the Mossad received heavy criticism for its purchases in late March after a covert operation accidentally brought 100,000 incomplete coronavirus test kits to Israel from an unidentified Gulf state. The Jerusalem Post confirmed that tests had been purchased with consent from both sides, but lacked the chemical reagents needed to perform a full test. Al Jazeera quoted a source at Reuters who said the kits came “from one of the Gulf states” that do not recognize Israel “but coordinates with it at low level on issues related to security challenges in the region, such as Iran.” In the last few years, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have had some contact with Israel, although ties have not been formalized. The reagents that were missing from the tests would only arrive over three weeks later, in a shipment from South Korea. Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman and Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this article.

Netanyahu thanks Mossad chief for purchasing coronavirus medical gear

The Mossad received heavy criticism for its purchases in late March after a covert operation accidentally brought 100,000 incomplete coronavirus test kits to Israel from an unidentified Gulf state.

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Netanyahu thanks Mossad chief for purchasing coronavirus medical gear

The Mossad received heavy criticism for its purchases in late March after a covert operation accidentally brought 100,000 incomplete coronavirus test kits to Israel from an unidentified Gulf state.

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