Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, who served for five years under ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has shared during his lecture at Bar-Ilan University that he couldn't comprehend why the US is taking such an antagonistic position towards China. He further said that he doesn't understand what the US is trying to achieve by this policy.
"I do not understand what the Americans want from China. If anyone understands, they should explain it to me. China isn’t against us and is not our enemy", Cohen said.
The former spy chief, who has been actively communicating with not only students but also the press despite his recent departure from Mossad, specifically questioned the usefulness of the US efforts to determine whether the COVID-19 virus was manmade in China.
US President Joe Biden stated last month that American spy agencies could not come to a unified conclusion regarding the theory that the coronavirus was produced inside a Chinese laboratory and accidentally released. He ordered the agencies to conduct an extensive probe into the matter and come up with a final verdict on the matter.
The idea sparked harsh criticism in China, which strongly denies the allegation of the virus originating in one of its labs.
Israel has previously had disagreements with the US regarding China even prior to Cohen's lecture. The two have extensive trade ties and Tel Aviv has even expressed interest in taking part in Beijing's Road and Pelt initiative under which China will invest in Israel's Haifa Port. Washington has expressed concern that China's presence in the port might compromise American-Israeli joint operations. However, Tel Aviv has brushed off such concerns as unsubstantiated.
