“The Sword of Freedom : Israel, Mossad, and the Secret War” by Yossi Cohen
Book post that I received from the publisher. Interestingly enough, it came along with Israel on the Brink : Eight Steps for a Better Future by Ilan Pappe. Both the books (published by HarperCollins India) are filled with details about Israel and Palestine. It is challenging for a lay reader to make sense of it beyond gleaning what lies on the surface. Dialogue is urgently required. If books can help achieve it, then why not? Perhaps each side will pick up books about the opposite side and read it in quiet and come to their own conclusions. Hopefully, constructive dialogue rather than othering will be the positive impact.
Book blurb
This book unveils the clandestine strategies that have enabled Israel to not just survive but flourish since its founding in 1949, despite being surrounded and attacked by deadly adversaries. The Sword of Freedom is an eye-opening insider’s look into Israel’s transformation from a beleaguered nation to a formidable presence on the global stage.
Israel’s prosperity is rooted in smart strategies, carefully chosen alliances, and a society-wide understanding that there is no Plan B for the Jewish people. “It’s the job of the Israeli defense establishment to do whatever it can to put off the next war for as long as possible,” the author explains, “including using covert means.” Drawing from his vast experience in intelligence and national security, the author chronicles how Israel has consistently turned adversity into opportunity, brilliantly leveraging limited resources to maximum effect, using a range of strategies including:
Questioning all information from all sources.
Yossi Cohen served as the director of the Mossad from 2016 until 2021. As director, he personally orchestrated some of the Mossad’s most daring operations, such as the seizure of the Iranian nuclear archives—the exposure of which was among the main factors behind the United States’ withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal—and clandestine activity all over the world. In 2020, Cohen led the negotiations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. His unique work with these countries, and the important connections he forged with them, played an important role in the signing of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords. He is now the head of SoftBank Investment Advisers in Israel. Cohen and his wife, Aya, live in Israel, and are blessed with four children and eight grandchildren.
19 Oct 2025
