Netanyahu picks deputy Mossad chief as next head of spy agency

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to tap the current deputy Mossad head as the spy agency’s next chief, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Netanyahu’s pick is not named in the statement — only identified by the first letter of his first name, Dalet — since Mossad officials aren’t usually named publicly unless they are formally appointed to head the organization. Until recent years, even the Mossad chiefs had tended to remain nameless in the press during their tenure, although the current head Yossi Cohen has long been publicly identified.

“Dalet” is “a Mossad member with much credit and experience,” the statement says.

The appointment must be confirmed by a special committee for senior appointments known as the Goldberg Committee.