Former Mossad Commander Sagiv Assulin Reveals Existential Threat Behind His Sudden Departure

Sagiv Assulin, a former senior Mossad operative, has publicly disclosed the reasons behind his unexpected exit from Israel's top intelligence agency after 16 years of covert service. Assulin, who recently joined Channel 14 as a security analyst, explained in an interview that he left the Mossad due to what he calls an existential threat to Israel that extends beyond traditional military challenges.

Before joining Mossad, Assulin was a prominent public figure, serving as national student union chairman and head of the Likud youth wing. He also served as a Golani infantry soldier and officer in Lebanon until Israel's withdrawal in 2000. His transition to Mossad came somewhat unexpectedly through contacts in the Prime Minister's Office. Over his long career, he reached a rank equivalent to a brigadier general and lived a double life under multiple false identities, often spending 150 to 200 nights away from home annually.

Assulin's decision to leave the Mossad was catalyzed by the October 2023 events, which deeply affected his security perspective. He believes the real battlefield now is the "eighth front", a global war of consciousness and influence waged by radical Islam and progressive leftist forces, threatening Israel and Western values without firing a shot. He argues that Mossad's legal and operational limits prevent it from effectively combating this threat, especially in Europe and the US, where social media and political influence are key arenas.

He advocates for establishing a new national security body focused solely on this "consciousness and influence" front, operating under the Prime Minister's Office. Assulin has already presented parts of this plan to senior officials, emphasizing the need for strategic management and coordination across Jewish diaspora relations, non-Jewish Zionists, and global media. His move into the media spotlight is a strategic effort to raise public and leadership awareness about this critical security challenge.

Despite the personal sacrifices and difficulty leaving the Mossad, Assulin views his new role as a moral duty and a continuation of his lifelong mission to protect Israel. He stresses that Israel must lead by example in confronting antisemitism and ideological warfare globally. Assulin remains optimistic about Israel's ability to prevail and calls for turning rhetoric into concrete action to defend the Jewish people's consciousness and values.