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Netanyahu thanks Mossad for critical work during height of pandemic

The joint procurement command center led by the Mossad oversaw the massive acquisition of medical equipment and vital protective gear.

By World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Mossad Director Yossi Cohen for leading the joint procurement command center during the height of the corona crisis on Sunday evening, ahead of its transfer to the Health Ministry on Tuesday.

The joint procurement command center led by the Mossad oversaw the massive acquisition of medical equipment and vital protective gear as part of the fight against the corona epidemic.

The professional teams are currently overseeing an orderly transfer in order to maintain the activity as necessary.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “First of all, I would like to thank you. Yossi, I assigned you, along with the Defense Ministry, to deal with procurement and acquisition. You did this exceptionally well; the results speak for themselves.

“We are currently passing the torch. We do not know what the day will bring. We do not know what the month will bring. Having acquired the experience, remember it since we might need it again. Thank you very much, on behalf of myself and the citizens of Israel, for the excellent work.”

Mossad Director Cohen said at the ceremony, “Prime Minister, this Tuesday we will hold a ceremony to mark the orderly transfer of the entire matter, from A to Z, from the current heads of the command center to the Health Ministry.

“We have been involved in this campaign for over two-and-a-half months. We prepared – at your request – to assist the State of Israel regarding all matters of procurement and acquisition, and beyond that in all the limits that you are familiar with.

“On Tuesday, we will hand over management of the command center and this whole matter to the trusted hands of the Health Ministry,” the Mossad director said.

The Mossad helped Israel obtain crucial health equipment as the world was scrambling to do the same.

In a special operation on March 18, the Mossad brought into the country 100,000 coronavirus testing kits from overseas.

In late March, Netanyahu said, “There is fierce, wild and vicious competition around the world to acquire medical equipment – protective clothing, swabs and ventilators. We have established a national command center led by the head of the Mossad to handle medical procurement abroad and domestically.”

The Mossad also helped obtain ventilators which were in short supply at the time.