David Barnea

David Barnea
דָּוִד בַּרְנֵעַ
Barnea in 2023
Director of Mossad
In office
1 June 2021 – 2 June 2026
Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu
Naftali Bennett
Yair Lapid
Benjamin Netanyahu
Preceded byYossi Cohen
Succeeded byRoman Gofman
Personal details
Born (1965-03-29) 29 March 1965
Ashkelon, Israel
Children4
EducationNew York Institute of Technology (BS)
Pace University (MBA)

David "Dadi" Barnea (Hebrew: דָּוִד (דָדִי) בַּרְנֵעַ; born 29 March 1965) is an Israeli intelligence officer who served as the 13th director of the Mossad from June 2021 to June 2026. He succeeded Yossi Cohen and was in turn succeeded by Roman Gofman on 2 June 2026.[1][2] He left office in June 2026 and was succeeded by Roman Gofman.[3]

Early life and education

Barnea was born in Ashkelon and grew up in Rishon Lezion. His father, Joseph Brunner (Barnea), fled with his family from Nazi Germany and immigrated to Israel at the age of three, in 1933.[4] Joseph was a graduate of Yeshivat Hapoel HaMizrachi[a] in Bnei Brak and joined the Palmach at the age of 16. He fought with the Third Battalion of the organization in Nabi Yusha and Safed and then served as an officer with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. He was also a manager at Tadiran. His mother, Naomi, was born on board SS Patria and worked as a teacher and school principal.[5]

Barnea studied at the Military Boarding School for Command in Tel Aviv,⁣[6] and enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1983. He did his military service with the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal). He later studied in the United States, obtaining a bachelor's degree from the New York Institute of Technology and an MBA from Pace University. He then worked as a business manager at an investment bank in Israel.[7]

Career

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, President Isaac Herzog and David Barnea in December 2021
Barnea meets with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Israel on 19 January 2023

In 1996, Barnea joined the Mossad. He served in the Tzomet Division, commanding operational units in Israel and abroad. For two and a half years, he served as deputy head of the Keshet Division, which is tasked with infiltrating and monitoring targets. In 2013, he was appointed head of the Tzomet Division.[8] While Barnea ran Tzomet, four awards for Israeli national security were presented to the division. In 2019, he was appointed deputy head of the Mossad. In June 2021, he was appointed head of the Mossad.

After the beginning of Gaza war, Barnea pushed for a deal with Hamas to secure the release of Israeli hostages. On 9 November 2023, Barnea met with CIA director William J. Burns and Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha. The possibilities of a ceasefire and the release of hostages were discussed. In addition to Burns, Barnea was also included in the talks between US president Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the release of hostages.[9][10] Barnea prevailed against Netanyahu, who is said to have long preferred a purely military solution.[11] During 2024, Barnea continued to serve as a lead negotiator for Israel in indirect talks with Hamas to facilitate the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.[12] He coordinated high-level summits in Doha, Cairo, and Paris alongside Burns and mediators from Qatar and Egypt.[13][14]

In September 2024, Barnea oversaw a series of operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, including the 17 September, detonation of thousands of communication devices used by the group and the 27 September assassination of Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.[15][16][17]

Throughout this period, Barnea implemented a "Synergy Reform" within the Mossad, focusing on the integration of human intelligence with advanced technological capabilities, including artificial intelligence and cyber tools for operations targeting Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs.[16][17][18]

In June 2025, Barnea directed Mossad's involvement in Operation Rising Lion, a campaign targeting Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear infrastructure.[19] In July 2025, Barnea asked the US for assistance in persuading countries in Asia and Africa to accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza.[20] In December 2025, it was announced that Barnea would conclude his five-year term in June 2026, with Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman named as his successor.[21]

In the lead-up to the 2026 Iran war, Barnea reportedly assured Prime Minister Netanyahu that the agency could catalyze a widespread domestic uprising in Iran within days of the start of military operations. However, several weeks into the war, intelligence assessments from both Israel and the U.S. concluded that no such large-scale rebellion had materialized, leading to reports of frustration within the Prime Minister's Office.[22]

Personal life

Barnea is married and is a father of four. He has a Haredi brother.[23]

Notes

  1. ↑ The school was affiliated with the Hapoel HaMizrachi political movement.

References

  1. ↑ "Barnea takes over Mossad". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. ↑ Freiberg, Nava; Fabian, Emanuel (2 June 2026). "Gofman sworn in as Mossad chief; Netanyahu tells him to help bring down Iran regime". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  3. ↑ Freiberg, Nava; Fabian, Emanuel (2 June 2026). "Gofman sworn in as Mossad chief; Netanyahu tells him to help bring down Iran regime". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  4. ↑ Melman, Yossi; ProPublica, Dan Raviv for (7 August 2025). "The Man Running Israel's Intelligence Operation". ProPublica. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  5. ↑ אייכנר, איתמר (24 May 2021). ""ישר, מחוספס וצנוע": הכירו את ראש המוסד הבא". Ynet (in Hebrew).
  6. ↑ "דוד ברנע • עמותת בוגרי הפנימיות הצבאיות בחיפה ובתל אביב וידידיהן". עמותת בוגרי הפנימיות הצבאיות בחיפה ובתל אביב וידידיהן.
  7. ↑ "הותר לפרסום: דוד ברנע הוא ראש המוסד החדש". www.maariv.co.il. 24 May 2021.
  8. ↑ @yossi_melman (24 May 2021). "דוד (דדי) ברנע בשנות ה-50 לחייו הוא תושב ישוב בשרון ושרת כ-30 שנים במוסד" (Tweet) (in Hebrew) – via Twitter.
  9. ↑ "Nahost-Krieg: Wie der Geisel-Deal zustande kam". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "CIA, Mossad chiefs meet in Qatar as Israel-Hamas truce is extended". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Mossad-Chef Barnea: Der Mann hinter dem Hamas-Deal gilt als Netanjahu-Gegner". www.fr.de (in German). 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Magdy, Samy (4 January 2024). "Early Edition: January 4, 2024". Associated Press via Just Security. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Staff (15 January 2025). "Here are the key negotiators who helped get a Gaza ceasefire deal". Associated Press. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  14. ↑ Bob, Yonah Jeremy (28 July 2024). "Mossad Chief David Barnea's Rome Negotiations on Israel Hostage Deal". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  15. ↑ Bob, Yonah Jeremy (2 September 2025). "Mossad: Beeper explosions, Nasrallah assassination operations so successful bordering on 'fantasy'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  16. 1 2 Bob, Yonah Jeremy (21 September 2025). "David Barnea: Mossad chief revitalizing the Israeli intelligence network". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  17. 1 2 Staff, ToI (27 October 2024). "As Mossad head goes to Doha, Egypt proposes 2-day ceasefire for release of 4 hostages". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  18. ↑ Bob, Yonah Jeremy (21 September 2025). "No. 3: David Barnea: Mossad chief revitalizing the Israeli intelligence network". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  19. ↑ Staff, ToI (18 June 2025). "Quietly transforming Mossad, David Barnea paved the way for triumph in Iran". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  20. ↑ "Scoop: Israel seeks U.S. help on deals to move Palestinians out of Gaza". Axios. 18 July 2025.
  21. ↑ Bob, Yonah Jeremy (10 December 2025). "Mossad Chief Barnea announces new deputy director". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  22. ↑ Mazzetti, Mark; Barnes, Julian E.; Wong, Edward; Bergman, Ronen (22 March 2026). "Israel Thought It Could Spur Rebellion Inside Iran. That Hasn't Happened". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  23. ↑ "'Everything went silent': Mossad chief's Haredi brother recalls deadly Meron crush". Times of Israel. 27 December 2021.
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