Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen announced at a conference of the "Shurat HaDin" organization led by attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, which focuses on fighting antisemitism, that he "is not running for politics in the upcoming elections." According to Cohen, "When I was the head of Mossad, Prime Minister Netanyahu hinted that I would be his successor, I asked him if it was true and he said yes. My wife said 'we are not getting into this,' but everything changed after October 7 and there is a need for new leadership. So it cannot be completely ruled out, but the decision now is no."