Jerusalem — Spying is getting harder because the same technologies that catch terrorists can sometimes uncover foreign intelligence operations, the director of Israel’s Mossad said on Monday. Joseph (Yossi) Cohen delivered rare public remarks at a budget conference held by Israel’s Finance Ministry. That suggested he may have emerged from the shadows to safeguard the funds and personnel allotment that, according to Israeli daily Haaretz, have made Mossad “the second-largest spy organisation in the West” after the US Central Intelligence Agency. Cohen described Mossad as the tip of Israel’s spear against threats like Iranian nuclear and missile projects and Iranian backing for Palestinian Islamist Hamas militants. But, outlining challenges to covert Mossad officers such as facial recognition technology and digitally enhanced identification documents, he said: “Everywhere we go, we have to take into account the fact that security services are getting stronger. “For normal people, this...

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