Former Mossad chief David Barnea to take top role at defense company

Former Mossad chief David Barnea is joining Ondas Defense Ltd. as global president and chairman, the NASDAQ-traded company announced on Monday. Barnea will focus on the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, where governments are accelerating investment in autonomous defense, counter-UAS, intelligence, and other systems. He served as Mossad chief from 2021 to 2026, overseeing operations including the exploding-beeper operation against Hezbollah and the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Former Mossad chief David Barnea is joining Ondas Defense Ltd. as its global president and chairman, the NASDAQ-traded company announced on Monday. The defense technology company said Barnea will focus on the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, where governments are accelerating investment in autonomous defense, counter-UAS, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, resilient communications, precision-strike, and ground robotic systems. Barnea, 61, said in the statement that "the nature of warfare is changing rapidly, as demonstrated by the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine." He added that "operational advantage increasingly depends on the ability to combine intelligence, artificial intelligence, resilient communications, autonomous platforms and precision capabilities into one coordinated operational environment." Barnea served as Mossad chief from 2021 to 2026, including during the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion, the subsequent wars against Hamas and Hezbollah, and the multiple Israeli bombing campaigns against Iran. He was credited with major operational successes, including the exploding-beeper operation against Hezbollah, the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and operations during the 12-day war against Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. He also played a major role in years of talks to release hostages held in Gaza. Before becoming Mossad chief, Barnea served in the spy agency for 25 years, including as deputy to then-director Yossi Cohen from 2019 to 2021. He was replaced by Roman Gofman in June. Barnea wrote a letter to the High Court arguing Gofman was unfit for the role, but Gofman was cleared to assume the position.