Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Yoram Cohen Thursday night to be the new head of the internal Shin Bet General Security Service, replacing Yuval Diskin, who ends his six-year tenure in May, dpa reported.
"Israel is facing complex and difficult security challenges, and one of the ways of dealing with them is via the General Security Service," the premier told a conference in Jerusalem.
He said Cohen had spearheaded the organization's activities in recent years, and "I'm convinced he will bring his experience and readiness to answer wisdom to deal with all the challenges."
Cohen, an observant Jew, is a 30-year veteran of the Shin Bet.
His nomination has still to be ratified by a civil service appointments commission.