Israeli Economic Minister Eli Cohen. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

JNS.org – Israeli Economy Minister Eli Cohen on Sunday suggested that Israel had issued warnings about specific terror plots to some 30 countries in 2017.

“You all heard last week that Australia got a phone call from the state of Israel [warning that terrorists] intend to blow up a plane,” Cohen said, referencing recent news that Israel prevented an Islamic State terror attack in August in Australia.

“Actually, 30 countries got phone calls from Israel in 2017, in which Israel called them and said: You need to know this and that, in this and that place, pay attention, there’s going to be an attack.”

The statement by Cohen appears to indicate that a number of countries worldwide rely on Israeli intelligence to provide security to their citizens.

Cohen’s revelation during his speech at a law conference at Tel Aviv University was broadcast Monday morning on Israeli Army Radio.

However, Cohen’s statements were questioned by Environmental Protection Minister Ze’ev Elkin, a member of the high-level security cabinet, who told Army Radio that Cohen is not a member of the security cabinet, and therefore is not privy to security and intelligence information.