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David Barnea is going to walk softly and carry a big stick—or so he’s been saying to Mossad’s workforce and alumni.

The new head of Israel’s storied foreign intelligence agency recently sent a stern directive to its former senior intelligence officials: Keep your mouths shut until I say you can open them.

According to Yossi Melman, a veteran intelligence reporter for the independent Israeli daily Haaretz, Barnea warned former senior Mossad officials that he would punish anyone who speaks to the media, either on or off the record, about current or past Israeli spy operations without his prior permission. 

“Which he probably won’t grant,” Melman told SpyTalk.

In Israel’s closely-knit society, directives from the head of the Mossad apply to anyone in the agency’s orbit, including the so-called “formers.” Barnea’s omerta order most likely means the details of past Mossad operations will remain shrouded in secrecy under his leadership. It also suggests that the agency’s ba…