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Mossad Director Eli David
Played By: Michael Nouri
"Tell me, Leon. Are we winning?"
Ziva's father and head of the Mossad. He is utterly ruthless in his pursuit of Israel's enemies, often using the same illegal tactics as them to hunt down and kill them.
- Abusive Parents: He uses his own children as tools in his schemes. One (Ziva) ends up killing another (Ari Haswari) and on Eli's orders.
- In season 7, it's revealed that, despite having already lost two of his three children, he sends sole-survivor Ziva on a very risky and potentially deadly assignment that results in her captivity and lengthy torture at the hands of a terrorist.
- Accidental Public Confession: Performs one because Tony goaded him not just on Ari turning traitor but an apparent habit for his agents to go rogue in general. He admits none of his men ever do something without his say, including the one Tony just killed in self-defense. The second worst part for Eli, first being Ziva saw this, is Tony was originally being interrogated by him and the guy turned it around without Eli realizing it.
- Alas, Poor Villain: As much of a scumbag as he was, his death is still heartbreaking, especially how Ziva cradles his corpse and starts sobbing and chanting in Hebrew.
- Fatal Flaw: Patriotic Fervor.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Nobody likes it when Eli David comes knocking in person. About the only person that might actually be personable with him is Vance, and mostly because of the positions of their work drawing them together often; everyone else wants to either keep Ziva away from him, or expect no small amount of trouble to come with his arrival. His assassination may give him an Alas, Poor Villain moment, but it can't be said that it was unexpected.
- He Who Fights Monsters: Eli is easily as bad as the terrorists that he fights, to the point that he drives his own son into becoming one.
- Iconic Sequel Character: Does not appear in the show until the Season 6 premiere.
- Kick the Dog: In "Good Cop, Bad Cop", he actually tries to have Ziva slapped with a Frame-Up via one of her own trusted allies to get the excuse for her to be extradited back to Israel over the death of a Marine. It genuinely shakes her faith in her father, as she knows he has a Moral Myopia but thought he wouldn't subject her to it quite like this. And then he steps that one up in the same season.
- Moral Myopia: He has repeatedly violated Israel's treaties with the USA by ordering operations on US soil, which have resulted in Mossad agents killing a number of American federal agents. When Tony is forced to kill a Mossad agent who resisted being arrested for the murders he committed under Eli's orders, Eli treats it as a horrible offense against Israel by the USA and tries to have Tony extradited.
- Mundane Object Amazement: He thinks Combos are the coolest things ever."This is incredible. Pretzels with peanut butter inside. This is American ingenuity."
- Redemption Equals Death: To what extent is arguable, considering that before his death, he murdered a witness to his entry into the US as part of his "redemption".
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: He shows weariness with the world of intrigue with every breath.
- The Unfettered: He'll do anything, anything, to ensure that Mossad and Israel come out on top. He wants to be a father, but he genuinely trained Ari as something of a sheer bastard of a Child Soldier, did the same to Ziva to a less harsh degree, and acted immensely aloof while trying to manipulate every single ally he has to his advantage.
- Was It Really Worth It?: "Tell me, Leon. Are we winning?" His actions ultimately turn both of his children against him.
Michael Rivkin
Played By: Merik Tadros
- Badass Israeli: Tony was only able to kill him by virtue of the fact that he was extremely drunk, and even then he put up a hell of a fight.
Malachi Ben-Gidon
Played By: T. J. Ramini
Ilan Bodnar
Played By: Oded Fehr
Eli David's former protege, and the one responsible for having him killed.
- Batman Gambit: He knew that NCIS would analyze the background of his video chat with Ziva, so he put up a false background to divert authorities away from him.
- Et Tu, Brute?: From Ziva — Eli never had the chance to find out.
- Sibling Rivalry: Played with. Though Bodnar isn't actually related, Ziva always resented him because she felt like he was trying to be Eli's son.
Orli Elbaz
Played By: Marina Sirtis
Eli David's replacement as the head of Mossad. She doesn't get along with Gibbs right out of the gate.
