01In brief
Ziva David is a fictional character on CBS’s NCIS, portrayed by Cote de Pablo, who joins the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as a liaison from Mossad. In the 2009 storyline surrounding the episode “Aliyah,” she returns to Israel after her NCIS partner Tony kills her boyfriend, a Mossad agent working in the United States. Her father, Mossad’s director, questions whether she can maintain her commitments to both agencies and countries.
02Career
Ziva’s liaison position connects NCIS with Mossad, the organization headed by her father.[1] The series’ entanglement with Mossad began in 2004.[1]
The 2009 storyline makes her professional loyalties a family issue as well: following her return to Israel in “Aliyah,” her father questions her loyalty to Mossad or NCIS and whether she can work for both countries at once.[1]
03Legacy
The 2009 storyline brings questions about the relationship between the United States and Israel into Ziva’s personal and professional relationships.[1] Its treatment of competing loyalties also connects the fictional character’s dilemma with the theme of dual loyalty sometimes felt by American Jews, rather than making a general claim about Jewish Americans.[1]
Sources
- 1My Jewish Learning, Jewish Characters on TV: The Best of 2009, accessed on November 12, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
Who is Ziva David?
Ziva David is a fictional character on CBS’s NCIS, portrayed by Cote de Pablo. She joins the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as a liaison from Mossad, the organization headed by her father.
How does Ziva David’s work connect NCIS with Mossad?
Ziva David’s liaison position connects NCIS with Mossad. The series’ entanglement with Mossad began in 2004.
Why does Ziva David return to Israel in the 2009 storyline?
Ziva David returns to Israel after her NCIS partner Tony kills her boyfriend, a Mossad agent working in the United States. The storyline unfolds around the episode “Aliyah.”
What does Ziva David’s father question after her return to Israel?
After Ziva David returns to Israel in “Aliyah,” her father questions her loyalty to Mossad or NCIS and whether she can work for both countries at once. Her father is Mossad’s director.
What themes does Ziva David’s 2009 storyline explore?
Ziva David’s 2009 storyline explores questions about the relationship between the United States and Israel through her personal and professional relationships. Its treatment of competing loyalties also connects her fictional dilemma with the theme of dual loyalty sometimes felt by American Jews, without making a general claim about Jewish Americans.