THE MOSSAD FILES with Dan Raviv
From the co-author of the best selling book, "Every Spy a Prince: The Complete History of Israel's Intelligence Community," and the more recent non-fiction, "Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret Wars," this is a weekly podcast series -- delivering insights into the volatile events of the world's most fascinating region: the Middle East.
Dan Raviv was a foreign correspondent and Washington radio anchor for CBS News for over 40 years -- much of that career in the Tel Aviv and London bureaus. He and Yossi Melman wrote 5 books about Israeli espionage, security, and diplomacy. Yossi helped launch THE MOSSAD FILES podcast in February 2025.
Each week, joined by well-informed guests, Dan discusses the latest developments involving Israel, its security agencies, Palestinians, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and how the United States and other countries are involved. Inevitably, the turmoil of Israeli politics creeps into the conversation.
The most recent Raviv-Melman book is a history of the Mossad and the other security agencies, with chapters ranging from "Stop Iran!" to considerations of Israel's future. The book is SPIES AGAINST ARMAGEDDON. To purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Spies-Against-Armageddon-Israels-Updated/dp/0985437898/ref=sr_1_1
Our aim is to illuminate parts of the Middle East's unending drama that are often misunderstood. We look forward to your comments -- on Facebook (Dan Raviv) or on X (@DanRaviv), and we will occasionally post Video Extras. Happy listening!
THE MOSSAD FILES with Dan Raviv
Netanyahu "Paranoid," but Hear Him Tell Details of Beating Hezbollah and his Gaza "Plan"
Dan analyzes the mud-slinging feud between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the head of the domestic security/intelligence agency Shin Bet, Ronen Bar. Bar finally agreed to step down, as of mid-June. A win for Netanyahu? Maybe.
We hear a former Shin Bet director describe Netanyahu as "paranoid."
The prime minister himself told some stories to the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, including new details of the Mossad operation that planted explosive pagers and walkie-talkies on thousands of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon -- and how he decided to green-light the airstrike that killed Hezbollah's leader, Sheikh Nasrallah, last September.
You'll also hear Netanyahu tell the Jewish News Syndicate event the minimum terms he'd accept for a U.S.-Iran deal to limit the Iranian nuclear program. As for the Gaza Strip, he says Israel will maintain military control -- and otherwise does not clarify what Arab or other foreign forces he would accept as administrators. The Palestinia Authority, based in the West Bank? Netanyahu says no.
We also hear a former U.S. ambassador, Tom Nides, explain why the Biden administration -- same as Barack Obama's White House -- did not trust Netanyahu.
Please comment on X at @danraviv. Also on BlueSky, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Dan's most recent book -- with Israeli espionage/defense expert Yossi Melman -- about the Mossad and Israel's other security agencies is "Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret Wars" -- You may purchase it at http://bit.ly/41j1Sc3 in Kindle or paperback (and on all e-book platforms).
AND ANOTHER BOOK: Dan Raviv is co-author of a new book -- with world-renowned social psychologist Prof. Arie Kruglanski -- "The Quest for Significance: Harnessing the Need that Makes the World Go Round." It explains how every person has a need for respect and dignity, and the book advises how you can find what's important to you -- and figure out all the people around you, to give them a measure of Significance ... and then they typically will reflect some back at you. That's called a win-win. To buy: https://amzn.to/3Y2cawj
(You can watch or listen, also, to THE QUEST FOR SIGNIFICANCE PODCAST series.)
Our music for THE MOSSAD FILES podcast is Clock is Ticking, by Braden Deal, from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/braden-deal/clock-is-ticking -- License code: YY2MEPOUFX6P7MIH.