Dan's guest is Professor Eitan Shamir -- who had senior roles in Israel's Defense Ministry and Strategic Affairs Ministry. He is now head of the BESA Center at Bar-Ilan University. Shamir says, about Israel having to accept Donald Trump's decisions and timetable: "When you have a senior partner, there's a cost!" Is it reasonable to believe that Benjamin Netanyahu forced Trump into attacking Iran? And if Trump doesn't analyze complicated issues the way a strategic-affairs professor would, do y...
May 19
29 min
Dan's guest is Jonathan Tobin, the prolific Editor-in-Chief of JNS -- Jewish News Syndicate. In American politics, there's no doubt that Tobin is on the Right side of the spectrum. His analysis is clear and strong, as it increasingly emerges that Israel has a problem: a sharp decline in popularity and support in the United States. Tobin argues, as many do, that the unpopularity is mostly found on the Left. Enjoy the vibrant discussion and intelligent conversation. This is the 67th weekly epis...
May 14
29 min
Who's in charge in Iran? Who's left, after U.S. and Israeli air strikes killed top leaders? Is there really a chance that the Islamic Republic regime will fall? Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at FDD (Foundation for the Defense of Deocracies) and senior director of that think tank's Iran Program, answers Dan's questions -- and sheds light on how Iran's hardline regime seems to be standing up to U.S. pressure. This episode also features Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, insisti...
May 8
29 min
Dan plays audio clips from the annual Ceremony of Commendations at Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv, where spymaster David "Dedi" Barnea -- whose 5-year term as Director of the Mossad ends next month -- delivered hint after hint of what the spy agency has been doing in Iran and Lebanon. We then hear Elliott Abrams, longtime U.S. official in Republican administrations, analyzing the mysteries of war and peace in Iran -- including Donald Trump's communications flaws. Mr. Abrams, now at t...
May 2
29 min
As Israel celebrated its 78th birthday, Independence Day was preceded -- as every year -- by a somber Memorial Day in tribute to IDF soldiers killed in action and to victims of terrorism. Among the many speeches -- heard, in part, on this Mossad Files episode -- were strong statements by Mossad director David (Dedi) Barnea and his predecessor at the spy agency, Yossi Cohen. Israel's spymasters are pointing at more warfare expected, in Iran. Dan's guest is Marc Schulman, an American-bor...
Apr 24
29 min
Dan Raviv interviews Joel Rubin -- a Democratic Party strategist, former State Department official, who has a Substack called "The Briefing Book," focused on the nexis between foreign affairs and U.S. politics. Rubin says his fellow Democrats aren't giving enough credit to what could be good developments in the Middle East. After all, a majority of the party wants to cut-off U.S. military aid to Israel. But Donald Trump's statements claiming deals have been reached with Iran -- and perhaps e...
Apr 18
29 min
The start of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran was sudden, on February 28. The ceasefire that may have ended the war was sudden, just when Donald Trump was threatening to destroy Iranian civilization. A 39-day war (some call it "The 40-Day War") -- Was it worth it? Israelis are asking. And, in Tel Aviv, Israel Policy Forum distinguished fellow Nimrod Novik -- longtime senior advisor to the late Prime Minister Shimon Peres -- brings his detailed, clear-headed analysis to The Mossad Files....
Apr 10
29 min
Dan's co-author (on six books about Israeli intelligence and strategy) Yossi Melman breaks the news -- that the Mossad is no longer in charge of the overall Israeli plan for defeating Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missiles. As Israel prepared for war against Iran (with President Trump's full participation), Prime Minister Netanyahu gave the leadership to Aman -- the huge military intelligence agency, with a giant role for Unit 8200, the legendary SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) eavesdrop...
Apr 4
29 min
Dan's guest is Steve Herman, retired Voice of America correspondent who reported from the White House. He's the author of a new book "Behind the White House Curtain," on his career and why news coverage of the American president is so important. Together they assess the importance -- if any -- of knowing whether he's telling the truth or not: this week, whether the war the United States and Israel are waging against Iran really was about to end. Or get bigger. Please comment on X ...
Mar 27
29 min
Dan's guest is Danny Ayalon, who was Israel's ambassador in Washington in 2002-2007 and then served as Deputy Foreign Minister. They discuss how Israel is living its dream -- having full U.S. support for attacking Iran to destroy its nuclear program and its long-range missile arsenal. But could it become Israel's nightmare, if Donald Trump decides to end the war? Ambassador Ayalon offers a thorough and thought-provoking analysis, based on the history of U.S.-Israeli relations and Iran's histo...
Mar 20
29 min
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