Dan reports there's a lot going on, when it comes to Israeli intelligence, security, and politics.  There's a rare statement from the Mossad, on why its director met with Qatar. Arab news media claim a kidnapping in Lebanon by the Mossad. 

And -- the next big strategic event for Israel: Prime Minister Netanyahu will visit President Trump at Mar-a-Lago for talks on December 29.   Netanyahu (according to Senator Lindsey Graham, heard in the podcast) wants a green light to strike Iran.

But there are indications that Trump will push Netanyahu to speed up execution of the Trump plan for peace in Gaza.  Dan's primary interviewee is Nimrod Novik, Distinguished Fellow at Israel Policy Forum (IPF), who says -- writing for IPF and for Commanders for Israel's Security -- that Trump should put pressure on Netanyahu at the Florida meeting.  An open effort by Israelis to see a foreign leader twist the arm of Israel's leader.

Please comment on X at @danraviv. Also on BlueSky, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Dan's most recent book -- with Israeli espionage/defense expert Yossi Melman -- is a low-priced e-book, "Target: Iran -- How the Mossad Penetrated Iran to Smash the Nuclear Program." For Kindle: https://levantbooks.short.gy/hGLRKs

Also the Raviv-Melman history of the Mossad 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: Dan Raviv is co-author of a new book --with 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 figure out yourself and the people around you, to give them a measure of Significance. 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.