On that day, US President Donald Trump made a bombshell announcement. The United States accuses Iran of secretly developing its nuclear bomb, despite an agreement signed in 2015. Donald Trump was hostile to this agreement from the beginning, but to break it, he needed arguments. To prove that Iran was not respecting its commitments. And it was Mossad, the Israeli foreign intelligence service, that helped him. A week earlier, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, held a spectacular press conference in Tel Aviv, at the Mossad headquarters. In February 2018, spies from the Israeli agency reportedly discovered the top-secret location
of a warehouse in the suburbs of Tehran. Warehouse in which all the archives of the Iranian nuclear program were stored. But from the inside, it was the secret of Iran's atomic archives, locked away in huge files. In one night, Mossad agents reportedly managed to enter the building, steal more than 500 kilos of highly confidential equipment, and return to Israel without alerting the Iranians. In reality, none of these documents call into question the 2015 agreement. They only prove that Iran lied about its nuclear activities until the early 2000s. But the Mossad operation, which mobilized around a
hundred agents for months, is so spectacular that it proves once again the effectiveness of the Israeli intelligence service and its impact on the course of world events. This is a fantastic plot twist. It sends a message to everyone. We are aware of everything. Anything is possible. Anything is possible. The Mossad is an intelligence service that carries out a huge number of operations. In 99% of cases, nobody knows anything about it. It is a service that is known for its efficiency, for its ability to penetrate difficult environments, and that is also known for its mistakes. You
can steal, you can lie, you can fight, and in some extreme cases, you can kill. They have real survival interests and that's the main driving force behind Mossad. Add to that paranoid aspects, sometimes leaders who are really tough. It makes for a rather explosive cocktail. The existential threats facing the state of Israel include, in particular, Iranian power. Not being able to find the source of the problem must have been driving them crazy. This Professor Meshad had been chosen by Saddam Hussein to oversee the nuclear program. Three plastic charges exploded last night, destroying a very large
batch of components intended for the nuclear industry. And even though this is a terrible, immoral, unpleasant thing, there is nothing we can do about it because we are at war. It was a very complex operation because it was necessary to find the person capable of carrying out such a mission. They felt they had a mission, they felt they were building a country, and they believed in the righteousness of their cause. It is June 1948. Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion has summoned a handful of intelligence men for a secret meeting in Tel Aviv. The Jewish
state has existed for only a few weeks and is already at war, attacked from its very creation by a coalition of neighboring Arab countries. The State of Israel was to be declared on May 14, 1948, and the following day, Arab states that rejected the United Nations decision are invading the territory that was allocated to the Jewish state. During this war of liberation, it became clear that intelligence was failing to provide the information the army needed. The lack of military intelligence became very alarming because we were facing regular armies. These were no longer the usual clashes
with the Palestinians. Ben Gurion concluded that all intelligence services needed to be reorganized. It was decided during this meeting to form three bodies. A domestic intelligence service, a military intelligence service and a final one that would be dedicated to espionage and information gathering outside the borders of Israel. The idea was that we should establish a virtually global organization. Because the interests of the State of Israel were not only within these borders, which were very limited at the time, but also in neighboring countries, the large and influential countries. And obviously this organization would have a duty
to protect Jews worldwide. By the time these new services were organized, Israel had won the war. The Jewish state has managed to expand its territory by appropriating land deserted by the Palestinians. But part of Jerusalem is now occupied by the Jordanians and the threat is still there. This war is experienced both as a victory and as a trauma. The fear of disappearing was ever-present. As Ben Gurion said, the Arabs can afford to lose often and start again. Israel cannot afford a military defeat. A few months later, the Mossad, the Institute for Intelligence and Special Affairs,
was officially created. Over the decades, it would become one of the most feared secret services on the planet. From the early years, he distinguished himself through spectacular operations that allowed the Jewish state to establish itself on the international stage. In April 1961, Israel was preparing to try one of the greatest Nazi criminals of the Second World War on its own soil. The logistics expert of the final solution, Adolf Eichmann. The audience is then broadcast worldwide. This can be described as a trial to make an example of someone. Almost an exhibition. The impact of the trial
on Israeli society was extraordinary. The trial was broadcast by public radio. There was no television in Israel at that time. And people went out, radios on their shoulders, to follow the ratings. The trial was broadcast live. The Holocaust has become a legitimate topic to discuss. which could be debated without shame. The Eichmann trial allows Israel to write a great page in its history. But it would never have happened without the intervention of the first agents of these secret services. Initially, Mossad only had a few dozen agents. It's difficult to compete with their counterparts in the
American CIA or the Soviet KGB. But their determination will propel them into the big leagues. In 1952, I became the commander of the operational unit. A third of the officers were Holocaust survivors. who had been in Israel for barely two years. Young Zionist Jews at that time, especially the survivors of the Holocaust, had a clear objective: to maintain a Jewish state for the Jewish people. They felt they had a mission. They felt like they were building a country. There was strong political cohesion and they believed in the righteousness of their cause. Prime Minister Ben Gurion
would quickly put this new service to use in writing the history of his country. An opportunity presents itself. A former high-ranking Nazi official is believed to have taken refuge in Argentina. thus escaping any form of legal proceedings. In February 1960, two Mossad agents were sent to Buenos Aires. According to their informant, Adolf Eichmann was living here under a false identity. They managed to find his address. It was on Garibaldi Street, in a neighborhood called San Fernando. It was a neighborhood under construction. There were still very few houses. Mossad agents are searching for a man named
Ricardo Clement. foreman in a car factory. They first decide to take a picture of him as he leaves his home. Without a doubt, Ricardo Clement is none other than Adolf Eichmann. And he is unprotected. From Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Ben Gurion is asking the impossible of his agents. Capture the former Nazi and smuggle him back to Israel. without alerting the Argentine military authorities. This could lead to a diplomatic crisis. which the Jewish state does not need. And that is how he ordered the Mossad not to eliminate Eichmann. It would have been simple to remove it
in Argentina. But precisely, he wanted all efforts to be focused on capturing him in order to bring him back to Israel and organize his trial in Jerusalem. Ben-Gurion understood that this was an extraordinary opportunity to bring the issue of the Holocaust to the forefront. the link between the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel. After three months of preparation, the operation is officially launched. That evening, four Mossad agents were stationed near Eichmann's home, waiting for him to return from work. Eichmann arrives at the designated location. One of my colleagues grabs him with a
Jiu-Jitsu move. We are here to help him as planned. I grab the head, a second grabs the feet and a third grabs the torso. And we pull him towards the car. I'm in the back seat, with Eichmann's head on my knees. Eichmann was then taken to a secret location to await the next stage of the plan. Eichmann is taken up to the room that had been prepared for him. We undress him completely. Our doctor is checking his teeth to see if he has a cyanide capsule. Then, my colleague Zvi asks him in German, "What is
your name?" He replies, "My name is Ricardo Clement." Zvi insists, that's false. What is your SS registration number? He finally gave it to us. And now, what is your name? Adolf Eichmann. Mossad agents chose a particular day to discreetly get Eichmann out of the country. A national holiday, the 150th anniversary of the Argentine Revolution. On that day, dozens of foreign delegations arrived in Buenos Aires to participate in the ceremonies. We coordinated with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that it would send a delegation. It was Mossad that chartered the plane and covered all the expenses.
The agents, disguised as flight crew, will take advantage of the general chaos at the airport. They calmly escorted Eichmann to the Israeli delegation's private plane. Two years later, Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death and executed. And it is at this precise moment that the myth of the Mossad is forged. This is a pivotal moment that defines the relationship between Israel and the rest of the world. From there, the Mossad built its image which still endures today: that of an omnipotent, all-powerful service that can reach any point on the globe. But it is above all in
the strategic and military field that the Mossad will allow Israel to distinguish itself. In August 1966, the Israeli army unveiled an exceptional capture to the world press. A MiG-21 fighter jet, the pride of Soviet aviation and possessed by many of Israel's enemies. The MiG-21 was serious stuff. It should not be forgotten that at that time, the Americans were engaged in Vietnam and fighting against MiGs. And even the Americans had not managed to acquire one of these planes. Despite their financial power and their CIA, they had not been able to capture the best warplane of their
enemy, the USSR. The little Israelis, however, had done it. The MiG initially remained in Israel. Then it was sent to the United States to be dismantled, studied and observed. This is one of the greatest gifts that Israel has given to the United States. A strategic gift that we owe to the Israeli secret services. In the early 1960s, the strategy of the Arab countries was to get rid of the State of Israel by military force. The most powerful state was Egypt. A powerful army, tanks, fighter jets, armored vehicles, sophisticated and in large quantities. The Egyptian army
notably has MiG-21s. These formidable fighter jets that the Soviets sold to several Arab countries. The Mossad was then asked to steal one of these aircraft from the enemy. It was a very complex operation. Because it was necessary to find the person capable of carrying out such a mission. The intelligence service then went looking for a MiG-21 pilot. A pilot who might be willing to betray his country. In 1965, agents found one in Iraq. Captain Mounir Redfa. Captain Mounir Redfa is a Christian. Pilot in the Iraqi Air Force. Because the government is Muslim, he is frustrated
at not receiving a promotion within the army because of his religion. The Mossad then made contact with him and arranged a meeting in a neutral country. An excellent cover story had to be put in place so that he could travel without arousing suspicion. He began by giving details about the pilots, the planes, and even the relationships within the Iraqi Air Force. So the officers decided to step it up a notch and asked him. What are the chances that you can get us a MiG-21? They made the offer to him in a very direct manner. Are
you ready to desert on board your plane? And what are you asking for in return? Mounir Redfa was stunned. He didn't respond right away. He first had to recover from the shock. Several secret meetings will need to be arranged to convince the pilot. The head of the intelligence services himself will come to meet him. He wanted to form his own opinion of the man with whom Israel was going to engage in a rather complicated game. And the pilot eventually agreed. In exchange, he is demanding the exfiltration of his entire family to the State of Israel.
On August 16, 1966, the Iraqi pilot was scheduled to conduct a training flight on his MiG-21. His family is already safe. The day before, Mossad sent him a secret message to take action. The fate of the operation is now in his hands. He follows the instructions he has been given. He takes a specific air corridor at a specific altitude. He switches off his radio over Iraqi and Jordanian territories. The Iraqi control tower keeps calling him, but he doesn't answer. When he approaches the Israeli border, he is picked up by two fighter jets from our army
who escort him to a military airport near Tel Aviv. This Mossad capture is exceptional. But the intelligence service's true strength lies in its spies deployed throughout its enemy countries. Since the early 1960s, the new boss, Meir Hamid, wanted to make his agents the most successful in the world. Under Meir Hamid's leadership, recruitment methods are evolving. Until now, it worked mainly through word of mouth. Hamid imposes more sophisticated, more modern methods. A training department is created with its own logos. But before reaching this training place, one had to pass a long series of tests. Psychometric examinations,
personality tests, aptitude tests, language tests. It tests your ability to lead two parallel lives. On one hand, you must remain who you are, a person you can rely on, someone honest. On the other hand, you have to be manipulative and cunning. You also need to know how to improvise. For example, the instructor takes you into town, shows you a balcony on the fifth floor of a building, and tells you, "I want to see you in ten minutes on this balcony, a glass of water in your hand, talking to the owner of the place." I remember
that there were more than 1500 of us candidates at the start, then fewer and fewer. The training lasted six to eight months, the most intensive months of my life. During the admission ceremony, there were more instructors than students around the table. There were only five or six of us left, men and one woman. The Mossad sends its highly trained spies throughout the region. In Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. Its Arab neighbors have not abandoned the idea of destroying the Jewish state. And a new war is imminent. In June 1967, armed with all the information gathered
in enemy territory, the Jewish state decided to strike first. A lightning attack, in the Sinai, against its most powerful enemy, Egypt. In the early morning, when all the fighter jets are on the ground. The Egyptian planes were destroyed by surprise within three hours by the Israeli air force. Three hours that proved the effectiveness of our air force thanks to the precise intelligence that Mossad had collected on Egyptian airfields and bases. The few Egyptian MiG-21s that managed to take off were shot down in the air. On the evening of the first day of the war, the
Egyptian air force was destroyed, giving a decisive advantage to the Israeli forces who then launched a ground offensive. In Sinai, civilians are on the front line to witness the rout of their army. We see soldiers arriving, running in a devastated state, and then panic, sobs, a very difficult moment. In the midst of the offensive, Mossad agents are on the ground. Using a radio, they wage psychological warfare to discourage Egyptians who might be tempted to resist. This radio station played a very important role because they were very well informed. They gave the names of the places
where the resistance hid its weapons, the names of the people involved in the resistance, and advised them not to go there. They were making calls to explain that the Arab leaders had lied to us, that we should no longer trust them. It was a very important psychological role. Countries that support Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq, are entering the conflict. But the Israeli army achieved a remarkable feat, driving out the Jordanian military who had occupied Jerusalem since the 1948 war. Tzal takes control of the city and reaches the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism. It
is the strongest symbol of the 1967 victory. The dream of arriving in Jerusalem, of living in Jerusalem, has been part of the DNA of Zionism from the very beginning. There was a wave of euphoria and very, very strong emotion. In just six days, the Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian and Jordanian armies were defeated, and Israel expanded its territory even further. As a result of this war and this great victory, Israel expanded. She conquered the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights. This gave the country a new position, a foothold in the world. Once again, the role of
Mossad was decisive. But the Institute would later build its legend on other actions. Namely, bloody campaigns to eliminate its enemies in all four corners of the world. A manhunt that will begin after the attack at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Olympic Games in Germany that should make people forget those of 1936. They had been used as propaganda for the Nazi regime. On this occasion, symbolically, Israel sent a large delegation of athletes. But ten days later, the Games turned into a nightmare. Nine members of the Israeli delegation are taken hostage by about ten heavily armed terrorists.
An attack that is being broadcast live. It was a terrible shock. We were really hoping they would be released. The whole country was petrified, and so was I. The terrorists claim to be from the Palestinian organization Black September. They are demanding the release of 238 activists for their cause who are imprisoned in Israel. The Israeli state has absolutely no intention of giving in and sends the head of the Mossad, Zvi Zamir, to the scene. However, the German police intend to maintain control over the operation. And after hours of negotiations, they agree to help the terrorists
leave the country with their hostages. They hope to take advantage of this transfer to set a trap for them. And the head of Mossad fears the worst. Even today, when Zvi Zamir recounts what happened there, now over 90 years old, he cries with emotion. He says he will never be able to forget that image of the hostages walking like bulls being led to the arena for a bullfight. Livestock. The terrorists and their hostages are taken by helicopter to a military airport where a plane is waiting for them. From the control tower, Zvi Zamir is monitoring
the operation. Then suddenly, German snipers positioned nearby opened fire. Initially, we received information from local news agencies and television. We thought the mission had succeeded, that they had been exfiltrated, that they had been freed. Israel was jubilant. In the middle of the night, Zvi Zamir called the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Golda Meir. She said to him, "Zvika, Zvika, did everything end well? Did they release them?" He replied, "No, Golda, they're all dead." She said, "But we saw on the news that they released them." He replied, "No, I'm here, I witnessed the fiasco
of the German operation. They're all dead." No sooner had they set foot on the tarmac than the terrorists sensed the trap and returned to the helicopters. After two hours of exchanging gunfire, they were indeed neutralized, but they had time to kill their nine Israeli hostages. In the same way that all Americans of a certain age remember the moment they heard that Kennedy had been shot, Everyone in my generation remembers the coffins of the Israelis murdered in Munich. That only a few years after the Holocaust, Jews could have been murdered like that, on German soil, Israelis.
It was a terrible shock, a trauma for all Israelis. We were all asking ourselves, "How could this have happened?" and "How can we prevent this from happening again?" This trauma led the Israeli government to take exceptional measures. Prime Minister Goldamer, who is the first woman to hold this position, decides to respond to violence with violence. But for her, Black September is just a facade. In his view, the real mastermind behind these terrorist actions is the PLO, the Palestinian organization of Yasser Arafat. She then wants to decapitate it, eliminating all its leaders one by one. And
she will, of course, entrust this mission to Mossad. We had three objectives. The first was to deter the other side from carrying out terrorist acts. The second was the reward. That is to say, those who venture to carry out terrorist attacks should know that they will pay for it with their lives. The third objective was the idea of giving to the inhabitants of Israel, and more broadly to all Jews in the world, the feeling that Israel was a strong country, which could defeat terrorism. A list of targets is drawn up. As soon as one of
them is located, a London court, headed by Prime Minister Goldamer, will give its approval for the execution. Final authorization was given by the government, through a committee of three ministers. They were mindful of the diplomatic consequences of each operation, the risks, the repercussions. Just one month after the Munich massacre, Mossad sent its agents to all corners of Europe. I think there were 20, 25 agents involved in these elimination operations. They moved from country to country. They all had blankets and fake foreign passports. In advance, they are provided with secure locations and secret apartments. They are
sent everything they need for the operation from Israel via diplomatic mail. Firearms, forged documents. A first team arrived in France in September 1972. One of its targets was named Mahmoud Amchari. He is a 33-year-old intellectual, a translator by profession, considered here as a moderate and regularly interviewed by the French media. Can we expect a terrorist campaign launched by Palestinians in France? There will never be such attacks against France because of its political position. So, is a Munich-style scenario absolutely impossible in France? Impossible. Impossible because, for us, we consider the French people to be a friendly
people and France, as a state, has the best position in Europe. As President Pompidou also mentioned, we cannot eliminate Palestinian terrorism when we do not resolve the essential problem, which is the problem of a people, namely the Palestinian people. One last question: can you live peacefully in France? Aren't you afraid for your life? For us, for me, no. But I think you shouldn't get away with it. Contrary to his image in the French media and obviously in the Palestinian media, that of an inoffensive man, an intellectual, a writer living in peace in Paris, Amchari was
a central figure in the PLO. It is known that it notably sheltered a Palestinian assassin, accused of wanting to execute a Mossad agent in Brussels. On that day, Mahmoud Amchari was at home with his French wife and their one-year-old daughter. When their target is alone in the apartment, the Mossad agents remotely activate the booby-trapped phone in the home. Mahmoud Amchari died of his injuries in hospital. On the ground, it is the cell itself that decides how the elimination will take place. It could be by poisoning, it could be with a bomb, with a firearm equipped
with a silencer. It all depends on the objective, the possibilities of achieving it, and the circumstances. Following this, other Palestinians died in various circumstances. One man's bed exploded, for a second it was his phone, for a third his car. In total, four assassinations were carried out in Paris by Mossad in less than a year. And no reaction from the French authorities. We decide to act, assuming the risk involved. In most cases, Western countries have understood and integrated this. As long as it doesn't harm their own interests, but they tolerate targeting an individual who operates within
their borders. There is indeed a form of leniency towards Israel. Because it's linked to the history of this very particular state. In the same way that Israel uses fake passports from Canada, Germany, Italy, anywhere, to conduct operations and move its agents around, You will not hear any overly strong protests from these countries. A relative impunity that sometimes allows Mossad agents to operate openly. This is the case in Beirut. In 1973, a small group arrived by boat, for a lightning raid against a PLO building. You know which floor you're on, and you certainly have the keys.
Kamal Nasser was killed at point-blank range by a burst of automatic gunfire. As for Abu Youssef, he was executed in front of his wife and 15-year-old son. In less than an hour, three leaders of the Palestinian organization were gunned down in front of their families. and the organization's headquarters is destroyed by explosives. But the main target of this operation escaped Mossad. This is Alira Saint-Salameh. Israelis consider him the mastermind of Black September. mastermind of the Munich hostage crisis, and close to the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Ali Hassan Salameh was an iconic figure in Palestinian mythology.
He was the son of a Palestinian leader, a fighter, an army commander in 1948. Yasser Arafat personally took care of his education and provided for his needs out of respect for his father's actions. A few months later, Mossad picked up his trail again. He is believed to have fled to Norway, to the city of Lillehammer. And that's where the Mossad would commit one of its biggest blunders. In July 1973, six agents were sent to Lillehammer. They have located Salameh and are ready to take action. That day, they were walking down a deserted street with his
partner. The young woman is pregnant, but that doesn't stop the agent tasked with killing her. Their mission accomplished, the six men quickly left the city. but the local authorities are more responsive than expected. A murder in Lillehammer probably hasn't happened since the time of the Vikings. Lillehammer police take action. roadblocks are being erected between Lillehammer and Oslo. During a check, a police officer spots something suspicious in a car and decides to note the license plate. The vehicle is intercepted at Oslo airport. The Mossad agents are arrested. They are trying to pass themselves off as tourists.
But after several hours of questioning, one of them will eventually confess. The only one who broke down was a Holocaust survivor. In his youth, he had to hide in a cellar and he came out of it claustrophobic. When the police officer led him into a basement cell, He told him, "Get me out of here." The policeman realized he had an opportunity. So he left him locked up and the Mossad agent finally told him that he would tell everything if he got him out of there. In the days that followed, the case naturally made headlines in
the Norwegian media and news of the arrest of Israeli agents began to spread around the world. Mossad headquarters is in turmoil. The arrest of agents on a mission is always a disaster. But this time, it's even worse. because the man they killed was not Ali Hassan Salameh. In Lillehammer, there were few people of Mediterranean type. They therefore thought that it could only be Ali Hassan Salameh. It matched the description, the morphology, the age, So they assumed it was Ali Hassan Salameh. The victim's real name is Armen Bouchiki. He is French-Moroccan, originally from the south of
France. He had moved here two years earlier and his partner was expecting their first child. He is the older brother of one of the leaders of the Gypsy Kings. When we realized that it was Mossad who had carried out this assassination, It was incredible. It was like being hit over the head with a sledgehammer and we didn't really know what to expect. For us, that wasn't possible. The six Mossad agents will be tried behind closed doors. They were all convicted of espionage and complicity in murder. to several years in prison but five of them will
be released after a few months. The widow and daughter of the victim will receive financial reparations from Israel 20 years later. but no official apology. Obviously there is resentment which leads to enormous anger. They blame the Mossad, they blame Israel, they blame the whole world. Because it's an incredible injustice. After this blunder, the Mossad kept a low profile for a while. But he is not giving up his hunt for the Palestinian leader, Alira S. Salamé. Four years later, it is once again located in Beirut, Lebanon. At that time, the country was in the midst of
a civil war. torn between Palestinian, Christian and pro-Syrian militias. It was a very complicated situation. There were roadblocks every 200 meters, manned by one militia or another. Imagine the insecurity for an agent sent to Beirut. Moreover, an Israeli in an enemy Arab city. At any moment, it can be stopped at a simple roadblock. Time had passed. But in Israel, people always said that he needed to be dealt with. And so, every effort was made to locate him in Beirut. approach him and gain his trust. It is a woman who is sent to Beirut. Originally from
Britain, she works under the pseudonym Erika Chambers. She posed as a humanitarian worker who was helping Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. A cover that allowed him to get closer to members of the PLO. and in particular Alira Sansalamé. She managed to infiltrate the top of the PLO and forge links with the men of the organization. After a few months, Erika Chambers knows all the habits of her target audience. Salamé is constantly escorted by her bodyguards. But there is a flaw in its security. He takes the same route by car every day between his hideout and the
PLO headquarters. On January 22, 1979, A car bomb awaits him on his route. Salamé and his bodyguards were killed instantly. The main target of the Mossad since the Munich hostage crisis is eliminated this time. This demonstrated the Mossad's ability to focus on a single objective. Moreover, it is done in a language that Arabs understand well. There is an Arabic proverb that says, "A Bedouin who takes revenge after 40 years thinks he acted too hastily." Eliminating Salamé 7 years after Munich was a clear message sent to the Palestinian leadership. But the explosion also killed 4 passers-by.
More innocent victims that will spark controversy in Israel and within the Mossad itself over the use of this expeditious method. Eliminations are not intelligence gathering. This is a mafia operation. It's when you have no other choice. That's when you reach the conclusion that this elimination will lead to a significant change within the organization you are fighting. We are making every effort to ensure that there are no incidents. And despite that, it happens. And even if this is a terrible thing, immoral, unpleasant it can not be helped. Because we are at war. And war forces us
to consider any means or method. I don't think we can measure the effectiveness of this method. I think that in a number of cases, it worked. And in some others, no. The proof is that terrorism has not disappeared. But without that, there might be more. This method must be used with great care. There is no irreplaceable man, even if he is the head of a terrorist organization. That's why I think it's not a good method. And that it is not recommended. It can cause more harm than good. The goal of revenge has been achieved. But
in the late 1970s, This is another battle that begins for Mossad. So far, Israel was the only country in the Middle East to possess the atomic bomb. A deterrent advantage that may not last. Other neighboring countries are looking to equip themselves. And it is notably France, a traditional ally of Israel, who will help them. Since the creation of the Jewish state, France has always been a privileged partner of Israel. It should be remembered that France was the country that helped Israel obtain its nuclear capability a few years earlier. You sold us airplanes. Our first planes
came from France. Very good weaponry came from there. We had representatives there. Until the moment when De Gaulle gave that unfriendly speech towards Israel. A few months after the Six-Day War, General De Gaulle is furious that Israel has opened hostilities. He decrees an embargo on arms sales to the Jewish state and makes statements that will shock public opinion. The Jews, who had been scattered until then, but who had remained what they had always been, that is to say, a self-assured and domineering elite people. In Israel, anti-Semitic remarks were heard in this statement. De Gaulle was
not, in principle. I know he had Jewish friends. And for a long time, he supported Israel. A self-assured and domineering elite people. This caused great astonishment. We didn't understand what had led him to say that. Tensions between France and Israel escalate further. when, a few years later, The young Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is the guest of Prime Minister Jacques Chirac. Here he is visiting the Qadarash research center. flagship of the French nuclear industry. Saddam Hussein actually came to sign a contract of immense strategic importance. the purchase for more than a billion francs of a state-of-the-art
nuclear reactor which could make him the new strongman of the Arab world. This project is the construction of a research reactor intended to provide significant resources to Iraqi scientists because they would have sold a copy of the largest French research reactor. In Israel, this contract with Saddam Hussein was very poorly received. Thanks to this reactor, Iraq could develop nuclear weapons. one more threat to the Jewish state. It should be remembered that Iraq was the only country that had not signed the ceasefire agreement after the 1948 war. And Saddam Hussein himself constantly delivered angry speeches against
the state of Israel. saying that he was going to conquer Jerusalem. Then a red light came on and we started to follow this subject seriously. The Mossad was then given a new mission, to thwart the Franco-Iraqi nuclear partnership. I remember what the Mossad chief at the time, Ofi, told us during a preparatory meeting before a mission. Palestinian terrorism is like a bee sting. It's unpleasant, it hurts, but it's not an existential threat to Israel. We have more serious problems to solve. This referred to the fact that a nuclear-armed Iraq was an existential danger. We informed
the French that we knew Iraq intended to misuse the reactor to obtain nuclear weapons. The French said, you can count on us, we are your friends. We are not going to let Iraq build an atomic bomb. This is not a reactor intended for future military use. Perhaps through the knowledge they provide about mastering nuclear energy, We can still consider that it moves us forward on this path, but it's not a very direct path. Initially, the Israeli state limited itself to diplomatic pressure. But with the arrival in power of the new Prime Minister, Mehmet Begin, Israel
will toughen its stance. The government, and Begin in particular, then considered that Israel had become a marginal issue in the eyes of the French. Begin concluded that diplomacy was no longer useful to him. He then called on Mossad. The organization could no longer simply gather information; it had to act. In March 1979, several Mossad teams investigated in the Bouches-du-Rhône. They identified a private company that produces certain parts of the reactor that are to be delivered to Iraq. The Mossad managed to obtain internal information from the company. They studied the port's security parameters, the fences, the
changing of the guards, their number, Which days have more, which days have less? They understood that the ideal time to launch this operation would be the weekend, because there is almost no one in the company then. So they carried out the operation over the weekend. Mossad agents create a diversion and infiltrate the building to destroy parts of the Iraqi reactor. One night, there was a car accident at the entrance to the port. A woman got out of bed and was hit by an object. She walked past her vehicle and started yelling at the other driver.
And the attention of the guards was drawn to this scene unfolding in front of them on the road. Agents allegedly took advantage of this moment to enter the warehouse where the reactor parts destined for Iraq were stored. They planted explosives and went outside. And a few hours later, an explosion was heard. Three plastic charges exploded last night, destroying a very large batch of components intended for the nuclear industry. The Israeli agents leave France without incident, but the operation is a failure. The destroyed reactor parts were not the correct ones. This operation did not work. We
only managed to slightly delay the shipment of the ice patches. The Mossad then changed its strategy. Several dozen French engineers working on the Iraqi reactor are simultaneously receiving threatening letters. All signed by a mysterious Islamist organization of opponents to Saddam Hussein. If you cease to lend your support to the despicable effort to build this hideous atomic weapon in the service of the butcher of Baghdad, you and your family will be spared. But if you decide to resume your disgusting work, we are no longer responsible for your life, the lives of your family members, or your
property. A few days after receiving this letter, the engineer was woken in the middle of the night by an anonymous call. It's an Arabic voice that warns me in French, in French with an accent. We will come after you, your family, things like that. I am struck by the fact that I am being called at home, that is to say, I am being called at home, in my own residence. So that makes an impression on me. This intimidation campaign will lead to the resignation of several engineers. French authorities suspect Israel but have been unable to
find evidence. We are no longer in the same situation as at the very beginning of the affair; we know that Israel is actively opposing this project. The Mossad is obviously quickly mentioned as a possibility. The Mossad will not carry out its threats, at least not against the French engineers. On June 14, 1980, a prominent Egyptian scholar arrived at a Parisian hotel with a young unknown woman. Yahya al-Meshad works for the Iraqi nuclear industry. This Professor Meshad had been chosen by Saddam Hussein to oversee the nuclear program. It was a key element. A young woman allegedly
caught the attention of this professor while he was waiting for the bus and seduced him. The following morning, the engineer was found with his throat slit in his room. The young woman who was with him was quickly identified. She is a prostitute known to the police. She was hit by a car in Paris a month later and killed instantly. In June 1981, despite all his efforts, Saddam Hussein's reactor was on the verge of being put into service. At one point, the head of Mossad went to see the prime minister and told him, we have failed.
The reactor is in Iraq. We have done everything in our power, there is nothing more we can do. If you believe that this reactor must still be neutralized, your only remaining option is the military one. It's a risk, there are two options. The Mossad has been blamed for everything that happened. The evidence is clear. The attack killed ten Iraqi soldiers, but also a 25-year-old French engineer. His body was repatriated a few days later by a special Iraqi plane. It was obviously a very sad operation, this return of the body. A diplomat from the embassy visited
his family. He expressed the condolences of the State of Israel and gave them substantial compensation. A collateral victim that will have no diplomatic consequences. François Mitterrand, newly elected, intends to restore relations between France and Israel. Less than a year after the bombing of Ozirak, he became the first French president to visit the Jewish state. François Mitterrand is to deliver a speech before the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in order to mark the rapprochement between the two states. Because of the Iraqi nuclear affair, the 1970s marked a decline in Franco-Israeli relations. From a political point of view,
from a military point of view, and from an intelligence point of view. When Mitterrand was elected, relations improved extraordinarily. He spoke before our parliament and said, "Friends, the past is the past." Today I am president of France, I think differently. After this speech, France definitively abandoned its nuclear program in Iraq and Saddam Hussein never got the atomic bomb. From now on, on the nuclear issue, it is Iran that will be mobilizing the most Israeli intelligence resources. In the early 2000s, nuclear activities in Iran intensified. The Emmola regime could have the bomb within a few years
and the Mossad is being used with new resources. In 2002, the new head of Mossad, Mehrdagan, placed the Iranian nuclear issue at the top of his priorities. It is clear that you cannot stop this program with lightning operations. You can only delay it. We need to put together a complete strategy, a secret strategy, that's our specialty. A lot of intelligence needs to be gathered and large operational resources deployed to identify the points to strike. We need to weaken their motivation, sow doubt about their technological skills, and introduce a whole host of problems into their system.
At that time, Mossad recruited hundreds, even thousands of agents to carry out these operations. They needed offices. It cost a lot of money; billions and billions were spent. Four years later, Mossad is so far ahead on the Iranian nuclear issue that it is influencing the decisions of the international community. Dagan created a team within Mossad tasked with examining economic sanctions. What sanctions should have been applied in Iran, on which companies, on which individuals? This Mossad unit transmits its advice to the Americans and the Europeans. And that's how the sanctions become increasingly severe. These sanctions became
international thanks to the actions of Mossad and Meir Dagan. Meanwhile, the Israeli intelligence service is conducting new covert operations of destabilization and assassination. Meir Dagan believes that assassination remains an effective and necessary means in clandestine activity. Between 2007 and 2010, there were approximately ten assassinations and kidnappings involving scientists who were involved in the nuclear development program. The goal was to delay the process because when an individual was eliminated, it took time to find a replacement. There is no official admission from the State of Israel or the Mossad as being responsible for these acts. And there
won't be any because that's the nature of this secret war. Another Mossad strategy is to create fake subcontracting companies to sell defective equipment to Iranian scientists. They sell real products because when you start a business like this, you need to make it credible. The Iranians aren't stupid, they'll say, give us some references. Who else have you done business with? So you need to create activity, you need mail, you need offices, you need equipment. This takes time. Little by little, you manage to gain the trust of the Iranians. You sell them good equipment and more good
equipment. And in the last transaction, you deliver a defective product. They install it and nothing works. In fact, this equipment was designed to damage their facilities. Tensions are extremely high between the two countries. Faced with these threats, Mossad will step up its efforts and specialize in a new type of weapon: computer hacking. The Israeli army has highly developed technological units. The best known is Unit 8200, which specializes in cryptology and espionage. During the First World War, we were on horseback. And when the tank arrived, it completely changed military campaigns, because it allowed for faster advances
and faster firing. It's the same for cyberspace. It has introduced a new dimension. We particularly noticed his offensive potential. So we worked on the tools that allowed us to collect information or disrupt computer systems. Since 2006, with the help of American services, Mossad has been working on a powerful computer virus that could attack Iran's nuclear program from within. In 2008, this virus became operational. Its code name was Stuxnet. This new weapon is a highly sophisticated cybernetic worm that has the ability to completely disrupt industrial equipment. This is a weapon that cannot be designed by simple
hackers, but by high-level cybernetics experts. It was an Asian subcontractor who unknowingly introduced the virus into the Natanz nuclear power plant. Within a few hours, the entire system is corrupted. This virus actually affects the rotation system of centrifuges. And the idea is to completely disrupt these centrifuges, so that Iranian scientists find themselves completely helpless and do not understand where this system failure comes from. The sheer sophistication of Stuxnet means that we cannot know where this disruption comes from. The mysterious virus spread for weeks, damaging Iranian facilities one by one. The idea was not only to
cause material damage to the centrifuges, but also psychological damage. Not being able to find the source of the problem must have been driving them crazy. The engineers thought they were incompetent. And this created distrust between the Iranian scientific community and its leaders. Because of this virus, the Iranian nuclear program is falling behind schedule. But it hasn't stopped completely. The head of Mossad, Meher Dagan, then decided to strike even harder. Dagan was under immense pressure from Prime Minister Netanyahu, who constantly demanded results from him. Dagan became nervous. So he introduced a more aggressive version of the
virus. It is estimated that there were four injections of this virus. The last injection was reportedly of Israeli origin, in reality without the actual agreement of the Americans. This time, the Mossad has apparently crossed the red line. This new, more powerful virus will not only infect all the computers in the power plant, but will also spread throughout the world. This entire sabotage operation will eventually bear fruit. After ten years of intensive covert warfare, coupled with heavy economic sanctions, Iran agrees to negotiate an agreement with the international community to halt its military nuclear program. In July
2015, representatives from Tehran met in Vienna with those of the world's major powers. We have achieved our objective. We have defined the threat. We have created an action plan. We did what was necessary to prevent him from getting where he wanted to get to, when he wanted to get there. We made sure that the Iranians were forced to accept this agreement. The historic agreement was signed on July 14, 2015. Iran commits to limiting its production of enriched uranium and thus renounces, at least temporarily, the development of a nuclear weapon. In exchange, economic sanctions are lifted.
But in Israel, most leaders consider this agreement to be bad. Barack Obama's America did not obtain sufficient guarantees from the Molas regime. The Americans accelerated the process because Obama wanted the agreement signed during his term. Iranians are very intelligent. From the moment they realized that the Americans were even more motivated than they were by this agreement, they understood that the cards were in their hands. So they signed an agreement that suits them. Why? Because it allows them to continue slowly developing their military nuclear capabilities and missiles. It allows them to continue to participate in international
operations, such as the war in Syria. The Mossad therefore remains focused on the Iranian nuclear program. That's how, in 2018, he managed to steal 500 kilos of compromising documents from Iran. A public relations coup that will help President Donald Trump to terminate this agreement, just three years after it was signed. and thus revive economic sanctions against the main enemy, Israel. The most significant challenges facing Mossad in the years and perhaps decades to come, These are the existential threats facing the state of Israel, notably today the Iranian power. I believe that the overthrow will come from
within, and that only the Iranian people can reject this monstrous Iranian power. Perhaps we'll need to help him a little. If you ask me where we should be heading in 10-15 years, I would say that we must move towards peace with a Palestinian state and Sunni Arab countries. At that moment, we would all be united against the threat of Shiite Iran. We are forbidden to give up. We will find ourselves in an even more delicate situation.
