Are Jews a Nation, a Family, or a Religious Community?
8 min read
True stories of espionage, sabotage—and Divine Providence.
In the aftermath of yet another stunning Israeli operation inside Iran, many are wondering: how does the Mossad keep pulling this off?
How does a tiny nation, roughly the size of New Jersey and under constant existential threat, manage to penetrate the most hostile regime in the world time and again—slipping past the Revolutionary Guard, sabotaging nuclear ambitions, and rescuing lives in ways that would make a Hollywood screenwriter blush, or seem too far-fetched even for the big screen?
Of course, the professionalism, ingenuity, and sheer courage of Israel’s agents—combined with the cutting-edge innovation of the Startup Nation—play a central role. But from a Jewish perspective, there’s another truth too essential to ignore: hashgacha pratit, Divine providence—the belief that God guides history not only in sweeping arcs but also through intimate, hidden threads. And sometimes, the outcomes are so precise, so improbable, that we’re left with no plausible explanation—at least not one that leaves God out of the story.
Much of what we know about this shadow war comes from The Secret War with Iran by veteran Israeli journalist and intelligence expert Ronen Bergman. Drawing on hundreds of sources and interviews, his research offers a rare window into the secret victories that shaped the last four decades.
Below are five real-life operations, stretching from the Islamic Revolution in 1979 to the nuclear age, that show the fingerprints of both human brilliance and something greater.
After the fall of the Shah in 1979, Iran’s Jews faced a terrifying new reality. The Islamic regime labeled Zionism a capital offense, executed Jewish leader Habib Elghanian, and sowed fear among the country’s ancient Jewish community.
In response, Israeli intelligence launched a quiet, high-stakes operation to help Jews flee. Agents and collaborators smuggled thousands across borders using forged documents, bribes, and covert routes through Pakistan and Turkey. In one case, a rescuer even posed as a senior Pakistani official to escort families to safety.
Roughly 10,000 Jews escaped through these clandestine efforts, while tens of thousands more fled via informal means. To protect those still inside Iran, Israel kept its role secret.
It wasn’t just a logistical feat—it was a modern-day Exodus. In a time of chaos and persecution, Jewish lives were saved by a mix of courage, ingenuity, and, perhaps, something greater moving quietly behind the scenes.
In the 1980s and ’90s, while Iran’s nuclear program was still in its infancy, Israeli intelligence waged a quiet but relentless war to ensure it stayed that way. The Mossad tracked Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear technology and missile parts from Europe, Asia, and the former Soviet Union. Using shell companies, international contacts, and sting operations, they exposed—and sometimes sabotaged—key deals before they could materialize.
At the center of this effort was Iran’s clandestine relationship with the Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan. Israeli agents monitored Khan’s network and shared intelligence with Western allies, including Germany and the United States. In some cases, Mossad operatives intervened directly—delaying shipments, tampering with equipment, or exposing front companies used by Tehran.
No headlines, no explosions—just quiet, invisible pressure on the supply lines of a regime racing for the bomb. It was a chess match across continents, and for years, Israel stayed one move ahead. If Iran’s nuclear program lagged in those decades, it was no accident.
By 2006, Iran’s nuclear program was accelerating—and so was Israeli sabotage. Through a web of front companies and international smuggling networks, Mossad operatives funneled deliberately flawed components—pipes, insulation, valves, and more—into Iran’s nuclear supply chain. These seemingly ordinary parts were designed to malfunction or degrade under pressure, sowing chaos within the country’s enrichment efforts.
The results were as disruptive as they were deniable. Key facilities at Natanz and Isfahan suffered mysterious malfunctions and even explosions. Iranian officials attributed the setbacks to “technical difficulties,” but inside Israeli intelligence, the mood was victorious.
As Ronen Bergman reports, “The result was a resounding success. The Iranian nuclear project was set back many months, and at least in some areas even years.”
The brilliance of the campaign lay not just in the sabotage itself—but in the uncertainty it created. Iran was left guessing: Was it human error? Equipment failure? Or had someone, once again, infiltrated their most guarded secrets?
Between 2006 and 2007, several aircraft belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard crashed under suspicious circumstances. Some of the passengers were reported to be engineers or officials tied to sensitive military or nuclear projects.
Official explanations pointed to mechanical failure. But according to Ronen Bergman, Israeli and Western intelligence officials quietly wondered if there was more to the story. Could the same hand that had sabotaged nuclear facilities now be targeting the people involved—midair?
No proof ever surfaced, and Israel made no claims. But that’s the Mossad’s signature: plausible deniability wrapped in perfect timing. Bergman notes that “some in Israeli and Western intelligence believed” these were not coincidences, though others cautioned against reading too much into the pattern.
When top figures in a nuclear program start dying in “accidents,” suspicion naturally follows. Whether coincidence or covert campaign, the message was clear: Iran’s nuclear ambitions were vulnerable—from the lab bench to the flight deck.
In January 2007, Professor Ardeshir Hosseinpour—a leading Iranian nuclear physicist working at the Isfahan uranium conversion facility—was found dead in his home. The official cause: a gas leak. Others suggested a lab accident. But Iranian opposition groups in exile claimed something far more deliberate: a Mossad assassination.
Hosseinpour had been a rising star in Iran’s nuclear program. His sudden, unexplained death raised eyebrows—not only in Tehran, but across global intelligence circles. While no hard evidence surfaced, and Israel remained silent, Bergman notes that “rumors immediately circulated that he had been eliminated by Israeli agents”.
Was it an unfortunate accident? Or was it a message, wrapped in deniability, to anyone helping Iran edge closer to a bomb?
In light of other quiet disruptions to the nuclear program, the timing felt anything but random. Whether or not Israel was behind it, the effect was chilling: someone out there knew who Iran’s key scientists were—and could reach them, even in their own homes.
Taken individually, each of these stories might be chalked up to espionage skill or geopolitical luck. But together, they form a pattern too precise—and too providential—to ignore.
That’s the Jewish view of history. We see the hidden hand of God not in place of human effort, but moving through it. Just as in the Purim story, where “coincidences” stacked on top of each other until a nation was saved, we are witnessing something similar today: the quiet, often untold miracles behind Israel’s defense.
And more remarkable details are now emerging. According to a new AP investigation, Israel’s latest operation—combining AI, spies, and smuggled drones—was the “culmination of years of work” by the Mossad to cripple Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities from within.
It’s likely that many more Mossad operations will come to light in the years ahead—each one another page in the ongoing story of Jewish survival against all odds. When they do, we won’t just marvel at the tactical brilliance, we’ll give thanks for the One who orchestrates the impossible, through agents in the shadows and history in the making.
Not every Mossad operation involves disguises or drones. One of the most devastating took place entirely in silence—inside a computer chip. Stuxnet, a sophisticated cyberweapon widely attributed to a joint effort by Israeli and American intelligence agencies, infiltrated Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. It targeted the centrifuges used to enrich uranium, causing them to spin at damaging speeds while simultaneously feeding normal readings to Iranian engineers—delaying detection.
By the time Iran realized something was wrong, approximately 1,000 of its 5,000 centrifuges had been damaged or rendered inoperable.
According to investigative reports and leaked intelligence, the Mossad played a critical role: mapping the Natanz facility, recruiting insiders, and sharing intelligence that enabled U.S. cyber units (primarily NSA and Cyber Command) to design and deliver the malware. It was a landmark in modern warfare—bloodless, covert, and profoundly effective.
It's a great article about all the information but not a word of who was behind, it's not God who's directing all of it. Blessings to all Israel
Not directing it, just clearing the path. Pray as if everything depends on HaShem;
work as if everything depends on you. Only in hindsight can you see His hand.
The Lord has shown His hand in a mighty way and continues to give strength to His people Israel 🙌🙏
Thanks be to God for giving such intelligence to his people in this trying times