Middle East Sh#tshow - MESS cover art

Middle East Sh#tshow - MESS

Middle East Sh#tshow - MESS

Written by: Daniella Alpher
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About this listen

Yossi Alpher is a former Mossad operative and analyst, now in his eighties. His daughter Daniella is a Tel Aviv tech executive. In their weekly podcast Daniella interviews Yossi on Middle East issues of the day, with emphasis on the strategic dimension and the occasional anecdote from Yossi's Mossad days.

Daniella Alpher
Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Iran between war and a deal with Trump
    Feb 21 2026

    Discussion focuses on the geopolitical implications of the US military deployment around Iran and the potential timing of a U.S. attack. Yossi recounts his role as Israel's chief intelligence analyst for Iran in the late 1970s, detailing the complexities of understanding the Iranian revolution and the challenges of predicting its outcome. He reflects on a strategic decision not to assassinate Ayatollah Khomeini, emphasizing the unpredictability of revolutionary situations and, moving to the present, the potential consequences of military actions. They also discuss the uncertainties surrounding President Trump's strategic thinking, such as it is.

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    28 mins
  • Intelligence, peacebuilding and aid
    Feb 14 2026

    The discussion integrates a guest, a conflict resolution expert and visiting family member. He and Yossi discuss the link between intelligence, clandestine operations, and peacebuilding, emphasizing the credibility Yossi's security background lent to his efforts. Yossi illustrates by recounting a pivotal moment in 1977 when he was considered for a role in peacemaking between Israel and Egypt. The conversation shifts to the current situation in Gaza, criticizing the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping and stabilization forces, particularly UNRWA, and the surprising role the European Union is currently playing at the Rafah crossing.

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    27 mins
  • Between Iran, Oman, Yemen and Somaliland
    Feb 7 2026

    In this episode of the Middle East Shitshow, Yossi and Daniella move from the recent Iran-US negotiations in Oman to the historical and current geopolitical dynamics in the region. They touch on the Palestinian issue, noting the slow evolution of the Trump administration's Gaza plans. The conversation then moves to the highly fragmented Bab al-Mandeb region: the historical ties between Israel and Oman, including Israeli support for the newly independent Sultanate in the 1960s and 1970s; Israeli aid to Yemen and today's Houthis back then, and the potential for Israeli strategic ties with Somaliland to counter current Houthi threats.

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    28 mins
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