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‘Fauda’ creators debut ‘Ghosts of Beirut,’ Showtime series about Mossad’s killing of master terrorist
(JTA) — A new Showtime series from the creators of “Fauda” chronicles the exploits of one of the Middle East’s most infamous terrorists and the joint CIA-Mossad operation that eventually led to his death.
“Ghosts of Beirut,” a four-episode series that begins streaming for Showtime subscribers on Friday but premieres on air Sunday night, dramatizes the rise and impact of Imad Mughniyeh but also includes “documentary elements.” The former Hezbollah leader is accused of planning international attacks starting in the 1980s that killed hundreds if not thousands, including the 1992 Israeli embassy bombing in Buenos Aires. Mughniyeh was also central in the rise of the number of suicide bombings around the world.
The agencies that tracked him, such as the CIA and Israel’s Mossad, nicknamed him “Ghost” because of his ability to elude capture. He was killed by a car bomb in Syria in 2008.
“Fauda” creators Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff created the series, which also lists Daniel Dreifuss — a Jewish producer who talked to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about his recent remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front” — as an executive producer. It stars Dermot Mulroney and Dina Shihabi, known for a starring role in the action series “Jack Ryan.”
Greg Barker, who directed all four episodes, told Jewish Insider that he and a team of journalists talked to CIA and Mossad operatives as research before the show’s filming.
He added that the show explores the “friendly” rivalry between the two agencies, which for decades have often worked in tandem on Middle East operations, including some involving Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group that carries out and funds terrorist activity around the world. Raz and Issacharoff drew on their own experience in the Israel Defense Forces in writing “Fauda,” a Netflix hit that follows IDF soldiers searching for a Hamas mastermind.
“I’ve heard about that tension in the friendly relationship for years, and from people in both services,” Barker said. “It was an interesting way of unpacking what these sort of friendly relationships are like from the inside, and what they tell us about the different priorities, the different methods, of both of these different intelligence services, but also of the countries.”
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The post ‘Fauda’ creators debut ‘Ghosts of Beirut,’ Showtime series about Mossad’s killing of master terrorist appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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FBI Investigating Minnesota Fraud Scheme, Director Says
FBI Director Kash Patel attends the signing of an executive order by US President Donald Trump on a deal that would divest TikTok’s US operations from ByteDance from its Chinese owner ByteDance, at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Sept. 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Sunday the agency had deployed personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”
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Netanyahu Departs for Florida to Meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, Aug. 10, 2025. Photo: ABIR SULTAN/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took off Sunday morning at 7:30 AM IST on the “Wings of Zion” aircraft to Florida ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump, set to take place at his private estate in Mar-a-Lago. In their meeting, the two are expected to discuss the transition to Phase B of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu is scheduled to land in Florida at 2:00 PM EST. His meeting with the US president is set to take place on Monday at 3:30 PM local time at Mar-a-Lago.
In addition to the Trump summit, Netanyahu is also expected to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as with members of the Jewish community in Miami and the Christian Evangelical community known for its support of Israel.
Netanyahu will attend a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio early Monday afternoon before meeting with Trump.
On Wednesday, the Israeli Prime Minister will meet with Evangelical leaders at 10:30 AM local time at his hotel and will then head to the Temple of Bal Harbour for an event with lawmakers, Jewish and community leaders, and local students.
He takes off for Israel on Thursday afternoon and is expected to land in Israel early Friday afternoon.
Netanyahu is expected to clarify Israel’s position to Trump, namely stating that the transition cannot take place before the completion of the first phase, which includes the return of the body of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili.
Netanyahu will also raise the issue of the Iranian threat and the concern in Israel about the possibility of the ceasefire being exploited on the other fronts where Israel has been fighting in the past two years, including Syria and Lebanon.
i24NEWS’s Weekend Edition reported Saturday evening that the “Wings of Zion” plane will fly on a route that passes over Canada, despite the international arrest warrant against the Prime Minister.
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Iron Beam: IDF’s First Operational High-Power Laser Defense System
The “Or Eitan” system. Photo: Spokesperson and Public Relations Division of the Ministry of Defense
i24 News – Israel has achieved a major technological breakthrough in defense with the delivery of its first operational high-power laser system, “Or Eitan” (Iron Beam), to the IDF. The handover took place Sunday at Rafael’s facility, with Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior military and industry officials in attendance.
Developed over several years, “Iron Beam” is the first interception laser of its kind in the world to reach operational maturity.
During extensive testing, the system successfully intercepted rockets, mortar shells, and drones under conditions simulating real combat scenarios.
The laser will be integrated into Israel’s multi-layered air defense network, complementing the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems. Operated by the Israeli Air Force, it offers a significant economic advantage: its marginal cost per interception is nearly zero, a major shift in the cost equation for missile defense.
The project was led by the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Research and Development in close cooperation with Rafael, Elbit Systems, responsible for the laser source, and other Israeli defense companies. Combining an advanced laser source with a unique electro-optical sight, the system provides maximum accuracy and efficiency at extended ranges.
The system’s name, “Or Eitan,” (Iron Beam) honors Captain Eitan Oster, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon.
Minister Katz described the milestone as a “game changer” that sends a strong message to Israel’s adversaries, from Tehran to Sanaa and Beirut. Rafael hailed the delivery as the beginning of the defensive laser era, placing Israel at the forefront of interception technology worldwide and reinforcing its strategic technological edge for future security challenges.