'Wrath Of God' To 'The Angel': 6 Times Mossad Ops Inspired Hollywood

Israel's spy intelligence agency Mossad has long been synonymous with daring and covert operations. The recent explosions in Lebanon – where thousands of pagers and walkie talkies, allegedly triggered remotely by Israel, killed 32 – have once again brought the agency's capabilities to focus. 

Mossad's real-life missions have inspired filmmakers worldwide, bringing these dramatic and dangerous operations to the screen. Here are some films and series based on actual Mossad operations:

Munich (2005)

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Munich follows Avner Kaufman (played by Eric Bana), a Mossad agent tasked with leading a secret mission, "Wrath of God," to assassinate Palestinian militants responsible for the 1972 Olympics terror attack. The film explores the moral complexities of revenge and counter-terrorism.

Kidon (2011)

Loosely based on the 2010 assassination of Hamas commander Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai, Kidon combines spy action and comedy. The film follows a Mossad team as they execute a high-stakes mission. 

Operation Finale (2018)

This film recreates the 1960 Mossad mission to capture Adolf Eichmann, a key architect of the Holocaust, in Argentina. Peter Malkin (played by Oscar Isaac) leads the team of agents who track down Eichmann and bring him to Israel to face justice.

The Angel (2018)

Based on the book ‘The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel', this film tells the story of Ashraf Marwan (played by Marwan Kenzari), an Egyptian diplomat who becomes a double agent for Mossad. Marwan provides crucial intelligence to Israel, including a warning about the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

The Spy (Netflix series, 2019)

Based on true events, The Spy tells the story of Eli Cohen (played by Sacha Baron Cohen), an Israeli Mossad agent who infiltrates Syrian high society in the 1960s. Cohen, posing as Kamel Amin Thaabet, gains the trust of military officials and politicians, becoming a close confidant of future Syrian President Amin al-Hafiz. His mission provides vital intelligence for Israel's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. However, his daring mission comes at a great personal cost when his cover is blown and he is captured by Syrian forces.

The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019)

The Red Sea Diving Resort is based on one of Mossad's most audacious humanitarian operations, Operation Brothers, in the early 1980s. The mission aimed to rescue Ethiopian Jews fleeing civil war and famine. Thousands had crossed the border into Sudan making it extremely difficult for Mossad to operate. The solution was Israeli agents setting up a fake diving resort on the Sudanese coast as a front for taking refugees to safety. The resort was fully operational, with tourists and diving activities masking the covert mission.