Nadene Goldfoot
Jonathan Conricus interviewed an Iranian Israeli, Beni Sabi, who left his birth country at age 15, like my cousin's husband had done. I wonder if they were in the same group together. Beni has become an expert on Iran and helps our military make decisions. If he was part of the same group that escaped Iran, they were a group of teen-aged boys who left in the dark on camels, leaving their family in hopes of being able to be helped by outsiders. My cousin's spouse was able to get to the USA and become a doctor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38ohqcuyLhg (interview)
My friend Uri G posted this about Sabi: At the event in the Knesset for Jews from Iran I met with my friend Beni Sabti - https://benisabti.com/ He grew up in Iran and was forced to flee to Israel due to the persecution and oppression of the Iranian regime. He served 31 years in the IDF in the field of research on Iran and he founded the IDF Persian Spokesperson Unit. He is part of the INSS experts (https://www.inss.org.il/person/beni-sabti/)
In searching information about Sabi, I discovered this; from an article in the Jerusalem Post: The current negotiations between Iran and the US are simply a game for the Islamic Republic, an expert revealed to Maariv on May 29, 2025.
Beni Sabti, a senior researcher on Iranian affairs at the Institute for National Security Studies, argued that the recent spike in rhetoric surrounding Iran’s nuclear program is less about an imminent war and more about political maneuvering by both Iran and its adversaries. Iran won't be able to handle an Israeli strike due to internal struggles.
In the wake of reports suggesting Israeli readiness to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities independently, and following a reported ultimatum from US President Donald Trump to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Sabti offered a more grounded interpretation.
“This isn’t a new crisis – it’s a familiar Iranian chess game,” Sabti told Maariv. “What many see as dangerous threats are often bluffs, ones even the Iranian public doesn’t take seriously.”
Regarding ongoing nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran, Sabti predicted more delay tactics from Tehran:“The Iranians will likely propose so-called compromises just to push back deadlines. That’s how they operate. They hold onto cards and play them when the timing suits them.”
“There’s still space to compromise – on uranium enrichment levels, international inspections, even centrifuge operations – if Iran chooses to do so.” “Israel has the operational capability. Militarily and physically, there is no barrier to such an action.”
However, he warned of a critical caveat. “The main issue is coordination with the US – whether America would provide intelligence or defensive support during a strike.”
Beni Sabti is an Iran expert at the INSS. Sabti was born in Iran in 1972 and raised primarily under the Islamic Revolution regime. After escaping Iran to Israel in 1987, he served in the IDF, primarily as a researcher, mostly in projects relating to Iranian culture and influence on cognition, decision making, and media. One of the flagship projects he led was the establishment of the IDF Spokesperson’s platforms in Persian, designed to address the Iranian people directly.
Sabti holds an M.A in political science and public communications from Bar Ilan University, and was a research fellow at JISS in Jerusalem. Sabti gives lectures about many issues related to Iran and is a commentator on Iran for media outlets in Israel and abroad. He was also one of the cultural advisors to the series “Tehran,” broadcast on Apple TV and Israel’s Channel 11.
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