New Delhi– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly ordered Mossad to intervene and protect Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after Hindenburg Research’s damaging report, fearing the controversy could jeopardize a $1.2 billion deal between Adani Ports and Israel’s Haifa Port, according to media reports. Netanyahu, personally involved in the Haifa negotiations, was concerned that the report not only threatened Adani’s reputation but also Israel’s strategic partnership with India.
Following the report’s release, Mossad allegedly launched a covert operation, codenamed Operation Zeppelin, deploying its human intelligence (Tzomet) and cyber operations (Keshet) units. The mission, spanning North America, Europe, and Australia, aimed to uncover networks behind what was believed to be a coordinated smear campaign against Adani. Mossad’s investigation reportedly identified connections to activist lawyers, journalists, hedge funds, political figures, and entities tied to the Biden administration, U.S. intelligence agencies, and billionaire financier George Soros.
One key revelation from the operation was that Mossad allegedly targeted senior Indian opposition figures, including Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress and a close aide to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Pitroda, based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, reportedly had his home servers hacked by Mossad in search of evidence linking Indian opposition leaders to the Hindenburg campaign. The operation allegedly uncovered encrypted chatrooms and backchannel communications suggesting coordination between Hindenburg operatives and Indian political figures. Mossad reportedly tracked Rahul Gandhi’s movements, including a May 2023 meeting in Palo Alto, California, with individuals linked to Hindenburg.
By early 2024, Mossad had compiled a 353-page “Zeppelin dossier”, outlining alleged connections between USAID, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and Western media in efforts to damage Adani’s global standing and disrupt India-Israel relations. Portions of the dossier were reportedly shared with major international media outlets, but only French publication Mediapart published elements of the findings.
The controversy escalated later in 2024 when the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission initiated legal proceedings against Adani-linked entities. However, these cases collapsed under scrutiny, leading to the resignation of Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Around the same time, Adani’s legal team at Quinn Emanuel issued a legal warning to Hindenburg Research.
In a surprising twist, Nathan Anderson, founder of Hindenburg Research, reportedly agreed to dissolve the firm in January 2025 in exchange for legal immunity. Sources claim this immunity was revoked shortly after Donald Trump returned to the U.S. presidency on January 20, 2025.
Throughout this period, Mossad is said to have continued surveillance on Rahul Gandhi and Sam Pitroda. The operation, according to reports, reinforced Israel’s belief that the attack on Adani carried broader geopolitical motives, targeting not only the businessman but also the strategic India-Israel alliance. (Source: IANS)
