Who is Catherine Perez‑Shakdam?

 Who is Catherine Perez‑Shakdam?

Identity & Background

Born Catherine Pérez, she is a French citizen of Jewish heritage who converted to Shi‘a Islam. She built a career as a political analyst and journalist, focusing on Middle Eastern politics, particularly Yemen. 

Rise in Iranian media circles

Between 2015–2017, Perez‑Shakdam gained prominence for her anti-Saudi and anti-Israel commentary. Iran's state-controlled media invited her as a commentator, and she conducted interviews with high-profile figures, including then-future President Ebrahim Raisi. 

Jewish heritage becomes scandal

She concealed her Jewish background. When revelations came to light, Iranian authorities branded her a Mossad plant, wiping many of her appearances. She strongly denied espionage accusations. 

Accusations: Spy or journalist?

Iran’s allegation

Iranian outlets seized on her Jewish roots, declaring her a Mossad spy after she had enjoyed access to Iranian influencers and officials. 

Perez-Shakdam’s response

She dismissed these claims as defamation, attributing them to ideological hostility and the shock of discovering her Jewish identity after accepting her narrative as a devout Shi‘a Muslim. 

Shift in self-identification

In the aftermath, Perez‑Shakdam distanced herself from Islam, reclaimed her Jewish roots, and expressed regret over the roles she played in Iranian narratives. 

The broader picture: Female Mossad operatives & tactics

While Catherine Perez‑Shakdam isn’t a Mossad operative, her story touches on larger truths about espionage, identity, and manipulation—many of which have roots in the history of female agents in Israeli intelligence.

a. Sylvia Rafael – a legendary Mossad undercover agent

Born in South Africa to a Jewish father and Christian mother.

Undercover work: Operated as a photographer in Canada and France; notably imprisoned in Norway after a failed attempt to assassinate a Palestinian terrorist. 

Her story exemplifies how deeply Mossad trained women could embed themselves—posing not as honey traps, but as professionals in their cover roles. 

b. "Sparrows" & honey-trap operations

Mossad has historically used “sparrows,” female agents who exploit romance or intimacy to recruit, deceive, or manipulate targets.

A famous case: Cheryl Bentov, who as “Cindy” lured nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu to Rome, drugged him, and helped Mossad capture him. 

While seductive roles were sometimes used, Mosad also emphasizes operational discipline—agents are forbidden from engaging in actual sexual relationships on missions. 

c. Modern deployment of women agents

Today, women make up roughly 40% of Mossad’s staff, with 24% in senior roles. They’re trained in weapons, languages, surveillance, and covert insertion—not just superficial seduction. 

Their duties range from undercover infiltration (e.g., Sylvia Rafael’s infiltration into Fatah training camps) to cultural cover and technological espionage. 

Palestinian infiltration of Israeli intelligence

An added layer relates to espionage from the Palestinian side against Israeli agencies:

In August 2022, Islamic Jihad’s Al‑Quds Brigades reportedly placed six operatives inside Shin Bet and Mossad recruitment systems—a mission named “Unity of the Fields.” 

While there’s no public record of Palestinian women spies embedded directly in Mossad, such operations underline the complexity of Middle Eastern intelligence warfare—where myths, disinformation, heroism, and betrayal intermingle.

Analysis: Is Perez‑Shakdam a “Palestinian Mossad spy”?

**Nationality & allegiance mismatch**

She is not Palestinian—she’s French.

She was not part of any Mossad operation (at least as far as open-source reporting indicates).

Still part of espionage narratives

She unintentionally mirrored a spy story—embedded in adversarial media, reportedly hiding an ethnic-religious background, and later rebranded.

Iran’s outrage and retaliation by erasing her media presence reflects typical intelligence cover-up tactics—even in non-official spycases.

Why the confusion happens

Middle Eastern media often conflate Jews with Israeli intelligence.

Politically-charged identities (Shi‘a, anti-Saudi, anti-Zionist) plus sudden background revelations made her the ideal scapegoat in Iran’s eyes.

Broader implications & lessons

Espionage is rarely romantic.

Unlike movies, Mossad’s female operatives are trained professionals, using cover identities to access places or intelligence—sometimes including emotional manipulation, but under strict operational control. 

Identity is power—and political truth

Perez‑Shakdam’s story underscores how religious, ethnic, and national identities are battlegrounds in propaganda—turning an analyst into a spy suspect overnight.

Counterintelligence paranoia thrives in conflict zones

Nations like Iran purge voices who deviate unexpectedly from ideological lines. Accusations of espionage become credible in such environments, regardless of evidence. Perez‑Shakdam’s sudden erasure demonstrates this dynamic. 

Espionage travels two ways

Just as Mossad employs covert tactics, Palestinian groups like Islamic Jihad have undertaken espionage within Israeli agencies—showing the multiplicity of operations in the region. 

Conclusion

“Cathrin Parej Showk” seems to be a conflated or incorrect name.

Catherine Perez‑Shakdam’s story, by contrast, is real—and amid the most sensational journalism-on‑espionage tales of the past decade.

Her story is not a Palestinian Mossad spy case; it's instead Iranian fear, Middle Eastern identity politics, and the powerful ways in which perception becomes its own type of intelligence tool.