For Heaven's Sake

Can American Jews define themselves through love of both Israel and America? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack a parade transformed by October 7, Mamdani's boycott, and how a historically innocuous parade has transformed in...

Can American Jews define themselves through love of both Israel and America? In this episode, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  unpack a parade transformed by October 7, Mamdani's boycott, and how a historically innocuous parade has transformed into a profound act of defiance and vulnerability. They explore America as a "nation of nationalities" and its special place in Jewish identity, and...

Can a country recover its sense of agency when every front — external and internal — refuses to stay resolved? In this episode, recorded just as Prime Minister Netanyahu issued another emergency call-up of exhausted reservists, Donniel Hartman and Yoss...

Can a country recover its sense of agency when every front — external and internal — refuses to stay resolved?  In this episode, recorded just as Prime Minister Netanyahu issued another emergency call-up of exhausted reservists, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  wrestle with the deepening Israeli loss of control. They dissect the gap between the Prime Minister's promise of "absolute victory...

Is it possible to win every battle and still lose where it matters? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront what may be the most dangerous front Israel faces today — the narrative. They lay bare the forces converging against Is...

Is it possible to win every battle and still lose where it matters?  In this episode, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  confront what may be the most dangerous front Israel faces today — the narrative. They lay bare the forces converging against Israel’s legitimacy: the collapse of Western institutions and the global spread of antisemitism amplified by social media and a systematic anti-Zio...

What do you say when defending yourself only makes things worse? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi respond in real time to Nicholas Kristof's New York Times column accusing Israel of systemic sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees ...

What do you say when defending yourself only makes things worse?  In this episode, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  respond in real time to Nicholas Kristof's New York Times column accusing Israel of systemic sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees — an article that dropped on the same day Israel's Civil Commission released its report on Hamas's use of mass rape on October 7. They assess the...

A brief update from For Heaven's Sake on the release schedule for this week's episode. Make sure you are subscribed to or following the show on your preferred podcast app so new episodes download automatically as soon as they are released.

A brief update from For Heaven's Sake on the release schedule for this week's episode. Make sure you are subscribed to or following the show on your preferred podcast app so new episodes download automatically as soon as they are released.

Can an army of the people maintain its ethical compass when a faction of the public it protects and consists of embraces ideological lawlessness? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the IDF Chief of Staff's urgent warning re...

Can an army of the people maintain its ethical compass when a faction of the public it protects and consists of embraces ideological lawlessness?  In this episode, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  dissect the IDF Chief of Staff's urgent warning regarding military discipline, examine the ideological evolution of the Hilltop Youth and the government and public responses to it. Together, they...

In light of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid recently announcing the launch of a unified party for the Knesset elections, we are re-releasing our episode Bennett 2026, recorded on January 6, 2026. Donniel and Yossi will be back with a new episode next we...

In light of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid recently announcing the launch of a unified party for the Knesset elections, we are re-releasing our episode Bennett 2026, recorded on January 6, 2026. Donniel and Yossi will be back with a new episode next week.  Is former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett a right-wing ideologue or Israel's great national healer?   Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  g...

What do you wish for a country you love that is still learning to love itself? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi mark Israel's 78th Independence Day with a meditation on eulogies, blessings, and the distance between the two. They ...

What do you wish for a country you love that is still learning to love itself?  In this episode,  Donniel Hartman  and  Yossi Klein Halevi  mark Israel's 78th Independence Day with a meditation on eulogies, blessings, and the distance between the two. They dissect the growing divide in world Jewry over Israel's future and the stranglehold of an "October 7 consciousness" on Israeli political imagin...

How do we observe national days of mourning when the nightmares of the past feel like the realities of the present? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect Israel’s "10 Days of Awe," the intense period between Holocaust Memorial...

How do we observe national days of mourning when the nightmares of the past feel like the realities of the present?   In this episode, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  dissect Israel’s "10 Days of Awe," the intense period between Holocaust Memorial Day and Israel’s Independence Day, and how this year it demands a spiritual and moral readjustment for Jews everywhere. They consider the impac...

When a word carries history, burden, and identity all at once, can the Jewish people afford to let it go? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the internal Jewish debate over the term Zionism, examining its classical promises...

When a word carries history, burden, and identity all at once, can the Jewish people afford to let it go?  In this episode,  Donniel Hartman  and  Yossi Klein Halevi  dissect the internal Jewish debate over the term Zionism, examining its classical promises of empowerment, the push to abandon it in the face of progressive critique, and why the term means something different in Israel and the Diasp...

How do you celebrate the holiday of liberation when the reality of war, grief, and political division feels heavier than ever? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront the growing exhaustion in Israel with the conflicts in Iran ...

How do you celebrate the holiday of liberation when the reality of war, grief, and political division feels heavier than ever?  In this episode, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  confront the growing exhaustion in Israel with the conflicts in Iran and Lebanon, the profound grief interrupting daily life, and the internal fractures exposed by new government legislation. As they navigate these...

Is Israel destined to have its wars stopped by its closest ally just before the finish line? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine the rumors of a potential negotiation to end the current conflict with Iran and ask whether thi...

Is Israel destined to have its wars stopped by its closest ally just before the finish line?  In this episode,  Donniel Hartman  and  Yossi Klein Halevi  examine the rumors of a potential negotiation to end the current conflict with Iran and ask whether this moment reflects a recurring pattern in the U.S.-Israel relationship. They explore America’s role in pressing for de-escalation at pivotal mom...

What is the hidden cost of Israeli resilience? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi move beyond strategic analysis to examine how the war is reshaping daily life in Israel, why the polls haven't budged despite a popular and militaril...