For Heaven's Sake

Israel is headed toward elections again, but can either side form a stable government?  In this episode,  Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi  take a step back to examine the current political climate: the politics of exclusion, the historic unification of Arab parties around domestic issues, and the stalemate that could leave Israel stuck in another cycle of deadlocked elections. They offer a ...

The hostage clock stopped at 843 days, 12 hours, and 6 minutes. But did the healing begin? Donniel Hartman  and  Yossi Klein Halevi  reflect on the return of the body of Ran Gvili—the last hostage from October 7th—and what this moment reveals about Israel's wounds, its divisions, and its desperate need for goodness. A meditation on trauma, ritual, and the human need for moments of grace—even when...

What can Israel do when unpredictability becomes U.S. policy? In this episode of For Heaven’s Sake , Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi reckon with what it means for Israel to live in “Trump’s world”—where unpredictability isn’t just a style, it’s a strategy that can have life-and-death consequences. They explore how Israel’s political drift and Netanyahu’s lack of a “day after” plan have lef...

Iran's regime is under pressure—and so are the assumptions that have shaped Western policy for decades.  In this episode,  Donniel Hartman  and  Yossi Klein Halevi  explore the "conceptia" behind the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Jewish theology of power, and the strange silence from progressives as Iran's uprising escalates. For Israelis, this isn't abstract: it's about onc...

Is former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett a right-wing ideologue or Israel's great national healer?  Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  grapple with this paradox as they examine the only candidate currently ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in national polling. They explore Bennett's extraordinary transformation from an ideological conservative to national unifier, discuss his brief...

Did we learn anything useful about the future of Israel from the Trump-Netanyahu Mar-a-Lago summit?   In this episode, recorded just hours after the summit concluded, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  wrestle with the disconnect between Trump's optimistic assurances—"everything's going to be fine"—and the hard realities facing Israel in 2026. They debate whether Iranian regime change is ach...

For 60 years, Israel has counted on the United States. Is the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Israel now in jeopardy—not from the left, but from the MAGA right?  In this episode,  Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi  unpack Vice President J.D. Vance's recent troubling statements, the rise of "America First" isolationism, why Israel may need to rethink its dependence on American aid,...

What does the horrific attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach mean for the future of Diaspora Jewish life? Australian Jews have built one of the most vibrant, cohesive, creative Jewish communities in the world. Shaped by Holocaust survivors and a deep sense of Zionism, it has become a model for Jewish life in the Diaspora. In this episode, Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  explore whether small Dia...

With elections less than a year away, Israel's political center faces an existential test. What does it stand for—and can it beat Netanyahu? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi analyze the state of Israel's center and center-left. They trace the historical collapse of the left, the rise of centrist politics under Ariel Sharon, and the post-October 7 reality where moral discours...

Can Israel's right-wing reclaim its principles? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine the mainstream Israeli right's evolution from Jabotinsky's ideals of security and dignity to today's personality-driven politics.   They explore the critical divide between Prime Minister Netanyahu’s loyalists and principled conservatives, identifying three challenges facing the next right-wing governmen...

With Israeli politics deadlocked, could Arab parties provide the path to a new coalition? Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi  discuss the extraordinary political journey of Mansour Abbas, the complexities of Palestinian-Israeli identity, and the future of Israeli democracy.  Listen to the Shalom Hartman Institute's new Thoughts and Prayers podcast: https://go.hartman.org.il/Thoughts-and-Praye...

Who's afraid of a Palestinian state? According to Donniel Hartman  and Yossi Klein Halevi , the answer is: almost every Israeli.  In this urgent conversation recorded after the UN Security Council backed President Trump's Gaza peace plan, Donniel and Yossi explore why an entire generation of Israelis has stopped talking about Palestinian statehood—and why their silence may be unsustainable. Listen...

What happens when 30% of NYC Jews vote for a candidate others see as antisemitic?  In this week’s episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi consider issues of betrayal, tolerance, red lines, and unity in a conversation about whether some positions cross from legitimate dissent into existential threat. From the episode: Rabbi Eliot Cosgrove, “On the Record” Identity/Crisis with Howard Wolfson...

What happens when everything becomes instantly politicized and no institution is safe from attack? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect how October 7 has transformed Israel's moral landscape, as the Netanyahu government shifts focus from defeating external enemies to waging war against internal opponents. Through the lens of the explosive scandal involving Israel's former top military la...

What does the possible election of Zohran Mamdani mean for Jewish identity, Diaspora-Israel relations, and the boundaries of Jewish community? As New Yorkers head to the polls in the coming week to elect their next mayor, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi wrestle with the return of 'conditional acceptance' for Jews in progressive spaces, compare this moment to Jeremy Corbyn's impact on Britis...

How are Israelis processing the transition from 760+ days of war to a fragile peace? Nearly two weeks into the ceasefire with Gaza, Israeli society is grappling with hope, trauma, and unsettling questions about who actually won. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack Hamas’ ceasefire violations, Trump's bear hug diplomacy, and why 48% of Israelis believe nobody emerged vict...

Will this moment of national unity in Israel transcend politics and open new possibilities for transformation after the celebration? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the profound emotional impact of Israel's recent hostage return - a day that united the nation in tears and joy. They explore what this spiritual turning point means for Israeli society's future, the strategic debates...

Two years and two days after October 7, Israel celebrates a breakthrough. In this  episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi react to the game-changing deal securing the release of all Israeli hostages. From Trump's surprising humanity to Netanyahu's strategic pivot, from the hostage families' brilliant campaign to the far-right's defeat – they explore how Israel has arrived at this transfor...

Can a society traumatized by October 7 learn to hope again? As Trump unveils his Arab supported Gaza peace plan, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine why Israelis struggle to embrace hope after October 7. They discuss the plan's moral dimensions, its focus on defeating Hamas while offering Palestinians a future, and what it means to believe in change when your world feels broken. A timel...

Can we maintain the highest ethical standards without betraying national solidarity?  As the war in Gaza surpasses 700 days and the High Holidays approach, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore what it means to love Israel unconditionally while grappling with the challenges of moral responsibility during time of war. They discuss maintaining ethical credibility while under attack and advo...

In a headline-grabbing speech, Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israelis to embrace life as a “super-Sparta,” cut off from a hostile world— which begs the question: who do Israelis want to be after October 7? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack the implications of embracing an isolationist strategy: was this merely a pep talk, or the burial of Start-Up Nation for Sparta Nation?...

In striking Hamas leaders in Qatar, Israel is invoking a decades-old principle: enemies of the Jewish people have no sovereign immunity. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi examine how the 1961 Eichmann Trial, which established the doctrine of universal jurisdiction for crimes against humanity and crimes against the Jewish people, continues to shape modern Israeli thinking and...

Is pushing into Gaza City a necessary step—or a purposeless escalation that jeopardizes hostages, multiplies civilian suffering, and splinters national unity? As Israel weighs an assault on Gaza City, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi debate the IDF chief’s four-part warning—military efficacy, the fate of the hostages, a spiraling humanitarian crisis, and global isolation—and whether this pha...

This episode originally aired on January 16, 2025. A ceasefire deal has just been reached.  In the past, Israelis have been united in elation and relief about the return of hostages, even at a high cost to national security. But not this time. Far-right MKs and ultranationalists had vigorously decried the deal, protesting any concession that would allow Hamas to hold on to power, no matter how sma...

What does it mean to lead Jewish communities through crisis? And how can North American Jews navigate complex relationships with Israel during wartime?  In a raw and honest conversation recorded live at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem on July 14, 2025, Institute presidents Donniel Hartman and Yehuda Kurtzer tackle difficult questions about Jewish leadership, trauma, and the responsibilit...