Inside Israel with Joel Chasnoff

Joel looks at how Gadi Eisenkot, newly tasked with forming Israel's next government, appears headed toward a minority government that could end Netanyahu's long run as prime minister. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to ans...

Joel makes sense of last week's Israeli election, laying out the options on the table and explaining why he believes it's clear-cut that Netanyahu lost. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasn...

Joel’s thoughts on the October 27th elections as Israelis head to the polls. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com...

Joel shares what he learned from leading an Israel conversation with a group of next-gen young Jews in the U.S., where they revealed how differently they see Israel than those who live there. He also explores what those differences could mean for the future of Israel’s relationship with American Jews and U.S. relations more broadly. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during...

Joel reflects on the distinction between Israel as a “Jewish state” versus a “state for Jews,” exploring how the High Holidays have shifted his perspective on what it truly means for Israel to be Jewish and what that should look like. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israe...

Joel discusses the hijacking of Fly Dubai flight 1073 and the three Israeli heroes who prevented a tragedy, exploring how Israelis view this event — and why that perspective is likely very different from how Jews elsewhere, and the rest of the world in general, are viewing it. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelch...

Joel investigates whether Netanyahu knew about the impending October 7 attack based on newly revealed warnings from Egypt and the UAE — and explores the more troubling question: do Israelis actually care? -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question fo...

Joel speaks about NAZA, a new documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor that features anonymous testimony from Israeli military and intelligence personnel making grave allegations about IDF conduct in Gaza. He discusses why this film has enraged so many Israelis and explores the implications for the country's security and soul. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contri...

Joel takes his listeners through a quiz that's circulating across Israel to help voters figure out which prime minister candidate they align with. Grab a pen and paper — you'll want to track your answers and see where you land on Israel's political spectrum. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn...

Joel marks three years of the Inside Israel podcast by reflecting on how living in Israel has changed him — his views on peace, his relationship with diaspora Jewry, and his political evolution. He also outlines three major changes coming to the podcast in the year ahead. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnof...

Joel shares three concrete examples from the past week of how living in Israel screws you over in small, everyday ways — demonstrating what Israelis are thinking and feeling as they navigate life here, frustrations that don't diminish his love for the country, just reflect its reality. Curious to learn more about a certain unexpected (and very much undesired) guest in a Tel Aviv apartment? Read th...

Joel and his family spontaneously travel to Bulgaria, where everything becomes filtered through their Israeli identity. In this episode, Joel explores why Israelis experience the world differently than people from other countries — and how for Israelis, every experience is "an Israeli experience." -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and co...

Last week, Joel and Dorit went on a spontaneous overnight to Jerusalem. The quick weekend getaway led to seven vignettes that capture what Israel and Israelis look like right now. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air,...

It’s the August Ask Joel Anything episode! We answer your questions on everything from how Israeli election campaigns are funded to the surprising scarcity of cottage cheese—and plenty more along the way.   -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a ques...

Last week, Joel was shaken by a listener response to Joel's story about feeling uncomfortable as a Jew in Brussels. In today’s episode, Joel addresses the listener with greater nuance and examines the nature of being outwardly Jewish in the world today.  -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To lear...

Joel reflects on the death of IDF Officer Yuval Ezra z''l, killed in a chaotic and preventable episode in the West Bank — and discusses his personal, circuitous connection to the Ezra family and what Ezra’s death says about the current moment in Israel. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more...

For the second week in a row, Joel broadcasts from Europe and reflects on what it means to be Israeli abroad — the burden, the complications, and why the experience makes him more convinced of the need for a Jewish state.  -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and...

Joel shares three takeaways from his recent trip through Europe — what it's like to be an Israeli abroad right now, and how traveling through Switzerland unexpectedly gave him a deeper appreciation for Israel. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a questi...

A few weeks ago, I found myself at a Shabbat dinner with a diehard supporter of Netanyahu. No matter what criticism I raised, she had a response—a counter-argument I couldn't refute. In this episode, I'll share what it is, how it’s so effective, and what this argument means for the country moving forward. -------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lectur...

Last week, I attended an event featuring Naftali Bennett, head of Beyachad and the primary challenger to Netanyahu. While I haven't committed to supporting him, I wanted to hear directly from him as he outlined his platform and vision for Israel's future. In this episode, I'll recap his key points, analyze the viability of his candidacy, and assess his chances in the coming elections. ------------...

This week, we examine the implications of the US-Iran truce agreement and its critical impact on Israeli security. I'll analyze why this agreement falls short of protecting Israel's interests, and discuss the strategic steps Israel must take to ensure its safety in the coming months and years. --------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comed...

Joel recently spent three days in Brooklyn surrounded by people opposed to Israel—pro-Palestine gestures, the Park Slope Food Coop voting to ban Israeli products, and a sea of anti-Israel sentiment. In today’s episode, he’ll attempt to see Israel through their eyes.  --------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasno...

Joel reflects on his weekend performing comedy at Camp Moshava in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where 150 IDF soldiers — many in therapy for PTSD after months in Gaza and Lebanon — came to heal, laugh, and decompress. --------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a qu...

Joel sits down with Benji Lovitt, his closest friend in Israel and co-author of Israel 201 , who is permanently leaving for the United States. They talk about why he's going, what he hopes to find there, and what he'll miss most about Israel. --------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.com To learn more about Ins...

Last week, Joel attended the funeral of Itamar Sapir z’’l, a fallen soldier from Ra’anana. In this week's episode, Joel will share a dozen small, random observations from the funeral — what it says about the state of the army, where the country is headed, the possibility for national unity, and more. A series of reflections from the funeral that, together, tell a much larger story about where Isra...