Axis Mundi

After Palestinian gunmen carried out a terrorist attack in East Jerusalem in early September, breaking nearly two years of uneasy calm in the city, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that "the war continues in Jerusalem." Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann break down what the attack actually means for the city, its consequences for Jerusalem's residents, plus an up...

Evan Gottesman speaks with Danny Seidemann and Jumana Jaouni about Israel's approval of "doomsday" settlement E1—what this latest step means and how far along the timeline we are before the West Bank is completely bisected. Plus, a discussion on what the parade of Western nations now recognizing Palestine means—and doesn't mean—for the situation in Jerusalem.

Evan Gottesman checks in with TJ's Danny Seidemann and Jumana Jaouni about E1, Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), and fires in the Jerusalem area—along with the incendiary and unproven Israeli government claims that they were started by Palestinian arsonists.

Evan Gottesman checks in with TJ's Danny Seidemann and Jumana Jaouni about Ramadan in Jerusalem, a shocking-but-not-so-shocking Shin Bet report on Kahanism in the Israeli police, and ambitious Israeli annexation plans that would fragment Jerusalem and the West Bank.

No red lines: Evan Gottesman checks in with Jumana Jaouni and TJ's Danny Seidemann about the state of Jerusalem facing a right-wing Israeli government, an unchecked Trump administration, and a Palestinian leadership that seems checked out from the city. In this episode, we dive into an unprecedented settlement development in Sheikh Jarrah, new Israeli restrictions on UNRWA activity, and an Is...

With Donald Trump's returning to the White House in January after a four year absence, Evan Gottesman, Danny Seidemann, and Jumana Jaouni consider what the once and future president portends for Jerusalem and Jerusalemites.

A year after Hamas's October 7 attacks and the start of the war in Gaza, outside attention remains diverted away from Jerusalem. Evan Gottesman, Danny Seidemann, and Jumana Jaouni reflect on how the anniversary played out and what observers are missing with much of international focus trained on Iran and Lebanon.

With the specter of a wider Israel-Iran war looming over the Middle East, Evan Gottesman catches up with TJ's Danny Seidemann and Palestinian affairs expert Jumana Jaouni about the latest out of Jerusalem. Despite recent provocations at the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif—and shameless obfuscations by Israeli politicians—might the contested holy city actually be the perfect, imperfect example fo...

Evan Gottesman checks in with TJ's Danny Seidemann and Jerusalem expert Jumana Jaouni about developments in Kufr Aqab—a Palestinian neighborhood and  oft-ignored governing void located within Jerusalem's official borders—but on the east side of the Israel-West Bank barrier.

At the end of May, Spain, Ireland, and Norway recognized the State of Palestine alongside Israel. The right-wing Israeli government's response raises questions about the future Spain's consulate in Jerusalem—and other diplomatic offices in the contested city.  Evan Gottesman joins TJ's Danny Seidemann and Jumana Jaouni to break down the state of international representation in Jerus...

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif for the first time since the Hamas attacks of October 7 and the war in Gaza. Was this a message from Ben Gvir's handlers on Balfour Street to the international community? Evan Gottesman, Danny Seidemann, and Jumana Jaouni unpack the firebrand minister's contentious visit. Plus, a l...

The Axis Mundi team welcomes Palestinian affairs expert Jumana Jaouni to the show. Evan Gottesman, TJ's Danny Seidemann, and Jumana discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's corrosive influence on the situation at the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif and the chilling of public discourse in Jerusalem since Hamas' October 7 attacks...

Ahead of Ramadan, Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann break down the dangerous rumors about Al Aqsa that help fuel tensions between Israelis and Palestinians—and the dangerous realities that persist in the city. Read Danny's article in Al Majalla : "Fears Mount Over Rising Al Aqsa Tensions As Ramadan Nears" ( Arabic version available here ) Read Danny's article in Fore...

Evan Gottesman speaks with Danny Seidemann about the role of UNRWA in East Jerusalem in the wake of reports that members of the Palestinian refugee agency's staff participated in Hamas's October 7 terrorist attacks. Plus, Evan and Danny take a look at the International Court of Justice's decision on the case brought against Israel by South Africa over the war in Gaza.

In the final episode of 2023, Evan Gottesman speaks with TJ's Danny Seidemann about a crisis affecting one quarter of the land in the Armenian Quarter—the smallest of the four communities in Jerusalem's Old City. Plus, the "Israeli lawyer who has David Cameron's ear" speaks out. Listen to our August 2023 episode, which also covered events in the Armenian Quarter.

The Gaza war comes to Jerusalem: Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann discuss a Hamas terrorist attack in the western part of the city, while Israeli security forces tighten restrictions in the east.

Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann examine how the fallout from Hamas's brutal October 7 terrorist attack in southern Israel and the ongoing IDF campaign in Gaza is being felt on the streets of Jerusalem. Read Danny Seidemann in  Foreign Policy : "This War Is Wrought With Historical Trauma"

Jerusalemites head to the polls at the end of October. TJ's Danny Seidemann and podcast host Evan Gottesman discuss the upcoming municipal elections, the city's politics, and whether demographics are destiny in Jerusalem. Read two perspectives on the future of Jerusalem, referenced in this episode: "Ignore the Doom Merchants: Jerusalem Is Not a Lost Cause – and Neither Is Israel&quo...

Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann discuss a new Israeli government plan for East Jerusalem that seems to contradict the public aims of Prime Minister Netanyahu's far-right coalition and explore what's behind the paradoxical policy. In the second half of the program, Franciscan Action Network Executive Director Michele Dunne gives a deep-dive on one of Jerusalem's most ove...

Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann break down the latest news on E1 and settlement expansion around Jerusalem, plus developments in the case of the killing of Eyad al Hallaq. In the second half of the episode, the Economic Cooperation Foundation's Celine Touboul joins the show to share her analysis on the state of Israel-Saudi Arabia normalization and how events in Jerusalem could i...

Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann discuss the origins of the ultra-nationalist Flags March and Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day). On the second half of the episode, former Egyptian diplomat Ambassador Hesham Youssef shares his take on Cairo's position on Jerusalem and Egypt's role in mediating between Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.

Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann discuss the aftermath of the spring holiday triple feature in Jerusalem. In the second half of the episode, Farah Bdour, an expert on Jordan and Jerusalem from the Amman Center for Peace and Development, joins the program to provide insights into the Hashemite Kingdom's role in the holy city. Click here to read the Aqaba Joint Communique (mentioned...

Host Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann discuss the confluence of Ramadan, Pesach, and Easter and what it means for Jerusalem, plus a look at the pro-democracy protests in Israel and how the spring holiday season will impact them.

Evan Gottesman speaks with TJ's Danny Seidemann about the fallout from a recent string of terror attacks against Israelis and the settler-led pogrom in the Palestinian town of Huwara. Then, in the second part of the episode, Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Egypt, shares his analysis on the American response to the Huwara rampage and Israeli officials'...

January 2023 proved to be a difficult month for Jerusalem. Evan Gottesman and TJ's Danny Seidemann look back at the weeks since the new year began, covering two terror attacks, disturbances in Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem, Itamar Ben Gvir's visit to the Temple Mount, the crisis of the Israeli judiciary, and where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fits into all of this.