Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. As students head back to campus, universities are stepping into a storm of debates over antisemitism, safety, and free speech. The Trump administration has stepped up federal intervention — pulling funding, opening investigations, and demanding major policy changes at school...

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Israel is preparing for one of the most consequential moves of the war: taking control of Gaza City. Supporters say it’s the only way to finish the fight against Hamas; critics warn it could endanger hostages, deepen the humanitarian crisis, and fracture Israel’s already fra...

Yossi Klein Halevi joins Dr. Rachel Fish for an honest and moving conversation about the State of Israel, Zionism, and the widening rift with the American Jewish community. From the trauma of October 7 to the breakdown of Israel’s political consensus, Yossi reflects on how Israelis are navigating war, grief, and internal division.  Together, they explore why American and Israeli Jews understand po...

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Israel is fighting two wars: one on the ground in Gaza—and another in the court of global opinion. In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by urban warfare expert John Spencer to discuss the double standards Israel faces in its fight against Hamas. While other democrac...

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. In part two of their conversation, host Aviva Klompas and Dr. Michael Oren examine the deeper forces behind the global push to recognize a Palestinian state—and what this moment reveals about the West’s enduring relationship with the Jewish people. As the Gaza narrative shif...

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. France, the United Kingdom, and Canada have each announced they plan to recognize a Palestinian state this September at the United Nations General Assembly. The move has been harshly criticized by Israeli and U.S. officials, who argue it rewards Hamas and risks further under...

Antisemitism in Canada has exploded in ways that few could have imagined. Attacks on synagogues, Jewish schools, and businesses have become frighteningly common. How did it get this bad in a country that prides itself on tolerance and multiculturalism? Why have leaders at every level failed to protect their Jewish communities? And what does this say about Canada’s moral standing at home and on the...

In this episode of Unpublished Opinions , Aviva Klompas shares a letter to the editor that never made it to print, unpacking why Hamas no longer feels the need to negotiate.  While the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is real and devastating, global outrage has been overwhelmingly directed at Israel—giving Hamas exactly what it wants: cover, leverage, and zero accountability. Aviva explains how interna...

Host Aviva Klompas is joined by Lt. Colonel (Res.) Jonathan Conricus to discuss the escalating pressure on Israel—from mounting international outrage over the humanitarian situation in Gaza to the breakdown of hostage negotiations. As accusations of starvation and civilian suffering dominate global headlines, Israel faces growing condemnation from foreign governments, the UN, and aid organizations...

We’re trying something new on Boundless Insights . Welcome to Unpublished Opinions —a mini-series where Aviva Klompas shares letters to the editor that didn’t make it to print, but still make an argument worth hearing. In this first episode, Aviva takes a closer look at Mahmoud Khalil—a leader of Columbia’s anti-Israel encampment who was recently released from federal detention. Homeland Security...

For years, UNRWA positioned itself as the primary source of humanitarian aid in Gaza. But after October 7, its deep entanglement with Hamas became undeniable. A dozen UNRWA employees participated in the massacre. Up to 10% of its Gaza staff are linked to terror groups. And aid meant for civilians has been diverted, looted, and weaponized to fund Hamas’s war machine. So what’s the alternative? In t...

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent visit to Washington made headlines and raised expectations. He met twice with President Trump, and both leaders suggested that a deal to release hostages was within reach. But on the ground, little has changed. The war in Gaza continues. IDF soldiers are still being killed. And 50 hostages remain in captivity. Despite talk of progress, the region remains stuck in...

For more than seven decades, Israel and Syria have been in a formal state of war. Now, for the first time in years, there are murmurs of something different, but new tensions are threatening to unravel what little stability remains. In recent days, violence has erupted in southern Syria. A bloody assault on the country’s Druze community has reignited fears that Syria’s fragile postwar order could...

In this episode, Dr. Rachel Fish talks with historian Dr. Jeffrey Herf, a leading expert on Nazism, the Holocaust, antisemitism, and the connections between Europe and the Middle East. Dr. Herf explains how antisemitism and anti-Zionism have become more accepted in universities and public debates, and why that’s so dangerous. They discuss Iran’s state-sponsored antisemitism, Hamas’s genocidal ideo...

On October 7, Hamas terrorists stormed the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel. Among those taken hostage was Elkana Bohbot, who was working for the festival that morning. Before he was captured, Elkana called his wife Rebecca to tell her he was staying behind to help the wounded. He promised her he would come home. That was their last conversation. In this episode, Rebecca shares who Elkana is...

Tel Aviv – Israel’s cultural and commercial heart – was rocked by direct missile strikes from Iran. In this episode, Aviva sits down with Deputy Mayor Asaf Zamir to discuss how the city is recovering from the attacks. They explore what it felt like on the ground during the missile strikes, the challenges of rebuilding homes and lives, and whether Tel Aviv’s trademark confidence has been shaken. As...

Aviva Klompas sits down with Jonah Platt to unpack what Zohran Mamdani’s rise means for New York and the broader Jewish community. Mamdani, a 33-year-old socialist state legislator, is now the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor. His positions on Israel, refusal to condemn extremist slogans, and calls to arrest Israeli leaders have sparked alarm among many Jews. Jonah shares his reaction to M...

New research from Boundless shows that 40% of Americans don’t know that dozens of hostages are still being held by Hamas. And it’s clear from released hostages that those who remain are being starved, tortured, humiliated and denied medical care. In this episode, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Idit Ohel, whose son Alon was kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival on October 7. Alon arrived...

Ethel Berdah’s apartment in Tel Aviv was destroyed by an Iranian missile less than two weeks ago. In this episode, Ethel joins Aviva Klompas to share what it’s like to lose everything in an instant and how she’s navigating life in the aftermath. Originally from France, Ethel moved to Israel to build a life, never imagining she’d be caught in the crosshairs of a war between regional superpowers. He...

On the night of June 21, the United States launched direct military strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure for the first time in history. Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan—long considered untouchable—were hit with precision by American forces. President Trump called the strikes a “spectacular military success” and declared that Iran’s key nuclear sites had been “completely and totally obliterated.” Hos...

As Israel engages in open warfare with Iran, Israel’s most senior envoy in Washington is in a different war zone—battling for U.S. support and moral clarity in the face of escalating threats. Host Aviva Klompas sits down with Ambassador Yechiel Leiter to discuss the Iranian threat, the state of U.S. support, and what it will take to achieve victory. The conversation turns deeply personal as they d...

For years, the conflict between Israel and Iran played out in the shadows—through proxies, cyberattacks, and covert operations. Now it’s an open war. Iranian missiles have struck Israeli cities. Israel is hitting back deep inside Iranian territory.  In this episode, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Yair Lapid, Israel’s former Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition, about the scale and s...

Over the weekend, the war between Israel and Iran escalated dramatically. Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israeli cities, with some evading air defenses and striking residential buildings. Israel responded with force — launching a sustained air campaign deep into Iranian territory.  And yet, while Israel fights, the United States remains publicly absent. Officials insist the U.S. i...

Overnight, Israel launched a sweeping preemptive strike on Iran. The operation, named Strength of a Lion , targeted nuclear facilities, missile infrastructure, and top military leadership. Among the most critical targets: the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. Iranian state media confirms the deaths of senior Revolutionary Guard commanders and nuclear scientists. Why now? What exactly was hit? How m...

Israel may be preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear program, with reports indicating a possible operation in the coming days. The IDF is on high alert, U.S. personnel are being repositioned, and regional powers are bracing for fallout. Iran has pushed ahead with uranium enrichment, flouted international oversight, and continued its threats against Israel. As nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran re...