For Heaven's Sake

What if October 7 didn't only traumatize Israel and Jews worldwide—but actually changed the course of Jewish history?  On this special episode of For Heaven’s Sake, Yossi Klein Halevi and Shalom Hartman Institute of North America CEO Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield explore his bold thesis that October 7 marked the end of the post-Holocaust era of increased Jewish security and acceptance. Their wide-rangi...

In this conversation recorded live in Jerusalem on July 2, 2025, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront the explosive question: What future awaits Judea and Samaria, referred to by some as the West Bank and others as the Occupied Territories?  In a conversation moderated by Ronit Heyd , Vice President and Director of the Center for Israeli & Jewish identity at the Shalom Hartman Institute...

The war with Hamas has now come at a devastating cost. Hunger is penetrating Gaza, and Israelis are now witnessing the humanitarian disaster unfolding on their border, which their government—and the world—have so far failed to properly address. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi ask, how did it get to this point? Where—between Israel, Hamas, and the international community—doe...

A recent clash between Druze and Bedouins in the Syrian region of Sweida evolved into chaos as Syrian troops, Israeli Druze, and the IDF all entered the fray. For Israelis, the incident is prompting renewed awareness—and fresh questions— about the unusual status of Druze in the Jewish State. This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss loyalty, kinship, and “Israeli-ness” as they unpa...

For the second time in two months, Israel’s government is at risk of collapsing, as Haredi parties threaten to withdraw from the coalition over the conscription of Yeshiva students. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is discussing a “60 day ceasefire” that would return more hostages without a clear end to the war. This week, as Israelis wait and anxiety builds, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi share their...

Around the world, Israelis are being harassed, attacked, and condemned for their country’s actions in Gaza, with even Israel’s staunchest allies beginning to reject claims of self-defense.  This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack why the war with Hamas has brought about such international backlash, and whether Israel can restore its moral credibility.  Watch the video version of o...

Since his inauguration, Donald Trump has inserted himself into the core of Israeli politics. He now wants an imminent end to the Gaza war, and Netanyahu seems ready to capitulate, even at risk to his coalition. This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack the moral dilemma that an end to the war in Gaza—under these circumstances—would create. Would Hamas continue to control the Strip?...

The U.S. strikes Iran’s Fordo facility. Trump announces a ceasefire. Netanyahu and Khamenei both claim victory. But beneath all the bluster, it remains unclear if Israel’s 12-day campaign succeeded in neutralizing a nuclear threat. This week Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi try to separate facts from hearsay and speculate on the political future of both Iran and Israel. Watch the video versi...

How many times in Israel’s short and fraught history have we marked the start of a new era, and how does this affect the Israeli psyche over time? In this special episode of For Heaven’s Sake following America’s monumental entry into the war with Iran, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi analyze this not-quite-celebratory moment and weigh their conflicting feelings: exhilaration and exhaustion,...

Four days into the war with Iran, the feeling in Israel has gone from surreal to painfully real, with initial sighs of existential relief giving way to anxiety, grief, and uncertainty.  On this episode of For Heaven’s Sake , Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the parallels between this war and past operations, the difference in Israelis’ experiences across the country, and their hopes...

Today is day 616 of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, and day 1 of a new era for Israel. For Israelis who were jolted out of bed by sirens and Jews around the world who have been glued to the headlines, the first 24 hours of the war with Iran have been surreal, and leave us asking – what happens now? In this emergency episode of For Heaven’s Sake recorded today, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi...

As the war in Gaza drags on, Netanyahu has dramatically lost popular support yet until now he has managed to retain his government coalition. But with the Ultra-Orthodox, the IDF, world Jewry, and foreign leaders all pulling in different directions, the Prime Minister may be facing defeat in the imminent emergency election. This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the widening cra...

After violent attacks in Washington, D.C. and Boulder, CO, America’s Jewish community is on edge. Public displays of Jewishness or Zionism now seem to carry a risk in liberal bastions of the country, as a frightening wave of antisemitism emerges not from the far-right, but from the left. This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the evolution of left-wing discourse since October 7...

One of the goals of Zionism is to reintegrate the Jewish people into the “community of nations,” recognizing Israel’s sovereignty and forging global partnerships built on mutual respect and shared values. But as the war in Gaza takes a new turn, France, the UK, and even Germany have amplified their criticism, and President Trump is considering ending continued military support. Israel may soon fin...

What does it mean to fight a just war justly—and who decides when we’ve crossed a moral red line? What began as a just war of self-defense has evolved into something more morally ambiguous, raising questions about Israel's tactics, humanitarian concerns, and international standing. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront their differing "red lines" regarding Israel's condu...

As Israel enters a perilous new stage of the Gaza war—authorizing indefinite occupation of captured territory—Netanyahu’s pledge of “complete victory” over Hamas is deepening societal rifts and threatening to further fracture Israeli unity, pitting nationalist agendas against calls for restraint. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the cascading consequences of occupati...

This Yom Ha’atzmut carries an apt but concerning metaphor for the State of Israel: as a brushfire burns along Route 1, the annual Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony has been canceled and the connection between Israel’s cultural and ideological poles, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is literally blocked.   In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi test the limits of their gratitude to t...

In the wake of the Holocaust, the Jewish people defied history. We restored sovereignty in our homeland and established the State of Israel, vowing that such victimization would never befall us again.   Then came the massacre on October 7. Though Israel has successfully fought back against Hamas and its allies, the war is still being waged, hostages remain in captivity, and the evil that motivated...

A shadow lingers over Passover this year: 59 hostages still languish in Hamas captivity, Netanyahu continues his efforts to mold Israel into an authoritarian state, and Gazans once again live with the dangers of war. How can we celebrate freedom when so many in and around Israel are figuratively—and literally—not free?   This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the Pesach seder...

The Shin Bet, IDF, and Israel’s judiciary should serve the nation regardless of the government’s political leanings. But Prime Minister Netanyahu seems determined to bend these institutions to serve his will and that of his right-wing coalition. Despite his visibly corrupt behavior, he may already be succeeding at instilling autocracy into Israel’s highest public institutions.   This week, Donniel...

With the return to war in Gaza, a wave of fresh recruits would relieve the intense pressure on Israel’s fatigued fighting force and struggling economy. But those potential new recruits—Ultra-Orthodox young men—are refusing or ignoring their conscription orders, often at the behest of their rabbis and leaders.   This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi untangle the enigma of Haredi draft r...

In the early hours of Tuesday, March 18, the IDF resumed airstrikes on Gaza, breaking the two-month ceasefire with Hamas.   Israel’s decision to return to war can be debated, but what is harder to understand is why Netanyahu, after promising to fire the chief of the Shin Bet—Israel’s counter-terrorism agency—and with a new Haredi draft exemption in the works, has chosen this moment to thrust Israe...

As pressure mounts to move forward with further ceasefire negotiations, Israel finds itself beset with national scandals and crises, including a new Haredi draft exemption bill, threats to fire the Attorney General and Shin Bet Chief, and allegations that Netanyahu’s office took money from Qatar, while a looming budget deadline threatens to topple the government.   In this episode, Donniel Hartman...

Over the past year, Israel has shared a certain kinship with Ukraine; both countries are locked in existential wars started by their neighbors and backed by the U.S. administration. But in a shocking foreign policy turnaround, the Trump administration is stonewalling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, demanding mineral wealth from his country in exchange for further military support. In a wo...

Hamas has released each round of hostages amid increasingly cruel and theatrical public displays, going as far as returning a stranger’s body in place of Shiri Bibas, who was abducted with her two young children and killed in captivity. With stage two of ceasefire negotiations due to begin, Netanyahu, and many Israelis, are instead gearing up for a return to war. Is this the response Hamas is aimi...