Inside Israel with Joel Chasnoff

Joel is away this week, so we're re-broadcasting one of our favorite episodes. In this milestone episode of Inside Israel, Joel sits down with Professor Dan Ben-David of Tel Aviv University and the Shoresh Institute to tackle a big question: What will Israel look like in 40 years—or will it even be here as we know it?  Rather than relying on emotions, this conversation dives into hard data—de...

As we head into the new year,  Joel shares what’s been on his mind — personal, national, and geopolitical. He starts with money: living in Israel while getting paid in US dollars means the weakening dollar suddenly feels very real. From there, the focus shifts to the army. With a child heading into the Israel Defense Forces — and still not knowing which unit — Joel reflects on how unsettling...

In this episode, Joel shares a recurring dream tied to his combat service in the IDF. In the dream, he’s suddenly sent back into a war zone—often Lebanon—unprepared, panicked, and unsure of what lies ahead. Using the dream as a starting point, Joel reflects on fear, memory, and how experiences from long ago can resurface when you least expect them. It’s his most personal episode to date, shared in...

Why did Joel walk away from a real estate deal after putting money down?  In this episode, he tells the full story — not just about property, but about the uniquely Israeli mindset around ownership in a region where nothing is ever guaranteed. Plus: reflections on Bondi Beach, listener questions about high school transcripts, and potential war with Iran. --------------- Tickets for Joel’s ann...

In this Ask Joel Anything episode, Joel tackles listener questions on political language, education, travel, the IDF’s handling of the war in Gaza, and why living in Israel is at once frustrating and magical. The episode wraps up with a lighter, relatable take on how Joel manages traveling back to the US as often as he does – to date, about 75 roundtrips over the past 10 years.  -------------...

This week, Joel takes you inside parent–teacher conferences at a high school in Ra’anana, and what they reveal about how different the Israeli education system really is. From walls lined with photos of former students who’ve fallen in battle to meetings with a single homeroom teacher and an English curriculum taught almost entirely “for the Bagrut,” Joel explores why grades can feel like life-and...

This week: Ask Joel Anything — where you set the agenda. Listeners sent in dozens of questions, from the deeply personal (would his family still have moved to Israel knowing October 7 was coming?) to the quirky (odd Hebrew phrases that make no sense). Also: Thanksgiving in Israel, synagogue life, Jewish identity, and more. So many questions came in that this is part one of two; part two drops in t...

Joel examines a phenomenon that’s overtaken the country — the bumper stickers now plastering everything in Israel, from cars and playground equipment to park benches, gas pumps, and even the walls outside Ben Gurion Airport.  These homemade memorials honor the soldiers and civilians Israel lost on and after October 7. Joel explains what these stickers are, how they spread, and what they revea...

Back home in Israel, Joel reflects on the country’s shifting energy — and tackles a tough question: why are so many young North American Jews turning against Israel? He argues the real problem isn’t what we’re teaching, but who’s teaching it, and why the Jewish world needs to invest in passionate educators the way pro sports teams invest in high-level athletes. Plus: listener questions on the deat...

This week, Joel reflects on the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York’s new mayor — and why his popularity points to something deeper than politics.  He also shares thoughts on Veterans Day in the U.S., the return of Hadar Goldin z’’l to Israel, and Dorit’s attendance at the funeral of Itai Chen — and what these moments reveal about the growing divide between Israel and the diaspora. -------...

Joel shares three big takeaways from the JNF Global Conference: what it felt like to be there, why Europe still clings to the idea of a Palestinian state, and how Israel can move forward in shaping its public image. Plus: a wild political scandal, listener questions about rabbis, Yom Kippur, and more. --------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his fall 2025/spring 2026 lect...

Last week, I asked for your ideas to help repair Israel’s image in the world—and you delivered.  This week, I share more of your most creative suggestions – from reimagining Birthright as an internship program to empowering more Israeli voices in business, culture, and politics to speak out.  We’ll also talk about the uphill battle of countering the “genocide” narrative, why a new kind o...

Last week, I asked you to send me your ideas for how Israel can repair its image in the world. You flooded my inbox with response–so today, I’ll share the first batch of listener ideas, as well as a few of my own.  From rebuilding trust with American Jews to showing the world the truth about Hamas, your messages didn’t just focus on PR—they revealed deeper issues within the Jewish world itsel...

The hostages are home — at last. Joel unpacks the ceasefire deal that no one saw coming: how it happened, who made it happen, and whether it will last. He also shares how Israelis are feeling in this moment of relief and uncertainty, and six takeaways for what comes next. --------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel during his fall 2025/spring 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelc...

This week, Joel covers the big news in Israel — reports of a possible ceasefire that could finally end the war and bring all hostages home — and the shocking Yom Kippur attack on a synagogue in Manchester, UK. Plus, listener questions about last week’s controversial episode on the case for destroying Gaza City, and a look at one of the country’s most unique phenomena: Yom Kippur is a bike holiday...

To be clear, I don’t believe the IDF should destroy Gaza City. But many Israelis do. In today’s episode, I’ll share their arguments for why some feel Israel has no choice—and why that belief has only grown stronger in light of recent declarations by the UK, France, and others officially recognizing a Palestinian state. It won’t be an easy episode. The views I’ll present are not politically correct...

In this milestone episode of Inside Israel, I sit down with Professor Dan Ben-David of Tel Aviv University and the Shoresh Institute to tackle a big question: What will Israel look like in 40 years—or will it even be here as we know it?  Rather than relying on emotions, this conversation dives into hard data—demographics, statistics, and facts—to explore the realistic scenarios for Israel’s f...

This week, Joel takes you inside Parents’ Night at his child’s high school. From a principal who criticized the Ministry of Education and drew applause, to a homeroom teacher who explained he may be absent over the next few weeks due to being called up for his fifth round of IDF reserve duty, to a photo montage at the school entrance honoring recent graduates who’ve fallen in Gaza since October 7—...

On this week’s episode of Inside Israel , I talk about what it’s like teaching my 18-year-old daughter to drive here. In Israel, even after passing the driving test, new drivers must spend three months with a licensed adult beside them. Which means I’ve been in the passenger seat a lot lately. But here’s the twist: the advice I give her in Israel is very different from what I would say if she were...

The news out of Israel can often feel heavy, and the Inside Israel podcast is no exception.  But this week, for a change, Joel brings you something different: genuinely positive Israel-related news, inspired by his recent trips overseas to Cyprus and the US (yes, really!). And as always, Joel takes time to answer listener questions. --------------- Support Inside Israel: Contribute Book Joel...

Back when I was a lone soldier in the IDF, most Israelis had never even heard the term “lone soldier,” let alone understood who we were or what we were doing there. That changed in the summer of 2006, when Michael Levin z”l, a lone soldier from Philadelphia, was killed in Lebanon. On today’s episode of Inside Israel , I sit down with Michael’s mother, Harriet Levin, to talk about her son’s legacy...

This week marks 19 years since the death of Michael Levin z”l, the lone soldier from Philadelphia who fell in the 2006 Lebanon War. Ahead of next week’s special conversation with Michael’s mother, Harriet Levin, I take a closer look at the reality of lone soldiers in Israel today.  From surprising statistics—like the fact that half of the IDF’s 7,000 lone soldiers were born and raised in Isra...

As we approach the two-year mark since October 7, 2023, it's time to take a hard look at the war in Gaza—and how we got here.  In this episode, I revisit the goals we were told would guide the war effort, and the assumptions behind them.  I also share personal conversations I’ve had with various Israelis about the war, explore shifting public sentiment in Israel, and examine how the worl...

In everyday Hebrew, chinam means “free.” But as we approach Tisha B’Av—the day we mourn the destruction of the Temple— chinam takes on a darker meaning. Our sages say the Temple was destroyed because of sin’at chinam , which I translate as “hatred without cost.”  In today’s episode, I’ll speak about the current divisions in Israeli society and why these very divisions are the greatest threat...

This week on Inside Israel , listener reactions pour in after last episode’s revelations about FIDF. Joel responds to powerful messages—from outrage over donor betrayal to personal stories of involvement—and explains why, despite his own concerns, he didn’t blow the whistle himself. Plus: A deep dive into one of Israel’s most remarkable systems—the emergency response network. Why does Israel have...