Lens & Land: Dispatches from Israel - The Podcast

Milestones in a war are arbitrary, cruel things. They don’t mark victories; they merely tally endurance. We just crossed 1,000 days. One thousand days of a multi-front war of attrition, of incoming sirens, of a horizon permanently altered by smoke and anxiety. [If the video above isn't viewable]: For the last few years, Adele and I have used our weekly and monthly ZoomCasts to beam the unvarnished...

Episode 4 of our weekly field notes brings us to the most critical moment of the season: https://youtube.com/shorts/3DSNl4YOAUk?si=DFXaDCrPPVgyaojL In today's update, Neshikha beekeepers Miri and Dave get the smoker going and prep for a vital pre-harvest hive inspection before choosing which frames we'll likely harvest in coming weeks to prepare and bottle for our raw, unprocessed honeys. From hiv...

There’s an idea out there, that, at a certain age, one should settle into more predictable rhythms—taking up birdwatching, perhaps, or perfecting the art of the indignant letter to the editor. Yet, between the demands of the hives and the persistent background hum of life in a conflict zone, we’ve found our latest adventures in the kitchen, performing tactical maneuvers with whatever happens to be...

The Royal Treatment for a Humble Hot Dog Description: What happens when the leftovers of Independence Day meet the creative foodie ambitions of Beekeeper Miri? We’re taking a detour from our usual dispatches to master the "Weiner Wellington." True creativity often thrives on what’s left behind. This week, we’re pivoting to a bit of culinary "upcycling" in the @NeshikaKitchen. It’s fun, it’s out of...

My tiny broadcast empire covers everything, including the absurd parts - like this quick animated dispatch from Israel, where reporting, photography, and curiosity all collide. While I've got your attention… Imagine we're grabbing a couple of beers across the table here in Tzfat — just you and me, kicking back and shooting the breeze about where Lens & Land heads next. I've been mulling this over,...

As Israel prepares for Passover under fire, the distance between the northern border and Lebanon’s Litani River defines the difference between security and a holiday in a bomb shelter. YouTube version if the inset video above isn’t working. This clip was recorded on Thursday morning. ​The air in Tzfat this week is a thick slurry of matzah dust, mud from cleaning, and military diesel from the war a...

The brutal reality on the ground here today moved faster than the keystrokes can follow. Since my video yesterday morning, the "seven strikes" have been buried under a barrage that hasn't relented. I stood face-to-face recently with an IDF individual who hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours. They had been assisting three helos medivac sorties thread South Lebanon's narrow ravines to pull wounded...

TL;DR: While Western leaders view military superiority as a path to the negotiating table, Iranian leadership views the act of negotiating under pressure as a terminal loss of face—prioritizing symbolic "standing firm" over the preservation of physical military assets. ​The Iranian regime is willing to absorb significant tactical losses (the destruction of its air force, navy, and leadership) whil...

Roaring Lions and Digital Lifelines ​It’s Sunday morning in Tzfat, and the air here is heavy with more than just the mountain mist. After a predawn and early morning barrage of rockets across the north—and indeed, many parts of the country—the "Roaring Lions" (or "Epic Fury," if you prefer the more cinematic nomenclature) of this conflict continue to make their presence felt. ​Between the Home Fro...

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Hey everyone, Dave here. Don’t adjust your screen! The faux emergency alert and video glitches at the start are just a little fun to grab your attention.​Once the static clears, this is a sincere message from Dave. We are foregoing today’s Life on the Border ZoomCast (Sunday, Nov. 30th) due to team travel and the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.​A personal note: I want to send a massive thank you to...

In today’s update: * Hamas hands over more body parts of a previously returned hostage — not one of the 13 still in Gaza. * Hezbollah’s reorganization in southern Lebanon and shocking footage of 74,000 youth pledging allegiance to assasinated terror chieftain, Hassan Nasrallah with raised-arm Nazi salutes. * A thwarted attempt by a Gazan terror aquad to recreate an October 7th–style attack on two...