The Israel Conversation

 426 Constitutional Crisis Is Israel headed into a Constitutional Crisis? What is happening and what are the stakes? How does this relate to Israel’s security situation? As the podcast heads into a hiatus for the indeterminate future, join us as we address that state of the State.  With over 100,000 downloads, hundreds of episodes and almost a decade of posts, we thank our subscribers and listener...

 425 Rabbi Meir Kahana Lately, the controversial Jewish leader Rabbi Meir Kahana has been “discussed” on social media. Who was he? Why was he so controversial? How did he die? Why does he still play such a powerful role in Israeli life? I social media really the best environment for nuanced political discourse? Or is it best suited for sharing nice pictures of your vacation?  Matt hosts this discu...

 424 What is Wrong with Peter Beinart? It took a while for Peter Beinart to come out with his book blaming Israel for the post October 7th world. Its an impressively anti Jewish document, masquerading as a moral cri de cœur. How do we explain Jewish antizionism in general? And how do we explain it when the Jew is an educated, and ritually observant, former Zionist? Can the guys get through this wi...

 424 Trump Statement on Gaza What just happened? During the Netanyahu visit to The White House President Trump announced the residents of Gaza would willingly relocate to better places. America would then take over the region and turn the Gaza Strip into the Riviera of the Middle East for all of the world to enjoy.  What will actually happen? What does this mean? What will change? What won’t? What...

 423 Trump What did the first Trump administration mean for Israel and the region? And what might his second term mean for the future? Calev hosts this discussion with Matt and Mike.  Am Yisrael Chai!

 422 The Hostage Deal What is the actual content of the deal? What is the pro and con debate? How are most Israelis processing these events? What will happen next? Join us for a complicated and difficult conversation.  Calev hosts this discussion with Matt and Mike. It was recorded the morning before the first three hostages were released. Am Yisrael Chai!

 421 The Fall of Assad and the New Syria  What is going on in Syria? How did it happen? Who are the major players in these events? What does it mean for Iran? What does it mean for Israel? Our team takes you through this confusing revolution, and helps you understand this tectonic shift in the world of the Middle East.  Calev hosts this discussion with Matt and Mike.  Am Yisrael Chai!

Managing Mental Health in Difficult Times Being under stress isn’t a new condition for Jews. But with decades of Israeli power and relative diaspora security, our people have gotten used to a historically unusual state of calm. As the last few years have shown, political and even physical insecurity may be the new normal. While there’s no need to panic, that kind of chronic stress takes a physical...

  A Visit to the Gaza Border This past June, Liel took Alan, Matt, Calev and Mike to the sites that were devastated by the October 7th invasion. As a licensed tour guide, Liel wanted to share insights with her colleagues about what happened in the “Gaza Envelope” on, and since, that day. As they went from location to location, they recorded Liel speaking, as well as some of their thoughts and obse...

  Is Israel Handling its Problems?  Everyone agrees that Israel is beset with problems. Some of them can be managed, and many of them must be solved for Israel to survive and have a healthy future. Is there a danger of reaching a tipping point where Israel has too many problems to succeed? Is whatever is right about Israel in danger of being destroyed by what’s wrong with it? Or is whatever is wro...

Are We in the 1920s or 1930s?  It is always interesting and helpful to learn from history. And so it's very natural to look to our recent past to find parallels to our current era. With the astonishing global rise of antisemitism many are looking at the previous century and seeing troubling signs for our future. But what part of 20th Century is the clearest precedent? In between the two World Wars...

Mass Protests We live in an era when mass protests are just a normal part of weekly life in Israel. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Do they even make a difference? What changes have occurred because of them? And overall, do they create a positive or negative effect on Israeli life, politics and culture?  Jordana hosts this debate with Calev taking the position that the protests create positiv...

Campus: Fight or Flight? Young Jews prepare to return to campuses in the near future. Was last year a preview of what this year will be like? What should students do about open antisemitism around them? Should they stay and fight for what’s right? Or should they move on to places where Jews are more welcome and secure? There is no right or wrong answer to these questions, and each individual shoul...

414 Hostages in the Media This is a painful topic. How should images of the hostages be handled by the media? What is informative and what is exploitive? And in terms of viewing, what is the line between being informed and harming self health? May better days arrive soon, and discussions like this no longer be relevant.  Calev hosts this episode with Alan and Liel and Matt discussing the issues. ...

413 Lebanon This episode discusses the military threat posed by Hezbollah in the North of Israel. We discuss the ongoing tensions, evacuations of Israeli residents, and the challenges faced in finding a resolution. The conversation highlights the significant military capabilities of Hezbollah, the historical context of conflicts in the region, and the psychological impact on the Israeli population...

412 ICC and Consequences What is the ICC? How is it different from the ICJ? What are the consequences of Israel being tried in the ICC? Is the ICC a legitimate judge of Israel? Should we even care?  Jordana hosts this debate with Calev arguing that we should care, and Alan arguing that we shouldn’t.  Am Yisrael Chai!

411 Iranian Intentions When Iran directly attacked Israel in April they made history. Their proxies have been attacking Israel for years, but last April was the first time that the Islamic “Republic” launched a direct attack on the Jewish State. But was that attack a sign of Iranian strength or weakness? Did the Iranians intend to do more damage, or was the small amount done what they intended? Pr...

410 Complicated current politics In this episode, we delve into the turbulent landscape of Israeli politics following the recent departure of centrist ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot from the government. We explore the impact of their exit on the coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who formed an ultra-orthodox far-right government after the fifth elections in November 2022....

409 Is Judicial Reform Dead?  It feels like a million years ago that Israel was debating the government plan for judicial reforms. In the traumatic aftermath of October 7th, all of that fight has been left behind.  But is that a permanent or a temporary shift? Once the dust settles after the defeat of Hamas, (God willing) will we once again be plunged into the divisive political battle over checks...

408 Is it Time for Elections?  “... It [is] not best to swap horses when crossing streams”, said Abraham Lincoln when running for reelection during the American Civil War. How well does that argument apply to Israel today? Polls show that Israelis have low confidence in the current government. This is a dangerous situation in a time of multiple major conflicts. But it is also dangerous to create a...

407 National Security and Arab Israelis In the context of the Gaza war, many Jewish Israelis argue that their fellow citizens of Arab ethnicity present a security threat. Employment, access and movement must be monitored and perhaps restricted, according to this view. Is that concern reasonable? And even if it hypothetically is, can a democracy functionally discriminate based on the ethnicity of i...

406 Can Hamas be Contained?  Until October 6th, the shared Israeli conception was that Hamas could be contained in the Gaza strip. Sure, the IDF would occasionally have to knock out their rocket launchers. But overall, that is something we could live with. Now since October 7th, is it possible to go back to that plan? Or has the reality changed leaving destruction of our enemies as the only valid...

405 American Abstention The routine is that if Israel doesn’t approve of a United Nation Security Council resolution, the United States vetoes it. But in March, America abstained on UNSC resolution 2728. Israeli leaders (and many Israelis) were furious. Is this a big deal and a sign of things to come? Is the allyship between these two democratic nations deteriorating? Or is this just a typical dus...

404 - How will this war be seen by history? Israel has fought Hamas in Gaza over and over again . There was Operation Cast Lead in 2008, Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, and Operation Protective Edge in 2014 just to name a few. Thousands of rockets have been launched at civilian areas of Israel and Israel has counter attacked over and over again.  Will the current war, Operation Swords of Iron...

403 Should Freeing Hostages Be the Priority? The Gaza war has challenged Israel with countless moral dilemmas. One of the most painful relates to the efforts to free the hostages. Inevitably, missions to destroy Hamas will put the lives of Israeli hostages at risk. Conversely, delays for negotiations and deals to release hostages give Hamas time to regroup or escape. How should our leaders decide...