The Israel Conversation

He was in all the rooms where it happened. Having worked for multiple American administrations, Aaron David Miller has tremendous access and insight into the world of Middle East diplomacy. In what way was having a personal relationship with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat different than just watching him on the news? How do personal relationships shape diplomacy? What should the American team...

Now that the dust seems to be settling on the American election, Alan and Mike invited Dr. Shany Mor to give them some perspective. Why are Israelis so focused on USA politics? What do changing administrations really mean for Israel and the Middle East? Join us for this enlightening discussion! Shany Mor at the Israel Democracy Institute Shany Mor at Tablet Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly...

Alan and Mike wanted to know how Palestinians view the normalization of ties with the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan. They invited friend and colleague Firas Amad to share his thoughts. Firas is from East Jerusalem, and is a tour guide, educator and entrepreneur. We've invited him as a guest speaker to many of our students over the years. His opinions are his own, and they are informed and thought provok...

Calev Ben-Dor joins Alan and Mike to talk about his recent observations in Fathom. Is Israel an "I" culture or a "we" culture? How does that impact the fight against Corona? What is generating the weekly protests around the country? Is there a path out of the cynicism and distrust for institutions and leadership? Join us! Calev's article in Fathom Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast p...

We last spoke to Nathan Jeffay, The Times of Israel's health and science correspondent, in July. He joins Alan and Mike for an update. What are the human and societal implications of over 2,000 deaths and rising? What can we to to protect ourselves and Israel's future? Join us! Nathan Jeffay at Times of Israel Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by...

It a complicated Middle Eastern story, so we turned once again to retired Colonel Miri Eisen. What is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict about? How is Israel involved? What are the implications for the region? Join us! Miri Eisin Website Map Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - History and Maps Example of Youtube footage Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Mic...

Alan, Mike and Sharon take a deep dive into Enlightenment philosophy to unpack why politics have become so dysfunctional. We think you'll enjoy coming along the ride for the ride. How do we debate permitting protests over Yom Kippur prayers in a productive way? How does modern philosophy help that discourse? Does post-modern philosophy help or hinder resolution of social dilemmas? What are facts?...

Sure it's great news. But why are the U.A.E. and Bahrain normalising relations with Israel now ? What message are they sending to Israel when the mention the Palestinians? How does all of this play out in the culture and politics of the region? How will the imminent U.S. elections affect the Middle East? The always insightful Haviv Rettig Gur explains his perspective to Alan and Mike. Join us! Hav...

It's a strange moment to move back to Israel, which is exactly what new team member Sharon Wagner-Zauder did. She joined Alan and Mike to discuss the current Corona outbreak. How did we end up with 4,000 new cases a day? What does this say about Israeli society? What does it say about the current government? How do we manage our emotional equilibrium in an age of disfunction? (spoiler alert: it's...

Why doesn't the Israeli government have a budget yet? Why are Corona virus cases on the rise? Why are there anti-government protests every week? Did the first two questions answer the third one? Can we find reasons for optimism? Rajel Leghziel joins Alan and Mike to get them up to date and reflect on the disfunction. Join us! Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman...

Politics in Israel are confusing enough. Things get more complicated when you bring in other countries and their policies. Should expats in Israel vote in foreign elections? How should pro-Israel voters outside of Israel cast their votes? How should we talk to each other about our opinions when we disagree? Join Alan, Mike and Matt for a candid discussion. Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly...

Alan and Mike asked Colonel (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) to explain Israel's new relationship with the United Arab Emirates. What makes this deal so groundbreaking? What does it mean for Israel diplomatically and economically? How does it reflect and affect the various allegiances in the region? What role did the US play in this achievement? Wh...

Hours before the announcement of a peace treaty with the UAE, Alan and Mike met with Miri Eisen to explain the situation in Lebanon and what it means for Israel. Why did the explosion happen? What does it tell us about the Lebanese government? What may the future bring and is there any reason for optimism? Confused by the whole situation? For clarity and understanding, join us! Miri Eisen's Websit...

What is life like for Jews on today's college campuses? What should Jewish educators know about young Jews in North America? What are the challenges and what are some solutions for keeping Jews connected to their people? Former director of Jewish Life and Israel Engagement at Rutgers Hillel in New Jersey, Liel Zahavi-Asa, joins Alan and Mike to share her thoughts and insights. Join us! Makom Israe...

Alan and Mike met with Nathan Jeffay, the Times of Israel health reporter, to explain Israel's fight against the pandemic. What role does government policy have in the rise in Covid19 cases? What advances have Israeli researchers made in fighting the disease? How has Israeli society changed in these strange times? Join us! Nathan Jeffay on Facebook Times of Israel byline Makom Israel Teachers Loun...

Zionism's founders wanted to change Jewish character and culture. In 2019, the data is in, and we can now see that they succeeded. (although not necessarily in the ways they intended)  In this important episode, Alan and Mike interview  Shmuel Rosner . Shmuel Rosner's Webpage with many relevant links This episode was recorded at the amazing Ben Wallick Studios . Ben is the best! Makom Israel Teach...

Do Biblical borders relate to modern conversations about Israel? How should religion and politics relate? Was Peter Beinart's one state solution argument relevant in any way? Join Alan and Mike in the Teachers Lounge. Neil Rogchevsky piece Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt Lipman, and hosted by Michael Unterberg and Alan Goldman. Makom Website Facebook page Please s...

Ben Katz joined Alan and Mike to talk about his work for Shoval, educating Israeli teachers and professionals about LGBTQ+ issues in the Orthodox community. How does one open a dialogue with Orthodox institutions? How have things changed over the last decade? What impact has his work had? Join us! Shoval on Wikipedia Shoval Website Makom Israel Teachers Lounge is a weekly podcast produced by Matt...

July 1st has arrived, and Israel's annexation plan remains as opaque as ever. Has entering July changed the story? What is the argument for and against annexation at this time? How do Israeli security analysts understand the region? Two educators, (Alan & Mike) invited a journalist (friend of the podcast Haviv Rettig Gur) to explain where we are, why we're here, and where we might be going. Jo...

Alan, Mike and Matt analyse the Israeli-Palestinian conflict using the security vs. justice paradigm. How to the Israelis see their history as a story of independence and security? How do the Palestinians see their history as a story of injustice? Can there be a process that resolves those narratives into a peaceful solution? Join us! This episode was recorded on Zoom, and then sent to the amazing...

It is still not clear what form July's annexation will take, if it happens at all. We discussed many of the relevant questions with Calev Ben-Dor in episode 176 . In this episode, Alan, Mike and Matt lay out Benjy's theory of The Three Lenses for viewing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Then, they role play an improvised conversation about annexation from each of the three perspectives. Alan repr...

Suzanne Singer joins Alan and Mike to discuss Israel's forgotten war. They invited her after her recent Times of Israel blog post. Why did the IDF control southern Lebanon for 18 years? Why did they leave? Why was this long war so forgotten? How are the veterans trying to reclaim their honor? How does the legacy of Suzanne's son Alex, who died in combat in Lebanon, still inspire the Singer family...

Often, “interesting times” leave most people feeling helpless and depressed. The modern Zionist movement was born of such difficult times. Pogroms, World Wars, ideological ferment are just a few of the elements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that ultimately fueled the creative building of a new historical plateau for the Jewish nation. Zionism is a form of activism and is as relevant to...

The Palestinian Authority has begun the process of ending security coordination with the Israel Defence Forces. How does that coordination work? What are the consequences of ending it? Why is annexation of West Bank territory such a pressing political issue now? What will happen next? Alan and Mike invited Calev Ben-Dor to explain it all and put it all in context. Join us! This episode was recorde...

The good news is, no fourth round of elections. Rajel joins Alan and Mike to hash out why our new government has more ministries than any other. How did the political leaders from various sides frame this new team? Why are there so many new and/or changed ministries? How does this compare to previous governments? What’s our personal vote for silliest ministry? Join us! Analysis by friend of the po...