We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

On October 7, 2023, 21-year-old soldier Tamir Nimrodi was kidnapped from his base near the Gaza border. He was barefoot, in his pajamas, and unarmed when Hamas terrorists dragged him across the border. Since that day, his mother, Herut Nimrodi, has received no sign of life.

In this conversation, originally recorded in June, Herut speaks with host Aviva Klompas about who Tamir is, what she’s learned about his abduction, and what it’s like to live in a constant state of limbo. She opens up about the emotional toll of broken promises, political maneuvering, and the painful uncertainty faced by every hostage family.

Herut’s story is a heartbreaking reminder that behind every headline is a family living this nightmare in real time.

This episode was first released earlier this summer, but it remains just as urgent. Please listen, share widely, and keep the hostages in your thoughts.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

As students head back to campus, universities are stepping into a storm of debates over antisemitism, safety, and free speech. The Trump administration has stepped up federal intervention — pulling funding, opening investigations, and demanding major policy changes at schools accused of failing to protect Jewish students.

But are these measures working? Are they creating a safer environment, or simply shifting the battleground to new fronts?

In this episode, Alyza Lewin, president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, joins host Aviva to examine the administration’s strategy, explore how universities are reacting, and discuss what this means for Jewish students in the year ahead.

Guest Bio:

Alyza D. Lewin is President of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, where she leads legal and educational efforts to combat antisemitism and defend civil rights, particularly on college campuses. She is also a partner at Lewin & Lewin, LLP, specializing in litigation, mediation, and government relations.

Lewin successfully represented Avi Zinger in securing the rights to sell Ben & Jerry’s in Israel and argued the landmark Zivotofsky v. Kerry case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which helped pave the way for U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. She has also litigated key terror finance cases, clerked on Israel’s Supreme Court, and led the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists. A graduate of Princeton and NYU Law, she is a member of the New York and D.C. bars and a trained mediator.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

Israel is preparing for one of the most consequential moves of the war: taking control of Gaza City. Supporters say it’s the only way to finish the fight against Hamas; critics warn it could endanger hostages, deepen the humanitarian crisis, and fracture Israel’s already fragile political landscape.

In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins Aviva to explore the strategic aims, political risks, and international pressures shaping this decision. They discuss Netanyahu’s five principles for ending the war, the growing rifts inside Israel’s leadership, and whether this gamble can bring about victory—or prolong the conflict.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is Executive Director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he oversees the organization’s research and policy work. A former terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Treasury, Jonathan has tracked and disrupted funding networks for groups like Hamas and al-Qaeda. He’s authored several books on the Middle East, including Gaza Conflict 2021, State of Failure, and Hamas vs. Fatah. A frequent congressional witness and media commentator, his analysis appears regularly in major outlets including CNN, Fox News, and the BBC.

Yossi Klein Halevi joins Dr. Rachel Fish for an honest and moving conversation about the State of Israel, Zionism, and the widening rift with the American Jewish community. From the trauma of October 7 to the breakdown of Israel’s political consensus, Yossi reflects on how Israelis are navigating war, grief, and internal division. 

Together, they explore why American and Israeli Jews understand power, victimhood, and identity so differently, and what’s at stake if they continue to talk past one another. Along the way, Halevi shares what still gives him hope, and how a 12-year-old’s question in synagogue revealed something profound about how Jews understand themselves across the globe.

Guest Bio:

Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Together with Imam Abdullah Antepli of Duke University, he co-directs the Institute's Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity and Israel.

Halevi’s 2013 book, Like Dreamers, won the Jewish Book Council's Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, is a New York Times bestseller. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including the Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

Israel is fighting two wars: one on the ground in Gaza—and another in the court of global opinion.

In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by urban warfare expert John Spencer to discuss the double standards Israel faces in its fight against Hamas. While other democracies conduct military campaigns with little scrutiny, Israel is seemingly expected to wage war without civilian casualties.

Aviva and John discuss the pressure on the IDF to operate under moral and tactical constraints that no other military would accept—and how those constraints may be prolonging the war and increasing the death toll on both sides.

Guest Bio:

John Spencer is an award-winning scholar, internationally recognized expert and advisor on urban warfare, military strategy, tactics, and other related topics. Considered one of the world’s leading experts on urban warfare, he served as an advisor to the top four-star general and other senior leaders in the U.S. Army as part of strategic research groups from the Pentagon to the United States Military Academy. John currently serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Madison Policy Forum, Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast.

More from John on double standards:

https://x.com/SpencerGuard/status/1951354086282109391

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

In part two of their conversation, host Aviva Klompas and Dr. Michael Oren examine the deeper forces behind the global push to recognize a Palestinian state—and what this moment reveals about the West’s enduring relationship with the Jewish people.

As the Gaza narrative shifts from war to famine, Oren argues that charges of Israeli genocide are not rooted in policy, but in long-standing antisemitic tropes. He and Aviva explore how Western media shapes public perception, the political calculus behind recognition efforts in France and the UK, and whether we are witnessing a return to the pre-Holocaust “old normal” of antisemitism in the West.

They also discuss the limits of public diplomacy, the strategic consequences for Israel, and whether October 7 marked a historic turning point—not just for the Jewish state, but for the West itself.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

France, the United Kingdom, and Canada have each announced they plan to recognize a Palestinian state this September at the United Nations General Assembly.

The move has been harshly criticized by Israeli and U.S. officials, who argue it rewards Hamas and risks further undermining hostage negotiations. 

Host Aviva Klompas is joined by Dr. Michael Oren—former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., historian, and veteran strategic analyst—to discuss the implications. They examine whether recognition is symbolic or substantive, the domestic and diplomatic motivations behind it, whether other countries are poised to follow, and how Israel should respond in strategy and rhetoric. 

They also reflect on what this moment reveals about the ideological divide between liberal democracies and rising Islamist influence across Europe and the Middle East.

New Words from Dr. Oren: 

Solipsism - the quality of being very self-centered or selfish

Antisemitism in Canada has exploded in ways that few could have imagined. Attacks on synagogues, Jewish schools, and businesses have become frighteningly common.

How did it get this bad in a country that prides itself on tolerance and multiculturalism? Why have leaders at every level failed to protect their Jewish communities? And what does this say about Canada’s moral standing at home and on the global stage? 

In this episode, host Aviva Klompas talks with Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of Canada’s Conservative Party and a Member of Parliament from Thornhill, Ontario. They explore why antisemitism is spiraling out of control, what meaningful responses might look like, and how Canadian society is grappling with questions of free speech, hate speech, and rising polarization

Guest Bio: 

Melissa Lantsman is the Member of Parliament for Thornhill and Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Elected in 2021, she previously served as the Shadow Minister for Transport and as a Senior Advisor to leading Canadian political figures. 

Melissa believes in breaking the mold and in bringing new ideas and energy to Ottawa. She represents the next generation in Canadian politics. 

Born and raised in the community she now serves, Melissa was taught by her immigrant parents to work hard and to stand up for what’s right. Those are values that have guided her in all points of her life and career. Melissa is an award-winning communicator and was amongst Canada’s most sought-after public affairs executives. She has served on various boards of directors, was a regular TV commentator and hosted her own radio show. Her writing has been featured in Canada’s largest circulation publications.

In this episode of Unpublished Opinions, Aviva Klompas shares a letter to the editor that never made it to print, unpacking why Hamas no longer feels the need to negotiate. 

While the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is real and devastating, global outrage has been overwhelmingly directed at Israel—giving Hamas exactly what it wants: cover, leverage, and zero accountability.

Aviva explains how international institutions, campus protests, and media narratives have created a dynamic in which terrorists are rewarded and hostages are forgotten.

Got thoughts? We want to hear them. Email us at [email protected] or message Aviva on X @avivaklompas.

Host Aviva Klompas is joined by Lt. Colonel (Res.) Jonathan Conricus to discuss the escalating pressure on Israel—from mounting international outrage over the humanitarian situation in Gaza to the breakdown of hostage negotiations.

As accusations of starvation and civilian suffering dominate global headlines, Israel faces growing condemnation from foreign governments, the UN, and aid organizations. Meanwhile, with 50 hostages still in Hamas captivity and no deal in sight, tensions are rising at home.

What’s Israel’s strategy now—militarily, diplomatically, and morally?

Have thoughts on the episode? Email us at [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

Guest Bio:

Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East. He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. He also served as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces. He has directed social media and public diplomacy efforts and has extensive on- and off-camera experience from his years as a spokesperson.