What happens when winning the war against terrorism leads us to forget why we were fighting it? 

Twenty-five years after the terror attacks of September 11, America has avoided another mass attack, but Manhattan Institute senior fellow and Free Press columnist Douglas Murray argues that success has come with different dangers: complacency, amnesia and turning many Americans against their own country. In a live conversation at the Manhattan Institute on September 8, Dan and Douglas look at what the West has forgotten about 9/11, why fringe conspiracy theories and anti-Western ideas have taken hold, and what Israel’s response to October 7 can teach us about a society’s willingness to defend itself.

Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22.

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This episode is sponsored by Birthright: Invest in the Jewish future today at onetripchangeseverything.com. 

Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

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In this episode: 

- What we’ve forgotten about the aftermath of 9/11

-  Has the West lost the will to fight?

- The miseducation that has led many Americans to degenerate and doubt the U.S.

- Did America’s post-9/11 success lead to complacency?

- October 7 and the West’s crisis of confidence

- Iran, Saudi Arabia and the fight against extremism

- How 9/11 conspiracy theories and other fringe ideas are reaching a new generation

-  The antidote to hate found in Israel and the heroes of 9/11

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More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Devan Schwartz, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

Did Israel have enough warnings to prevent the devastation of the October 7th Hamas attacks?

A new Haaretz investigative report alleges that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed personally called to warn Benjamin Netanyahu days before October 7 that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation, a report Netanyahu’s office calls “an absolute lie.” Dan is joined by Amit Segal and Nadav Eyal who debate the credibility and significance of the story, whether another warning could have changed Israel’s response, and if it will impact Israeli elections.

Read the report in Haaretz.

Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22.

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This episode is sponsored by the Jewish Communal Fund. Learn more about JCF’s donor advised funds at jcfny.org.

Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

Become a Subscriber -  Inside Call me Back
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In this episode: 

- The alleged phone call from Mohammed bin Zayed warning about a Hamas operation

- Amit and Nadav debate the report’s credibility

- What Israeli intelligence forces knew before October 7

- Could another warning have prevented the Hamas attack?

- Israel’s failed understanding of the goal and military power of Hamas

- Who bears responsibility for the October 7 failures?

- Why Israel didn’t eliminate Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

– Will the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and response still be key issues in Israel’s election?

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More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

What if Yom Kippur isn’t the peak of the Jewish holiday season, but the beginning of something more joyful?

The Jewish holidays of Tishrei take us on a journey from judgement and reflection to vulnerability, gratitude and ultimately joy. Dan and Rachel Goldberg-Polin continue their annual exploration of the Jewish calendar and look at what Sukkot and Simchat Torah teach us about what really matters. They also reflect on what it means to hold onto that joy when Simchat Torah is now forever intertwined with October 7.

Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22.

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For a brief video on American Friends of Israel Navy SEALs' (AFINS) Buddy Line program and to help struggling Israeli combat veterans find their way back, visit https://www.AFINS.us/warriorcare. 

Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

Become a Subscriber -  Inside Call me Back
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In this episode: 

- Rosh Hashanah and the call to reflection

- Yom Kippur and the work of teshuva

- Why do Sukkot and Simchat Torah get overlooked?

- What the sukkah teaches us about what really matters

- Why Sukkot is the “time of our happiness”

- From Shemini Atzeret to the joy of Simchat Torah

- Holding joy and grief together after October 7

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More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back. Today, Dan himself answers listener questions about whether extreme views about a One State solution in Israel will find adherents because moderates don’t have a concrete plan, what it would take to find consensus for creating a Palestinian entity, and why the upcoming Israeli elections are clouding the issue.

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Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

For the full episode, subscribe here to -  Inside Call me Back

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You can access the full episode here, where Dan answers listener questions about:

- What Dan has changed his mind about since October 7

- The Haredi draft fight and Israel’s unequal burden

- Could Yoav Segalovich help an Eisenkot government even as a member of the Ra’am party?

- Why Pakistan advocates for Iran

- Would a Netanyahu defeat make it easier for American Democrats to defend Israel?

More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

Is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict really at the center of the Middle East?

In Part 2 of Dan’s conversation with historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Cauldron, they trace how the balance of power in the Middle East shifted after 9/11, from Iran’s rise and its network of proxies to the emergence of Israel, Iran and Turkey as the region’s dominant military powers. They also ask whether the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has obscured a much larger struggle for power across the region, and what history can tell us about the possibility of peace.

Purchase a copy of Simon’s book The Cauldron here. 

Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22.

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This episode is sponsored by The Israel Democracy Institute: For resources on Israel's upcoming election and to learn more about IDI, visit elections.idi.org.il/2026. 

This episode is sponsored by Citizen Cafe: Schedule your free intro session with Citizen Cafe today.

Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

Become a Subscriber -  Inside Call me Back
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In this episode: 

- How the Iraq War empowered Iran

- Iran’s proxy empire and October 7

- The rise of the Middle East’s non-Arab powers

- The surprising parallels between Turkey and Israel

- Why does the West focus so intensely on Israel?

- Beyond the one-state vs. two-state debate

- Is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a regional sideshow?

- Can the Middle East choose “honey” over blood?

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More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

How much of the Middle East’s history was actually shaped by the West?

The story most of us learned about who created the modern Middle East is incomplete. Dan is joined by historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Cauldron, who argues that we give Western powers too much credit and the people of the region too little agency. In Part I of their conversation, they trace the forces that shaped the region, from the Ottoman legacy and the rise of nationalism to the Iranian Revolution and Islamism.

Purchase a copy of Simon’s book The Cauldron here. 

Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22.

—-This episode is sponsored by RootOne. Help the Jewish teen in your life experience Israel for themselves. Visit RootOne.org to learn more.

Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back ___

In this episode: 

- Who really made the modern Middle East?

- The myth of empire as a Western phenomenon

- How the Middle East lost its diversity

- Did the nation-state fail the Middle East?

- Why Iran’s 1979 revolution changed everything

- How Khomeini turned Islamism into a regional force ___

More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back. Dan is joined by Ark Media contributor Amit Segal to answer a listener question about the column he wrote calling Ben Gvir a disaster for Israel, why he holds Smotrich to a different standard, and why he argues that Israel pays an international price for a minister who sells publicity while delivering almost nothing on policy.

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Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

For the full episode, subscribe here to - Inside Call me Back

____

You can access the full episode here, where Dan and Amit answer listener questions about:

More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

 With a weaker Iran, do Turkey’s regional ambitions put it on a collision course with Israel?

Dan and Nadav Eyal analyze the shifting dynamics in the Middle East, focusing on whether Turkey’s President Erdogan aspires to become a regional superpower given the vacuum left by a weaker Iran. They discuss whether Turkey’s military is trying to move further into Syria, crossing what Israel considers a “red line,” Israel’s recent response, and the emerging Sunni axis between Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

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Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22. 

—- Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back

This episode was sponsored by the Jewish Communal Fund. Learn more about JCF’s donor advised funds at jcfny.org. ___

In this episode: 

-Israel-Turkey relations and recent military friction

-President Erdogan’s strategic ambitions and desire to revive the Ottoman Empire

-Turkey's influence in Syria and the potential threat to Israel

-Implications for NATO of the new Sunni axis led by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan

-Syrian response to Israel's military strike on a Syrian airbase

-How internal politics in both countries are amplifying the tensions between Turkey and Israel 

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More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

How will current issues or past discrimination against Mizrahi Israelis influence this election?

Dan and sociologist Mijal Bitton discuss the history, identity, and political narratives of Mizrahi Jews—whose families came to Israel from across the Middle East and North Africa—and how those narratives continue to shape Israeli politics. They unpack the factors of historical discrimination by an Ashkenazi elite, questions of economic opportunity, dignity and belonging of the Mizrahi community, and the Mizrahi devotion to maintaining the Jewish character of the state of Israel.

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Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22.  

—- Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back

This episode is sponsored by The Shalom Hartman Institute. Register for The Road to the Israeli Elections webinar with the Shalom Hartman Institute's Tani Frank and Masua Sagiv.  ___

In this episode: 

-Historical roots of the Mizrahi and Ashkenazi divide

-Cultural and religious differences in their countries of origin

-Do Mizrahis still resent how they were treated by Ashkenazis during immigration?

-Israelis political realignment in 1977 and Mizrahi powerful support for Likud

-The rise of Mizrahi political movements like Shas

-How Mizrahi voters think about the “deep state” in Israel

-Contemporary Mizrahi identity and integration into Israeli society and politics

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More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back. Dan is joined by Jon Polin to answer questions from young Jewish adults and teenagers about how to reconcile personal Zionism with those who commit violence against Palestinians in the name of Zionism. They also discuss the pressures and  social costs faced by American young people who stand up for Israel and how to handle some of those tough conversations.

Learn more about Jon’s new project, Foundry 515 here.

Beyond Dispute by Daniel Taub

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl  ___

Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

For the full episode, subscribe here to - Inside Call me Back ____

You can access the full episode here, where Dan and Jon answer listener questions about:

- The social cost for American teens and young adults who stand up for Israel

- How to find Jewish joy outside of religious observance

- What the hostage crisis broke in Israeli society

- Did Hersh have an impact on his captors?

- How Jon, Rachel and others are finding a new “why” after Hersh’s tragic death

- Why Jon chose to make Aliyah

More Ark Media:

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo