Did Israel and the U.S. win the battle but lose the war?

Israel and the United States achieved what many would consider a remarkable military success against Iran. But the agreement that followed has left many Israelis wondering whether battlefield gains translated into strategic victory. Dan Senor is joined by Wall Street Journal columnist and Hudson Institute senior fellow Walter Russell Mead to discuss the paradox at the heart of the new U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, what it reveals about President Trump's approach to power, and how leaders across the Middle East are recalculating their assumptions about America, Israel, and the future of the region.

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In this episode:

03:42 - The paradox: military success vs. political disappointment

05:03 - Why so many Israelis think Israel lost

07:27 - What was President Trump actually betting on?

21:30 - Does the 60-day deal mean anything?

22:30 - Why sanctions rarely deliver regime change

27:24 - What this war reveals about the future of warfare

35:27 - How Riyadh, Ankara, and Beijing are reading the moment

45:33 - Israel's growing dependence on President Trump

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

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This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back. Nadav Eyal reacts to J.D. Vance's comments on Israel and what they may signal about changing attitudes in Washington. The discussion touches a deeper Israeli concern: whether the assumptions that have long defined the U.S.-Israel relationship are beginning to change. If support for Israel can no longer be assumed, how should Israelis think about their relationship with America going forward?

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

- Why Nadav is waiting before judging the Iran deal

- Has the word "Zionism" outlived its purpose?

- Gadi Eisenkot and the significance of a Sephardic prime minister

- Does Eisenkot's English matter?

- Why Eisenkot is gaining political momentum

- Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel's freedom of action

- Can Israel afford a confrontation with the United States?

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

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What does the Iran deal mean for Israel, and for Netanyahu’s political future?

Dan is joined by Ark Media contributor and Channel 12 political analyst Amit Segal to assess the newly announced U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and the political questions it has unleashed in Israel. As negotiations begin and the fighting pauses, they discuss whether the war should be seen as a success, a missed opportunity, or something whose consequences are still unfolding. They also discuss the growing tension between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, the fight over Lebanon, and what all of it could mean for Israel's next election.

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

In this episode:

04:03 - What worries Israel most about the new Iran deal?

06:18 - Trump’s unpredictability and the limits of certainty

13:15 - Is this a pause button or a rewind button for Iran?

18:42 - Does anyone expect a final agreement within 60 days?

20:57 - Why Lebanon has become the real battleground

23:09 - The growing tension between Trump and Netanyahu

28:54 - How the deal is reshaping Israeli politics

39:12 - How will history judge the war with Iran?

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

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Why is Israel’s next election being driven more by fear than hope?

Dan is joined by For Heaven's Sake hosts Yossi Klein Halevi and Donniel Hartman to discuss the emotional forces shaping Israel's coming election. As Israelis prepare to vote, different communities are carrying different traumas, fears, and visions for the country's future, from tensions over Arab and Haredi political power to questions of national unity, leadership, and diminishing hope that life there can improve. They also consider whether Israelis can rediscover the unity of October 8th and what Israelis and diaspora Jews are each looking for in the country's next leader.

In this episode:

04:36 -  Why this is a fear-based election, not a hope-based election

10:30 - The fear of Arab parties in a post-October 7 Israel

16:21 - Can Arab parties become part of Israel's political mainstream?

18:09 - The role and concern over Haredi voters reshaping politics

27:09 - Is the unity of an "October 8th Israel" still possible?

30:30 - The forces that threaten to shut down Israel’s economy

32:21 - Can Israel's political center hold?

37:39 - Why Gadi Eisenkot appeals across ideological lines

43:33 - Israelis and diaspora Jews each want something different from Israel’s leader

More Ark Media:

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

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This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back. Amit Segal explains why Gadi Eisenkot may be overtaking Naftali Bennett as the leading challenger to Benjamin Netanyahu, and why one overlooked political player could end up deciding who becomes Israel's next prime minister, or perhaps - even becoming the Prime Minister himself…

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

 - Will Avigdor Lieberman play an outsized role in the elections?

- Trump's latest Iran escalation and the threat to Kharg Island

- Is Netanyahu really preparing to leave politics?

- The different appeals of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich

- What will actually decide Israel's next election?

- Do buffer zones still matter in the age of drones?

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

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Can Gadi Eisenkot make the leap from one of Israel’s most trusted generals to its next prime minister?

Gadi Eisenkot’s popularity is seeing a meteoric rise. Dan is joined by Nadav Eyal to examine Eisenkot’s background, military record, decisions around October 7, and whether experience built on service and sacrifice can survive the rough-and-tumble of an election campaign. They also compare Eisenkot to previous generals who’ve tried this, and to his current viable political opponents.

In this episode:

03:54 – Is Gadi Eisenkot's rise in the polls real?

05:42 – The Appeal of Israel's "Quiet General"

14:33 – From Eilat to IDF Chief of Staff

16:51 – Eisenkot's military legacy and the "war between wars"

23:27 – How much responsibility does he bear for October 7?

27:00 – The personal tragedy that shaped his public image

30:45 – What the War Cabinet Revealed About Eisenkot

38:30 – Can Eisenkot Unite the Opposition?

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

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Did the Iran war solve the problem, postpone it or make it worse? 

That fundamental debate has emerged over the outcome of the war with Iran. The campaigns degraded Iran's military infrastructure, but it also ended with a new, possibly more dangerous Supreme Leader in power, Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s nuclear capability largely intact. 

Dan is joined by former Israeli Military Intelligence chief Tamir Hayman and FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz to discuss whether the war was a strategic success, a missed opportunity, or an unfinished chapter in a conflict that is far from over.

Listen to Mark’s podcast, The Iran Breakdown with Mark Dubowitz.

In this episode:

04:51 - What is the most likely outcome of the U.S.-Iran negotiations?

08:00 - What were the tactical achievements of the US and Israeli attacks?

10:03 - Was the war strategically worth it?

19:42 - Can and will Trump still finish the job?

24:44 - Was the plan to have Kurds help topple the Iranian regime credible?

32:30 - Was Ahmadinejad a realistic replacement candidate?

35:42 - How formidable a foe is Mojtaba Khamenei?

41:48 - Is Iran more dangerous today than before the war?

More Ark Media:

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

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

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This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call me Back. Tal Becker, who has negotiated on behalf of Israel in the past, details the lesser known levers which are used in negotiations behind closed doors. 

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

- Aliyah, Yeridah, and How Jews Should Frame their Futures

- What Would It Take to Expand the Abraham Accords?

- How Israel Can Counter Drones and Emerge Stronger 

- Was Leaving the Iran Nuclear Deal a Mistake?

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

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Is President Trump saving Israel from a war it can’t win, or forcing it into a deal that leaves Hezbollah intact and Israeli soldiers and citizens vulnerable?

President Trump announced a ceasefire in Lebanon. Hezbollah agreed to stop firing rockets into Israel. Israel agreed to not strike Beirut. Yet the fighting in southern Lebanon continues, IDF soldiers are being killed and injured by Hezbollah rockets and drones, and the strategic problem remains unsolved.

Dan is joined by Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal to discuss Trump’s explosive phone call and pressures on Netanyahu, the link between Lebanon and the Iran negotiations, and whether this moment represents an off-ramp from an unwinnable conflict or a pause that leaves Israel’s hands tied and facing the same dangerous dilemma in southern Lebanon.

In this episode:

04:48 - Trump's expletive-laced confrontation with Netanyahu over Lebanon

06:42 - What the new Lebanon "ceasefire" actually means

10:09 - Why Hezbollah's drone campaign is hurting Netanyahu politically

13:21 - Is the “Lebanon Trap” also possibly an off-ramp for Israel?

21:09 - What is really driving Netanyahu's decision-making?

23:30 - How Lebanon became part of the Iran negotiations

26:39 - Does Hezbollah's fate ultimately depend on Iran?

28:36 - Is Hezbollah weaker today, or stronger by adapting for the next war?

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

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In a few months elections will be held in Israel, the first since Oct. 7th, and arguably one of the most consequential in Israel’s history. But how do the elections actually work in Israel?

As part of our Israel Votes series, Dan is joined by Amit Segal and Nadav Eyal for a practical guide to the mechanics behind Israeli democracy: the Knesset, coalition-building, electoral thresholds, and the structural realities that will shape the next election long before a single vote is counted.

In this episode:

03:33 - Why Israel Chose a Parliamentary System

07:06 - The Knesset, the Government, and the Courts

12:36 - How Votes Become Knesset Seats

14:57 - How Israel Actually Chooses a Prime Minister

18:45 - Coalition Negotiations and the Fight Over Ministries

22:09 - What Caused Israel's Five-Election Deadlock?

24:54 - What Election Night Looks Like in Israel

27:45 - Does Israel End Election Night With a Governing Majority?

More Ark Media:

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