Decision Points

Since October 7th, Israel has been grappling with the immense economic toll of a prolonged, multi-front war. While the country’s economy has weathered crises before, the past 11 months have pushed its resilience to the limit. Soaring military expenditures, plummeting tourism, and the costs of compensating reserve soldiers and displaced citizens have all taken a toll on economic growth. How much of this turbulence stems from the war itself, and to what extent have policy missteps worsened the situation? More importantly, what does the path to economic recovery look like?

In this episode of Decision Points, David Makovsky is joined by Karnit Flug, Vice President of Research at the Israel Democracy Institute and former Governor of the Bank of Israel. Karnit led the central bank from 2013 to 2018, earning recognition as one of the world’s top central bankers. Together, they discuss Israel’s wartime economy, the challenges ahead, and the resilience of the Israeli people.

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In the wake of rising campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas war, Jewish students have faced increasing hostility, with a reported 700% spike in antisemitic incidents since October 7. As colleges reopen for the fall, we dive into the complexities of these protests. A recent Brandeis University survey found that almost one-third of college students feel hostility towards Israel. How can we put the Brandeis survey in context? What drives the unique animosity toward Israel? And how do some controversial academic theories play a role in shaping and informing these movements?

On this episode of Decision Points, Leonard Saxe and Uriel Abulof join David Makovsky to bring a layer of data driven insights and research analysis to the conversation. Leonard Saxe is the Director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and the Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis University and one of the authors of the recent Cohen Center report on campus antisemitism that we will explore today. Uriel Abulof is an Associate Professor at Tel-Aviv University and a visiting professor at Cornell University. His recent books include The Mortality and Morality of Nations and Living on the Edge: The Existential Uncertainty of Zionism, which received the prestigious Israeli Bahat Prize.

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On October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched the most significant and deadliest terror attack against Israel in the history of the state. Formed in the late 1980s, Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist military and socio-political movement. Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel, and the organization has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2006. How has Hamas evolved over the last few decades, and how can we understand the organization and its leadership?  

On this episode of Decision Points, Ghaith al-Omari and Ehud Yaari join David Makovsky to discuss the evolution of Hamas, the rise of its top leader, Yahya Sinwar, and the future of the terror organization. Al-Omari is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute. He previously served as the executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine, and he has held numerous high-level positions within the Palestinian Authority. Yaari is the Lafer International Fellow at the Washington Institute and a leading Israeli commentator, most recently with Israel's Channel 12 television network.

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The Middle East is at a crucial moment. Dual retaliatory attacks by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel threaten to tip the region into total war. However, a breakthrough in the hostage-for-ceasefire negotiations in Doha, initiated by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, may delay or eliminate the attacks and could be a pivotal turning point in the Israel-Hamas war. In any scenario, this crisis moment will test the resolve of the US-Israel security relationship.

Will crisis create opportunity? On this episode of Decision Points, Dana Stroul and Amos Gilead join David Makovsky to discuss the implications of this key moment for the US-Israel security partnership and the wider region. Stroul is the Director of Research at the Washington Institute and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, the Pentagon’s top civilian official with responsibility for the region. Gilead is the Executive Director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University and the former Head of Research for IDF Military Intelligence and Director of Policy and Political-Military Affairs at Israel’s Ministry of Defense.

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The Gaza War is Israel’s longest battle since its War of Independence in 1948. Wartime demands have put an outsized strain on Israel’s army, reopening the debate over the ultra-orthodox (Haredi) draft and the broader secular-religious fault line in Israeli society. While the Haredim have historically enjoyed a blanket exemption from military service, a June 25th decision by the High Court of Israel overturned that status quo. In the weeks since, nearly 3,000 draft orders have been sent out to members of the Haredi community.

Will crisis create opportunity? On this episode of Decision Points, two unique voices from the secular and Haredi communities—Yohanan Plesner and Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer—join David Makovsky to discuss how the Gaza war could narrow the secular-Haredi divide in Israeli society, finding points of divergence and common ground. Plesner is the President of the Israel Democracy Institute and former member of the Knesset with the Kadima Party. Rabbi Pfeffer is the Editor in Chief of Tzarich Iyun, a Haredi thought magazine, and former head of the Haredi division at the Tikvah Fund.

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Israeli society underwent a massive shock on October 7 that upended deeply held convictions about the army and the state. The horrors of 10/7 and the immediate demands of war unified Israelis at a time of deep division, but the 300+ days since Hamas’ assault have tested societal cohesion. How have 10/7 and the ensuing months of war changed Israeli society? What is needed to carry Israel through the challenging period ahead and rebuild a stronger, more integrated society?

On this episode of Decision Points, David Makovsky is joined by Yossi Klein Halevi, a renowned author and journalist, to discuss the state of Israeli society and chart the path forward. Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and the author of several books, including Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, a New York Times bestseller. He co-hosts For Heaven’s Sake, a podcast on political and social trends in Israel, diaspora relations, and the collective consciousness of being Jewish. 

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In recent weeks, the mid-intensity conflict on Israel’s northern border with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite terror group, has threatened to explode into all-out war. With Israel ramping up its targeted killings of top Hezbollah military commanders and Hezbollah launching rockets and drones ever further into Israel, is total war inevitable? What will it take to deliver peace and/or stability in the long-term and restore a sense of security to border residents? In this episode, Amos Harel and Hanin Ghaddar join David Makovsky to discuss the state of play on Israel's northern border, the probability of all-out war with Hezbollah, and options for diplomacy and de-escalation. Harel is a seasoned military analyst for Haaretz and a leading expert on Israel’s defense and security issues. Ghaddar, a native of Al-Ghazieh in Lebanon, is the Institute’s Friedmann Senior Fellow and an expert on Hezbollah and Lebanese politics.

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The ten months since October 7th have revealed both the profound strengths and strains of the U.S.-Israel partnership. Are current tensions a temporary consequence of the Israel-Hamas war, or do they represent a new and enduring divide between the two allies? In this episode, Dennis Ross joins David Makovsky on the eve of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s record fourth address to Congress to discuss the history of the U.S.-Israel relationship and possible future trajectories for the alliance. Ross is the Counselor and William Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute, worked for every president between Reagan and Obama, and was the point man for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in the Clinton and H.W. Bush administrations. David and Dennis have co-authored two books on Israel: Myths, Illusions, and Peace and Be Strong and of Good Courage.

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