FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil and FIDF National Director Maj. Gen. (Res) Nadav Padan provide a special briefing update on the current situation in Israel. Maj. Gen. (Res) Padan gives details on the assassinations that took place over the last couple weeks, the anticipation of a response, the options developing with Hezbollah, the drone activity in the North, how the U.S. could respond to the situation, providing context before judging each front, strategies concerning Iran, updates from the war with Hamas in Gaza, and more.

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(Recorded 8/9/2024)

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil speaks with Dr. Jerry Berkowitz, a hostage and survivor of the 1970 Black September airplane hijacking in which terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked four airliners bound for New York and took 56 Jews as hostages to Jordan. Dr. Berkowitz recounts in great detail his experience being taken hostage with his wife and young daughter, who were soon after separated from him and released, while he and five other men were held in captivity for a month. The two discuss how this hijacking related to the broader geopolitical events of the time, specifically the Black September Uprising, when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and PFLP tried to overthrow the Jordanian government. Dr. Berkowitz also describes the painful long-term effects of this experience for himself, his wife, and children. Lastly, he offers advice and words of consolation for the families of current Israeli hostages who are being held in Gaza.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil is joined by Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Former U.S. Treasury Finance Terror Analyst for a Special Live Briefing to recount all the latest news concerning Israel and the IDF. Mr. Schanzer discusses the preemptive U.S. strikes in Iraq, strikes from Israel on Hezbollah, the terrorists that Israel has recently eliminated, the anticipated response after these assassinations, the status of Hamas without the majority of its leadership, the U.S.'s intent for involvement in this war, the reality of that involvement, and much more.

(Recorded 07/31/2024)

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Noya Govrin, Director of the Lone Soldier Program at Nefesh B'Nefesh to discuss the situation for lone soldiers, non-Israelis who voluntarily join the IDF, during the ongoing war. Noya describes her experience dealing with her own son, who was injured by a Hezbollah attack while on duty. The two also touch on the many unique challenges that lone soldiers from all over the world have to grapple with--from cultural adjustments to bureaucratic obstacles--on top of serving in wartime and how Nefesh B'Nefesh services help make their lives easier.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Maj. (Res.) Michal, IDF Casualties Officer back to our briefings this week. Maj. (Res.) Michal details FIDF's Legacy Camp program that offers young family members of bereaved soldiers a chance to meet and interact with others in the US going through similar experiences. She shares some stories from camps that have recently occurred, how the children use the camps to heal, and some of their unique experiences at various camps.

Captain (Res.) Chaim Meisels of the IDF Infantry Unit, Battalion 450 joins FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil for this briefing interview. Capt. Meisels talks about his upbringing in the U.S., making the move to join the IDF, his journey from Michve Alon to Golani to Egoz, his experience from October 7 on, and more

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil speaks with Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, who offers his insight about the current situations in both Israel and the diaspora. Malcolm describes how events and societal shifts since October 7th have changed American Jewry and their status in the United States. The two discuss how the American Jewish experience has compared to the experiences of Jews elsewhere in the diaspora before and since October 7th, and what they believe will happen after the current war ends. Finally, Steve asks Malcolm for his thoughts on Israel's and the broader Middle East's geopolitical reality and future.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Cpt. (Res.) Odelia of the Search and Rescue Brigade to discuss her unique background as the granddaughter of German Christians who came to Israel after World War 2 to open a nursing home for Holocaust survivors. She describes her experiences in the IDF on and after October 7th, where she searched for human remains in Kibbutz Be'eri. Cpt. Odelia also elaborates on her mission in Gaza during the war and her previous experiences in the Search and Rescue Brigade. Finally, the two talk about Cpt. Odelia's brother, Urija, who was mortally wounded while fighting in Gaza.

(Recorded 06/23/2024)

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Jewish Educator & Israel Advocate Rabbi Leo Dee, to tell us the tragic story of his wife and daughters being killed in a terror attack in April of last year.