For Heaven's Sake

180 days since the tragedy of October 7th, war still wages in Gaza, hostages have yet to be returned, Israel’s allies are now pushing for a ceasefire, and the accidental bombing of seven aid workers on April 1st marks the latest IDF fumble.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi take moral stock of Israel’s failures, its critics, and its unsung heroes, as this long and complex war hits the 6 month mark.

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Israelis are engaged in multiple layers of conflict, both external and internal. As the Israel-Hamas war continues into its 6th month, Israelis are simultaneously fighting a battle against their own government. This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss Netanyahu’s leadership, and what the Israeli public can – and should – do to demand better from him.  

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This episode is sponsored by Wayne Robbins. 

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From badmouthing the military to fumbling humanitarian aid in Gaza, punting on the Haredi draft, and taking a hard line on a hostage deal, Netanyahu’s coalition government seems more out-of-touch with the Israeli public than ever before. Could forthcoming elections bring a sea change to Israel’s leadership?

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi share their hopes

and visions for the future of the Jewish State.

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From the Oval Office to the Oscars, the week of March 11, 2024, has seen more vocal public criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza than at any other time during the Israel-Hamas war. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi analyze, and respond to, recent rebukes leveled by Israel’s closest allies and by fellow Jews.

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On Thursday February 29, a tragedy unfolded in Gaza City during a food aid delivery.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss more than just the food crisis unfolding in Gaza as they consider Israel’s responsibility to Gazan civilians. They examine the struggle in Israeli society to engage in moral discourse and the growing chasm between the Israeli and Jewish diaspora’s responses to the war.

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The city of Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas’ power in the Gaza Strip and final stand for the IDF’s military campaign. But Israel’s closest allies have implored it not to invade, warning that this would only exacerbate the growing humanitarian crisis for Gazan civilians.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi balance the moral responsibilities, psychological needs, and geopolitical strategies at play in Israel’s decision to move in to Rafah, and whether a ceasefire now might be the solution.

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As the IDF moves into a ground invasion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and the toll on Palestinian lives continues to grow, Israel’s military actions are garnering greater criticism from world leaders.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on how this war is being judged on the global stage, and whether Israel’s initial public position as victims of the October 7th attacks is best serving its cause today.

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On Tuesday, February 13, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid demanded that Ultra-Orthodox Jews be drafted into the army, a long-debated move that if enacted would formally end the de-facto blanket exemption for roughly 15% of the country’s population.

Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dive into the Haredi ideology behind their separatism and avoidance of military duty at a time when Israel needs them most.

Mentioned in this episode:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/footage-shows-hostages-being-rescued-from-hamas-captivity-in-daring-rafah-operation/

This episode is sponsored by Marshall Zola.

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On Tuesday, Hamas countered Israel’s ceasefire proposal with a sweeping offer to return all remaining captives from October 7 and beyond­–those alive and the remains of those who perished–for what amounts to a near-total dismantling of the IDF’s military effort in Gaza. Could the country accept a hostage deal that would essentially forfeit the goal of eliminating Hamas’ military power?

 This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi grapple with the impossible position faced by Israel: choosing between the Zionist imperative of self-defense and the Jewish imperative of pidyon shvuyim (redemption of captives).

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more. 

Go deeper on this subject with scholars from the Hartman Institute:

Read Mikhael Manekin’s essay in Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas On Redeeming Captives

Watch Elana Stein Hain’s session on The Mitzvah of Redeeming Captives

A staggering 38% of Israelis support post-war Jewish resettlement in the Gaza Strip, exemplified by a discordantly jubilant conference on Sunday, January 28 led by right-wing activists, ministers, and lawmakers including Itamar Ben Gvir and Betzalel Smotrich. Why do so many Israelis want to undo the 2005 Gaza disengagement, and why are some of them celebrating this moment?

Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack the layers of motivation driving this sentiment, the consequences it could have to Israel’s unity, the peace process, and the genocide case at the Hague, and what the Israeli political center can do in response.

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Mentioned in this episode:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/38-of-israelis-back-reestablishment-of-gaza-settlements-poll/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/12-ministers-call-to-resettle-gaza-encourage-gazans-to-leave-at-jubilant-conference/