For Heaven's Sake

For Jews around the world, the nightmare of October 7th is compounded by the harsh and deafening condemnation of Israel’s military action. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore the dynamics of Jewish power and vulnerability, the ramifications of labeling Israel’s actions as genocidal, and the question of whether antisemitism is at play.   

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How does a country engaged in war grapple with moral issues? On Thursday, November 30, Yuval Kestelman, an Israeli civilian and good Samaritan, was shot and killed by an IDF soldier after shooting a terrorist at a Jerusalem bus stop. Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore the ethical implications of labeling this incident either an accident or a crime, the influence of the government’s right-wing agenda and Hilltop Youth roots, and the parallels with the 2017 case of Elor Azaria, a soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian terrorist.  

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Major funding for For Heaven’s Sake is provided by the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation of Los Angeles. This special episode of the War edition is sponsored by Nancy Cahners. 

We are six days into a ceasefire, and the first wave of hostages have returned home. The national unity that emerged from the attack on October 7 and subsequent war is beginning to fray. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the unrelenting emotional toll of this crisis and the strains on Israel’s togetherness, including mounting international pressure, pre-existing political divides, and the leadership vacuum.  

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By the third day of the ceasefire, Hamas had released 58 hostages, 40 of them Israeli, in exchange for 78 Palestinian prisoners. While Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi celebrate the captives’ return to their families, they take note of the ways that this hostage situation is different from any the nation has faced in its history. They also consider how this moment challenges the Zionist ethos and explore the dilemmas the country will face as this 4-day truce agreement reaches an end. Will Israel risk the chance to redeem the rest of its captives safely if it returns to fighting against Hamas?

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What does it mean to have resilience in the face of tremendous loss?  

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss how soldiers are processing their trauma from combat in Gaza and bear witness to Israel’s staggering civilian presence at the funerals of fallen soldiers. They explore the imminent ceasefire, hostage and prisoner exchange, and the ramifications of this deal on Israel’s security and the nation’s psyche. 

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What does Gaza look like after this war is over? A recent poll showed thirty percent of Israelis favoring a renewal of Jewish settlements in the Gaza strip. While considering the popularity of this sentiment surprising and troubling, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss why some Israelis have developed this view. They ask: what it will take for Israelis to feel safe living alongside a Palestinian state after the devastation and violation of October 7?

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As the IDF takes control of Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, the controversy around this hospital serves as a paradigm for the conflicting views about the broader war. For many Jews, Israelis, and allies of Israel, Shifa represents the evil nature of our enemy; for critics, the operation at Shifa reflects everything that is wrong with Israel. Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the struggles, risks, and consequences of adhering to moral principles while fighting against an immoral enemy.

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As the Israel-Hamas war continues into its sixth week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss how Israel’s Arab-Palestinian minority have become scrutinized and even punished for mourning their kin in Gaza and how Jewish Israelis might have sympathy for the complicated dual loyalty their fellow citizens need to hold.

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As the Israeli military response to Hamas continues to escalate, Israelis have struggled to envision how Israel will rebuild and heal once the war is over and consider what an end to Hamas would mean for Palestinians.Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi begin this important work by imagining what the dawning of a new day will look like for the future of Israel and Gaza.

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“From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free” can be heard at many Palestinian solidarity demonstrations today, and while it seems at face value to be a rallying cry for justice, its connotation is uncompromisingly hostile to the existence of Israel and to Jewish sovereignty in the region. Why, then, do activists abroad, including some Jews, chant it in protest of Israel’s current actions in Gaza? 

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the meaning of this slogan and how the October 7 massacre sheds a sobering light on its implications. They ask if they, as Israelis, can listen to this hateful rhetoric from critics and consider an almost impossible question – what can we learn from it?

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