Four days into the war with Iran, the feeling in Israel has gone from surreal to painfully real, with initial sighs of existential relief giving way to anxiety, grief, and uncertainty. 

On this episode of For Heaven’s Sake, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the parallels between this war and past operations, the difference in Israelis’ experiences across the country, and their hopes – and fears – for the days and weeks ahead.

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org.

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Today is day 616 of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, and day 1 of a new era for Israel. For Israelis who were jolted out of bed by sirens and Jews around the world who have been glued to the headlines, the first 24 hours of the war with Iran have been surreal, and leave us asking – what happens now?

In this emergency episode of For Heaven’s Sake recorded today, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack how we got here, the experience in Israel over the last 24 hours, and the ways Israel and the region will be changed forever by the events of June 13, 2025.

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

As the war in Gaza drags on, Netanyahu has dramatically lost popular support yet until now he has managed to retain his government coalition. But with the Ultra-Orthodox, the IDF, world Jewry, and foreign leaders all pulling in different directions, the Prime Minister may be facing defeat in the imminent emergency election.

This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the widening cracks in Israel’s unity and the moral abyss opening below, as Netanyahu races against many clocks to retain his

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After violent attacks in Washington, D.C. and Boulder, CO, America’s Jewish community is on edge. Public displays of Jewishness or Zionism now seem to carry a risk in liberal bastions of the country, as a frightening wave of antisemitism emerges not from the far-right, but from the left.

This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the evolution of left-wing discourse since October 7 and discern where and how anti-Zionism crosses the threshold to antisemitism.

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One of the goals of Zionism is to reintegrate the Jewish people into the “community of nations,” recognizing Israel’s sovereignty and forging global partnerships built on mutual respect and shared values. But as the war in Gaza takes a new turn, France, the UK, and even Germany have amplified their criticism, and President Trump is considering ending continued military support. Israel may soon find itself, politically and economically, “a nation that dwells alone”.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore this theological axis in Judaism that is too often abused by the Israeli far-right. Is it a blessing? A curse? Or is it a call to action for Israelis and Jews around the world to rise to this moment?

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What does it mean to fight a just war justly—and who decides when we’ve crossed a moral red line?

What began as a just war of self-defense has evolved into something more morally ambiguous, raising questions about Israel's tactics, humanitarian concerns, and international standing. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi confront their differing "red lines" regarding Israel's conduct in Gaza and examine public discourse on this issue, including Yair Golan’s recent controversial statements about the war.

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As Israel enters a perilous new stage of the Gaza war—authorizing indefinite occupation of captured territory—Netanyahu’s pledge of “complete victory” over Hamas is deepening societal rifts and threatening to further fracture Israeli unity, pitting nationalist agendas against calls for restraint.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the cascading consequences of occupation tactics, from escalating Gazan casualties to the erosion of soldiers’ morale, and as the conflict enters its 577th day, ask: Can a nation survive when its leaders weaponize survival itself?

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This Yom Ha’atzmut carries an apt but concerning metaphor for the State of Israel: as a brushfire burns along Route 1, the annual Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony has been canceled and the connection between Israel’s cultural and ideological poles, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is literally blocked.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi test the limits of their gratitude to the Israeli government and look for avenues of hope in a deeply broken country this Independence Day.

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