Israeli historian Adam Raz joins the podcast to discuss his explosive report on declassified documents from 1948, showing how Israel's early leadership grappled with the moral and political questions arising from a series of massacres against Palestinians. What did the government know in real time, how were the soldiers responsible treated, and why did David Ben-Gurion try to bury the subject? The conversation starts at time code 17:45.

Earlier on this episode, we hear from Prof. Gisela Dachs on the new government in Germany, sworn in just last week, and what to expect from it regarding Israel and the Middle East. Will new chancellor and Social Democrats leader Olaf Scholz continue Angela Merkel's strong commitment to Israel's security, and what do young Germans think about the issue? Listen to her discussion with host Amir Tibon and Haaretz's visiting fellow from Germany, Konstantin Nowotny. 

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Judy Maltz and Adrian Hennigan to discuss: Immigration in the shadow of the Coronavirus pandemic; the never-ending race to become head of the Jewish Agency; and why an Israeli video-on-demand service has just added Sally Rooney’s hit TV show ‘Normal People’ to its catalog – despite calls to boycott the BDS-supporting author.

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All across the Middle East, Christian communities are in decline. In Gaza, once an early Christian city, there are only 800 Christians left. In Iraq, Christians whose lands were taken over by the Islamic State were forced to convert – or die.

Author Janine di Giovanni joins Haaretz Weekly to discuss her book “The Vanishing: Faith, Loss, and the Twilight of Christianity in the Land of the Prophets," which documents this process. We ask her: Why are Christians leaving the region, what impact did Pope Francis' visit to Iraq have on the local community there, and what is Christianity's future in the land where it first appeared. The conversation starts at time code 13:30.

Earlier on this week's episode, senior Haaretz journalist Noa Landau joins host Amir Tibon to discuss Israel's controversial decision to spy on its own citizens in response to the omicron variant's arrival. Why did left-wing politicians who previously opposed this policy now decide to allow it, and what eventually made the government change course?  Listen to the full conversation, and make sure to also read Noa's recent op-ed on the subject.

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In this week's episode, we hear from two of Israel's top COVID experts about vaccines, the new omicron variant and medications against the virus. Our guest in the studio, Dr. Oren Kobiler of Tel Aviv University, explains how the new variant arrived, and says that while we should take it seriously,  there is "no need to panic." We ask him if vaccines will hold the line against this mutation, and seek his views on shutting Israel's border to tourists. 

In the second part of the episode, we bring you a 10-minute segment from an exclusive Haaretz briefing with Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, the top public health official in the Israeli Health Ministry. She tells us why she just vaccinated two of her children, and explains that vaccinating 5 to 11 year-olds isn't about controlling the pandemic, "it's about protecting the kids." The full briefing can be watched here.  

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Alan Leveritt, the publisher and owner of the Arkansas Times, who finds himself inadvertently on the frontlines of the battle against Israeli-sponsored legislation against the BDS movement. PLUS: Gideon Levy on his dinner with Benjamin Netanyahu and the furious responses it provoked among the Israeli left.

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A famous ultra-Orthodox author of children's books, Chaim Walder, was accused by multiple women of sexual abuse.  Their disturbing accounts, first reported in Haaretz, are creating shock waves in Haredi communities, from Jerusalem to Brooklyn. Senior analyst Anshel Pfeffer joins the podcast to discuss the story, starting at time code 11:00.

Earlier on this week's episode, we ask: Why did Turkey arrest two innocent Israeli tourists and accuse them of espionage, and why did 'Sultan' Recep Tayyip Erdogan agree to release them? Turkey expert Dr. Gallia Lindenstrauss says the incident could open the door to broader rapprochement between Israel and Turkey. Listen to her conversation with host Amir Tibon.

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Ahead of the Israeli National Security Conference which is being hosted by the Nazarian Center for Israel studies at UCLA – in partnership with Haaretz – Prof. Dov Waxman joins host Simon Spungin to look ahead at the gathering and to discuss some of the issues that will be coming up: the shadow war with Iran and the Iranian nuclear threat; Israel, the Palestinians, and the region; and the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Click here to register free for the conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/israeli-national-security-haaretz-ucla-nazarian-center-online-conference-registration-194340195757

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In this week's episode, we hear from an evangelical Christian and Israeli citizen, Joel Rosenberg, on his unusual meetings with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, the king of Jordan and president of Egypt, all documented in a new book he just published. Why did these Arab leaders invite him to their palaces, and how can Joe Biden get a big diplomatic win in the Middle East? Listen to the full conversation, starting at time code 10:20. 

Earlier on the show, Haaretz correspondent Allison Kaplan Sommer warns about Israel's failed enforcement of rules barring unvaccinated tourists from entering the country. Her recent scoop on the subject led the Israeli Health Ministry to promise a quick fix, but so far, she tells host Amir Tibon, the disturbing loopholes she discovered still exist.

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by human rights lawyer and LGBTQ+ activist Eitay Mack for a deep dive into the Israeli gay community’s #metoo moment, conversion therapy and the price the LGBTQ+ community in Israel is paying for its alliance with companies that sell technology used to repress gays elsewhere. Support groups: The Aguda - The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel; Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel.

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Violence broke out again last week at the Western Wall, as female activists gathered to pray at the holy Jewish site and were met with an ultra-Orthodox mob. Why is the battle over women's prayer there making headlines in Israel again, and how is it related to the ultra-Orthodox parties being out of power for the first time in a decade? Jewish World correspondent Judy Maltz discusses the latest developments with host Amir Tibon.

Also on this week's episode, Haaretz's U.S. correspondent, Ben Samuels, joins us from Washington with an update on the Biden administration's plans to reopen the American consulate in Jerusalem. After passing his landmark infrastructure package, does President Biden finally have time to pay attention to the Middle East? Listen to the full conversation.

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