Haaretz Podcast

Host Simon Spungin is joined by Anshel Pfeffer for a presidential episode of Haaretz Weekend, in which we discuss the legacy of outgoing president Reuven Rivlin, and his successor, Isaac Herzog, who was sworn in as Israel’s 11th president this week. We ask: Was Rivlin the best president Israel could have expected in such fraught times? Was it Herzog’s destiny to follow in his father’s footsteps and become Israel’s No. 1 citizen? And how will he respond if – and when – former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu asks him for a pardon?

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz's Amira Hass to discuss the recent demonstrations in the Palestinian territories and the Palestinian Authority's violent repression of those protests. We ask: What role does the Israeli occupation play in Mahmoud Abbas' ability to crush dissent? How is the Palestinian national struggle also a struggle for democracy? And why are Palestinian security forces targeting women?

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz.com’s Linda Dayan and LGBTQ activist Muhammad Zoabi to discuss a broad spectrum of LGBTQ issues in Israel. How does a gay Muslim deal with multiple and often conflicting identities? What about pinkwashing? What does the new LGBTQ-friendly government mean for the community – in terms of acceptance and legislation? How does the presence of self-professed homophobes in the Knesset affect the community? And how did one ultra-Orthodox family cope with their transgender son?

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On this week’s episode, host Simon Spungin is joined by Amos Harel and Zvi Bar’el for a two-part discussion on Israel’s handling of two current threats: the delta variant of the Coronavirus and the Iranian nuclear program. In Part 1, Amos advises against panic in the face of the mini-wave of COVID-19 infections, says that the government must act quickly and responsibly – and warns that the August 1 target date for reopening to tourists might be postponed again. In Part 2, Zvi comments on the state of play in talks between world powers and Iran, the significance of Iranian noncompliance with inspection regimes and how Israel will continue to wage its shadow war against the Islamic Republic.

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Gideon Levy, the recent recipient of Israel's top journalistic award – the Sokolow Prize. Gideon answers listeners' questions on his prize-winning writing, the best way to reach out to Israeli Jews and why he no longer has any hesitation about calling Israel an apartheid state. Gideon also answer questions on the new Israeli government and how he feels about readers who cancel their subscriptions in protest at his writing.

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz’s chief military analyst, Amos Harel, to discuss the challenges facing the new Israeli government, from Washington to the West Bank and from Tehran to the Gaza Strip. Was ask: Has the Israeli rhetoric on Iran changed since Benjamin Netanyahu was removed from office? How, if at all, will the election of Ebrahim Raisi as Iranian president affect Israel? How did the Bennett-Lapid government handle its first test on the Gaza front – and how does it hope to prevent future flare-ups? We also examine the significance of the IDF’s decision to stop conducting intelligence-collecting raids on Palestinian homes in the West Bank and what exactly happened with the Israeli offer of 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccines to the Palestinian Authority.

 To submit a question for the Gideon Levy AMA, mail us at [email protected].

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Host Simon Spungin is joined for an escapist episode by: Shany Littman, who talks about the soon-to-be-opened Culinary Institute of Israel and gastronomic appropriation; Shaina Oppenheimer tells us about an 18-year-old Black Israelite rapper from Dimona who faces deportation; and Adrian Hennigan on how Israel became the ‘television nation’ – and how to watch hit shows even if you don’t speak Hebrew. To submit a question for the Gideon Levy AMA, mail us at [email protected].

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz’s Ravit Hecht and Anshel Pfeffer, the day after a coalition headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid unseated Benjamin Netanyahu and brought his 12-year reign to an end. We discuss Netanyahu’s legacy, his farewell speech to the Knesset and his plans for the future – which, he insists, includes bringing down the new government. We also discuss the new coalition, its priorities and its chances of living to a ripe old age. ICYMI: Haaretz Weekend Episode #1 is still available!

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Judy Maltz, Ruth Schuster, Ariel David and Adrian Hennigan for the inaugural episode of Haaretz Weekend. We discuss: The impact the new government will have on matters of state and religion in Israel; ancient atrocities, Judean eating habits and broken eggs; and a new biopic of Menachem Begin plus what it was like being back in a movie theater.

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Host Simon Spungin is joined by Anshel Pfeffer, Allison Kaplan Sommer, and Haaretz’s new political correspondent Michael Hauser Tov. We discuss what looks increasingly like Benjamin Netanyahu’s final days in office, the toxic minions he has unleashed to delegitimize the incoming government and the task facing the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government – should it pass its final parliamentary hurdles. PLUS: Look out for the first episode of Haaretz Weekend, coming June 11.

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