Inside Israel with Joel Chasnoff

Despite what we hear in the meida, the Israeli army's code of military ethics, Tohar HaNeshek—meaning "Purity of Arms"—is one of the strictest and most comprehensive in the world.

In today's episode of Inside Israel, I speak with Dr. Asa Kasher, a professor at Tel Aviv University and the lead author of Purity of Arms.

While most Western militaries have an ethical code, Israel’s stands out, particularly for its focus on the sanctity of human life—even that of the enemy.

Asa and I speak about why this is so, and explore why it took nearly fifty years for Purity of Arms to be created. We discuss whether his views on battlefield ethics have evolved since the shocking Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023.

I also challenge Dr. Kasher with a tough question: Is there such a thing as being “too cautious” when it comes to avoiding unnecessary harm to our enemies? After all, shouldn't the IDF’s top priority be the safety and well-being of Israeli civilians, regardless of the cost to our foes?

And in the "Hebrew is Magic" segment, Dr. Kasher shares three Hebrew expressions that hold personal significance for him, including the phrase ruach tzahal (“the spirit of the IDF”).

To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

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This week, the IDF released its official report on the failures that enabled the October 7 massacre. 

Findings include a severe underestimation of Hamas, ignored intelligence warnings, and an over-reliance on border defenses like fences and cameras. When the attack came, these systems failed, and the military was unprepared.

The delayed response was particularly shocking. Many soldiers were caught off guard on a Shabbat and holiday, with no reinforcements sent south for hours. At Nahal Oz, a base less than a kilometer from Gaza, Hamas easily overran unarmed soldiers. IDF Chief of Staff Halevi had warned about the base’s vulnerability, but funding was denied.

This report shakes public trust in the IDF, long seen as Israel’s most respected institution. The army isn’t just an organization—it’s made up of Israelis' own children. Meanwhile, frustration grows over government spending, with billions allocated to Haredi communities while the military lacks resources. The big question: Can the IDF rebuild trust and reform?

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To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com

Joel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/shows

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re thrilled that over the past few weeks, we’ve received an overwhelming number of questions from our listeners! 

Regular listeners know that we’re a bit behind – so this week, we’re opening up the mailbag to answer as many of your questions as possible. We’ll cover topics from the war in Gaza to Israeli comedy and the state of Judaism in the US.  

Joel will also provide a brief overview of where things stand now, including updates on the possibility for Stage 2 of the hostage negotiations actually happening, and what the day-after plan for Gaza looks like.

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Support Inside Israel: Contribute

To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com

Joel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/shows

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If Judaism were a basket of stocks, Joel would short the Reform and Conservative movements—but he’d go long, very long, on Chabad.

In today’s episode of Inside Israel, Joel explains why he’s such a fan of Chabad, drawing from two perspectives:

First, as a comedian who’s performed at Chabad Houses around the world, seeing their work up close. And second, as a traveler who’s relied on Chabad for Passover Seders, Sukkot dinners, and Shabbat gatherings across South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Plus, as always, he’ll break down the latest news from Israel and tackle listener questions.

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To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com

Joel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/shows

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Joel reflects on the 12 months he’s spent in the US over the past two years and what he’s observed about Jewish life in America.

Questions he plans to address include: 

• Why is synagogue attendance mostly down—yet in some places, rising?
• Are Jewish teenagers connected to Judaism and informed about Israel?
• What does the future of American Judaism look like?

This episode will be blunt—Joel won’t be sugarcoating anything. But as always, our goal is to give you an honest, unfiltered take.

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Support Inside Israel: Contribute

To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com

Joel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/shows

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joel shares the reasons behind his pivot to stand-up comedy in Israel. 

After 23 years of entertaining Jewish communities across the U.S., he’s ready for a new challenge. But beyond the personal shift, there’s something deeper driving this change: a seismic shift he sees unfolding in the American Jewish community.

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Support Inside Israel: Contribute

To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com

Joel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/shows

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joel’s going back to school!

Comedy school, that is. 

In this week’s episode of Inside Israel, Joel shares his latest career move: his decision to perform stand-up comedy in Israel, in front of Israeli audiences, in Hebrew.

This episode kicks off a multi-part series on Israeli comedy and how humor might just be the sharpest mirror a society can hold up to itself.

And don’t worry—Joel isn’t stepping away from the news. He’ll still break down the biggest stories coming out of Israel and answer your questions.

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Support Inside Israel: Contribute

To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com

Joel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/shows

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israelis aren’t like the rest of us.

They’re often perceived as rude, pushy, and outspoken, saying exactly what's on their minds without worrying about how their words might affect others—or at least, that’s the impression many tourists and new immigrants to Israel get.

But there’s another side to Israelis that’s often overlooked. From personal experience, I can tell you that Israelis are some of the most generous and community-minded people you’ll ever meet. They’ll literally give you the shirt off their back to help someone in need. I once witnessed a young man at a bus stop do just that—he took off his shirt to press against the forehead of an elderly woman who had fainted and cut herself, stopping the bleeding until help arrived.

In today’s episode of Inside Israel, I sit down with cultural trainer Osnat Lautman to delve into the complexities of the Israeli personality and explore why Israelis think, act, and behave (and sometimes misbehave) the way they do.

Osnat, the author of two books on cultural differences, specializes in helping Israelis collaborate effectively with non-Israeli colleagues, and vice versa—because understanding the Israeli mindset is crucial to working with them.

We also tackle the question of cultural differences in today’s politically correct world. Is it still okay to say that people from different nationalities or ethnic groups think and act differently?

More about Osnat Lautman: www.olm-consulting.com

Osnat’s newest book, Global Cultural Interplay, on Amazon: here

To learn more about Inside Israel and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.com

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Believe it or not, there’s more to Joel than being a podcast host, stand-up comedian, MC, NJBA award-winning author, and father of four. Having had a Jewish upbringing in Chicago, a few life-changing teachers at Solomon Schechter, and making the “best stupid decision” of his life to draft in the IDF as a lone soldier, Joel reflects on why, if he had to do it all over again, he would. 

In this episode of Inside Israel, Joel takes the passenger’s seat as Inside Israel podcast coordinator, Yael Gargir, peels away the titles and gets to the core of who Joel is as a person. Sit back as we unpack the multi-talent figure responsible for making thousands of people smile. 

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Support Inside Israel: Contribute

To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

Sign up for Joel’s newsletter: www.joelchasnoff.com/newsletter

Joel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/shows

Joel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff

Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2024 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.