What do the Dallas Cowboys & the Abraham Accords have in common? The both provide a wealth of excitement and promise for United Arab Emirates businessman, Thani Al-Shirawi. For the second episode in our Abraham Accords IsraelCast series, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Thani to discuss the misconceptions of Emiratis, why Israelis & Emiratis need to “talk the talk” instead of “walk the walk”, and where he wants to visit when he travels to Israel for the first time.

Wow! 100 episodes already? From chefs to political figures, we have enjoyed telling a positively Israel message from a unique perspective through the eyes of our incredible guests. To celebrate our 100th episode and kick-off our Abraham Accords IsraelCast series, host Steven Shalowitz welcomes The Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief, Yaakov Katz for a fascinating discussion of the new media landscape of the Middle East and all the different factors that can affect what is reported in journalism.

Jews across America have different views, different politics, and different levels of religious observance, but there is one organization that strives to act on the consensus of the Jewish people everywhere, and that organization is the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Whether you know about this organization already or it’s new to you, you’ll be fascinated by its work. Through addressing anti-Semitism to building relationships in the Middle East, the CoP is the unifier who brings the Jewish community together. Named by The Jerusalem Post as being among the fifty most influential Jews worldwide, William Daroff started off his political journey handing out pamphlets door to door; now, he is the CEO of the CoP. Daroff sits down with IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz to discuss the importance of elected officials, combatting “Jew Hatred” on social media, and the journey of becoming a vegan.

Is Israel the new Silicon Valley? According to Elie Wurtman, yes it is. Coined The Man with the Golden Touch, Elie stays busy maintaining roles as an entrepreneur, wine maker, and devoted Zionist. Listen to his conversation with Steven Shalowitz as they discuss the venture capitalist landscape of Israel, the future of entrepreneurship in the younger generation, and building new relationships with the Gulf countries of the Middle East.

You’ve heard Israel called the “start-up nation” – now hear from its “guru”. Jon Medved, CEO of OurCrowd and often known as “the startup nation’s guru”, joins IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz this week to discuss the work of OurCrowd, the importance of the Abraham Accords to the tech industry, and Jon’s large Hawaiian shirt collection.

From Zionist pioneer, Leon Pinsker, to the Father of Modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl, to the first President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann, the story of Zionism has been filled with controversy, misunderstanding, and astonishing feats. Author of Zionism: The Concise History, Alex Ryvchin sits down with host, Steven Shalowitz, to tell the story of Zionism and the impact it has on modern Jewish identity and to war and peace in the Middle East. 

Growing up as an Israeli Muslim in a Bedouin family, Ishmael “Ish” Khaldi wanted to be a farmer. After two of his close friends were killed during their police service, Ish made a personal commitment to serve the country of Israel. Listen to Ish as he sits down with Steven Shalowitz to discuss his upbringing, values, and career as a diplomat.