State of Tel Aviv, Israel Podcast

Gadi Taub is a prominent Israeli public intellectual; a true Renaissance man who has distinguished himself in recent years as one of the strongest voices in support of the leadership of PM Benjamin Netanyahu. He has moved, politically, over two decades, from the center/center-left to the hard right of the spectrum. Taub was also hawkish on the judicial reform program that led to so much civic turmoil in Israel in the year leading up to October 7, and remains so. And hardline on the recent firing of Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, that went down on American E-Day. In fact, Gadi Taub thinks that the firings of military and security officials should have been done long ago. Why? Because as a group they are subverting the will of the democratically elected prime minister and coalition government. Taub calls it as he sees it. It’s a lively discussion and definitely to be continued.

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Gadi Taub is a Senior Lecturer at the Federmann School of Public Policy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He holds a Ph.D. in American history from Rutgers University. His books include bestselling works of fiction and non-fiction the most recent of which is Global Elites and National Citizens in Israel, the US and the West (Bestseller, Hebrew). He hosts Israel's leading conservative Hebrew podcast Gatekeeper, as well as co-hosting (with Michael Doran) Tablet Magazine's Israel Update podcast. His column in Haaretz was canceled for his support of judicial reform. He now writes for Tablet and JNS.

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Today we take a deep dive into the Amsterdam Jew Hunt that went down last Thursday night and into the early morning hours of Friday. That it happened in Amsterdam should surprise no one. That there will almost certainly be copycat Jew hunts in Europe and elsewhere should also surprise no one. That young Muslim men and perhaps slightly older taxi drivers planned and coordinated this pogrom on various chat platforms should also not surprise anyone. Although it did seem to catch the Amsterdam police off guard—in spite of several advance warnings from Israeli securityservices. In this special podcast State of Tel Aviv speaks in depth with three very different people, each bringing profound insight and knowledge to this critical historical moment. Pieter Dorsman is a Dutch-Canadian businessman and blogger who has lived in Vancouver for decades now but grew up in the Netherlands. He happened to be visiting family near Rotterdam when this attack occurred. We start with him and then speak with David De Bruijn, Professor of Philosophy at Auburn University in Alabama. A native son of The Hague, De Bruijn pulls no punches when discussing the “polite” antisemitism among the more traditional Dutch—and the very explicit, vulgar form of Jew hatred that prevails among Muslims in the country, many of whom are second, third, or fourth generation. These violent antisemites are not “new immigrants” as much of the media has erroneously portrayed them. Lastly, we speak with Eitam Zach, a young Israeli man who has lived in the Netherlands for almost six years now and is very spooked by how life has changed since October 7. And by this latest madness. Throughout this podcast we get into European sport culture, how the Holocaust is ever-present in the minds of Dutch Jews, and how the restrained, “tolerant” Dutch people have managed and mismanaged the integration of so many Muslim immigrants over the decades. Amsterdam today. And tomorrow?

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Timestamps:

Intro: 00:00 to 13:21 Interview with Pieter Dorsman: 13:21 to 1:01:00 Interview with Prof. David De Bruijn: 1:01:00 to 1:37:00Interview with Eitam Zach: 1:37:00 to 1:55:32

Podcast Notes:

* Pieter Dorsman is a Vancouver-based venture capital advisor and investor. Prior to relocating to Vancouver, he held a number of senior positions in the project and corporate finance divisions of UBS in Hong Kong. Pieter started his career at Barclays Bank in London. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Pieter graduated from the Erasmus Universiteit. Pieter writes about international politics and markets on his Substack.

* In March, 2024, Pieter wrote about how pro-Hamas/Islamist culture was taking root in the Netherlands.

* Last January he published a piece with the prescient title: “Antisemitism, Football and History.”

* His most recent – “Amsterdam Cries” – is from Nov. 10.

X: @PieterDorsman

LinkedIn: pdorsman

Blog: pieterdorsman.substack.com

* Dr. David De Bruijn is a professor teaching philosophy at the University of Auburn, Alabama, in the United States of America. He tweets at @dmdebruijn.

De Bruijn’s article about the Amsterdam pogrom, published on Sunday, November 13, 2024 in The Free Press

X: @dmdebruijn

* Eitam Zach is a Tel Avivian living in Amsterdam. He has a BA in International Studies and an MSc in Political Communication. Passionate about people, politics, and whatever comes in between.

X: @eitamzach

Insta: @eitamzach

* An interview with a Dutch Palestinian community leader, Wathek Alsadeh and an Egyptian television station is published here, with English subtitles. In this interview, Mr. Alsadeh alleges that the Jew Hunt was orchestrated by the Mossad in order to generate sympathy for Israel among Europeans.

* Holocaust survivor gets Dutch train company to pay damages.

This article reports on the lawsuit brought by Ajax Amsterdam’s physiotherapist,. Salo Muller, against the Dutch rail company. Muller’s parents were transported to concentration camps during WWII by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen train company, which both charged Dutch Jews for the journey and got paid by the Nazis; Muller decided to take on the company and force it to pay compensation to family of the victims it sent to their deaths. The case setttled in 2018. Muller passed away in 2023.

* Just over a year ago I found myself writing a post reflecting on the explosion of antisemitic violence in the immediate aftermath of October 7. You can read it here.

Remember the plane that landed in Dagestan (having arrived from Israel) and was met on the tarmac by local Muslim fanatics? They searched every crevice of the aircraft and inside the airport terminal. They were hunting Jews. That was several weeks after October 7, 2023.

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At 8pm on Wednesday night in Israel, PM Netanyahu stunned the country by announcing the immediate firing of Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defense who has steered Israel through a very difficult period, which is far from resolved. That Bibi and Gallant shared a mutual loathing was no secret. What was surprising was that Netanyahu did this now, in the. midst of a protracted period of conflict as Israel awaits another attack from Iran. This country is stretched to its limits. And we now are dealing with another layer of intense uncertainty. Ya’akov Katz and I discuss the ins, outs and whys. And why now? (I open this podcast with a greeting of “good morning”… reflecting my hopeless optimism to get this out just a little earlier than ended up happening. Next time… I’ll keep it simple. “Good day.” And on that note, I do hope you have a good one.)Follow us @stateofTLV on “X”.

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Podcast Notes:

Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Tuesday, 5 November 2024) [translated from Hebrew]

“As the Prime Minister of Israel, my chief obligation is to preserve the security of Israel and to achieve our total victory.

In the midst of war, more than ever, complete trust is required between the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister.

Unfortunately, even though such trust was present during the first months of the military campaign, and we had a very productive cooperation, during the past several months this trust between myself and the Defense Minister has begun to crack.

Defense Minister Gallant and I had substantial disagreements on the management of the military campaign, disagreements which were accompanied by public statements and actions that contravened the decisions of the Government and the Security Cabinet.

I have made multiple attempts to resolve these disagreements, but they became increasingly wider. They were also brought to the knowledge of the public in an inappropriate manner, and what is even worse, they have reached the knowledge of the enemy; our enemies have taken great delight in these disagreements and have derived much benefit from them.

Different opinions in open debates, as anyone who knows me can attest to, are my way of holding discussions and consultations, and making decisions. Everyone knows that. However, the increasingly wide crisis of confidence between myself and the Defense Minister had become public knowledge, and that crisis is hindering the continued proper administration of the military campaign.

I am not the only one with this opinion; in both the Government and the Security Cabinet, the majority of the members of which, virtually all members, share the feeling that this state of affairs cannot continue.

In view of the above, I have decided today to remove the Defense Minister from his post. In his stead, I have decided to appoint Minister Israel Katz to this position. Israel Katz has proven his abilities and has made a contribution to national security as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Intelligence for five years, and equally important, as a long-standing member of the State Security Cabinet.

Israel Katz brings to the table an impressive combination of rich experience and executive capabilities. He is known as a man of action who combines responsibility with reserved decisiveness, all important qualities for driving a military campaign.

Also, I have spoken today with Minister Gideon Saar and proposed that he join the coalition along with his faction and serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a member of the Government and Security Cabinet for many years, Gideon Sa'ar will bring to the table much experience and consideration in the areas of policy and security, and will be a significant addition to our leadership team.

Different opinions in open debates, as anyone who knows me can attest to, are my way of holding discussions and consultations, and making decisions. Everyone knows that. However, the increasingly wide crisis of confidence between myself and the Defense Minister had become public knowledge, and that crisis is hindering the continued proper administration of the military campaign.

I am not the only one with this opinion; in both the Government and the Security Cabinet, the majority of the members of which, virtually all members, share the feeling that this state of affairs cannot continue.

In view of the above, I have decided today to remove the Defense Minister from his post. In his stead, I have decided to appoint Minister Israel Katz to this position. Israel Katz has proven his abilities and has made a contribution to national security as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Intelligence for five years, and equally important, as a long-standing member of the State Security Cabinet.

Israel Katz brings to the table an impressive combination of rich experience and executive capabilities. He is known as a man of action who combines responsibility with reserved decisiveness, all important qualities for driving a military campaign.

Also, I have spoken today with Minister Gideon Saar and proposed that he join the coalition along with his faction and serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a member of the Government and Security Cabinet for many years, Gideon Sa'ar will bring to the table much experience and consideration in the areas of policy and security, and will be a significant addition to our leadership team.

Gideon Saar's addition and the addition of his faction will increase the stability of the coalition and the government, important factors at any time, and especially important in time of war. I am convinced that these steps will reinforce the Government and the Security Cabinet, transforming them into bodies that work cooperatively and harmoniously for the security of the State of Israel, for the citizens of Israel, and for our victory".

We were lucky to catch Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus in the same time zone and standing still. Today he is an A-list speaker and commentator on the security situation in Israel and the middle east - as well as senior fellow with the FDD - Conricus pulled no punches when speaking with State of Tel Aviv. We discuss Iran’s threats to hit Israel and hard – possibly in the next two days. The likelihood – as we discuss – is that there will be a coordinated attack on multiple fronts by Iran and its proxies in the axis of terror it controls: Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in the Gaza Strip – to the degree they are still able to do much militarily. As this war grinds on, and on, Conricus expresses quite intense anger at the ultra-orthodox population and the “shameful” political maneuvering that has been the priority among our government leaders. As the death and injury tolls climb, the haredi exemption from military service is quickly becoming a major flashpoint. And the only solution, he says, is to uphold Israeli law and draft these tens of thousands of haredi men who refuse to serve. There is no way to sugar coat this. Israelis must find a way to work together. The threat environment is too intense, unrelenting, and existential. Conricus is on fire today.

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We were so fortunate to speak with former MK and UNRWA expert, Einat Wilf, who has been calling out the farce of UNRWA being financed and treated by the world as a humanitarian organization for decades. UNRWA promotes a narrative and policy advocating the destruction of Israel and glorifying terrorism. The mask came off irreversibly on October 7, 2023. New legislation passed overwhelmingly in the Knesset yesterday. And there is no one better to explain what happened and why, than Einat Wilf. This pod is short, sharp and shines light where it needs to be shone. On UNRWA corruption and global apathy regarding the same.

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Podcast Notes:

1. Einat Wilf

Dr. Einat Wilf is the co-author with Adi Schwartz of “The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Obstructed the Path to Peace” and a former Member of the Israeli Knesset on behalf of the Labor Party.

2. Recent podcast with UN Watch Director, Hillel Neuer, for more background:

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We woke up in Israel on Saturday morning to the long awaited news of an IDF retaliation against Iran for sending 150+ ballistic missiles our way on October 1. The attack, as we know, was a success. Targets hit. Multiple waves of air attacks. And all pilots and planes returned safely. Extraordinary mission. But the real test is whether it will suffice to deter Iran from responding to Israel’s response. Because the next wave will be much more aggressive. We move onto the fierce fighting in the north and the heavy toll it is taking on Israeli reservists, many of them in their 40s and 50s. Ya’akov gets fiery on this issue... being that we are in the midst of Knesset drama, which has the ultra-orthodox parties demanding that legislation enshrining exemption of haredi men from service be passed imminently. It seems especially ill-timed in light of the very dire shortage of IDF troops. The northern front shows no signs of easing up, and Haifa and northern towns and cities are being pounded every day by hundreds of rockets. And as always, we end with the hostages. And try to find a reason to hope.

This episode was recorded earlier today, and I mention a terror truck ramming which injured many civilians just north of Tel Aviv this morning. Initially, it was treated as a terror attack, but authorities are now saying that it may have resulted from the driver having suffered a heart attack.

I haven’t had time to check the news now for a few hours. So. Who knows what has transpired since. Thanks for listening.

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Nadav Eyal is one of Israel’s top political analysts and journalists and we are delighted to have him join the State of Tel Aviv for today’s deep dive into the life and death of Yahya Sinwar. We focus on the impact that his death may have on the possibility of an agreement being negotiated for the release of the 101 hostages still being held by Hamas, many of whom we know are dead. The rescue of the hostages is of critical importance to Israel for so many reasons, among them that “to leave no one behind” is central to the ethos and cohesion of the state. Should this fundamental value not be seen to be honored by Israeli citizens, the impact would be extreme. Nadav expertly peels the layers of this complex situation that touches on Israeli domestic politics, regional geopolitics and, of course, the western alliance and America. I was keen to speak with Nadav after reading his column in the Israeli newspaper, Yediot Achronot (largest circulation print newspaper in Israel), on the weekend, in which he touched on many of the issues we discuss here. Have a listen.

Podcast Notes

Nadav Eyal is among Israel’s top journalists and is a past recipient of the Sokolov Prize, the equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize for journalists in Israel. He is the author of several books as well.

This year, he is living in New York City with his family and has been appointed Senior Research Scholar in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs; Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia School of International and Public Affairs.

Further detail about Nadav Eyal may be found here.

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We depart from our usual Sunday review with Ya’akov Katz and bring you this short and intense immersion in the weekly rallies in support of hostages and their families. These events take place all over Israel every Saturday night. I used to attend them in Tel Aviv. But I have relocated to a kibbutz in the south and instead went to the local gathering. It is worlds away from Tel Aviv. The rally takes place at a key intersection in southern Israel, which was swarmed by Hamas locusts, buzzing around on their motorcycles and in pickup trucks. They slaughtered babies, children, the elderly, families. They dragged terrified people from their beds. They stalked those who attended the Nova Music Festival. Route 232 – which winds its way through the area of Israel closest to the Gaza border – was lined with burned cars and bodies. The weekly rallies occur at the intersection of Routes 232 and 34. Many of those attending these rallies are locals who lived through the carnage, lost loved ones, await the release of family and friends still being held hostage.

We have also posted, below, some photographs from the rally.

Tomorrow – we drop a bonus podcast with Israeli journalist and scholar, Nadav Eyal, doing the usual focus on what’s going on in the bigger picture – although we focus heavily on the hostages. This is widely perceived to be a moment of opportunity to re-align power in the middle east. And that must include the hostages.

Thanks for being here.

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Lt Col Jonathan Conricus and I dig into the overwhelmingness of life in Israel these days. We're both pretty seasoned and hardened, but things here just seem to continue to ramp up, not down. As Conricus says in our discussion, he emerged from 25 days of no news or connection to the outside world following his observance of Yom Kippur and was amazed by the enormity and pace of activity. There is a lot going on. We spend the first bit of the podcast today discussing the sharp rise in domestic terror attacks by Israeli Arabs, something that tends not to receive much attention internationally. This disturbing trend is also complemented by terrorism within Israel committed by residents of the West Bank who enter Israel illegally. And then there's the regular stuff. We discuss Iran in detail. As we wait for the Israeli retaliation. Conricus has done significant work analyzing potential targets in Iran, political considerations, and more. See the link in the podcast notes below for the work he has done on identifying potential targets in Iran. This work is done in his capacity as a senior fellow at FDD, a Washington-based think tank. We are now hunkering down for yet another holiday on the Jewish calendar—this is a very busy time of year. Let's hope it's peaceful.

Podcast Notes:

As 9.5-million Israelis wait… and wait… the assumption is that Israeli and American government and military officials are working ‘round the clock to assess and decide which targets to hit. In the Islamic Republic of Iran. In retaliation for the launching of close to 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1. When will Israel strike? How hard? Each …