Today’s Tel Aviv Diary captures a rare mood: joy. In the wake of the ceasefire announcement between Israel and Hamas, the city is still buzzing—cafés full, streets alive, and Hostage Square overflowing with songs, flags, and relief. I walk you through the moment Israelis let themselves say “good morning” and mean it, as the 72-hour clock begins for the return of all 20 living hostages and efforts start to locate the fallen. We look at what’s next: the IDF’s withdrawal to stage-two positions, expanded humanitarian access, President Trump’s expected visit and Knesset address, and the hard questions ahead about Gaza’s future. It’s a hopeful episode—honest about the grief that remains, clear-eyed about the politics and logistics still to come—but grounded in a simple truth: after 735 days of war, Israelis finally allowed themselves to breathe.

Yesterday’s discussion between Marc Schulman and Dan Perry on where we stand as we reach the two-year mark of the war.

In this special Tel Aviv Diary episode, I share my first full reaction to President Trump’s new Gaza plan—which brings home the hostages, and why, despite the politics around it, I think it’s a good plan for Israel and for ending the war. I walk through the core idea: finally having a credible “day after” framework that rejects occupation and annexation, revives a reformed Palestinian Authority, and opens the door to broader regional normalization—if Hamas says yes.

We also look at the hard parts: whether Hamas (and its patrons) will accept, how the far-right in Israel is likely to respond, and why implementation details and verification will decide success. I reflect on what Ben-Gurion understood in 1949 about sharing this land, why realism now matters more than ideology, and how choosing a workable peace framework strengthens Israel’s security, economy, and future.

Marc brings back intelligence veteran Ehud Haik to unpack a tumultuous week: from the Prime Minister’s plan to blast his UN speech over loudspeakers in Gaza to the deeper vacuum of public diplomacy and strategy. They trace how Israel’s foreign messaging misfires in an era shaped by social media, why allies struggle to counter the “genocide” narrative, and how rising antisemitism in the West is gaining mainstream platforms. The conversation ranges through UN theatrics, Erdogan’s signaling, a potential West Bank escalation, and concerns around the new Shin Bet appointmentand democratic norms. Haik also assesses Trump’s “day-after” outline for Gaza, the coalition math that could hasten an end to the war, and the long road to reputational recovery. A bracing, unsentimental look at the strategic costs of a long war—and the choices facing Israel before the next election.

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, I walk listeners through Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square—between the art museum, the courts, and the Kirya—where grief, resolve, and a growing sense of helplessness converge. I reflect on nearly two years of protests, a war that shows no clear path to “victory,” and a country wrestling with the choice between becoming a besieged “Sparta” or returning to a more open, democratic “Athens.” We examine international moves to recognize Palestinian statehood, Israel’s political realities and looming elections, questions around Qatar’s influence, the Shin Bet appointment, and the widening isolation that threatens our economy and culture. I close with a sober look at rising antisemitism in the U.S.—and a simple wish for the new year: health, peace, and the safe return of the hostages.

Highlights: Hostage Square reflections • War strategy and limits • Israel’s global standing & economy • Recognition debates & history ignored • Democracy, elections & governance • U.S. politics and antisemitism • A Rosh Hashanah hope for renewal

In this episode of Tel Aviv Diary, Marc Schulman sits down with longtime friend Noah Efron—professor of Science, Technology and Society at Bar-Ilan University, Tel Aviv City Council member, and host of The Promised Podcast. They discuss Tel Aviv as the “first Hebrew city” and its unique role in shaping Jewish culture, Noah’s work on pluralism, sustainability, and urban life, and the complex relationship between Jews, Zionism, and technology. The conversation also turns to the challenges of war, democracy, and the meaning of optimism in Israel today, offering a deeply personal yet wide-ranging reflection on the city, the country, and their future.

In this episode of Tel Aviv Diary, Marc Schulman speaks with Jeremy Saltan—longtime Knesset advisor, reservist captain, and founder of KnessetJeremy.com. Saltan shares his unique perspective from both inside Israel’s legislative committees and on the battlefield, reflecting on the pressures of serving over 300 days in reserve duty, the strains on Israeli society, and the deep questions facing soldiers and citizens alike. Despite the ongoing war and political uncertainty, he offers an optimistic vision for Israel’s next generation of leaders.

Recorded early last week—before the latest difficult events—this unusually hopeful Tel Aviv Diary dives into the long arc of Israeli high-tech and where it can go next. Marc sits down with his longtime “dog-park friend” Itzik, a born-and-bred Tel Avivi whose path runs from physics and Air Force intelligence to law, a stint at AOL/ICQ-era business development, and now managing a venture fund that backs Arab-Israeli founders. Together they push past the easy myths about ICQ “starting” Startup Nation, trace the earlier lineage, and unpack why doing R&D inside the army mattered.

The conversation turns practical and optimistic: autonomous buses running on vision-based AI, earthquake early-warning at a fraction of today’s costs, and the quiet revolution of Arab-Israeli participation in CS and engineering—fueled by new jobs in the north and targeted investing. It’s a grounded case that expanding opportunity can lift Israel’s economy and social fabric—even now. A rare dose of sunlight, when we could all

Its mostly about larger societal issues such as social media and related tech questions, but we also talk current events at least where we were on Sunday.

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Our Next ZOOM BRIEFING will take place on Sunday, March 9th

6 PM Israel Time • 4 PM GB • 11AM EST • 8AM PST

Invitations will go out on Sunday morning

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Marc unpacks the reported strike on Hamas leaders in Doha—asking not just whether it worked, but whether the timing served Israel’s interests or set back fragile ceasefire/hostage talks. He weighs the claims of security establishment dissent, the diplomatic cost of targeting Qatar, and the broader question: do we want to look “tough” or act smart? Marc then pivots to U.S. politics (the Roberts Court’s procedural stance in Trump-era cases and why the Epstein story oddly sticks), offers a quick take on Apple’s latest iPhone event (“speed” vs. real-world performance), and closes with a sober view of AI—transformational, yes, but unfolding in fast increments rather than a single big bang. A candid, unsparing episode about strategy, optics, and patience in a volatile moment.