The Israel Conversation

  A Visit to the Gaza Border

This past June, Liel took Alan, Matt, Calev and Mike to the sites that were devastated by the October 7th invasion. As a licensed tour guide, Liel wanted to share insights with her colleagues about what happened in the “Gaza Envelope” on, and since, that day. As they went from location to location, they recorded Liel speaking, as well as some of their thoughts and observations along the way. 

On the one year anniversary of October 7th, we thought it would be meaningful to share the experience with our listeners. Liel, Mike and Calev sat with our engineer Ben in his studio, to choose what to include in this episode. We also added narration to explain and contextualize each of the clips. While we were doing that, we also reflected on our thoughts since the visit, and about this difficult year in general. For those interested to see what we saw, here is a link to our shared photo album of the visit. 

Wishing you, our listeners, and all of our Nation a year of peace, healing and renewal.

Shana tova. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

  Is Israel Handling its Problems? 

Everyone agrees that Israel is beset with problems. Some of them can be managed, and many of them must be solved for Israel to survive and have a healthy future. Is there a danger of reaching a tipping point where Israel has too many problems to succeed? Is whatever is right about Israel in danger of being destroyed by what’s wrong with it? Or is whatever is wrong with Israel going to be fixed by what’s right with it? 

Liel hosts this debate with Matt taking the position that our problems are out of control, and Calev arguing that we have reason to be optimistic. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

Are We in the 1920s or 1930s? 

It is always interesting and helpful to learn from history. And so it's very natural to look to our recent past to find parallels to our current era. With the astonishing global rise of antisemitism many are looking at the previous century and seeing troubling signs for our future. But what part of 20th Century is the clearest precedent? In between the two World Wars, antisemitism rose and shook Jewish security in the Western world. Are we at an early stage like the 20s? Or in a later danger zone like the 30s? Are the analogies even accurate at all? 

Liel hosts this debate with Alan taking the position that our time is more similar to the 1920s, and Matt arguing that it is like the 1930s. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

Mass Protests

We live in an era when mass protests are just a normal part of weekly life in Israel. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Do they even make a difference? What changes have occurred because of them? And overall, do they create a positive or negative effect on Israeli life, politics and culture? 

Jordana hosts this debate with Calev taking the position that the protests create positive change, and Alan taking the position that they are problematic.. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

Campus: Fight or Flight?

Young Jews prepare to return to campuses in the near future. Was last year a preview of what this year will be like? What should students do about open antisemitism around them? Should they stay and fight for what’s right? Or should they move on to places where Jews are more welcome and secure? There is no right or wrong answer to these questions, and each individual should decide for themselves. But a debate on the subject will help uncover the issues and factors to be weighed when making such important choices. 

Alan hosts this debate with Liel taking the position that Jews should stand their ground and fight, Mike taking the position that they should leave and build the Jewish future in other ways. . 

Am Yisrael Chai!

414 Hostages in the Media

This is a painful topic. How should images of the hostages be handled by the media? What is informative and what is exploitive? And in terms of viewing, what is the line between being informed and harming self health? May better days arrive soon, and discussions like this no longer be relevant. 

Calev hosts this episode with Alan and Liel and Matt discussing the issues. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

413 Lebanon

This episode discusses the military threat posed by Hezbollah in the North of Israel. We discuss the ongoing tensions, evacuations of Israeli residents, and the challenges faced in finding a resolution. The conversation highlights the significant military capabilities of Hezbollah, the historical context of conflicts in the region, and the psychological impact on the Israeli population. The uncertainty of diplomatic solutions and the potential for a military confrontation add complexity to the situation. 

Calev hosts this episode with Alan and Liel discussing the issues. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

412 ICC and Consequences

What is the ICC? How is it different from the ICJ? What are the consequences of Israel being tried in the ICC? Is the ICC a legitimate judge of Israel? Should we even care? 

Jordana hosts this debate with Calev arguing that we should care, and Alan arguing that we shouldn’t. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

411 Iranian Intentions

When Iran directly attacked Israel in April they made history. Their proxies have been attacking Israel for years, but last April was the first time that the Islamic “Republic” launched a direct attack on the Jewish State. But was that attack a sign of Iranian strength or weakness? Did the Iranians intend to do more damage, or was the small amount done what they intended? Presumably, how we understand the last attack will help us understand the current impending one. It is of course possible that the Iranians are assessing the current situation in a different way. But they are also likely to be making very similar calculations again. Perhaps the debate in this episode is even more relevant than when we recorded it in June. 

Matt hosts this debate with Calev arguing that the Irainians failed in their mission, and that they meant for much more damage to be done to Israel. Mike argues that they succeeded in causing minimal damage. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

410 Complicated current politics

In this episode, we delve into the turbulent landscape of Israeli politics following the recent departure of centrist ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot from the government. We explore the impact of their exit on the coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who formed an ultra-orthodox far-right government after the fifth elections in November 2022. 

Our discussion covers the rising discontent among Israeli citizens, marked by increasing Saturday night demonstrations that initially called for the return of hostages and have now merged to demand both a hostage deal and new elections. We examine the internal tensions within the government, particularly between the Shas and Otzma Yehudit parties, and speculate on the government's potential instability as it approaches the end of its shelf life.

As the Knesset heads into a long recess, we consider whether Netanyahu can maintain his position amidst growing pressures and internal conflicts. Join us for an in-depth analysis of the current political climate, the challenges faced by the government, and the possible future scenarios in Israeli politics.

Tune in to hear expert insights and perspectives on the evolving situation and what it could mean for the future of Israel.

Calev hosts this roundtable discussion with Benji, Jordana and Matt. 

Am Yisrael Chai!