Gil Troy and Shmuel Rosner join Yaakov to discuss the latest developments in the war with Iran, the resilience of the Trump–Netanyahu relationship, and new polling on American Jewish support for the war - and what it could mean for Israel’s growing election debate.

Missiles are flying across the Middle East - and American defense systems are stopping many of them. But interceptors are limited. Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins Yaakov to examine whether the U.S. and its allies have enough missile defense capabilities to sustain a long war with Iran.

Hezbollah has joined the war, firing rockets into Israel and widening the conflict with Iran. On day three of the campaign, what are the objectives, what has been achieved, and how deep is US–Israel coordination? LTC (Ret.) Or Horvitz, a former senior intelligence officer, joins Yaakov to break it down.

Elliott Abrams joins the podcast to discuss the joint Israeli-American operation aimed at weakening the Iranian regime, degrading its military capabilities, and creating an opening for the Iranian people to seize the reins of power and topple the ayatollahs.

As tensions with Iran rise and the region watches Donald Trump’s next move, Israel faces a parallel crisis at home. The Haredi draft battle and the near-lynching of two female soldiers in Bnei Brak highlight growing internal strains. Yaakov Katz speaks with Shmuel Rosner and Shuki Friedman about how Israel confronts mounting pressure from Tehran while grappling with deep divisions within its own society.

On October 7, Noam Tibon drove into the Gaza border communities to rescue his son and family as the state faltered. Now, the former major general has entered politics with Yair Lapid. We discuss leadership failure, accountability, and why he believes Israel must change course from within the system.

Since October 7, Israeli politics has entered uncharted territory. Public trust, electoral dynamics, the future of the war, and the state of Israeli democracy are all in flux. Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin - political strategist, public opinion expert, and author of The Crooked Timber of Democracy in Israel - joins the podcast to unpack what Israelis really think, where the data is pointing, and what it all means for Israel’s political future.

As the US and Iran explore renewed talks, questions about diplomacy, pressure, and the possibility of real change are back on the table. In this episode, Yaakov speaks with Marjan Keypour Greenblatt, founder and director of the Alliance for Rights of All Minorities, about what negotiations mean beyond nuclear headlines – for Iran’s minorities, civil society, and those still fighting for basic freedoms. Is engagement a path to change, or another missed opportunity?

With the return of Ran Gvili, Israel closes its longest and most painful hostage chapter. In this episode, Yaakov talks to Gil Troy and Sara Hirschhorn about what this means for Israeli society, the country’s core ethos of never leaving anyone behind, and how the end of the hostage crisis paves the way for Phase 2 of the Trump plan for Gaza.

In Zaidy’s Band, Aron Heller retraces his grandfather Mickey’s hidden wartime past, uncovering the forgotten story of a Jewish Canadian band of brothers who fought Nazism and helped shape Israel. It’s a personal journey that reveals heroism, loss, and enduring questions of faith, identity, and sacrifice that still resonate today.