As the year ends, Israel remains caught between war and uncertainty. With fighting still ongoing and the return of living hostages only weeks behind us, Yaakov sits down with  Prof. Yedidia Stern for a hard look at what was achieved, what remains unresolved, and what the coming year may hold – elections, continued conflict, or real change.

In this episode, Yaakov speaks with Mitchell A. Silk, the first Hasidic Jew to serve in a Senate-confirmed U.S. government role and a key architect of Trump-era global economic policy. They discuss his new book A Seat at the Table, his work on the U.S.–China trade deal, the $94B airline rescue during COVID, and how faith, diplomacy, and duty shaped his journey through some of the most consequential economic decisions of our time.

A terror attack at Bondi Beach shattered the belief that Australian Jews were safe. In this Hanukkah episode, Yaakov speaks with Yair Miller,  CEO of Keren Hayesod-UIA Australia, about a government that ignored antisemitism, turned on Israel, and left its Jewish community exposed.

As President Herzog weighs whether to pardon Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel stands at a juncture between justice and stability. Shmuel Rosner and Gil Troy join Yaakov to explore why the question matters to Washington, President Trump’s role in the debate, and what a pardon could mean for Israel’s democracy and political future.

A personal and unflinching conversation with Gaza-born analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib on war, governance, disarmament, and whether a real path to peace still exists.

A year into the ceasefire on Israel’s northern border, tensions with Hezbollah have intensified. This week’s elimination of a top commander, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, marks a new and dangerous chapter. Former intelligence officer and Alma founder Sarit Zehavi joins Yaakov to break down the escalation and what might come next.

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch joins Yaakov for a clear-eyed look at what Mamdani’s win signals for liberal Judaism, the surge of anti-Zionism on the left, and the urgent need for clear Jewish leadership.

Rabbi David Eliezrie joins Yaakov to discuss his new book on Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn — the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe — whose courage and leadership under Stalin’s persecution laid the foundation for Chabad’s global revival. Together, they explore how his defiance in Soviet Russia shaped the movement that would later transform world Jewry.

Yaakov speaks with Aaron Magid, author of The Most American King, about how King Abdullah balances cooperation with Israel and pressure from his own street. The real politics behind the cold peace.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel & Atlantic Council Fellow Dan Shapiro joins Yaakov to discuss the fragile Gaza ceasefire, what a real “phase two” could mean for Israel and the region, and whether the path to normalization - with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and others - can be revived.