Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—Half a Dozen Foreign Ministers—

Not long ago, who could even imagine that the foreign ministers of Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, Egypt, the US and Israel would all gather in the Negev desert to talk about creating a middle-eastern "mini-NATO" alliance?

—Jewish Character?—

Why worry about the "Jewish character" of Israel at all?

—A Peep at the Past—

Israel's greatest cult movie, Metzitzim (Peeping Toms) turns 50 this month. Why has so bleak and disagreeable a film been so popular for so long?

—Unpacking AIPAC—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: MK Alon Tal tells the AIPAC Israel lobby that the time has come to stop supporting American legislators who think the last American election was stolen from Donald Trump. Does he have a point?

All this and the R&B and rock'n'roll of The Bench!