I created this podcast because I wanted to share the magic and beauty of what I call “Israeliness” – the unique way that Israelis interact with each other and think about the country they love. 

But what happens when I stop feeling the magic…and when Israelis no longer feel the positive connection with Israel as we did before. 

On today’s episode of Inside Israel, I’ll explore the hard truths of what it really means to live in Israel right now. 

Lately, I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot of distress among my fellow Israelis. There’s a palpable sense of hopelessness, frustration, and anxiety that seems to pervade daily life. It’s not just in the conversations we’re having or the news we’re reading—it’s in the air. You can feel it in the way people interact with each other, in our physical well-being, even in how we drive.  The stress is manifesting as sickness, heightened anxiety, and a constant tension that makes everything feel heavier.

What will it take to change this? It's not necessarily about electing a new government, or about sweeping political shifts. What people here desperately need is closure—bringing our hostages and the bodies of those we've lost home from Gaza, and returning our residents to the north. 

As we go through this episode, I hope you can understand the complexity of the situation here. Life in Israel isn’t easy right now, and while I would love to share only the good, I feel a responsibility to be honest about the challenges. This is the truth, even when it’s difficult to talk about.

To learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast

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Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

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