In this episode of The Middle East Breakdown, hosts Dan Feferman and Hayvi Bouzo examine the profound political, security, and social transformation Israel has undergone since October 7th exploring how the country's pre-existing fractures shaped its response to the Hamas attack, what the ongoing war has revealed about Israeli strategic doctrine, and where the country is headed as it approaches a pivotal election cycle.Joining the discussion is Yakov Katz, former longtime Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post, current fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, host of the JPPI podcast, and co-author of the national bestselling book "While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East." Katz brings decades of experience covering Israeli security, politics, and regional affairs, as well as firsthand insight into Israeli decision-making at the highest levels.The panel examines Israel's failed containment policy toward Hamas and the deeper doctrinal failures that enabled October 7th, drawing parallels to the conceptzia of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The conversation explores Israel's pre-war political trauma —five elections in three and a half years, the judicial reform crisis, and deep societal polarization and how that instability compounded the national shock of the attack. The discussion addresses the ongoing psychological and physical toll of the war, the rehabilitation of communities in the north and south, and the challenge of national healing following the return of the remaining living hostages. On the political front, the panel analyzes the upcoming Israeli elections, the absence of new political figures, tribal voting patterns, the ultra-Orthodox draft controversy, and the strategic calculations of key figures including Netanyahu, Bennett, Lapid, and potential new entrants. The episode also addresses the Iran nuclear negotiations under the Trump administration, the risk of a repeat of JCPOA-style compromises, and what a military strike or diplomatic deal would mean for Israeli domestic politics and regional security. Finally, the panel reflects on the broader transformation of the Middle East the weakening of Iran's axis, the fall of Assad, Arab world engagement in Gaza's future and what Israel's 80th anniversary in 2028 could look like depending on the choices made in the coming months.Watch, listen, and subscribe for full episodes and regional analysis.Website: https://middleeast24.orgYouTube:    / @middleeast_24  Instagram:   / middleast24  X: https://x.com/middleeast24Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZJcMz0

This week on The Weekly Squeeze, I’m walking you through what is actually happening across the Middle East,  without the academic jargon, and without pretending any of this is normal. We start with Iran, where protests have turned deadly, rumors are darker by the day, and a regime is openly waging war on its own people. From there, I zoom out to the rest of the region, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and then bring it home to life inside Israel, the security reality, the internal political battles, the UNRWA fight, the cost of living, and the constant background noise of living in a country that never gets a quiet week.

This episode is for people who hate politics and hate the news but still want to understand what is going on without losing their minds. It is honest, blunt, unapologetically pro Israel, Torah grounded, occasionally dark, sometimes funny, and very much how Israelis actually process the world around us right now.

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This week on The Weekly Squeeze, I’m bouncing through everything Israelis are actually talking about right now—political madness, media games, identity confusion, and the emotional whiplash we’re all still carrying after October 7. Yes, I mention Netanyahu’s pardon request, but only as one thread in the bigger, messier tapestry of how this country absorbs crisis after crisis. I get into protest burnout, deep-state chatter, influencer theatrics, diaspora takes, and how every headline somehow ends up in our living rooms. It’s honest, sharp, a little spicy, and very much the way Israelis actually think and talk about the world around us.

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In Episode 222 of The Weekly Squeeze, I’m coming at you from cold, rainy, gorgeous Israel where rain is a bracha, my son won’t stop yelling “Mommy, come see the blessing!”, and Gaza’s tent cities are getting the flood they prayed for.

I break down Israel’s brand-new 2026 tax changes for olim, explain what stays the same, what gets complicated, and why you need Olim Advisors before you book your ticket.

Then I dive into one of my favorite topics: strong Jewish women  the ones who sacrificed everything and the ones who built empires between carpools. I’m joined by Melanie Goldberg Silver, author of Strong Jewish Girls from Gefen Publishing, and we unpack how she chose 50 powerhouse Jewish women, why their stories matter more than ever, and how this book became a five-and-a-half-year labor of love.

We talk Miriam, Hannah Szenes, Golda Meir, Gracia Mendes Nasi, Asenath Barzani, Ofra Haza, Shifra and Puah, Devorah Rom, and yes  why Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson absolutely belongs in Volume Two.

Then, in true Weekly Squeeze fashion, I pivot straight into premium nonsense:
 • Octopuses have REM sleep and dream like caffeinated neurotic Jews
 • Americans are putting olive oil in their coffee and instantly regretting it
• Studies say talking to yourself means you’re a genius so I’m a genius
• Mayor Eric Adams visits Israel, Trump sprays cologne on world leaders, and Hamas is still being Hamas

I wrap up with a reminder to follow all my pages, subscribe, leave a five-star rating, and if you’re thinking about Aliyah call Olim Advisors and tell them I sent you.

⚡ Get Melanie’s book here:
Bedtime Stories for Strong Jewish Girls
https://www.amazon.com/Bedtime-Stories-Strong-Heroines-Changed/dp/9657801699

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This week on My Beautiful Land of Israel, I went live with the dynamic duo behind Olim Advisors, Rafi and Laura, the brother-sister team helping thousands of Jews pack up their lives, their dreams, and sometimes their dogs, and move to Israel.

We talked about everything you actually want to know: the emotional, the hilarious, and the brutally practical side of making Aliyah in 2025. What does it mean to pick up and move after October 7? How do you handle Israeli bureaucracy without losing your mind? What’s the deal with health care, housing, jobs, and teenagers who “hate” Hebrew but love falafel?

Highlights include:
 💬 The #1 question everyone asks: “Can I afford it?”
 🏠 Where to live when you have no idea where to live
 💼 How to find work when you can’t yet roll your “resh”
 🐕 Making Aliyah with your pets (and your sanity)
 🧠 Adjusting emotionally and why attitude is everything

This episode is funny, honest, and exactly what you need if you’ve ever said, “If I could, I would.”

🎧 Tune in, laugh a little, dream a lot and maybe, just maybe, start planning your Aliyah.

Follow @mybeautifullandofisrael and @olimadvisors for the full live and real-world tips that make Israel feel like home.

MAKE ALIYAH WITH OLIM ADVISORS!
Thinking about Aliyah? Don’t go it alone. Olim Advisors helps you every step of the way — finding your community, your home, your school, even your sanity when the paperwork gets wild. They make the dream doable. Visit olimadvisors.com and start your journey home.

Email: [email protected]

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This week on The Weekly Squeeze, I’m coming in hot, coffee in one hand, conviction in the other, and Jerusalem on fire.

The streets are packed. Tens of thousands of Haredim in black hats, blocking traffic, waving signs, shouting that the draft is a “war on the Torah world.” Reporters got attacked, cars stuck for hours, the whole city gridlocked, and everyone’s asking the same question: who’s actually protecting who here?

Because this isn’t just another protest. This is the fight over Israel’s soul. The Haredi world says Torah study protects us spiritually. The rest of the country says, “Yeah, but someone has to pick up a weapon too.” Both believe they’re defending Israel, they just live in two completely different Israels.

We’re going to talk about the fear behind the fury, the faith behind the defiance, and why this argument isn’t really about uniforms. It’s about what it means to belong to a Jewish country and what happens when unity starts to crack.

And yes, we’ll get into the wild things being said from the podiums, the coalition drama that’s brewing, and the uncomfortable truth about sacred study turning into sacred entitlement.

Israel is fighting a war on the outside and an identity crisis on the inside, and we’re going there.

It’s heated, it’s emotional, and it’s very, very Israeli.

🎧 Hit play, share it with your friends, and remember; we don’t all serve the same way, but we’re still one people, one story, and one tiny, miraculous country.

MAKE ALIYAH WITH OLIM ADVISORS!
Thinking about Aliyah? Don’t go it alone. Olim Advisors helps you every step of the way — finding your community, your home, your school, even your sanity when the paperwork gets wild. They make the dream doable. Visit olimadvisors.com and start your journey home.

Email: [email protected]

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This week on The Weekly Squeeze I’m coming in hot from my porch in Israel, flag flying, heart full, and caffeine levels dangerously high. Twenty hostages are home after two years underground, and for one brief, breathtaking moment, the whole country exhaled. Mothers cried, fathers collapsed, and strangers ugly-cried in front of their TVs. It felt like a resurrection, a miracle, and a gut-punch all at once.

We’re talking faith, fury, and the madness of our world; from Sweden canceling Jewish film festivals out of “security concerns,” to a British lawyer arrested for wearing a Star of David, to an English football club banning Israeli fans because apparently Jews are now a “safety risk.”

I’ll tell you why Israelis still volunteer, still laugh, and still love this country despite the pain, and why making Aliyah might be the most powerful act of defiance you can do right now.

There’s heartbreak, humor, a little righteous rage, and a lot of love for Am Yisrael.

🎧 Hit play, share it with your friends, and remember — we may be exhausted, but we are unbreakable.

MAKE ALIYAH WITH OLIM ADVISORS!

Making Aliyah? Don’t do it alone. Olim Advisors offers hands-on, personalized support every step of the way—from finding your community and schools to navigating paperwork and government offices. They make your Aliyah smoother, simpler, and stress-free. Visit olimadvisors.com to start your journey home.

https://www.olimadvisors.com/

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Welcome back to The Weekly Squeeze. I went quiet to heal after divorce, but silence wasn’t empty; it was full of growth. Even then, I kept showing up: running IDF barbecues, raising funds, posting on My Beautiful Land of Israel, and working with ME24. Because even when broken personally, you still fight for your people.

In this episode I sit down with Alon Penzel, author of Testimonies Without Boundaries. His book has been translated into 8 languages, endorsed by Sheryl Sandberg, blacklisted twice on Amazon yet still a #1 best-seller, and even lit up Times Square. Alon shares his global fight against antisemitism, his experience as COGAT spokesperson, and the personal toll of carrying October 7 testimonies.

*Amazon links for the English version of the book:*

**US:*
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQHVVP14
*UK:*
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FQHVVP14
*Canada:*
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FQHVVP14
*Australia:*
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FQHVVP14

Email: [email protected]

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ME24 Breakdown digs into the day after in Gaza. We cover what it would take to disarm Hamas, how a multinational authority could work, what role the Palestinian Authority and Arab states can realistically play, and what lessons Iraq, ISIS, Bosnia, and Lebanon offer. Clear analysis, no spin.

Guests, Raith Al Omari, senior fellow at The Washington Institute and former adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team. Robert Silverman, editor in chief of the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, former senior U.S. diplomat and lecturer at Shalem College.

Chapters,
00:00 Intro and ME24 mission
02:25 Where the war stands now
09:10 Hamas disarmament, military versus political tracks
18:40 Post war models, multinational authority, local governance
32:15 The PA, Arab states, and U.S. leadership
44:20 Risks of insurgency, lessons from ISIS and Bosnia
55:10 Takeaways and next steps

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Rate the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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𝕏 Twitter/X: x.com/middleeast_24

Abraham Accords at 5 Years | Middle East 24 Podcast

Five years since the signing of the Abraham Accords, our ME24 team sat down to reflect on what has changed, what has endured, and what still lies ahead. In this episode, Hayvi and Dan welcome Dr. Waleed Phares, Mozah, and Aaesha to share their stories, experiences, and insights.

We talk about:

The UAE’s vision of peace and modernization

How the Accords have shaped daily life in Israel and the Gulf

Dr. Waleed Phares’s firsthand perspective on how the Accords were born

What October 7th means for the future of normalization

The challenges and opportunities facing the next chapter of Arab-Israeli cooperation

How younger generations are starting to see each other in new ways

It’s a conversation about resilience, hope, and the hard work of building peace. Join us as we look back on the past five years and ahead to what comes next.

Subscribe to Middle East 24 for more thoughtful conversations about the region, its people, and its future.

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