In Israeli history, 2021 will be remembered as the end of an era. After 12 years, Benjamin Netanyahu lost power – something many Israelis found unimaginable.

But this big development was only one event in a tempestuous year. There were multiple waves of COVID-19 , a vaccine campaign and a world-leading push for a booster shot. U.S. President Joe Biden entered the White House with a very different attitude toward Iran than his predecessor.

In May, Israel experienced a traumatic 11 days that sent Israelis to the bomb shelters and upended the relationship between the country's Arabs and Jews. This was followed by a major unexpected development: Mansour Abbas, the head of the United Arab List party, joined the new post-Netanyahu government and became a key player.

Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn and senior national security analyst Amos Harel join host Allison Kaplan Sommer on the podעcast to analyze the most dramatic stories of the year – and speculate on what’s in store for 2022, from COVID to the stability of Naftali Bennett's government. 

Plus, Haaretz reporters share their favorite stories of the year - from Capitol Hill to the ruins of ancient Yavneh, and also, Israel's worst falafel. 

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