Podcast appearances and mentions of allison kaplan sommer

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fancies himself as Israel's Winston Churchill, when in fact, the Gaza war has demonstrated he is exactly the opposite of Great Britain's storied leader, asserted Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent for The Economist, former Haaretz analyst and a Netanyahu biographer, on the Haaretz Podcast. "We shouldn't be making this World War II – the Nazis against everybody else, and comparing that to Israel's war with Hamas. But that's being almost forced upon us by Netanyahu and his supporters," said Pfeffer in conversation with host Allison Kaplan Sommer. Pfeffer, who recently published a column in Haaretz about Netanyahu's repeated slogan of achieving "total victory" over Hamas and his misguided identification with Churchill in the second world war, said "Churchill was a brilliant wartime leader. He managed to bring the British together at that crucial point in history, uniting a country at a time of a terrible war. Yet, he didn't have the ability to win elections. Netanyahu is the opposite. As we've seen so clearly, he is totally useless at uniting Israel at a time of war, but he's very, very good at winning elections and clinging onto power." Pfeffer also pointed out that the "scorched earth" victory model that Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners are pursuing in Gaza hews closer to former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and Russian President Vladimir Putin than Churchill and the other Western allies. Netanyahu should be reminded, Pfeffer said, that the U.K. and the U.S. were "magnanimous and benevolent" victors who poured millions into rebuilding a de-Nazified Germany. "That is a very, very different vision of victory."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Benjamin Netanyahu's government may have announced plans to intensify its Gaza offensive and call up thousands of reservists – but "many Israelis, and especially the IDF top brass, are actually hoping that President [Donald] Trump will again intervene and reach some kind of deal," Haaretz senior security analyst Amos Harel said on the Haaretz Podcast. Pressure from the American president will be the only way Netanyahu can resist the "huge political pressure to proceed" with the escalation and a long-term military presence in Gaza placed on him by far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Harel said. "Unless Trump decides to intervene, we might be facing a massive military operation, and in my view, that would be a disaster." Speaking with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Harel assessed the war's multiple fronts in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, emphasizing that in nearly every case, the will – and whims – of the U.S. president plays a decisive role. "It's quite clear that Trump is less interested than before and talks less about the Palestinian conflict and the Gaza Riviera idea – it may be because he fears failure there. He seems to prefer to invest his time and efforts in the Saudis, Emiratis, and Qataris who are offering him trillions of dollars in deals in weapons or technology. This is what Trump is focused on."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Orly Erez-Likhovski was worried when she heard about the threats against attendees of a screening of the annual alternative Israeli-Palestinian Joint Memorial Ceremony in the city of Ra'anana set to be held at a Reform synagogue on the eve of Israel's Memorial Day. Erez-Likhovski, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), told Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer how the "emotional and moving" ceremony was disrupted by hundreds of opponents chanting outside, throwing stones at the building, and intruders attempting to break in and disrupt it. At the end, when police escorted her to her car, a stone smashed her windshield and injured her. "It was very, very, very scary," she said. "I've been to many protests in the last 20 years because of my work at IRAC. But I've never seen such an amount of violence and hatred in my life. It was really a very, very frightening experience." Despite the violence, Erez-Likhovski said she was "proud" of the congregation for refusing to back down and cancel the event because of the hate and incitement. "Giving in to extremism is dangerous in itself, but also because it's a slippery slope. I think we have to stand up for our values." She said she was disappointed by the police's failure to handle the situation and the "insufficient" reaction of the country's leaders, who failed to condemn the violence. "I would expect everyone to condemn this, because it seems like a very basic thing to say you should not come and hit people and try to kill them because they think differently. Unfortunately, this is not obvious in the current state of affairs in Israel."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ittay Flescher, like most peace activists who devote their lives to cultivating Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, has gotten used to being called dangerously deluded and naive. “I hear it at least five or six days a week. Recently, there have been thousands of online comments saying that I am naive,” he told host Allison Kaplan Sommer on the Haaretz Podcast, in a conversation about his newly published book “The Holy and the Broken: a cry for Israeli-Palestinian peace from a land that must be shared.” After teaching about Israel and the Middle East in his native Australia, Flescher immigrated to Israel from Australia six years ago. Since then, he has brought together Israeli and Palestinian teens aged 12 to 16 through Kids4Peace, a program where they talk about religion, identity, history, learn each other’s languages, play games and attend summer camp. The goal of the exercise is for participants to “become less afraid of one another and build friendships and build trust.” Since October 7, that work has become significantly much more challenging. In his book, he writes of these challenges – including a personal crisis of faith sparked by seeing Palestinian teens he worked with expressing support for the actions of Hamas on October 7 on social media. “I think anyone that works in peacebuilding and says nothing changed in the last year is not telling the truth,” he said. But at the same time, he stressed, “There are also hundreds of other stories of people who, as a result of these kinds of experiences and dialogue, are speaking out against October 7 if they're Palestinians. And Israelis who are speaking out against the destruction and bombing of Gaza.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With 59 hostages still in Gaza, both dead and alive, Jon Polin, the father of slain Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, doesn’t believe it’s appropriate for any Jew to have a festive Passover celebrating freedom this year. "The point," he says, "is let's lean into the pain this year, and not even try to sugarcoat it for our kids" Polin and his wife Rachel became prominent international advocates for their son Hersh’s release until the tragic news of his murder by Hamas terrorists in an underground tunnel last August. The couple continue to advocate tirelessly for the release of the remaining hostages. On the Haaretz Podcast, Polin spoke with host Allison Kaplan Sommer about how his family is facing their difficult first Passover Seder since Hersh’s death and how he believes others should treat the holiday. “We've talked about symbolic things that people should do: Maybe put a lemon on your table. A lemon because it's yellow, the color of the hostage struggle, and because it's bitter - to reflect the bitterness that the hostages and their families and all the Jewish people are going through,” he said, also suggesting “instead of just dipping our greens in the salt water, let's drink some salt water, because we know from testimonies of recently released hostages that is what they are drinking." In recent weeks, Polin made headlines in Israel by calling for members of the coalition to refrain from wearing yellow ribbon pins symbolizing solidarity with hostage families and on the podcast, explained his rationale. “If you're in a position of authority and you are not willing to do the things necessary to bring home hostages, that's your political choice. But then, don't wear the pin.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Haaretz journalist Nir Hasson has been covering the war in Gaza for months. He has seen so many horrifying acts of war go unpunished and uninvestigated, that he was hardly surprised by the killing of 15 aid workers at the end of March that shocked the world. The IDF first said the paramedics who were killed were suspicious, and claimed the vehicles they were in did not have their emergency lights on. Then a video of the incident was exposed to the world in the New York Times, showing clearly marked ambulances. “There is no accountability when it comes to commanders and soldiers killing innocents or even medical personnel,” Hasson said on the Haaretz Podcast. In his coverage of the army’s operations in Gaza and their effect on the Palestinian population, he regularly sends the IDF spokesperson questions about all kinds of incidents in Gaza. “I ask them: ‘You killed a family; You bombarded a school - what happened there?’ And I have received thousands of replies saying that it will be looked into in an internal investigation unit. But there are no results of any investigations. I don't know of any trial of any soldier who paid any price for killing innocents in Gaza.” Alongside these disturbing military procedures regarding civilian killings, Hasson said, a “really terrifying humanitarian disaster” is brewing. “I sometimes find it hard to get to sleep because I'm thinking about the families and the kids in Gaza and the despair,” he told podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, in a conversation about his coverage of Gaza as well as the West Bank, where, he says, a new level of cooperation and coordination between the Israeli military and violent settlers is a “severe and frightening” development. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Haaretz columnist Amir Tibon, the renewed fighting in Israel with hostages still in captivity, as scandal unfolds around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, represents a “nightmare scenario.” Speaking on the Haaretz Podcast, Tibon reviewed the turbulent events of the past week with host Allison Kaplan Sommer – from the arrest of two of Netanyahu’s top aides in the deepening Qatargate affair and the questioning of the prime minister himself, to the botched attempt to replace embattled Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. Tibon pointed to the fact after the two-month reprieve of a cease-fire and hostage release in the first stage of the deal that Netanyahu subsequently abandoned, “we now find ourselves with 59 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the tunnels of Gaza; Israeli troops on the ground; rockets are being fired at northern, southern and central Israel. And instead of dealing with the security needs of the country, we have a prime minister who is running from court to the police investigation. If I had written this three years ago in Haaretz as a scenario of what will happen under Netanyahu, everybody would have dismissed it as hateful anti-Bibi material – a nightmare scenario that will never come true. But this is what is happening right now." Tibon added that Netanyahu’s lightning-quick reversal of his decision to appoint former naval commander Eli Sharvit as Shin Bet director was driven by “dissatisfaction” with his choice by the far-right wing of his own Likud party. The Prime Minister attributing the flip-flop to pressure from the Trump administration, he said, was “an absolute lie.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like the Watergate affair that brought down President Richard Nixon, the details of the latest scandal to rock the Prime Minister’s Office and the whole of the Netanyahu government have emerged gradually over the past six months. Mounting evidence shows that close aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have, unbeknownst to the Israeli public, been working directly or indirectly for Qatar, the country that funded Hamas as it was planning the murderous rampage of October 7. Bar Peleg, the Haaretz journalist who broke the story that began Qatargate, reviews the fast-moving developments and details of the unfolding story with Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, and explains why it matters. Netanyahu’s desire to disrupt law enforcement’s investigation into Qatargate has been frequently cited as a reason for his recent intensive efforts to fire both Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar. Moreover, because of the Israeli government’s policy of “buying quiet” from Hamas with Qatari cash in the years leading up to October 7, and the decision to put Doha at the center of hostage negotiations, Peleg stresses that “we need to know if close Netanyahu advisors have had Qatari interests on their mind. They whisper in his ear, he listens to these people - and that affects our lives in Israel.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was supposed to be a “coming out party” for the newly cozy relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and Europe’s burgeoning far-right politicians. But the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, planned for Thursday, turned into a “fiasco” and an “embarrassment” due to its controversial guest list, Haaretz English Editor-in-Chief Esther Solomon said on the Haaretz Podcast. The invitations to numerous illiberal populist European politicians with xenophobic, anti-immigrant ideologies led a long and growing list of mainstream Jewish leaders and other participants from Europe and North America to pull out. They were “shocked that Israel a state founded as a sanctuary for the Jewish people after the Holocaust, would be inviting representatives of far-right parties, many of whom have neo-Nazi roots and neo-Nazi activists to a conference that is supposed to be about protecting the Jews of the world,” Solomon noted in her conversation with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer. Also on the podcast, Haaretz correspondent Rachel Fink reports on the resurgence and intensification of the protest movement against the current government that has brought hundreds of thousands to the streets and the expectation that in the coming weeks, they may escalate to mass strikes and shutdowns. The ultimate effectiveness of the protests is still to be determined, Fink said, but their importance in projecting the voice of the majority of Israelis to the wider world has been crucial. “It's a very powerful reminder that we are not our government,” she said.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruth Patir had been, in her own words, an “artist without art” over the past year. Until this week. Patir’s inventive feminist video installation "(M)otherland" was set to debut in the Israel Pavilion at the Venice Biennale last April - under the shadow of protests against the Gaza War and efforts to oust her from the festival. Ultimately, she made a controversial decision to keep the exhibit intact but shuttered behind closed doors, with a note on the door saying: “The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a cease-fire and hostage release agreement is reached.” That never happened throughout the seven months of the Biennale, and, as a result, her work was never seen. As (M)otherland finally meets the public at the Tel Aviv Museum this week, Patir joined Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer to talk about the firestorm in Venice, the challenges for Israeli artists creating during war, and innovative use of motion capture technology and Judean fertility figurines to tell a deeply personal story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Horror Vacui— There's an odd mélange of diplomatic proposals for what-comes-next-in-Gaza, from an Egyptian and Arab League plan to various American plans, including one hatched in direct negotiations with Hamas. This leads us to wonder, why is Israel silent about something that matters so much? —Amalakites— It is a fact that we are living in a moment of “peak-Amalek,” especially as we celebrate Purim. What are we to make of this problematic idea? —Is Yad Vashem Pandering to the TikTok Generation?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Is Yad Vashem pandering to the TikTok generation? All this and Rav Menachem Froman, the unveiling of under-wraps art and the Simba we need today, plus brilliant new music by Amir Sade.

What if former U.S. President Joe Biden’s envoys had negotiated directly with Hamas behind Israel’s back? Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would surely have cried betrayal and called it de facto recognition of a terrorist group. But it was President Donald Trump’s White House that made such a move, and therefore no criticism or condemnation was uttered from Jerusalem after it was revealed that the direct talks were taking place. The fact that the U.S. president took that step, Harel noted, points to the fact that “Trump is quite frustrated” with the “never-ending” talks to move the hostage release and cease-fire deal into its second stage, which is why “the Trump administration took matters into its own hands and decided to push forward through a back channel with Hamas.” As both Israel and Hamas prepare for a possible return to war, Harel told podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, it appears that Trump’s “instinct is to reach for a deal and not another war.” On the podcast, Harel also discussed the resignation last week of IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari, probably the most popular high-ranking officer among Israelis, but not so much among Netanyahu’s government ministers; the findings of the official IDF probe into the failures of October 7, and the growing fury of hostage families.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Haaretz Podcast, host Allison Kaplan Sommer speaks to two journalists who covered last week’s German election, which concluded with a historically strong showing by Germany’s far-right AfD party. German journalist Vera Weidenbach said the popularity of the AfD, which is “a direct successor of the Nazis, and, especially in the East, deeply rooted in neo-Nazi culture,” is a troubling and dangerous development, even though it did not get as many votes as its leaders had hoped. Haaretz’s David Issacharoff discussed the view from Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was applauding the win for the mainstream conservative Christian Democratic Union Party led by Friedrich Merz, “the most pro-Israel politician in Germany.” Although, he noted, “some progressive Jews are trying to warn of this blind support to Israel, or the possible blank check that Merz could give Netanyahu to allow him to continue the war in Gaza.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The death and devastation on October 7 was "the end result of antisemitism unchecked," Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said on the Haaretz Podcast. “Dehumanizing Israelis or Zionists or Jews - leads to inhuman acts.” Greenblatt said that the traumatic events also reinforced for him the “reality that anti-Zionism is‌ a form of antisemitism.” “The crisis is real,” he said. “The danger is here and now. And yet the challenge for all of us is not to lose our humanity in this moment,” adding that “the inhumanity of Hamas doesn't diminish the humanity of Palestinians.” In his conversation with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer about countering antisemitism during the Gaza War and pitched partisan tension in Washington D.C., Greenblatt also addressed the controversy surrounding his forgiving reaction on social media to Elon Musk’s apparent “Sieg Heil” gesture on President Donald Trump’s inauguration day. Greenblatt expressed regret that he had not “framed” his tweet differently, given “the impact that it had.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and a key architect of the cease-fire-for-hostages deal underway between Israel and Hamas, said on the Haaretz Podcast that the "ultimate condition" of any post-war settlement for Gaza must be the removal of Hamas from power. Shapiro, speaking to host Allison Kaplan Sommer on the week Israel received the bodies of the murdered Bibas family, said the "terrible and heartbreaking" event revived memories of the days following October 7, when "there were many, many people in the U.S. administration who, in addition to doing the focused, hard work of trying to figure out what the right policies were and prepare for the military and the diplomatic decisions, also had to stop in the middle of the day sometimes and just weep a bit because the brutality was so profound." Discussing President Donald Trump's plan to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian residents, Shapiro advised those welcoming the plan not to get their hopes up. "I can understand the appeal of it to some Israelis who might say, 'well, yeah, it might make our problem of 2 million Palestinians disappear and make the United States own this problem so we don't have to worry about it,' he said, "but that doesn't make it any more serious. It's not going to happen." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Why Does a Knitted Kippah Mean Keep-on Fighting?— Religious-Zionists oppose the hostage and prisoner release and ceasefire agreement more than any other sector of society (more than secular Zionists, more than Haredim). Why? —War Games— There's a strange and profound simpatico between sports clubs, athletes and fans, on the one hand, and the hostages and their families on the other. —What We Knew and When Did We Know It— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Bringing home the bodies of the Bibases (and Oded Lifshitz). All that and the 40th anniversary of the most popular protest song in Israel's history. Plus, more music of our troubled times.

At a time when most Israelis, across the political spectrum, have expressed appreciation and gratitude towards the Trump White House for pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to implement the Gaza cease-fire and hostage release agreement, Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), says the "vast majority" of U.S. Jews strongly oppose President Donald Trump's policies. Spitalnik, who spoke to Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer while on a visit to Israel for the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem this weekend, said "American Jews are still overwhelmingly a liberal community who believe in democracy, inclusivity and pluralism," and as such they are alarmed by Trump's policies and radical transformation of the government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Israeli hostage Omri Miran, was one of the activists for the release of the hostages who traveled to Washington D.C. last week during the visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In conversation with Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, he says he was disappointed by Netanyahu's refusal to meet with the families in the U.S. capital. Netanyahu extended his stay in Washington, enjoying his time alongside Donald Trump as the U.S. president announced a plan to take over Gaza. But back home, the country was shocked by the emaciated physical state of returning hostages Or Levy, Ohad Ben-Ami and Eli Sharabi, and their stories of severe abuse at the hands of their Hamas captors. Miran, who is married to Lavi's sister Lishay and is father to his toddler nieces Ronni and Alma, is slated to be released only in stage two of the current framework and at the moment, Lavi says, "we are not certain that it is going to take place, or will take place soon enough, because the hostages don't have time - they need to be rescued and released as soon as possible."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Nobody Expects the Pax Trumpiana!— What's behind US President Donald Trump's plan to move Gazans to Jordan and Egypt and turn Gaza into a place where maybe they'll film the next season of White Lotus? —Suitable for Framing?— Why do Hamas men in black balaclavas and semi-automatic rifles give gift bags and souvenir swag to hostages they let go? —Peter Beinart Questions Israel's Right to Exist— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: When Peter Beinart writes in the times that “States Don't Have a Right to Exist. People Do,” he ain't talking about Mississippi! All that and an appreciation for Yisroel Rutnitsky, may his memory be for a blessing, and tales of returning hostages. Plus, a sad and soulful new album by Ravid Plotkik.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's supporters on the Israeli right may be celebrating after President Donald Trump unveiled his "Mar-a-Gaza" vision following the two leaders White House meeting. But Haaretz columnist Alon Pinkas, analyzing the meeting behind the optics, believes Netanyahu has little to celebrate. Speaking on the Haaretz Podcast following the meeting, Pinkas told host Allison Kaplan Sommer that the firestorm over Trump's desire to "own" and "take control" of Gaza and relocate its 2 million residents, overshadowed the fact that Netanyahu clearly failed in his attempt to convince the U.S. president to back out of the cease-fire and hostage release deal with Hamas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months in Hamas captivity, the release of some Israeli hostages has brought moments of relief - but also difficult questions. While the public sees smiling faces and embraces, the reality behind the scenes is far more complex. In this episode, Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer speaks with Professor Hagai Levine, head of the health team for the Hostages Family Forum and chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physician. What happens to a person’s body and mind after being held hostage for over a year? Why is the Israeli government failing to provide proper long-term care for the freed hostages? And what needs to be done - urgently - to rescue those who are still trapped in Gaza?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —A New Crisis, and this Time, It's Constitutional— What does it augur when the Justice Minister refuses to “recognize” the newly selected chief justice of the Supreme Court? —Survivors— Why did this year's International Holocaust Remembrance Day become a referendum on October 7th? —The Trump-Netanyahu Tete-A-Tete— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: What should we think, ahead of the Trump-Netanyahu tete-a-tete next week? All that and how living-and-dead have stopped being a simple binary. Plus, the music of Aviv Shriki.

Israelis have long prided themselves on their ability to face war and conflict with strength and resilience. But the tragedy of October 7, and the ongoing war in Gaza and attacks by Iranian proxies have challenged this ethos, says Karen Zivan, a psychologist who works in schools alongside her private practice, and the mother of five sons who have served in reserve duty during the current war. On the podcast, Zivan talks to host Allison Kaplan Sommer about the different ways the war has taken its toll on the Israeli psyche, and how mental health professionals are coping with the enormous well of need. Haaretz correspondent Nagham Zbeedat also joins the podcast to discuss her coverage of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and specifically her recent article on the inability of parents of newborn babies to meet basic needs. "When the war broke out, it was declared that Israel was going to war against Hamas and those who praise Hamas," Zbeedat said, explaining her decision to focus on the issue. "But babies had no control. Children and women are most affected by the war and they have absolutely no control... War isn't just about bombs and airstrikes, but also the psychological struggle that parents go through knowing that they can't provide a secure and safe environment for their children."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The turbulent events of 2024 in Israel had a significant impact around the world. The ongoing war in Gaza and other fronts had a particularly deep and emotional effect on the lives of Diaspora Jews, who coped with angry protests against Israel on campuses and in city centers, and with soaring rates of antisemitic violence. The new and disturbing environment ignited “a feeling of vulnerability and exile that came back to us,” said Paris Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur, one of the important voices from the Diaspora who joined the Haaretz Podcast over the course of the year. Excerpts from the conversation between podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer and Horvilleur, along with insights from interviews with other leading thinkers from the Jewish world like writers Franklin Foer, Ayelet Waldman, and Masha Gessen and award-winning playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner are featured on this special year-end edition of the podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Haaretz Podcast, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Noa Landau talks to host Allison Kaplan Sommer about how Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to stay in power since the colossal failure of October 7, 2023. Landau explains how Netanyahu’s aggressive shaping of the narrative of October 7 and the war in Gaza and Lebanon has helped him retain his grip, with the help of the “poison machine” smearing his enemies, an issue that has been in the spotlight this week following a television exposé on the ways his wife and son directed these campaigns. The conversation explores the judicial overhaul’s return and what it means for democracy in Israel; Israel’s rightward shift; how Netanyahu’s alliance with the incoming Trump administration factors into his plans; Israel’s growing international isolation; and recent Haaretz interviews with Netanyahu supporters who describe their devotion to him as unconditional (the article will be published in English this weekend). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and scholar-extraordinaire Sara Hirschhorn discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment   —(Un)settling— Why do Israeli Jews who think it might be a good idea to set up Jewish towns in Gaza, think what they think? —Hostage (Dis)agreement— Would an agreement that brings home some of the hostages might, in the end, be worse than no agreement at all? —Safe, Save for the Bombs and Bullets— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Why do most Israelis think the safest place in the world for Jews is Israel when, statistically, that's not even close to being true? Plus, a remembrance of Corinne Allal, may her memory be for a blessing.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Gradually, then Suddenly, then OMG— The shocking, sudden fall of strong-man ophthalmologist Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria left Jihadist Islamists poised to replace him. What does it all means for, well, us? —Day in Court— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes the stand to testify on his own behalf in his four-years-and-running bribery, fraud and breach of trust trial. What does it all means for, well, us? —Quo Vadis, Adis?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: The renowned and storied DC Conservative Synagogue, Adis Israel, disinvites former Israeli Foreign Minister Yoav Gallant, after congregants complain about this community hosting an architect of Israel's war in Gaza, and a man indicted by the ICC for war crimes. We ask, Quo Vadis, Adis? Plus, a remembrance of the man who hanged Adolf Eichmann, and a tribute to the star quality of the impossibly-talented and enchanted daughter-of, Naomi Sommer!

In this episode of the Haaretz Podcast, host Allison Kaplan Sommer and Haaretz columnist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin delve into the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges while continuing to lead the country at wartime. From the demonstrations outside the courtroom where Netanyahu took the stand this week, to the calculated strategies inside, they unpack the layers of drama, history, and legal maneuvering on display. This trial isn’t just about one man - it’s about the integrity of Israel’s judiciary and the resilience of its democracy. With tensions running high and public opinion deeply divided, what’s at stake for Israel’s future?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Boogie Unbound— Former IDF Chief of Staff and former Defense Minister Moshe “Boogie” Ya'alon's flatly asserts that Prime Minister Netanyahu's Gaza policy amounts to ethnic cleansing. —Putting the Press in Suppression and Depression— A Knesset declaratory motion resolves that the government will no longer advertise in Ha'aretz, after its publisher Amos Schoken presses the world to sanction and boycott Israel on account of its “war crimes.” —“ALL HELL TO PAY?”— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: We talk about the social media post by once and future President Donald Trump calling for the return of all hostages by the time he enters the Oval Office. Plus, Omer Neutra and an encouraging word about El Al.

In both Israel and the United States, women's rights and their autonomy are under attack from the surging power of far-right religious political forces in the current Netanyahu government and future Trump White House.  In Israel, the “creeping theocracy” is out in the open and the debate is in the public square, while in the U.S. there is less of an understanding that “disassembling American constitutional democracy is part of a theological effort,” said Dahlia Lithwick, a journalist at Slate and host of the award-winning Amicus podcast.  Lithwick and Tel Aviv University law professor and civil rights activist Dr. Yofi Tirosh joined Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer to unpack, compare and contrast the erosion of women's rights and its impact on democracy in the two countries. They discussed how gender equality is the linchpin of civil society, why authoritarian regimes target women first, how political fatigue is undermining activism, and compared America's conflict over abortion to Israel's fights surrounding gender segregation.  From the ramifications of Israel's judicial overhaul to America's Dobbs decision that stripped women of reproductive rights, the two women connected the dots on how both countries are grappling with creeping theocracy and the normalization of extremism.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer explores the fallout from the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant. Joined by Haaretz diplomatic correspondent Amir Tibon and international law expert Aeyal Gross, the discussion covers how these developments impact Israel's global standing, the legal and moral debates around the Gaza war, and the the explosive BibiLeaks scandal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Tova Cohen discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —“Hope Is Patience With the Lamp Lit” (With Apologies to Tertullian)— A voice in the wilderness. Should we listen? —“Cabinet of Wonders”— Is Donald Trump's new cabinet more pro-Israel than most Israelis? —Freshman Leninism at Berkeley— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: We talk about the fufera that developed over a Berkeley course description. We ask, “WTF?” Plus, Nir Oz votes to go home and Eden Hasson comes out.

Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer welcomes Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, to discuss the challenges of leading progressive American Jews during Israel's Gaza war and ahead of a second Trump presidency. Rabbi Jacobs opens up about generational divides, love for Israel despite government policies, and the urgency of Jewish unity in the face of rising antisemitism. From engaging young members of the community to addressing political polarization, this candid conversation explores how Jewish values endure in complex times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Haaretz Podcast, Dutch journalist David de Jong and host Allison Kaplan Sommer discuss the violence against Israeli soccer fans on the streets of Amsterdam last weekend, and the media coverage of the events in Israel and the Netherlands, characterized by conflicting narratives and a flurry of viral videos that were often misleading.  De Jong, a financial journalist who has covered the Gaza War over the past year, said the streets of Amsterdam were the last place he expected to watch the Middle East conflict play out. He also explained why the violence that erupted following the Maccabi Tel Aviv - Ajax match is a "boon" for the anti-immigration far-right parties in the Netherlands and across Europe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do Donald Trump's team choices signal about future policies on Iran, Gaza and Israel? How is the isolationist wing in Trump's circle already influencing his decisions? And why is the U.S. Jewish community caught in a battle of narratives over the number of Jews who voted for Trump for president? In this episode of the Haaretz Podcast, host Allison Kaplan Sommer and Haaretz Washington correspondent Ben Samuels delve into Trump's upcoming return to the White House and its potential impact on the Middle East and American Jews.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Gallantry— Is it o.k. to sack the guy in charge of your army, while generals in Iran are planning to attack? —Trumpery— Prime Minister Netayahu tweets to once-and-future US President Donald Trump that his “huge victory” in “history's greatest comeback” is “a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.” But what will Trump's win mean to the Middle East? —12 Hours That Shook, Well, Us— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: How did we handle the Gallantry & Trumpery one-two punch, and how do we now gather our broken selves and move forward? All that and more music of our times.

**The sound of a siren warning of rocket fire is heard in this episode of the Haaretz Podcast** Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "gamble" on extending the war in Gaza in anticipation of Donald Trump winning the U.S. election seems to have paid off, according to Haaretz senior military analyst Amos Harel. In conversation with Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Harel said that Netanyahu "kept promising total victory, what he actually had was sort of a Forever War. It was not forever, but he was waiting for November, and for January 20 and for his friend Trump to be back in the White House." What is the Israeli premier hoping to get out of his bet? Harel believes that in renewing the Bibi-Trump bromance, Netanyahu believes he can win U.S. support for measures that will stop his criminal trial - Trump after all, will certainly sympathize - and move ahead with the judicial coup that will damage Israeli democracy. Also on the podcast, Harel discusses and explains what stood behind Netanyahu's  decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on the day of the U.S. election, and his not-so-veiled threat that the IDF Chief of Staff and head of Shin Bet security service may be next if they don't fall in line.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Normally, foreign policy doesn't play a major role in presidential politics, but the 2024 race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has been an exception. Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon have become hotly debated issues. Susan Glasser, a staff writer at The New Yorker and co-author of “The Divider,” which chronicled the first Trump term, spoke to Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer on the eve of one of the closest elections is U.S. history. Glasser discussed the potential impact of the election on the Middle East and global politics, how a second Trump term would differ radically from a Harris presidency as far as U.S.-Israel relations are concerned, the influence of big Trump donors like Miriam Adelson and Elon Musk on the race, and her experience covering Trump's massive Madison Square Garden rally, the climactic pre-election event for Trump and the MAGA movement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a special edition of the Haaretz Podcast ahead of Tuesday's 2024 U.S. presidential election, Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and Peter Deutsch, a former Florida congressman, faced off in a heated exchange of views, debating whether a victory by Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump in the race for the White House would best serve the interests of Israel and the American Jewish community. The debate was moderated by Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer and Haaretz Washington correspondent, Ben Samuels.  Deutsch argued that for American Jewish voters “effectively, there are two candidates in the race, one that's giving money to people that are literally killing your family, and another who, for four years, protected your family and kept peace in the world.” Soifer staunchly defended Harris, saying the current administration provided Israel with “more military assistance than any White House in a year in history.” She had her own harsh words for the Republican nominee, calling him an "indecent and immoral man" and a “bigot” and “felon” who “aligns with and dines with Holocaust deniers and right wing extremists.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Tova Cohen discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Best Laid Schemes (Lea'e Us Nought but Grief An' Pain), With Apologies to Robert Burns (And to Mice)— Bringing down the Azrieli Towers? Conquering Israel top-to-bottom by 2025? Minutes of Hamas meetings sets out the groups grim vision. —What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?— Has “peace” left the building? —Jed Bartlet Is in the Sukkah!— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Who, this year, would be our “Ushpizin” in our (notional or real) Sukkah. All of that and Sukkot suddenly turning up everywhere.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Regional Inferno?— Israel's war with Gaza may soon become an all-out regional war. How do you say “Yikes!” in Farsi? —Accounting of the Soul— What should we have in mind, this Yom Kippur, when we thump our chests in repentance? —Prayer in the Square?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Our hot take on last night's Supreme Court ruling regarding the legality of organized gender-separated public prayer in liberal Tel Aviv. All of that and marking a year of the nightmare of October 7. Plus, music that moves us from the memorials.

Iran launches a ballistic missile towards Israel, following the IDF's ground invasion into Lebanon. Allison Kaplan Sommer updates us on the latest from Tel Aviv. Also in the programme: Nato's new leader, former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, is ushered into office. We discuss the problems he will be facing from day one. Plus: Artificial intelligence helps to solve a decades-old cold case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As international calls grow louder for a three-week ceasefire in Lebanon, Allison Kaplan Sommer joins Georgina Godwin to discuss the likelihood of a pause in fighting. Plus: Monocle's Christopher Cermak looks ahead to the Austrian elections and Karen Krizanovich joins us for the latest in the world of film.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Major Pager Rager— A stunning attack-by-pager left dozens of Hezbollah militiamen dead and thousands maimed and wounded. What are we to make of a thing like that? —Commemoration Vexation— How do you memorialize October 7, when October 7 hasn't ended yet? —Testicles in the Twitterverse?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Hezbollah pagers explode, social media memes erupt, but not all Israelis are laughing. All this and the music from the remarkable new record רוח באה מדרום (Wind Comes from the South).

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Not Too Brotherly, Not Much Love— How did the “Philadelphi Corridor” become a matter of life and death? —Errors of Omission and Commission— The government hasn't investigated itself, so a bunch of citizens took it on itself. Is that a good thing? —Much Ado About a Handful of Sand— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: A 27-year-old Tel Aviv resident was arrested for allegedly tossing wet sand at National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Was the minister being purposely provocative for personal political gain? Songs Tuna — Bein ha-Ir LaPardes Pe'er Tasi — Yoni Yarin — Ein Laila  

Linda Gradstein, Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Bennett, Done That— Israel's next prime minister will be … Naftali Bennett? —Jewish Life During Wartime— Why does war make more-secular Israelis more secular, and less-secular Israelis less secular? —Our Flights Are Cancelled— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: What happens when every airline stops flying to Israel? Plus, a reflection on how time itself has stopped working, and music by women we've loved for decades, speaking now to our present moment.

Miriam Herschlag, Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —TIME Is on His Side?— Prime Minister Netanyahu gives his longest interview since October 7. What's it tell us? —Time Is on HIS Side?— How is this man growing more popular at this time, after everything? —Fraying at the Edges— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: How we doin' at this moment? Plus, co-joined Kibbutzim, Tisha B'Av at Hostage Square, and the bipolar music of Tamir Grinberg.

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Will Israel and Hezbollah (and Who Knows? Maybe Iran) Go to War?— Will Hezbollah's murder of twelve kids in Majdal Shams lead to all out war? —Druze Clues— What is it like to be Druze in Israel? —Et tu, MCU?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: The folks at Marvel are turning Sabra into a Marrano? Plus, the Olympics, science breakthroughs and music of our troubled times.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —Move Over, Winston— Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to congress, again. What did he say to the senators and congresspeople, and what didn't he say? —Kamala Harris and the Jewish Question— Kamala Harris anagrams to “A rakish alarm.” Who is Kamala Harris, and if she becomes president, what will it mean for, well, us? —You're Voting for Who?!— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: When Israeli-Americans say they're voting for Trump because he's good for Israel, what do they mean? Plus, consecrating a Torah scroll for Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and trans-folk in Tel Aviv City Hall, and more music of these days.

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon   —The Valley of the Shadow of Deif— Can you do a cost-benefit analysis of assassinating a man personally responsible for thousands of Israeli deaths? —Unboxing Gaza?— What's it like for Israelis to watch videos of Palestinian resilience? —“Dos” and “Don't-So-Much-Dos”— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Why did a short video about the “Dos” and “Don't-So-Much-Dos” of workplace relations between secular and ultra-Orthodox colleagues tick off so many of us here in Israel? Plus, the profound humanity of the people fighting to release the hostages, and music from Netta Barzilai's first album, which is like a warm hug from an old friend.