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“We live in a complicated world . . . We have to balance those tensions, and the way that we do that is not by running away from them and looking for simplistic answers, but actually by embracing that complexity.” In his new book of essays, “The Center Must Hold,” Yair Zivan, Foreign Policy Advisor to Israel's Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who heads Israel's largest centrist political party, argues for a return to centrist politics as an antidote to the extremism and polarized politics proliferating around the globe today. The essays, by authors including Israel's former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, American political commentator Jennifer Rubin, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and philanthropist Catherine Murdoch, call populism fatally flawed and prescribe centrism as the solution to political ire around the globe. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Episode Lineup: (0:40) Yair Zivan Show Notes: Listen – People of the Pod: What the Unprecedented Assassinations of Terror Leaders Means for Israel and the Middle East Aviva Klompas is Fighting the Normalization of Antisemitism on Social Media On the Ground at the Republican National Convention: What's at Stake for Israel and the Middle East? Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Transcript of Interview with Yair Zivan: Manya Brachear Pashman: Yair Zivan has served as an advisor to Israel's Foreign Minister, Prime Minister and President. Most recently, he has edited a series of essays that argue for a return to centrist politics as an antidote to the extremism and polarized politics we see proliferating around the globe today. The title of that book: “The Center Must Hold”. The essays by authors including Israel's former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, American political commentator Jennifer Rubin, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and philanthropist Catherine Murdoch, call out populism as fatally flawed and prescribe centrism as the solution to political ire around the globe. Yair, welcome to People of the Pod. Yair Zivan: Thank you very much. Thank you for having me. Manya Brachear Pashman: So let's start with the title of this essay collection, which is a spin, your spin on the line from the Yates poem The Second Coming. And that poem was written more than a century ago, also during a time of worldwide angst after World War One and the flu pandemic and the poem's opening line is, things fall apart, the center cannot hold. Why do you argue the center must hold? Yair Zivan: So I think that the play on words there is about a kind of a fatalism that says it can't and saying, Well, we don't really have that luxury if we believe, as I do, that the center is the answer to the polarization and the populism and the extremism that's tearing us apart, then it simply has to hold. Now that's not to say that it will automatically or by default. It means we have to go out and fight for it, and that's what I've been trying to do with the book and with the events around it, is to make the case that the center can hold if we go out and make that happen. Manya Brachear Pashman: So what is centrism anyway? Yair Zivan: It's a good place to start. I'll start with what centrism isn't. Centrism is not the middle. It's not a search for some point on a map between where the left and the right happen to be at any given time. That just leaves you getting dragged around from place to place by whatever the political winds are. It's not useful as a political idea. It's also not successful as a political idea. Centrism says, here are a set of core values that we believe should be at the center of politics. They should be the things that are at the heart of our democratic political tradition, our political instinct. And you can trace it back to the early '90s, to Clinton and to Blair and the third way movement. You can trace it back much further, Oliver Wendell Holmes is often cited as a good example of a centrist political philosophy. But at its core, what centrism says is we live in a complicated world, and we have to manage that complexity. We have to balance those tensions, and the way that we do that is not by running away from them and looking for simplistic answers, but actually by embracing that complexity. And by saying when we find the best balance between these competing tensions, and that's not to say split the difference and find the middle. There are times when we go more one way and more another, it's to say that is the way that we can best hold within us the complexities of running a country today. And there are some very core values at the heart of that liberal patriotism, this idea that it's good to love your country. It's good to be a patriot without being a nationalist, without hating others, without having to degrade other people in order to affirm your sense of love for your own country. We talk about equality of opportunity, the idea that the role of government is to give everybody the best possible chance to succeed. It's not to guarantee an equality of outcome at the end, but it's to say we're going to make sure that children have a good education system and that their health care system gives them a chance to succeed, and they have a hot meal every day, and then people that want to work hard and take those opportunities and be innovative will be able to succeed in society. It talks about the politics of hope, as opposed to the politics of fear and division, so creating a national story that people can rally around, rather than one that divides us inevitably into camps and separates us, which is what I think populists and extremists try to do. So there's a whole host of them, and I would say one of the core ones, and maybe why it's so important and so relevant now, is that centrism is the place where you defend liberal democracy. It's fashionable today to talk about the death of liberalism and why liberalism can't possibly survive, and liberal democracy is an aberration in human history, and really we're meant to be ruled by kings and autocrats. And I say no, liberal democracy is good. It's actually the best system of government we've ever had, and we should work really hard to defend it and to protect it. And the only place you can do that is in the political center. You can't trust the political right and the political left to defend the institutions of liberal democracy, because they only do it up until the point when it's uncomfortable for them. The right has taken on itself the mantle of free speech, and the right is really great at protecting free speech right up until the point that it's speech they don't like and then they're banning books in libraries. And the left loves talking about protecting the institutions of liberal democracy until it disagrees with them, and then it's happy to start bending around the edges. The Center is the place where we say the institutions, the ideas, the culture of liberal democracy, is something that's worth defending and worth defending passionately and strongly. Manya Brachear Pashman: So I'm curious, are these core values universal to centrism, or are they really up to individual communities? Is it, in other words, is it up to communities, nations to decide what centrism is in their region, in their neck of the woods, if you will? Yair Zivan: So there is always variety in any political idea, in any political approach, where people adapt it to their own systems, but the core principles have to be the same core principles. And one of the things I set out to do in this book is to say, actually, centrism is something that works across the globe. So Malcolm Turnbull, the former Australian Prime Minister, and Andreas Velasco, a former presidential candidate in Latin America, and we have Argentinians, and we have a Japanese contributor, and the idea is to say centrism as the principles that I laid out as the core idea is the antidote to the extremism and polarization that we're seeing works everywhere, and that's actually a really important part. Now, sure, there are different issues that you deal with in different countries. Also say the threat is different in different countries, if part of what we're doing is an alternative to extremism and polarization. Then in Latin America, people are more worried today about the rise of a populist far left, whereas in Europe, they might be more worried about the rise of a populist far right. And so the challenge is different and the response is different, but the core principles, I think, are the same and they are consistent. Manya Brachear Pashman: So do you believe that this philosophy is eroding? I mean, it seems to be happening at the same time around the world, in various democracies, Europe, United States, Israel. But do you agree? I mean, is this eroding, or is that too strong a word? Yair Zivan: Look, I think one of the problems with centrist is we're often not very good at talking about our successes and pretty down on ourselves, rather than actually taking pride in really good things that we've done and in places where we win and places where we do well, the test of a political idea is not if it wins every election. No one wins every election, right? That's part of politics as a pendulum. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but the more important thing is not whether you win every election. And don't get me wrong, I work in politics. I like to win. I like to get votes. I like to be in government so that we can do the things that we care about, right? That's why we're in politics. But the test of the idea is whether it can also survive, defeat, an opposition and a time when you're not in power and come back from that stronger. And I think centrism has done that, and can continue to do that. But part of the reason for the book is we haven't always been articulate enough, confident enough and coherent enough in the way that we present our case, and that's something that I hope this book will have some kind of role in changing. That is to say we need to be proud of our successes and our achievements. What happens when you have a successful centrist government, the next people in the political party that come along disavow it and move away from it. You saw it in Tony Blair's Labor Party. I would argue that new labor was an incredibly successful political project, and the thing that came next was a labor party that did everything it could to run away from that rather than embrace that legacy. And as the Labor Party reembrace that legacy, not coincidentally, it also came to power again in the UK, and you see that across the world. I think there are places clearly where we're struggling and places where we need to do a better job, but I also think there are enough examples to show that centrism can work, and the kind of politics that we're pushing for can work and can be successful. Manya Brachear Pashman: So where is it struggling and where is it succeeding the most? Yair Zivan: So look, I'll talk about something that is maybe close to our heart on this podcast, and that's the situation in Israel today, Israel is going through the most difficult time, I think, as a country that certainly in our lifetimes, if not since 1948 we October 7 was was the darkest day that any of us lived through. I'm a little reticent to talk about the political response to that, but one of the things that's interesting from a centrist perspective, is the response of the Israeli public has not been to move to the right. It's been to move to the political center. And if you look at opinion polls in Israel today, the next government, if elections were held today, would be a center center right government. And I'm confident that that will hold all the way through to whenever we have the next election. And I think that's because there is a sense in Israel that actually people want that type of governance. They want people who understand that you need to embrace compromise and moderation and pragmatism as values, rather than looking at them as kind of a political slur, as a vice, as something that we need to talk down about. And so I look at Israel as a place where, actually we lost the election. In November '22 we elected a government that was, to my mind, very right wing. And populist and incredibly problematic. I think we've paid a very high price for that in the last 18 months or so, and now there is a move back towards the political center. Look, I think Emmanuel Macron has been an example of the success of political centrism. The fact that he struggled in the parliament in the most recent parliamentary elections is not an indictment of the fact that he managed to build a political center in France that wasn't really there before. And the test, I guess, will be whether in two years, there is a successor from his party or not. So there are plenty of places I think that I can look out for being successful and where centrism does well. I think there's been some really good examples of political centrism in the US as well, despite the popular media narrative that everything is polarized. You look at groups like the problem solvers caucus in Congress, and you say, here is a group of members of Congress who are determined to work together, who are determined to cooperate and to find solutions to complicated problems and approach it in a really centrist way. Would I like to see centrists winning more in bigger majorities everywhere? Absolutely. Manya Brachear Pashman: Can you give an example of an issue, pick a country, any country, but an issue that would really benefit from that pragmatic approach, that pragmatic centrist approach, sir Yair Zivan: Arne Duncan, who was President Obama's Secretary of Education, who writes about a willingness to take on teachers unions and a willingness to demand standards and a sense of what is the focus of education, right? Where the focus of education should be providing the best possible education to children, something we should all be able to rally around, and yet, something that we seem to have lost along the way. And I think education comes back again and again as a core centrist focus. That's one. The other one that I think is really interesting is the essay by Rachel Pritzker. Rachel writes about climate change and about environment, and in it, she makes what I think is a really compelling case that says we can't fight back against the need for energy abundance, because, particularly in the developing world, people need energy in order to improve their quality of life, and they need a lot more energy than they have now. And the idea that the solution to climate change is turning off the lights every so often for a bit longer, is just not practical. Now it comes from a perspective that says climate change is real and is a problem and it's something we need to address, but it kind of pushes away from, I think, most of the orthodoxies of much of the kind of climate change movement and the environmental protection movement, and says we need something different. And that thing is a focus on technology and on innovation that will allow people to create the energy that they need in order to raise their quality of life, rather than demanding that they use less. That is, I think, a really great centrist approach. It's not a splitting of the difference. It's clearly coming down on the side that says climate change is real and it's a problem and it's something we have to address. But it's rejecting orthodoxies and offering something I think that's different. Manya Brachear Pashman: And this seems like such a no brainer, right? I mean, it seems like these are our values, our principles that everyone should be able to agree upon, maybe not the methodology, right? Maybe that's what's up for debate. But it seems like these are just not points of contention. Yair Zivan: I think we're going against the grain of politics. I think today, people don't subscribe to a real full throated defense of liberal democracy, and people aren't really willing to defend free speech, including speech that they don't like. And people are taking advantage of feelings of patriotism and dragging them to a pretty ugly nationalism or rejecting patriotism altogether. And so I think a lot of the ideas are not the most natural grain of where politics is. I was on a panel a few days ago, and one of the panelists turned to me, looked at me deeply, and said, I don't think I've ever met a centrist before. And I thought, I think you probably have, right? And if not, then, nice to meet you, hi, I'm a centrist. But the idea that actually it's going against the trend in politics is one that troubles me. Part of what I'm trying to do is to say to people, if you are a centrist, then speak up. And it's difficult when you're a centrist, you are the biggest threat today. The fight in politics today is not between left and right, it's between the center and the extremes. And so what happens when you come out and say, I'm a centrist? This is what I believe, is you find yourself attacked by the extremes, and that's sometimes a difficult place to be. When I put the first tweet out about my book within half an hour, I was called every name under the sun. I was a communist and a Nazi all at once, depending on who was attacking me, right? You have to be able to withstand that too often. Centrists have been shy and have kind of hidden back and said, I don't really mean it, and actually, I don't want to have this fight. Or actually, let's not talk about politics now, rather than saying, here's a set of values I believe in, and I'm passionate about and I'm willing to fight for them, and you know what, I am as committed to them, I am as passionate about them, and I'm as willing to fight for them as the extremes are about theirs. And because I think the majority of people are centrist and are looking for that motivation, I think that allows us to win the political argument, because if we're proud enough, then people will line up behind us who already do agree with the principles, but maybe feel like they're alone or there aren't enough people that share their views. Manya Brachear Pashman: In other words, they're kind of anti confrontational. They avoid confrontation, or perhaps too many centrists don't want to sound too passionate about their values, because. As perhaps passion equates to extreme. Yair Zivan: You should be able to be a passionate centrist. You should be passionate about defending liberal democracy. You should be passionate about being a liberal patriot. You should be passionate about trying to give children equality of opportunity, right? Those things are things that it's good to be passionate about, and you should care about them. I just don't recognize in the centrism that I see being successful, this perception of timidity, or this perception of being scared, but what you have, I think, is too many centrists who have taken that path, and you have kind of backed off and backed away from being passionate about those arguments, and that's where we lose. So my call to centrists is to be loud and to be proud and to be passionate about the things that we really care about and where there are places where people might feel a little bit uncomfortable with it and not want to be confrontational, because maybe it goes with the more moderate and pragmatic mindset. Is to say we have to overcome it because the issues are too important for us not to. Manya Brachear Pashman: Do I also want to clarify, being a centrist is not at the exclusion of the right or the left, right? It's more a conversation between both, or a consensus or a compromise of both, whatever works right, whatever works best for the greater good? Yair Zivan: There is an element of a rejection of the left and the right, to some extent, right, particularly of the fringes, and I'm incredibly critical of even some of the more moderate left and moderate right, because they're too willing to appease the extremes on their side. They're very good at calling out extremism and populism from the other camp, but not always good enough for calling out on their own side, which I think is where the challenge really lies. The idea is not to find a compromise. The idea is not to split the difference between old ideas. It is about saying we should be focusing on what works. And I write a line in the book, slightly glibly, that, if it works, and if it makes people's lives better, does it really matter if it comes from Marx or from Hayek, right? The political philosophy behind it certainly matters less than if it works the way that compromise can be a successful political tool. And I think we all compromise in our lives all the time, and suddenly when we get to politics, we see it as a sign of weakness or non-committal-ness or something like that, whereas in our everyday lives, we see it as a part of being able to function as an adult in society. I think the goal of that, the way that you do that successfully, the way you compromise successfully, is by being really clear about what your values are and what your ideals are and what you believe. And only then can you go to a compromise. If I try to compromise with people without being very firm about what I believe and what's important to me, I'll just get dragged to wherever they are because they're passionate and I'm not. They're committed and I'm not. So you have to be really clear about what your values are. And I actually think the real test about compromise is whether you do it when you're in a position of power, not in a position of weakness. In politics, people compromise because they have to. I say you should compromise because you want to. And I'll give a kind of an example, I guess. If I had 51% of the votes in Parliament, and I could pass anything I wanted, and I had a belief, a reform that I passionately believed and wanted to get through, and I could pass it 100% the way that I wanted, or I could take it down to 80% of what I want, and take 20% from other people and increase my majority from 51% to 75% I would do that because I think it's right, because I think building consensus builds more sustainable policy, because I think it creates a healthier democracy and a healthier political culture. Because I have enough humility to say that maybe I don't know everything, and I'm not right about everything, and the other side has something useful to contribute, even to something that I'm really passionate about. That's the test of compromise. Do you do it when you don't have to, but because you think it's the right thing to do? And again, it's dependent on knowing what your values are and dependent on knowing what you're not willing to compromise on, because if you don't have that, then you don't have the anchor from which you take your political beliefs. Manya Brachear Pashman: In other words, kind of seeding a little bit to the other side, not because you have to, but because you need that little percentage bump to pass your legislation, but because you'll just build more of a consensus and more support on both sides of the aisle, or both sides of eight aisles, whatever, however it works. But yeah, I mean, it's really about building a consensus among lawmakers for the greater good, rather than just claiming that slim victory. Yair Zivan: Yeah, it creates better policy and more sustainable policy. But there's also limits to it. You very rarely in politics get 100% support for anything. And often, if you've got to the place where everyone supports it, then you've probably gone too far with the compromise, right, and you've probably watered it down too much. There are very rare moments in politics when everybody agrees about something, and there are cases, and there are cases when we can do that, but on the really big issues, it's rare for us to get to that level of consensus, and I don't think that's necessarily desirable either. But being able to build a little bit beyond your political comfort zone, a little bit beyond your camp, I think, is a really useful thing in politics, and there are models where it works really well. Manya Brachear Pashman: So let me ask you more specifically. Okay, what is eroding centrism? What forces really are working against it and in the places where the center is maintaining its hold, are those forces in reverse? In other words, have they found a way to conquer those particular forces, or have they found a way to conquer what works against centrism, or has it just not reached them yet? Yair Zivan: So I'll start by flipping the question, I don't think it's about, does centrism work when other people aren't strong enough to attack it and to take it apart? Centrism works when it's strong enough, in and of itself, and it's defining the political agenda. The goal of what I'm trying to do with the book and with the arguments that I'm making is to say, we define what is at the core of democratic politics. Now everybody else is going to have to respond to us. So that's the first thing. Is that switch in mindset away from Are we able to withstand, where the extremes are, to a place where we say, actually, we're the solid anchor, and now we are the ones that are defining the political moment and the political issues. Where is it that we do well? Is where we're confident, right? When we're able to stand up and be proud of ourselves, and then you're more easily able to rebuff some of those forces. Where do I think centrism struggles? One of the places where it struggles, and this is my criticism of my own camp, which I think is always important to have that kind of, I think, a little bit of self awareness. We're often not good enough at really connecting with people's fears and grievances and concerns that are genuine, right? People really are worried about technological innovation and the pace of automation, and people are worried about immigration. And you can be worried about immigration without being a racist and without being a person that should be shunned or that we should criticize. There is a genuine reason why people are worried about these things, and we have to be better at really connecting to those grievances and fears that people have to really understand them, to really empathize with them. That is the cost of entry, to be able to suggest different policies to them. If I want to convince someone that populist politics aren't going to work, I have to show that I care about them as much as the Populists do, and not seed that ground. And I don't think we're always really good enough at doing that. Where we are good at doing that, there's a huge reward. And ultimately, I believe that on every issue, the solutions that we offer from the political center are more successful than the solutions that are offered by the populists and by the extremists, but we have to be able to convince the public of that you can't disregard people who vote for somebody you find distasteful, even if you think that the candidate they're voting for is somebody that you have real problems with, and even if the candidate they're voting for is actually a racist or is actually illiberal and undemocratic. That doesn't mean all the people voting for them are and it doesn't mean you can afford to dismiss those people. It means you need to do a better job of listening to them and connecting with them and bringing them back to our political camp. When politicians fail to get their message across because they're not doing a good enough job, it's not because of the public. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yair, thank you so much for joining us and for giving us a little bit of a pathway to expressing these kinds of views that aren't heard of a whole lot. Yair Zivan: Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for a conversation between my colleague Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC's Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, and Ron Kampeas, the Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
A proud Israeli who recently served as Israel's 14th Prime Minister, Yair Lapid shares with podcast host Yael Eckstein one of the key lessons from the Holocaust—that every Israeli has a duty to make sure the Jewish state always exists. The son of a Holocaust survivor, Yair Lapid relates that his father's story of surviving the bloodbath of the Jewish ghetto in Budapest is a stark reminder that he “cannot live in a world in which I don't have a place to go.” In sharing his father's story, the former prime minister says he is telling the story of the Jewish people. As Israel pauses next week on Yom HaShoah to remember and honor the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust, you won't want to miss this insightful and important conversation for both Christians and Jews.
Al Jazeera has submitted what it said was detailed evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, allegedly proving that the Israel Defense Forces deliberately shot dead its reporter Shireen Abu Akleh during clashes in the West Bank in May. Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that "no one will investigate IDF soldiers and no one will lecture us about morals in wartime, especially not Al Jazeera."KAN's Mark Weiss Alan Baker , who served as legal counsel for the Foreign ministry told KAN's Mark Weiss that the Al Jazzera move is little more than a publicity stunt. (Photo: AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Knesset correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn and health and science reporter Nathan Jeffay join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast. Keller-Lynn talks about Tuesday's swearing-in of the 25th Knesset, with newcomers elated by their wins and the opposition heralding the end of democracy, with concerns over a lack of unity in the government. Jeffay speaks about a Hebrew University study that examines plummeting sperm counts worldwide, which could point to a wider decline in aspects of men's health. Keller-Lynn also discusses the lack of outside activists at the ongoing United Nations Climate Conference COP27 in Egypt's Sharm el Sheikh, part of the Egyptian efforts to quash the usual protests. Jeffay looks at a new technology under trial, which offers a fuller report on the DNA of tumors. Discussed articles include: Far-right vows upped security under new gov't; Liberman warns of ‘ayatollah regime' Sperm counts worldwide have plunged 62% in under 50 years, Israeli-led study finds Egyptians keep tight leash on climate confab, muffling traditional din of protests Israeli hospital: New tech gave instant DNA info on tumors, jump-starts treatment Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: Likud leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and Party leaders at a swearing-in ceremony of the 25th Knesset, at the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, November 15, 2022. (Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
By holding its fifth election in less than four years, can Israel break the stalemate? Prime Minister Yair Lapid hopes to remain in power after his coalition collapsed in June, but veteran politician Benjamin Netanyahu, now 73 years old and on trial for corruption, is eyeing a comeback. Many say the country's proportional representation system does not help stability in the Knesset. Meanwhile, some one million Palestinian voters make up 17 percent of the Israeli electorate but are historically disenfranchised. What will this election hold for them?
As Israelis go to the polls once again on November 1, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Tal Schneider, chief political correspondent for The Times of Israel, to preview what might happen. They discuss the campaign run by Prime Minister Yair Lapid, the difficulties for the rest of the anti-Netanyahu camp, the prospects for Benjamin Netanyahu to get out the Likud vote, and the rise of Itamar Ben Gvir and the far right—and what it could mean for Israeli democracy.Register to attend our post-Israeli election day video briefing with Michael Koplow, Shira Efron, and Neri Zilber on November 7 via Zoom here: ipf.li/electionbriefingPlease help us learn about our audience by filling out our podcast listener survey here: ipf.li/surveySupport the show
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Knesset correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn and deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast. Keller-Lynn discusses defense minister Benny Gantz looking for possible alliances with Haredi politicians in election campaigning. She also talks about Prime Minister Yair Lapid's push to get Arabs to vote; not necessarily for his party Yesh Atid, but as a method to pull votes away from the rival Likud party. Borschel-Dan explains an Israeli archaeologist's use of groundbreaking archeomagnetic dating to help pinpoint specific dates in biblical history. Discussed articles include: Gantz plugs possible alliance with Haredi politicians, but UTJ says it won't zigzag Israeli researchers say magnetic fields provide way to securely date biblical events Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: The ruins of Beit Shean, ancient Scythopolis (Yossi Zamir/Flash 90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hear: About my shock when I read the treacherous words of the caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, how he panicked to get votes, and how he grovelled to the Arabs to get theirs. And how he brought the sleeping Arab/Israeli conflict to the forefront of the UN agenda by supporting it during his speech to the United Nations Assembly. Another: Appeal to vote tactically with your head not your heart to get the government we need. We don't want to waste votes on small parties that get nowhere. Vote for the largest one, Likud. To make sure of a good right-wing majority. Why: The ridiculous notion of a two-state solution will never work. Presiden Biden who taks of ‘Palestinian' entitlement needs to learn history. You can hear about that in Walter's interview with the American Ambassador which is available now on 'The Walter Bingham File'. Also: Why Israel's President Isaak Herzog should not have accepted Biden's invitation to Washington, He is going next week. The: Foulmouthed Yair Golan, Knesset member for far-left Meretz party is at it again, calling Netanyahu with unparliamentary language. He also compares some events of antisemitic Europe with Israel. There: Is once more not unexpected news from the UN Commission of Enquiry into human rights, accusing Israel of war crimes and calling to arrest our leaders. And: More The Walter Bingham File 25OCT2022 - PODCAST
Peta Jones Pellach reporting on the latest news from Israel, in English.
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 —The Stakes— Just what happens if Benjamin Netanyahu is elected Prime Minister? —A Line in the Sea— Israel negotiates an historic treaty with Lebanon, but Prime Minister Yair Lapid doesn't bring it to the Knesset to ratify, on the grounds that, if he did, it wouldn't. Did he make the right call? —Oh, Donald!— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Like with last week's tweet by Kanye, we wonder why didn't Donald's tweet bug Israeli Jews. All this and Odeya, a 21 year old cooler-than-cool rising star!
The Arab-Israeli conflict has been known for tense negotiations, seemingly about to break down and lead to fighting between the parties, when at the last moment a compromise is suggested and a deal is struck. The bargaining between Lebanon and Israel on the demarcation of their maritime boundary is no exception. It had its ups and downs, but now, having gone down to the wire because of domestic factors in both Beirut and Jerusalem, the formula drafted by American mediator Amos Hochstein has been accepted by President Michel Aoun north of the border and Prime Minister Yair Lapid to its south. Aoun's term expires on the 31st of this month and Lapid faces an uphill re-election the next day. So is their administration's approval of the Hochstein draft a done deal, or could it still be aborted, leading Israel and Hezbollah to an armed clash? Panel: - Jonathan Hessen, Host. - Amir Oren, Editor at Large, Host of Watchmen Talk and Powers in Play. - Brig. Gen. (Res.) Doron Gavish, Former Air Defense Chief, Israel Air Force. - Dr. Nir Boms, Research Fellow, Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University. Articles on the topic: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/lebanon-seeks-changes-to-sea-deal-with-israel/ https://www.tv7israelnews.com/israel-lebanon-sea-talks-in-final-stage/ https://www.tv7israelnews.com/hezbollah-repeats-threat-to-israel-over-sea-borders/ You are welcome to join our audience and watch all of our programs - free of charge! TV7 Israel News: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/563/ Jerusalem Studio: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/18738/ TV7 Israel News Editor's Note: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/76269/ TV7 Europa Stands: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/82926/ TV7 Powers in Play: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/84954/ TV7 Israel: Watchmen Talk: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/76256/ Jerusalem Prays: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/135790/ TV7's Times Observer: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/97531/ TV7's Middle East Review: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/997755/ My Brother's Keeper: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/53719/ This week in 60 seconds: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/123456/ Those who wish can send prayer requests to TV7 Israel News in the following ways: Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Email: israelnews@tv7.fi Please be sure to mention your first name and country of residence. Any attached videos should not exceed 20 seconds in duration. #IsraelNews #tv7israelnews #newsupdates Rally behind our vision - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/donate/ To purchase TV7 Israel News merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/tv7-israel-news-store Live view of Jerusalem - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/jerusalem-live-feed/ Visit our website - http://www.tv7israelnews.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/tv7israelnews Like TV7 Israel News on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Follow TV7 Israel News on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tv7israelnews/ Follow TV7 Israel News on Twitter - https://twitter.com/tv7israelnews
Violence in Jerusalem Overnight, Israel's capital saw its worst violence in over a year as Palestinians in East Jerusalem riot. The uptick in violence comes just before Israel's November 1 election. The violence and other recent decisions by caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid have a return to power for Benjamin Netanyahu looking more likely. Vaccine Lies In a question-and-answer session before the European Parliament this week, a Pfizer executive revealed they had no data that the Pfizer vaccine would stop transmissibility of coronavirus at the time it was forced on citizens. Gerald Flurry's Address at the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology On September 4, the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology opened in Israel. Here is founder Gerald Flurry's address.
On 1 November, millions of Israelis will go to the polls and elect a new Knesset. The voters could make or break the next Israeli coalition government due to emerge three weeks from now - dependent on turnout from various sectors and population centers, unless there is not an absolute deadlock as has been the case several times over the last three years. What are the prospects for the outgoing government led by Prime Minister Yair Lapid to protect its hold on power from a comeback by former Premier Benjamin Netanyahu? Will the successful candidate be able to form a coalition and remain at the helm for an entire four-year term? Panel: - Jonathan Hessen, Host. - Amir Oren, Editor at Large, Host of Watchmen Talk and Powers in Play. - Mr. Mitchell Barak, CEO Kevoon Research Group. - Former Knesset Member Dov Lipman, Founder and CEO of Yad L'Olim. Articles on the topic: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/israeli-election-cycle-kicks-off/ https://www.tv7israelnews.com/political-earthquake-in-israel/ https://www.tv7israelnews.com/lapid-addresses-unga/ You are welcome to join our audience and watch all of our programs - free of charge! TV7 Israel News: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/563/ Jerusalem Studio: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/18738/ TV7 Israel News Editor's Note: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/76269/ TV7 Europa Stands: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/82926/ TV7 Powers in Play: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/84954/ TV7 Israel: Watchmen Talk: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/76256/ Jerusalem Prays: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/135790/ TV7's Times Observer: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/97531/ TV7's Middle East Review: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/997755/ My Brother's Keeper: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/53719/ This week in 60 seconds: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/123456/ Those who wish can send prayer requests to TV7 Israel News in the following ways: Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Email: israelnews@tv7.fi Please be sure to mention your first name and country of residence. Any attached videos should not exceed 20 seconds in duration. #IsraelNews #tv7israelnews #newsupdates Rally behind our vision - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/donate/ To purchase TV7 Israel News merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/tv7-israel-news-store Live view of Jerusalem - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/jerusalem-live-feed/ Visit our website - http://www.tv7israelnews.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/tv7israelnews Like TV7 Israel News on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Follow TV7 Israel News on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tv7israelnews/ Follow TV7 Israel News on Twitter - https://twitter.com/tv7israelnews
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 —Yair in Dag Hammarskjöld Square— A month before elections, caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid tells the UN he supports the creation of a Palestinian state. How come? —We Are All Grammy Hall— Global thought leaders think Israel is the 2nd most religious country on earth? Why on earth do they think that?!? —The Weird Magic of Yom Kippur— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Allison and Noah talk about the weird magic of Yom Kippur on Israeli streets. All this and a preview of the throaty shoo bop goodness of Ella Raphael's soon-to-be-released first record!
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Editor David Horovitz and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. On Thursday, Prime Minister Yair Lapid ordered Israeli security forces to remain in an enhanced state of readiness, given an uptick in violence in the West Bank. Since that order, there have been several incidents. We start with what happened this morning with a shooting near Elon Moreh that was claimed by a new Palestinian militia, the Lion's Den. On Saturday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah lauded a US-mediated draft proposal to resolve a maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon as “a very important step.” He said that the emerging deal opens up “new and promising horizons for the people of Lebanon by rescuing the country from the crisis it has fallen into.”Why this change in tone? On Saturday, Shas party leader Aryeh Deri said that a government under opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu would pass a bill to enable it to overrule High Court decisions. We hear about additional legislators threatening judicial changes. According to a recent Axios report, last month Robert Menendez, chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, warned Netanyahu that including extreme-right lawmakers in a potential future government would harm US-Israel relations. Horovitz explains why it is not only external ties that may be harmed. Discussed articles include: Amid rising West Bank violence, Lapid orders forces to remain on high alert Gunmen target taxi, bus in West Bank terror attack; 1 lightly injured Police say Palestinian killed after trying to hurl firebomb at cops near Jerusalem Shots fired at Israeli vehicle in southern West Bank; IDF launches manhunt In subdued comments, Nasrallah calls maritime border deal proposal ‘important step' Shas chief: If judges bar me from being a minister, we'll legislate to overrule them Top senator said to warn Netanyahu that having Ben Gvir in gov't would harm US ties To overturn the evil decree Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: A supporter of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group raises is fist and cheers, as he listens to a speech of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who appears via a video link, during a rally marking Hezbollah Martyr's Day, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, November 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan. During our Wednesday-morning recording, the IDF entered Jenin for an Israeli military raid in which at least three Palestinian gunmen were killed. Fabian gives background. Over the two-day Rosh Hashanah holiday, there were also clashes on the Temple Mount and in east Jerusalem. What was the spark this time and how long are they expected to continue? Last week, while Berman reported from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, British Prime Minister Liz Truss told Prime Minister Yair Lapid that she is reviewing a relocation of the country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. How seriously should we take this? We take a look at what's happening right now in Ukraine. After a series of contentious referendums for a merger with Russia in occupied Ukrainian territories, officials in three of these regions claimed victory — amid international condemnation of sham ballots. How is Israel reacting and is this a more decisive stance than we've seen before? Fabian recently reported on a joint Israeli and American four-day navy drill in the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea that included American naval drones. Though Iran doesn't have a coastline along the Red Sea, the drill — dubbed “Digital Shield” — had a significant Iranian bent. Fabian explains why. Discussed articles include: Palestinian gunmen ‘planning significant attacks' killed in Jenin clash with troops Police clash with protesters in East Jerusalem for 3rd straight night British PM tells Lapid she is reviewing relocation of UK embassy to Jerusalem Israel rejects annexation votes in occupied Ukraine as Russian proxies claim victory US, NATO vow support for Ukraine after ‘diabolical' Russian annexation votes Zelensky ‘shocked' by lack of Israeli defense support: ‘They gave us nothing' Israel, US wrap up four-day drill in Red Sea with naval drones Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: Israeli Navy vessels sail alongside US naval drones in the Gulf of Aqaba, in an image published by the military on September 22, 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel just announced they are ready to finally agree to the Two-State Solution. This means that Prime Minister Yair Lapid is expected to announce his support for the establishment of a Palestinian State. God has warned us many, many times through His prophets: “If you Split My land, I will split yours”. 00:00 - Israel’s Two-State Solution 07:44 - Daniel 9 10:19 - Meteor, Tsunami & Earthquake 14:41 - Joseph’s Kitchen 18:03 - God will Divide the USA 26:18 - Maps Showing America Split 27:56 - Cornerstone Asset Metals
Israel just announced they are ready to finally agree to the Two-State Solution. This means that Prime Minister Yair Lapid is expected to announce his support for the establishment of a Palestinian State. God has warned us many, many times through His prophets: “If you Split My land, I will split yours”. 00:00 - Israel’s Two-State Solution 07:44 - Daniel 9 10:19 - Meteor, Tsunami & Earthquake 14:41 - Joseph’s Kitchen 18:03 - God will Divide the USA 26:18 - Maps Showing America Split 27:56 - Cornerstone Asset Metals
Israel just announced they are ready to finally agree to the Two-State Solution. This means that Prime Minister Yair Lapid is expected to announce his support for the establishment of a Palestinian State. God has warned us many, many times through His prophets: “If you Split My land, I will split yours”. 00:00 - Israel’s Two-State Solution 07:44 - Daniel 9 10:19 - Meteor, Tsunami & Earthquake 14:41 - Joseph’s Kitchen 18:03 - God will Divide the USA 26:18 - Maps Showing America Split 27:56 - Cornerstone Asset Metals
Israel just announced they are ready to finally agree to the Two-State Solution. This means that Prime Minister Yair Lapid is expected to announce his support for the establishment of a Palestinian State. God has warned us many, many times through His prophets: “If you Split My land, I will split yours”. 00:00 - Israel’s Two-State Solution 07:44 - Daniel 9 10:19 - Meteor, Tsunami & Earthquake 14:41 - Joseph’s Kitchen 18:03 - God will Divide the USA 26:18 - Maps Showing America Split 27:56 - Cornerstone Asset Metals
Israel on the highest terror alert as holidays are starting. In New York, Prime Minister Yair Lapid revives the failed two-state solution, and receives applause from the White House. A school strike in East Jerusalem sets their anti-Israeli curriculum in focus. As the borders of Russia are packed with people wanting to get out, Israel is preparing for a wave of Russian Aliyah. News in short and the weekly Torah portion finishes off this episode.
Israel is going to elections again, and this one is proving to be even more of a rollercoaster ride than all the others. Find out how just yesterday, current Prime Minister Yair Lapid confused the voters even more while announcing his plan to speak about the dangerous two-state solution. Join me as I speak with Knesset Insider, consultant to former & alternative Prime Minister Naftali Bennet, and #10 on the old/new Bayit Yehudi list Jeremy Saltan.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's podcast. On Sunday morning, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting that the purpose of his visit to Berlin was “to coordinate positions on the [Iranian] nuclear program and finalize the details on a strategic, economic and security cooperation document, which we are about to sign with them.” Did Lapid meet his goals? Lapid is the son of well-known Holocaust survivor Tommy Lapid. He was accompanied by several survivors on the trip, one of whom was shocked when seeing the German soldiers. Schneider tells us more. Schneider, who recently wrote about the sharp uptick in Israeli defense exports, explains how the trip to Germany was also tied to a deal regarding the purchase of Israel's Arrow-3 system, one of the most advanced air defense systems in the country's arsenal. Which other countries are being purchased? The country mourned the double murder of a mother and her daughter in Lod last week, Manar and Khadar Hajaj. Sharon recently spoke with the head of the Abraham Initiative about fighting crime in the Arab sector. Surprisingly, he is positive. Finally, Sharon brought us the case of some 50 families who have swapped war-torn Ukraine or politically repressive Russia for a hotbed of conflict in the West Bank. Is this a new trend? Discussed articles include: In Germany, Lapid says he gave Scholz ‘sensitive' information on Iran nuke program In Berlin, Lapid comforts Holocaust survivor who froze at sight of German soldiers Israel eases restrictions on defense exports but refuses to disclose its customers Daughter of slain Lod woman unable to attend funeral due to ongoing threat to life Switching conflicts: The Jews leaving Ukraine and Russia for the West Bank Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on podium right, welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, on podium left, with military honors for a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, September 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid is in Germany Monday for talks with President Steinmeier, Chancellor Scholz, Foreign Minister Baerbock and other senior officials. They will discuss, among other things, the issue of the Iranian nuclear program. The prime minister is accompanied by five Holocaust survivors. Jeremy Issacharoff served as Israel's ambassador to Germany between 2017-2022. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke to him about Prime Minister Lapid's trip, asking him first about the state of bilateral relations. (Photo:GPO)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the major show of force between Israel and the United States against Iran. Three Israeli F-16i fighter jets escorted two nuclear capable American B-52 bombers from the Royal Air Force base at Fairford, England, and flew over the eastern Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea in training missions together. Although the U.S. military's Central Command did not mention Iran, Prime Minister Yair Lapid did not mince words as he declared Israel is prepared to stop any threat from Iran. How will this latest flyover impact negotiations to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ben Caspit speaks this week with Amir Tibon, who serves as deputy editor for Haaretz' English edition. Tibon, an expert on Israel-US relations, believes that a nuclear deal with Iran is bound to be eventually reached, as it is in the interest of all the world powers involved in the negotiations. Tibon recalls that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried in 2015 to stop the agreement but failed. "Prime Minister [Yair] Lapid, alternate Prime Minister [Naftali] Bennett and Defense Minister [Benny] Gantz have adopted a more realistic policy, of trying to influence the agreement. They are not trying to kill it, but rather shape it so it would be more comfortable for Israel on certain aspects," he explains. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Our guest this week is Member of Knesset Yossi Shain, who joins the podcast to discuss how Yisrael Beitenu, his party, is preparing for the November 1 election. Shain argues that the secular right-wing party led by Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman represents 'the true right-wing' in Israel, unlike the religious and far-right alliance of parties that was merged last week under pressure from opposition leader Netanyahu. Shain also explains how Lieberman, who has a long history of harsh statements against Israel's Arab politicians, found himself in a coalition together with Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List. In his view, Lieberman hasn't changed; but Mansour Abbas recognized Israel as a Jewish state, which made it possible for Yisrael Beitenu to cooperate with him. In other news, Meretz elected Zehava Galon as its old-new leader; Prime Minister Yair Lapid had a heart-to-heart with President Biden about Iran, and Israel narrowly averted a teacher's strike ahead of the new school year. But will any of it matter to the voters by November? Each week, hosts Anshel Pfeffer and Dahlia Scheindlin discuss all the news, polls, history and party trivia you need to know for Israel's upcoming election. Subscribe to the show on your podcast app, follow Dahlia (@dahliasc) and Anshel (@AnshelPfeffer) on twitter and read more of their articles and columns on Haaretz.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our guest this week is Member of Knesset Yossi Shain, who joins the podcast to discuss how Yisrael Beitenu, his party, is preparing for the November 1 election. Shain argues that the secular right-wing party led by Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman represents 'the true right-wing' in Israel, unlike the religious and far-right alliance of parties that was merged last week under pressure from opposition leader Netanyahu. Shain also explains how Lieberman, who has a long history of harsh statements against Israel's Arab politicians, found himself in a coalition together with Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List. In his view, Lieberman hasn't changed; but Mansour Abbas recognized Israel as a Jewish state, which made it possible for Yisrael Beitenu to cooperate with him. In other news, Meretz elected Zehava Galon as its old-new leader; Prime Minister Yair Lapid had a heart-to-heart with President Biden about Iran, and Israel narrowly averted a teacher's strike ahead of the new school year. But will any of it matter to the voters by November? Each week, hosts Anshel Pfeffer and Dahlia Scheindlin discuss all the news, polls, history and party trivia you need to know for Israel's upcoming election. Subscribe to the show on your podcast app, follow Dahlia (@dahliasc) and Anshel (@AnshelPfeffer) on twitter and read more of their articles and columns on Haaretz.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and health reporter Nathan Jeffay join host Amanda Borschel-Dan. Yesterday, Prime Minister Yair Lapid held a briefing at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on his approach to the Iran nuclear deal. What did Schneider hear there? In The Times of Israel's Hebrew sister-site Zman Yisrael, Schneider wrote an in-depth article looking at the political issues surrounding a potential maritime border agreement with Lebanon. We hear some salient points. It's almost two years to the Abraham Accords and Schneider has charted the trade upswing with the United Arab Emirates. The Times of Israel reported overnight about a first Israeli woman has been infected with monkeypox. Will we see a change in the vaccination policy? Jeffay covered a troubling new survey that found that almost one in three Jewish Israelis say they would deny themselves mental health support for fear of stigma. Is this true of all ages and backgrounds? An Israeli scientist says that artificial sweeteners should no longer be assumed safe, after his lab published peer-reviewed research suggesting they may actually increase sugar levels in the body. Finally, Israeli scientists say they have developed a warning system for cognitive decline, which works by tracking brain function as elderly people listen to music. What is this all about? Discussed articles include: Iran deal draft reportedly includes 4 phases, would take full effect after 165 days Mossad chief to visit Washington as Israel steps up efforts to reshape Iran deal In first, woman in Israel diagnosed with monkeypox 1 in 3 Israeli Jews would forgo psychological support due to stigma, poll finds Artificial sweeteners can harm sugar levels, shouldn't be assumed safe – Israeli lab Israeli scientists say brain analysis tool can spot cognitive decline — using music Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Illustrative image: Prime Minister Yair Lapid speaks during a faction meeting in Tel Aviv on August 25, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Editor David Horovitz and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan. Satellite images obtained by Fabian on Saturday showed heavily damaged structures at a Syrian weapons base near the northwestern city of Masyaf in a Thursday airstrike attributed to Israel. Fabian tells us more. Russia has shipped its advanced S-300 air defense system in Syria back home amid its invasion of Ukraine, an Israeli satellite intelligence firm said Friday. Is this significant for Israel? Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again brokered a cooperation deal between Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism that seems to assure that both parties will cross the electoral threshold. Horovitz speaks about the editorial choice of consistently raising the alarm against the Kahane-aligned party, as he did in a scathing op-ed last week. Late last week during Defense Minister Benny Gantz's trip to Washington, DC, Israel received “good hints” with regard to the US having a working offensive plan against Iran. What does this mean, in practical terms even as both Gantz and the current Prime Minister Yair Lapid are overtly attempting to speak with the US about this deal. The Maccabi Haifa soccer team has risen to the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in over a decade. The group was placed in group H of the Champion's League group stage, where it will face off against French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain on September 14 in Haifa. Horovitz shares his perspective on Haifa's chances. Discussed articles include: Images show heavy damage to Syrian weapons base in airstrike attributed to Israel Russia sends S-300 back home from Syria amid Ukraine invasion, satellite images show Beware Itamar Ben Gvir, rising far-right star with a destructive vision for Israel Netanyahu brokers deal for far-right's Smotrich, Ben Gvir to join forces in election Meretz leader denounces merged far-right slate as ‘alliance of thugs' Understanding the ominous rise of Israel's most notorious ultra-nationalist US hints to Gantz it's preparing military option against Iran, Israeli official says Maccabi Haifa advances to Champions League group stage for first time since 2009 Maccabi Haifa to host PSG in Champions League clash on September 14 Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Illustrative image: Israeli right-wing lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir gestures to a Palestinian protester during a news conference at the Damascus Gate to Jerusalem's Old City, where he protested police preventing him from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Thursday, June 10, 2021. The (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Election Overdose, we ask if the famous rule of American elections, is finally making its way to Israel as well. Our guest Karnit Flug, former governor of the Bank of Israel, now at the Israel Democracy Institute and a professor at Hebrew University, breaks down myth and reality about the non-political economics of Israel. Why do Israelis constantly complain of economic woes, but hardly ever vote based on economic platforms? Earlier on the show, we discuss the latest senior general to enter politics, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. Do the political achievements of Israel's generals justify the hype? And why did Eisenkot flirt with Prime Minister Yair Lapid for months before joining the new National Unity party of Defense Minister Benny Gantz? Each week, hosts Anshel Pfeffer and Dahlia Scheindlin discuss all the news, polls, history and party trivia you need to know for Israel's upcoming election. Subscribe to the show on your podcast app, follow Dahlia (@dahliasc) and Anshel (@AnshelPfeffer) on twitter and read more of their articles and columns on Haaretz.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Election Overdose, we ask if the famous rule of American elections, is finally making its way to Israel as well. Our guest Karnit Flug, former governor of the Bank of Israel, now at the Israel Democracy Institute and a professor at Hebrew University, breaks down myth and reality about the non-political economics of Israel. Why do Israelis constantly complain of economic woes, but hardly ever vote based on economic platforms? Earlier on the show, we discuss the latest senior general to enter politics, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. Do the political achievements of Israel's generals justify the hype? And why did Eisenkot flirt with Prime Minister Yair Lapid for months before joining the new National Unity party of Defense Minister Benny Gantz? Each week, hosts Anshel Pfeffer and Dahlia Scheindlin discuss all the news, polls, history and party trivia you need to know for Israel's upcoming election. Subscribe to the show on your podcast app, follow Dahlia (@dahliasc) and Anshel (@AnshelPfeffer) on twitter and read more of their articles and columns on Haaretz.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ben Caspit speaks this week with Maj. Keren Hajioff, the international spokesperson of Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Haijaoff has been managing relations with foreign media during the recent IDF operation in Gaza. Alongside the exchange of fire on the ground, Israel and Islamic Jihad also fought each other in the media arena. Hajioff explains that winning media battles requires more than the truth. "The difficult part is to make people listen, to make sure that the story goes viral. You have to find a way to get attention for your narrative, in order to amplify the message you want to share," she notes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Political correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn and health reporter Nathan Jeffay join host Amanda Borschel-Dan. Prime Minister Yair Lapid took to the podium last night to deliver a state of the union following the 66-hour Operation Breaking Dawn and addressed the Palestinian people directly. What was his message? We speak with Keller-Lynn about an analysis she wrote about Lapid's potential political dividends and we hear about the Labor primaries. Keller-Lynn made a trip to Ashkelon on Sunday, while rockets were still raining down. What did she see? During Operation Breaking Dawn, Jeffay highlighted the new rocket-proofed hospital at The ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village — located just 40 kilometers — 25 miles — from the Gaza border, next to the city of Ofakim. We learn about Israeli scientists who are working to develop a “precision weapon” against bowel disorders consisting of viruses that fight bacteria. And finally, an Israeli lab has grown synthetic mouse embryos with brains and beating hearts — in an egg-free sperm-free procedure that used stem cells taken from skin. Discussed articles include: Lapid offers a new path to residents of Gaza: Livelihood, dignity and peace Lapid is the Gaza operation's political winner, but can this be converted to votes? Labor expected to announce candidate slate on Tuesday evening, following primary As rockets rain down, many vulnerable Ashkelon residents still lack adequate shelter Rocket-proof and ready for anything, new hospital near Gaza unfazed by flareup Israeli scientists developing ‘precision' viruses that kill bowel-harming bacteria Using only skin cells, Israeli lab makes synthetic mouse embryos with beating hearts Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: Isareli Prime Minister and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid speaks to party members during a Yesh Atid party conference in Tel Aviv, August 3, 2022.(Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel Arrested an Islamic Jihad terror leader this past Monday. Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit are nearing an agreement on a joint run for the upcoming elections. The Palestinian Authority is raising the salaries of the four terrorists who bombed the Hebrew University in 2002. Prime Minister Yair Lapid is calling on the UN to disband the UN Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry after all three members made some very anti-semitic statements.
Author of the book Confronting Radicals: What America Can Learn From Israel David Rubin joins JT. He says his poll numbers are at record lows. If he can get Saudi Arabia to be the ally they claim to be without major contingencies, his polls may rise. But if he gives away too many concessions to the Saudis, especially if he agrees to go on an apology tour, he might continue his decline. And as for Israel, trust needs to be established with Prime Minister Yair Lapid that Biden has the ability and resolve to deny Iran nuclear weapons
On this Washington Roundtable episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast, sponsored by Bell, our guests are Dov Zakheim, PhD, former DoD comptroller, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute, Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO who is now with the Center for a New American Security and Michael Herson of American Defense International. Topics: — Update on authorization and appropriations, reconciliation, BBB and USICA — Latest on Russia's war on Ukraine as Moscow grinds ahead while using energy and food as weapons to divide the Western alliance — The need to accelerate weapons shipments to Ukraine while also helping speed training — China's increasing propaganda campaign to undermine US leadership in Asia against Beijing — Japan's security agenda in the wake of LDP victory and the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — President Biden's warm welcome to Israel and pledge with Prime Minister Yair Lapid to prevent a nuclear Iran — What Biden can achieve in Saudi Arabia — Concerns among America's allies on slow pace of arms exports
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Senior analyst Haviv Rettig-Gur and legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. Israel has welcomed US President Joe Biden with all due official pomp and circumstance, and he has been busy, paying a poignant visit to Yad Vashem, viewing Israel's defense technology, and meeting with Prime Minister Yair Lapid. But some analysts are scratching their heads trying to figure out why he is really here and what he hopes to accomplish with this trip to the Middle East. Rettig-Gur provides some important context for Biden's travels -- and goals. We also hear whether or not part of the Biden visit is to influence the upcoming November 1 Israeli elections. Sharon updates us about the ongoing trial of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including details that emerged from the explosive testimony of key prosecution witness Hadas Klein. Klein is the personal assistant of Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and an aide to Australian billionaire James Packer, both of whose luxury gifts to Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are at the heart of Case 1000, one of the cases for which the former premier is standing trial. Sharon updates us on a potentially game-changing step on the way to Israeli civil marriage. Discussed articles include: Why Biden's 10th visit to Israel must be his most productive Biden, Lapid to sign ‘Jerusalem Declaration' – a platform for US-Israel cooperation Witness details Sara Netanyahu suicide threat over pool refit; $46,000 bracelet gift Court rules online civil marriages valid, upending Israel's religious status quo Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: United States President Joe Biden during a welcoming ceremony, at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on July 13, 2022, for his first official visit to Israel since becoming US president. (Sraya Diamant/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The impact of rising inflation, and how the US could face recession as the Fed raises rates; President Biden in Israel, discussing the nuclear threat from Iran with acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid; the future of crisis pregnancy centers one ... ...
The impact of rising inflation, and how the US could face recession as the Fed raises rates; President Biden in Israel, discussing the nuclear threat from Iran with acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid; the future of crisis pregnancy centers one ... ...
The impact of rising inflation, and how the US could face recession as the Fed raises rates; President Biden in Israel, discussing the nuclear threat from Iran with acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid; the future of crisis pregnancy centers one ... ...
The impact of rising inflation, and how the US could face recession as the Fed raises rates; President Biden in Israel, discussing the nuclear threat from Iran with acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid; the future of crisis pregnancy centers one ... ...
The impact of rising inflation, and how the US could face recession as the Fed raises rates; President Biden in Israel, discussing the nuclear threat from Iran with acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid; the future of crisis pregnancy centers one ... ...
The impact of rising inflation, and how the US could face recession as the Fed raises rates; President Biden in Israel, discussing the nuclear threat from Iran with acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid; the future of crisis pregnancy centers one ... ...
The impact of rising inflation, and how the US could face recession as the Fed raises rates; President Biden in Israel, discussing the nuclear threat from Iran with acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid; the future of crisis pregnancy centers one ... ...
The impact of rising inflation, and how the US could face recession as the Fed raises rates; President Biden in Israel, discussing the nuclear threat from Iran with acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid; the future of crisis pregnancy centers one ... ...
This week on Election Overdose, Haaretz's political podcast covering everything you need to know about the upcoming Israeli election: Israel catches America fever as Joe Biden touches down for a presidential visit. Prime Minister Yair Lapid hopes to reap the electoral benefits and polls show he might already be gaining ground. Meanwhile, the Israeli party shuffle is underway as Benny Gantz and Gideon Sa'ar merge parties, hoping to do better together than apart. Will it work? MK Alon Tal of Kahol Lavan joins the pod to explain what the merger means, the passion of centrist politics in Israel, and which parties the new formation will reject as future coalition partners. A veteran environmental activist in Israel, MK Tal explains why the climate crisis is not more prominent on the Israeli political agenda. We also consider the curious case of the party that won more votes than it could handle. Each week, hosts Anshel Pfeffer and Dahlia Scheindlin will bring all the news and analysis an Israel-election junkie needs, including polls, guests and trivia tidbits about the strangest parties in Israeli history. Subscribe to the show on your podcast app, follow Dahlia (@dahliasc) and Anshel (@AnshelPfeffer) on twitter and read more of their articles and columns on Haaretz.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
President Joe Biden kicked off his four-day Middle East trip by signing a landmark agreement with Israel. The joint declaration with Prime Minister Yair Lapid emphasizes the US's deepening ties with Israel, embraces Israel's integration into the wider region, and promises to never allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Next stop for Biden: a controversial face-to-face with Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman. Our extensive coverage of this crucial trip begins with a live report by CNN's Becky Anderson in Jeddah. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and military reporter Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. The regional leaders are getting ready for United States President Joe Biden's trip to Israel Wednesday with a series of phone calls. Who has been talking with whom? While Biden is here, he's going to check out some of our military technology. What can he expect to see? On the final day of the trip, Biden will go virtual with our Prime Minister Yair Lapid for a unique conference called I2U2. What do we need to know? Fabian updates us on the expected traffic complications. And there are a lot. We're hearing reports that bodies of dozens of Egyptian commandos who fought Israel during the Six-Day War were discovered in a mass grave near Latrun in central Israel. Fabian updates us on what's happening so far. Discussed articles include: Rare dialogue: Ahead of Biden visit, Lapid, Herzog hold phone calls with PA's Abbas Lapid speaks to Erdogan, Sissi, as Israel bolsters links with neighbors Lapid, Jordan's King Abdullah discuss ties, upcoming Biden trip in phone call Biden visit set to cause traffic chaos in central Israel; 16,000 cops to be deployed Lapid tells Sissi he'll probe reports of mass grave for Egyptian soldiers from 1967 Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Illustrative: US President Joe Biden walks down the steps of Airforce One on arrival at the Torreon air base in Madrid, Spain, June 28, 2022. (J.J.Guillen/Pool photo via AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
President Biden will land at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday afternoon and will be received by Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Yitzhak Herzog. He will visit the Palestinian Authority on Friday, where he will meet with President Abbas in Bethlehem and then leave for the second leg of his Middle Eastern trip, flying to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Danny Ayalon , who served as Israel's ambassador to Washington from 2002-2006, and asked him what we can expect from the Biden visit. (Photo:AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's election time in Israel again, and Haaretz's Election Overdose podcast is back for a second season! The Knesset has dissolved, the dates are set, a fifth Israeli election in three and a half years is getting Started. The parties will be rearranging themselves up to the moment they must declare their lists to the Central Election Committee. In the first formal week of the campaign, newly-anointed Prime Minister Yair Lapid burnishes his foreign policy credentials, and Benjamin Netanyahu faces damaging testimony in his ongoing corruption cases. Hosts Anshel Pfeffer and Dahlia Scheindlin walk through the major events of the week and analyze what's coming next. For the first episode, Tal Silberstein, master of campaigns and political strategy, joins them to discuss the political landscape. Tal explains what he sees as the real question of this election. Hint: It's not all about Benjamin Netanyahu. Each week, Anshel and Dahlia will bring all the news and analysis an Israel-election junkie needs, including polls, guests and trivia tidbits about the strangest parties in Israeli history. Have questions for Anshel and Dahlia? Follow them on twitter and leave your comments there: @AnshelPfeffer , @dahliasc. Read more from Anshel and Dahlia on Haaretz.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Jerusalem Post Podcast with Yaakov Katz and Lahav Harkov. Lahav and Yaakov discuss Prime Minister Yair Lapid's first overseas visit to Paris and why he won't fly on the Israeli Air Force One. They also talk to Avi Jorisch, an American-Israeli who recently visited Saudi Arabia and what might happen after US President Joe Biden's visit next week. Our podcast is available on Google Play, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's podcast. Prime Minister Yair Lapid had several missions to accomplish on his trip to Paris on Tuesday. What were they and how did he do? While Lapid was in Paris, did he by chance meet with Yael Braun-Pivet, the new speaker of the French National Assembly? She is the fourth most senior official in France after the president, prime minister, and Senate speaker. Berman updates on the tenuous Israel-Poland relationship and how there is a recent warming of ties. Rettig Gur lays out his argument for why these elections are former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's last hurrah. Discussed articles include: In Paris, Lapid urges response to Iranian nuclear violations, warns Hezbollah Jewish lawmaker becomes first female speaker of French National Assembly After year-long spat over Holocaust law, Poland says it's returning envoy to Israel Netanyahu embarks on a campaign that's shaping up as his last hurrah Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Illustrative image: People stand in front of an election campaign billboard for the Likud party showing a portrait of its leader former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Ramat Gan, Israel, March 14, 2021. AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Editor David Horovitz and military correspondent Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode. The IDF said yesterday that it had successfully intercepted three drones flown by the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group that were heading for the Karish gas field off Israel's Mediterranean coast. We're hearing reports that the IDF had advanced information. How did that influence the interception? According to Israeli television, also yesterday morning, the IDF allegedly hit a Syrian town near the port city of Tartus that was apparently the site of Iranian attempts to bring “game changing” air defense systems to Syria. The IDF hasn't acknowledged the strike, but if true, what is different about this operation? The new election date is set for November 1 but there's still some last-minute business that has to be taken care of before the campaigns can really and truly be revved up. Horovitz brings us up to speed. Prime Minister Yair Lapid gave his inaugural address in his new office last night. What were Horovitz's takeaways? Lapid has already moved to Balfour, but not exactly to the residence. Where is he and why? Finally, we speak briefly about our second ToI@10 event this Wednesday night, celebrating a decade of The Times of Israel with an evening of archaeology. Discussed articles include: IDF had advance intel on Hezbollah attempt to launch drones at Karish gas field IDF shoots down 3 Hezbollah drones heading for Karish gas field Syria says Israeli jets conduct rare daytime airstrike on southern coast Alleged Israeli strike in Syria targeted ‘game changing' Iranian air defenses — TV Without naming him, Lapid seeks to portray Netanyahu as Israel's national nemesis Lapid moves into ‘secure' apartment near PM's residence, amid construction work TICKETS for the LIVE EVENT: Hi-tech archaeology reveals secrets of ancient Jerusalem's destructions Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid arrives for the first cabinet meeting days after lawmakers dissolved parliament, in Jerusalem, July 3, 2022. (Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool via AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As of a few days ago, Israel has a new Prime Minister, Yair Lapid. Due to a first-ever complex rotation agreement that was activated because a number of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's party members helped bring down the government, Yair Lapid has become Prime Minister of Israel. Lapid is an ex-Israeli TV media star who entered politics and is trying to represent the center-left of the Israeli public. To understand more about who Yair Lapid is as a politician in Israel, watch this discussion I had with Caroline Glick back in 2017.
The term Prime Minister Yair Lapid may take some getting used to - but don't take too long, as it's paired with “interim”. After dissolving the Knesset and bidding farewell to his coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, Lapid embarked on his spell as head of a caretaker government - but all heads are turned to the fifth election round, which will determine whether the late-night host turned premier will be more than just another anecdote in a continuous political narrative. Yonit and Jonathan aren't scientists (yet), it's safe to say this political experiment didn't quite go according to plan. Joined by author and unofficial philosopher to the coalition, Micah Goodman, our co-hosts discuss whether the results should really be seen as a failure, what the lab conditions to shrink the conflict are - and also, why Israelis are both closer, and further than ever. And - for many, the United States Supreme Court ruling abolishing women's right for abortions reflects the capacity conservatives have to turn the wheel backwards while imposing their beliefs on the public. But with protesters marching daily through D.C., concerns on the extent of these perceptions are heard as far as Israel - where some view the ruling as a warning sign of what may occur here under a more conservative leadership - and an unyielding American influence. Plus - what Jewish ritual did the chutzpah recipients of this week make profitable? Find us on Facebook: Unholy Podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Will Israel be headed to its fifth Knesset elections in the past three and a half years or will an opposition member - namely former Prime Minister Netanyahu succeed in forming a government within the current Knesset? The Israeli public should have an answer to that question by the end of the week. At the same time the EU obsession with trying to bring Iran into the mainstream world community continues with Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the EU, reportedly visiting Tehran. Israel's Foreign Minister (and possible interim Prime Minister) Yair Lapid was not too pleased with the visit, on the heels of reports that the Iranians had plotted to murder Israelis in Turkey. Plus all the latest news from Israel on this week's Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten. Photo Credit: Knesset_1368 / Commons Wikimedia
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 —Going to the Polls!— Prime Minister Bennett decides to throw in the towel and take the country to new elections. What does it say about what was, what is, and what will be? —Not Going to the Poles!— Foreign Minister (and soon-to-be replacement Prime Minister) Yair Lapid decides to cancel all high-school trips to concentration camps in Poland. Would we be better off rethinking entirely the way we think about Holocaust education? —Where Do These Elections Find Us?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Does the prospect of new elections inspire anxiety, hope, or maybe just boredom? All this and Idan Rafael Haviv!
Israel's Foreign Minister and alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid has been heavily attacked the past few days for his public reaction to the death of an IDF soldier killed by a terrorist and his public eulogy for a terror supporting Muslim Brotherhood member of his own government. But that is just the tip of the iceberg exposing why this potential future Prime Minister of Israel is very bad news.