State of Tel Aviv, Israel Podcast (Vivian Bercovici)

To finally launch this podcast is so huge. I realize a personal dream and expect and hope our stories will resonate. Our first episode is kind of surreal; an impassioned plea from two prominent Israelis – one on the right, the other center left – explaining how dire a moment this is: in Jewish history and the short life of the modern State of Israel. The crisis in Israel is about so much more than justice reform. It is about whether the country has a future as a liberal democracy. Doesn’t get closer to the bone than that. Please tune in and follow us. Tell your family and friends. We’re working on some great episodes. And, no. You won’t hear this stuff anywhere else.

We’ve got a twist.

Always.

Israel is descending quickly into a crisis that, if unchecked, may well lead to civil war. These are the words of President Isaac Herzog. The words and fears of MK Benny Gantz, former IDF Chief of Staff and Minister of Defence. For months now, the country has been cleaved by sharp divisions that go to the core of Israel’s identity as a liberal democracy. The hard right-wing government coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has brought together some very extreme interests and they are bulldozing their judicial “reforms” through the legislative process at breakneck speed. There is no proper consultation or public discussion and many are of the view that if implemented these changes will destroy the country by allowing extreme religious and political agendas to control national priorities. The tensions peaked on Wednesday night when police used unprecedented violence against peaceful demonstrators, sending 11 to hospital for treatment. Vivian Bercovici, in conversation with journalist Haviv Rettig Gur, on why this time is different. And how much worse it could still get.

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On the first anniversary of the war with Russia, Ukrainian sculptor Mikhaïl Reva speaks with Vivian Bercovici about deriving meaning from from the horror of the senseless destruction, and discusses his complex ancestry. Mourning the recent loss of his mother, who was Jewish, Reva- who does not identify with any particular organized religion, surprises even himself as he shares the origins his family’s deep ties to Ukraine. So much traces back to a vicious pogrom in 1903) in which his great grandparents were murdered, leaving their young son an orphan. That was Misha’s grandfather, raised in Soviet orphanages during the Nazi years. I expected an immersion in a master’s work and got that, and so much more, from our fascinating conversation.

Please visit our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to see more photographs and video of Reva’s extraordinary work in progress interpreting the war: “The Russian World”.An early model of Mikhail Reva’s sculpture – “Bucha” – commemorating the victims of the Russian massacre of Ukrainian civilians.

Israel has been in a state of chaos for months now, with much of the country protesting a package of laws reforming the justice system that many think goes much further – and will be the end of liberal democracy in Israel. We dig deep into the issues and talk to the people organizing these protests: elite combat reserve soldiers, air force pilots, professionals, regular folks. These are the people PM Netanyahu brands as leftists, anarchists, and terrorists. They call him a dictator and say this is the most important war that Israel has ever fought since its founding in 1948.

Today’s podcast takes a close look at the Kohelet Policy Forum – a Jerusalem-based think tank financed by two Philadelphia billionaires. Kohelet has been working hard for many years on developing policy proposals and legislation to overhaul the Israeli justice system and with the election of the hard right, ultra-orthodox governing coalition they struck gold. Kohelet policy proposals were embraced by the coalition but enraged the general public – even many who had voted for coalition parties in the last election. For 12 weeks now demonstrations and protests have become larger, more disruptive and social order is rapidly breaking down. Kohelet is proud of their proposals and has yet to voice misgivings regarding the consequences. What is Kohelet and what are they doing and why?

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On Sunday March 26, 2023, at 9 pm, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his Minister of Defence, General Yoav Gallant, for daring to warn the nation that we are in a dire security predicament. Gallant urged the Prime Minister to pause the controversial judicial “reform” legislation that most Israelis believe will be the death knell of liberal democracy in the country. Netanyahu’s impulsive dismissal of Gallant sparked massive protests throughout Israel within minutes. Whatsapp mobilized the nation.  Everything came to a standstill. The last 24 hours in Israel have been as dramatic as any in its 75 year history. The country is paralyzed by protests. The main international airport, factories, ports, shops, universities, everything is shut down. A national strike has been called and is supported by Israelis across the political spectrum. This is about preserving democracy and preventing the dictatorial regime that Netanyahu and his coalition partners are determined to impose. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets last night and the protests have yet to subside. Israel may well be on the brink of civil war.

Vivian Bercovici was on the streets of Tel Aviv until 2 am today and helps us understand what is really going down. General Noam Tibon (res.) joins her to discuss what has transpired….they met on Sunday, midday, when things were looking somewhat positive. And then…..KABOOM!

Fleur Hassan-Nahum, loyal Likud member and Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem explains how she reconciles her identity as a liberal democratic Israeli with the current focus of her party – and the coalition government – on what many consider to be legislatives reforms that will destroy Israel’s independent judiciary – and liberal democracy. A self-described consensus builder and pragmatist, she quite openly discusses the shortcomings of the rollout of the proposed reforms but is adamant that they are necessary. It is a position that I can neither understand nor accept; but our exchange is a polite reflection of what takes place constantly, these days, all over Israel.  

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If you missed Episode 7, you can find it below.

State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Avi Issacharoff has a lot to say these days. The co-creator of the Netflix hit series Fauda has been focused in recent years on his hugely successful career in television drama. On May 19, he debuts a new docu-drama on Showtime – a four part series about the notorious terrorist Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in 2008 in a joint CIA-Mossad operation in Damascus. And then there’s the here and now.  Like so many Israelis, in recent months Avi has become deeply involved in the protest movement against the proposed legal reforms of the country’s hard – some say extreme – right wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And Avi has harsh words for the PM himself. He speaks openly about what he considers to be the racism of certain political leaders, looking down upon Mizrachi Jews - like him - with contempt. He minces no words, including Netanyahu and his Ashkenaz colleagues in a searing indictment. They posture as being the saviours of the Mizrachim, he charges, yet who are they to represent me? Man oh man, is he ever angry about that. And so much more. Mild-mannered by nature, Avi’s got that middle eastern “charif” quality – a hot streak - too and is not at all shy about expressing his strong views. This is a fascinating, no-holds-barred conversation, where the depth of the artist is on full display - as is his passion for life and Israel.

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Last night and today, Israel marks Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Throughout the country, there are small ceremonies where survivors, or their children, speak of their experiences. People gather in neighborhood parks, at schools. There are also grand state ceremonies, reinforcing the importance of this singular mass murder to the Israeli identity and nation.

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Gali Mir Tibon, a former educator cum historian and writer who has written extensively on the unique and little known exceptionalism of how the Holocaust unfolded so differently in Romania from all other European countries. The story of the 750,000 Romanian Jews – half of whom survived the war – has been overshadowed by the focus on what transpired in Poland, Hungary, present-day Ukraine and in the network of work and murder camps throughout the Third Reich. One of the likely explanations for this is that there were no direct train transports of Jews from Romania to the camps. They were intended to have been sent to Belzec for mass murder but were spared by an astonishing sequence of events.

Gali Mir Tibon shares some fascinating stories, previously untold, of circumstance, luck and heroism. And I weave in relevant anecdotes from my own experience of growing up with my father, also a survivor from Romania. With the opening of historical archives, and the distance of time, we are just beginning to understand the scope of what happened in those horrific years.

In remembrance of all those who perished and those who survived.

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Tonight, at sundown, Israel makes the jarring transition from a day of mourning the 24,213 soldiers who have fallen in action and 4,255 civilians killed in terror attacks. It is a deeply sombre day. Every single person in this country has lost someone close. War and loss are not abstract concepts from a previous century. They are raw and very real. As the mourning ends the celebrations begin. The miracle of Jewish nationhood is a fact that no one takes for granted, especially not this year. STLV speaks with two very feisty guys – Dov Zigler and Prof. Neil Rogachevsky – authors of an important and timely book: “Israel’s Declaration of Independence: The History and Political Theory of the Nation’s Founding Moment”, which focuses on the three weeks leading up to the moment when David Ben Gurion declared Israel to be an independent state. The back-story: political machinations; competing factions; the threat of a multi front war with no weapon supply – all these dramatic elements are brought to life by these skillful writers and raconteurs. This is historical story telling at its best and it’s wild to think that in the midst of all the crises coming at him that Ben Gurion only had a few hours to focus on this founding document; the meaning of which we parse and argue about to this day. And, especially this year, as the state of Israel grapples domestically with its basic national values.

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Today we get into the weeds of what goes down on a typical night of protest in the State of Tel Aviv, and Beyond. Our host, Vivian Bercovici, takes us with her with sound, street interviews and narrative – to the streets where 150,000 protest every Saturday night in the heart of Israel. Tel Aviv. Vivian speaks with quiet religious protesters who hold signs every week saying – “we’re brothers” – a bromide that most demonstrators do not embrace. And we hear a lot from one of them. She takes us with her to a police station in south Tel Aviv late that night where eight protesters who have been arrested are being detained and speaks to one of the activists who oversees that they are represented by legal counsel and supported in every way possible. And we finish up the following morning in a Tel Aviv courtroom, where the state intends to detain one man in custody. But he is set free because the judge finds there is no legal basis supporting the state’s position. In the meantime, the man, Omer, has spent a night in a prison cell with four Palestinian men in Israel illegally. This episode brings you the facts. No editorializing. April 15-16 on the streets in the State of Tel Aviv, and Beyond.

I sat down with top Israeli journalist Attila Somfalvi last week to catch up on his big picture thoughts. Where are we headed in Israel with all this political dysfunction, security urgencies? Social division? This guy never flags, but he was very candid in saying, off the top, that after 20 years of covering politics in Israel he is worried and anxious. He is also, however, optimistic, because even though the more liberal slice of Israeli society is smaller in number, as he explains it, the much larger and less liberal population – which tends to be religious – cannot survive, literally, without the former. And so, there is this unusual paradox – for a democracy, anyways – where the smaller demographic may have more significant sway. Why? Because they carry the state financially and in terms of security. They quite literally do the heavy lifting. The ultra-orthodox community may say that their religious devotion is what saves Israel but when the rubber hits the road they know it’s the IDF. In this context, Attila analyzes Netanyahu’s downward spiral as Benny Gantz ascends, quietly. There’s no hare in this race…..just two battle-hardened tortoises. But, in the end, Israelis trust no one more than a field-tested General. Blue-eyed Benny fits the bill. One of Israel’s leading journalists, Attila Somfalvi is everywhere:  Ynet TV anchor and political analyst; host of Barrricade – an independently produced political podcast, popular event speaker and great writer – as you will see in the pages of State of Tel Aviv.

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After 7 years as Editor-in-Chief of the Jerusalem Post newspaper, Yakov Katz put out his final edition at the end of March. And before that, he served for two years as a senior aide to then Minister Naftali Bennett. Katz discusses his “awakening” and experience after seeing the backrooms of Israeli politics at the top, and the moment when PM Bennett called to tell him that he finally saw the “real” Benjamin Netanyahu. He shares his insights into the challenges of dragging legacy media into the digital age, the extreme nature of political discourse in Israel and the quite dangerous precipice on which the country perches, at the moment. It’s a freewheeling chat and Katz’s irrepressible energy is infectious. He speaks very quickly… be prepared to listen!

Approximately 1.3-million of Israel’s 9-million citizens are ultra orthodox, or, haredim. They have large families and the men overwhelmingly choose to study religious texts full time rather than work. The state provides them with living and other stipends that perpetuate entrenched cycles of poverty, which the haredim seem to embrace. Problem is, the tax-paying, general population is not growing as quickly, meaning that such state largesse is not sustainable. A severe economic crisis is imminent but haredi political and rabbinic leaders and their communities seem oblivious. Their calling, they think, is a higher one; to protect the Jewish people through their piety. Most Israelis disagree. As does haredi educator Menachem Bombach. He is determined to demonstrate to haredim that it is not only necessary that they work to support their families but that there is great honor in doing so. His network of schools teaching haredi boys core subjects like English and Math, is revolutionary among haredim and making waves. Big waves. Bombach hopes that the waves are soon a tsunami, transforming Israeli society for the better. We speak at length in today’s episode with the brilliant and inspiring Rabbi Menachem Bombach.

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A week ago, a major IDF operation began in the northern West Bank Town of Jenin, which has long been a hub of terror operations. In recent years both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad – both proxies of Iran – have become entrenched in the densely packed urban warrens of the refugee camp in the city of approximately 50,000. IDF special forces uncovered huge weapons caches being warehoused in underground caverns and arrested many. Twelve terrorists were killed in the two day operation. As always, international condemnation was swift and unequivocal, hammering Israel. Nothing new there. What the Jenin operation really accomplished was to fill a vacuum left by the Palestinian Security forces that had pretty much abandoned any enforcement efforts in the city. Israel has now put all on notice that it will step in to manage and curtail terrorist freedom. As Katz points out, such an operation is by no means an “end” in and of itself and must be considered in a much broader context, which he lays out in his usual clear and lively style. Have a listen.

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We speak with Carrie Keller-Lynn, political reporter with Times of Israel who was at the major protests – at Ben Gurion airport and in central Tel Aviv. Cops are getting tougher and Israelis angrier. President Biden even jumped into the fray. And PM Netanyahu? He’s AWOL.

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On Monday or Tuesday the coalition government led by PM Benjamin Netanyahu seems determined to pass into law the Reasonableness Bill, which will mark the first concrete change to the judicial system which many fear is just the beginning. Key ministers in the government have been unwavering in their commitment to push the whole reform package through in stages, introducing change that many are convinced heralds the end of liberal democracy in the country. Vivian Bercovici speaks with Professor Shany on the various issues of concern and why so many Israelis are deeply alarmed.

For more on what went down in Israel over he weekend have a look at our “24 Hours of Israel in Fact and Viral Video”. It’s a tour de force of an intense weekend of protest, counter protest and a war of viral videos.

State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Wednesday evening marked the onset of one of the most solemn days in the Jewish calendar;  the destruction of the First and Second Temples, which ended two brief periods of Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel millenia ago. Many Israelis fear that we are on the verge of witnessing the fall of what we call the Third Temple Era, the 75 years since the state of Israel came to exist. The timing of this national crisis is mind-blowing.

Professor Gideon Rahat explains the present chaos in Israel as a conflict between Israelis and Jews. Israel was created on May 14, 1948, when David Ben Gurion read the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the establishment of a Jewish state that would uphold values of equality, freedom and justice, regardless of faith or ethnicity. In the decades since, the ultra-orthodox and other extremist constituencies have grown and they all mistrust the state and its institutions, deeply. The coalition government is held together by a deep hatred of various aspects of Israel – like an independent judiciary. Many would prefer a state in which Jewish religious law prevails over secular state law and authority. It’s as foundational a clash of values as is possible. We explore this unceasing quake that is roiling Israeli society, the economy and the security apparatus, and taking the country to the brink.

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In this first part of a series, Professor Karnit Flug, Governor of the Bank of Israel from 2013-18, takes us on a tour de force, analyzing the impact of the judicial reform overhaul program on the economy in Israel. She is currently VP Research at Israel Democracy Institute and Professor at Hebrew University. Flug has a unique perspective, having worked at the Bank of Israel for close to 30 years. Throughout her career she worked closely with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and shares her candid insights as to how the man has changed over the decades. She no longer recognizes the once thoughtful, rational Bibi who always made decisions – even if one disagreed – in the best interest of the state and on a rational basis. We touch briefly on her career arc at the outset – which is extraordinary for a woman in the male-dominated field of economics, and go on to cover so much, including the very sensitive topic of ultra-orthodox demands for increased economic entitlements. Professor Flug is extremely worried about what the future will bring. This first discussion was on July 20, just days before the Reasonableness Law was passed in the Knesset, setting off more fierce and widespread protests throughout Israel. Everything in Israel is uncertain now and markets do not respond well to uncertainty. It shows – in a weakened shekel and so much more. We get into US-Israel relations, the whole nine yards.

I suggest you take the time to read an article published on our website, stateoftelaviv.com, on November 15, 2022, entitled: “Fat Man, Thin Man. Will Netanyahu Upend his Economic Legacy?” The piece provides important background and is a really fascinating read. We’ve removed the paywall for a limited time for our listeners.

State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In this second part of our discussion with Professor Karnit Flug, former Governor of the Bank of Israel (2013-18) and currently Vice President of Research at Israel Democracy Institute and a professor at Hebrew University, we discuss the reaction of Wall Street and others to the passage in the Knesset of the Reasonableness Law on July 24. I spoke with Professor Flug on August 6, after she had an opportunity to assess the initial reactions and speculate as to what may follow. She is hoping that the coalition government not only pauses this very damaging judicial reform but that it totally changes its approach, before it’s too late. Not only is there a serious and negative economic impact but many people are pulling up stakes and leaving Israel or not returning from academic and other positions abroad. Listen up, PM Netanyahu!

Today we get into the the coming showdown between the IDF and the extremist coalition government led by PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Last Friday, 169 senior, former defense and security professionals, placed a full page ad in a major Israeli newspaper, calling on the government to halt the judicial reform in order to further damage Israel’s preparedness for war or any form of regional conflict. They are not blowing smoke. Repeated assessments indicate that Israel’s security situation is dire. The instability caused by the judicial reform initiative is exacerbating matters to the point that the country’s security may be in serious danger. (Ret.) Lt. Col. Peter Lerner chats with State of Tel Aviv to unpack how unprecedented such a public statement is and what it all means.

Among the many consequences being discussed relating to the coalition government’s judicial reform initiative is the fact that this significant policy shift exposes many senior Israeli defense, security and political leaders to criminal prosecution at the International Criminal Court. Expert Israeli international lawyer, Daniel Reisner, explains why the concern is real and even gets into one case where such an arrest was imminent but thwarted at the last minute. “The intention is out there and the potential for catastrophe is there…But anyone saying that there is no legal risk is just plainly wrong.” To date, the robustness of the Israeli judicial system – in terms of independence and sophistication – has served as a degree of “defense” for those who may be vulnerable. Supporters of judicial reform – including the Kohelet Policy Forum – seem intent on discrediting this assertion as being baseless. If the world spun on an axis of true openness and equality, that might be so, because on a purely legal academic basis, the ICC has no jurisdiction with respect to such matters. But everything is political and imperfect, including the ICC.

 Tune in for this lively and informative discussion.

Father of three daughters, husband, former elite combat reservist and top tier employment law lawyer, Yaron Kramer has also taken on the role of near full-time activist since January, 2023. He was among the founders of the grassroots protest organization – Brothers and Sisters in Arms – who recognized early on that the judicial reform agenda of the coalition government in Israel was an assault on liberal democracy.

I have been meeting and speaking with Kramer – as everyone calls him – since the early days. In fact, he was among the organizers of the very controversial and attention-grabbing barricade of the Jerusalem offices of Kohelet Policy Forum. We covered that event in depth in podcast episode 5.

Since those early days – when Kramer spoke of the urgency of the moment and the need to be “creative” and push the envelope – things have only gained momentum. Kramer reflects on the past 8 months and is girded for even more intense domestic conflict in the near future. But he – like so many Israelis – will not be discouraged. These are some of the bravest, fiercest and most resourceful warriors, anywhere. And they are turning their talents to saving liberal democracy in Israel.

“Let’s say the truth,” says Kramer. “Netanyahu is weak. Netanyahu is not healthy. Everybody can see it.”

I spoke with Kramer just before he left for a long August vacation with his family. He was in a reflective mood, but fiery. This conversation is a fascinating peek inside the mindset of a top leader of the civilian protest movement opposing judicial reform in Israel. His depth, passion and determination will impress, even if you do not agree.

And me? I’m hiding out here, somewhere north of Toronto. Most beautiful place in the world in August. Enjoy the last of summer!

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Jason Greenblatt is one of those people who found himself in the right place at the right time and seized the moment. Having worked closely with Donald Trump as his in-house commercial real estate lawyer, he jumped at the opportunity to serve President Trump in the White House as a special adviser. Along with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner and long-time lawyer, David Friedman, Greenblatt was engaged intensively in negotiating the breakthrough Abraham Accords; the Agreements that demonstrated that middle east peace was multi-faceted and did not require a final resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. With a front row seat in the capitals of the region for close to three years, Greenblatt – with his colleagues – achieved an agreement which changed the geopolitical reality of the middle east. Additional countries have since joined the original group and there will surely be more to follow. The benefit to the region – which has an enormous market bloc and diversified economy – positions the middle east to emerge in ways similar to the EU. Greenblatt talks about the “real” Donald Trump, who he admires as a leader and boss, the good days, the bad days and conjectures as to what may come. A brilliant speaker and deep thinker, time listening to Jason Greenblatt just flies by. Enjoy.

Tomorrow morning, the Israeli Supreme Court will convene to hear what may be its most important case ever. The coalition government led by PM Benjamin Netanyahu passed a law on July 24 that eviscerates the power of the Court to review a broad class of government decisions. Many Israelis believe that this unprecedented government action will erode democracy, as there are no other checks or balances on the actions of the Knesset. The government takes the position that it can act as it sees appropriate in light of the fact that it controls a majority of the Knesset. This constitutional crisis – in a country with no formal constitution, paradoxically – has wreaked havoc in Israel since January and is likely to escalate following this momentous hearing. Speaking with State of Tel Aviv to explain the layers of complexity – and why the coalition government is so determined to prevail – is Professor Yaniv Roznai, a constitutional law expert at Reichman University who has been deeply involved in these issues throughout. This podcast gets into the guts of the legal issues and what may lie ahead.

In the summer of 1978, Bracha Goetz – a Harvard graduate who had just completed her first year of medical school – flew to Israel for a six week working stint at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. After two weeks, she had left medicine and was studying orthodox Judaism full-time in a women’s seminary. I met Bracha in the summer of ’85,  living in a trailer in a West Bank settlement, managing four young children and already a prolific author of children’s books. Having had no contact for close to 40 years, we spoke recently; about her views on spirituality, Judaism, the ethics of West Bank settlements and the particularly challenging period in Israel today. And no, she did not return to Medical School. One of the most moving – and entertaining – parts of our conversation is when she relives that phone call; when she told her mother and father that she was changing her life course. Very dramatically. And not returning to America. Bracha’s wild ride in life – especially with spirituality and Judaism – is particularly interesting to hear and contemplate in these days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.

Bracha Goetz is the Harvard-educated author of 41 Jewish children's books and a candid memoir for adults, Nourish the Soul, about her journey to becoming Torah observant.  You can meet her books at www.goetzbookshop.com.

Ziv Koren Is a peerless photojournalist in Israel and a global brand and name. Over the past 30-plus years he has cultivated unparalleled access into the private lives of prime ministers and been allowed to photograph some of Israel’s most highly trained and secretive counter-terrorism units in training. He covers global events – most recently the early Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians in that brutal and ongoing war. Koren has a brilliant eye as well as a detective’s instinct – sensing where that special angle may be – metaphorically and literally. In this episode we discuss some of his more memorable photos and moments in the field: with Bibi and Benzion Netanyahu at home playing chess, at an art gallery with Ariel Sharon, and an early and particularly brutal suicide bombing of a civilian bus in 1994 in central Tel Aviv, which shook him to his core and still does today. His photos from the scene also catapulted him from a talented young photojournalist to a global star, overnight. Koren is a master storyteller in words and images and we are fortunate to have a two-part podcast series exploring his oeuvre and the thoughts and stories behind the work. Each podcast will be followed by a photo essay of the images discussed in the episode. In Part I we focus on how he fell into his career by chance, covering terrorism, the West Bank and Gaza, Israeli leaders – up close and personal – and key world events. And then there are just the beautiful snaps. Cuz. Enjoy the audio and visual…..coming soon.

Ziv Koren has been a professional photojournalist for over 30 years.

His photojournalism and documentary projects focus mainly on humanitarian issues in Israel and around the world. Koren has covered some of the most dramatic events in the world and is considered to be one of the leading documentary photographers in our time. 

His award-winning photographs have been included in many solo and group exhibitions worldwide and have been featured in Time Magazine, Newsweek, the New York Times Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, Stern, Der Spiegel, Paris Match, Le Figaro, Corriere Della Sera Magazine and others. 

In 1995, Koren’s 1994 photograph of an exploded Israeli bus was selected as one of 200 most important images in the last 45 years by World Press Photo. He is also the frequent recipient of prestigious prizes such as the "Photo District News Award" (4 times), "Yann Geffroy Award", "International Colour Award" (twice) and "Picture of the Year" – POYi (twice). 

Koren was the subject of the documentary film "More Than 1000 Words" which was widely screened at film festivals around the world, garnering a dozen awards. He regularly lectures at workshops and universi- ties worldwide. He has published 22 photography books to date.

“There’s a feeling in the air that the country is on the line.”

Today we speak with Ya’akov Katz, military affairs and political expert, author, and former editor of The Jerusalem Post. He is brilliant and distills the last day and a half of indescribable horror in Israel for us: morale, terror, intelligence and military failures and the incomprehensible savagery of Hamas terrorists. This first pod is without a paywall. Going forward the podcast – which will be very frequent as this complex and ongoing situation develops – will be accessible to paying subscribers only. We’re not sleeping and like to think we are doing worthwhile work. It takes resources. Please support us.

Huge thanks to my awesome editor and general tech wiz – Amir White, graphics, marketing and so many other things guru – Ioan Szabo, and the amazing Blake Flayton – social media guy and then some. For those of you in Israel – I hope you and your loved ones are safe. Horrific beyond belief.

Sorry for the not awesome sound quality today – it’s all my fault. Boomer Luddite. But Amir will whip me into shape in no time.

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We’re doing our best to deliver timely reports and with a candor that you will not hear on MSM. We are also scrambling as our team is working under very trying circumstances. So please excuse any editing that isn’t up to our usual studio standard. This is war.

We have Ya’akov Katz back today to brief us on the military situation on the ground in Israel and fill us in as to how civilians there are managing. Most touching moment was when he shared with me that his daughter – who serves in a combat unit and is currently in the south – is okay. They facetimed briefly so that Ya’akov could bless her with the weekly shabbat prayer that fathers do for all children. Please, please, he wept quietly as he blessed her, let our children be safe.

No paywall today. Please share widely and sign up if you value what we’re delivering. Shabbat Shalom. Weird to write that. Impossible to understand that it has been a week, tomorrow,, since the Gates of Hell opened up on Israeli babies, children, mothers, elderly, fathers.

As French President Emmanuel Macron so aptly stated: “There are no ‘buts’ anymore...”

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War in Israel, Day 9, Sunday, October 15th, 2023. We speak today with Hadar Green, 25 years old, woke up on Saturday, October 7th, early in the morning to a massive attack and bombardment of Israeli civilians. Hadar was to be married the following day. Listen to his harrowing story of that day and the week that has followed.

State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In today's episode of State of Tel Aviv and Beyond, our guest is Dr. Michael Halbertal, the CEO of Rambam Hospital in Haifa. We discuss the challenging circumstances in Israel over the past 11 days, marked by a surge in casualties and horrific incidents, including the injuries and death of infants and children. Dr. Halbert reflects on the emotional toll and the close-knit community in Israel that makes these events deeply personal. He describes the remarkable and innovative transformation of Rambam Hospital into a fortified underground facility, highlighting the hospital’s commitment to providing medical care to citizens in any scenario. We touch on the rapid preparations for potential conflict and the hospital's ability to withstand unconventional warfare, ensuring self-sufficiency for days in various aspects, including electricity, water, food, and medical resources.

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Ruben is a 25 year-old-university student who woke up on Saturday, October 7 and by late afternoon had reported to a makeshift base set up in a school in southern Israel. Since then, this reservist serving in the IDF Home Front Command, has been providing civilian relief and rescue after missiles strike, assisting people trapped in rubble, ensuring funerals may proceed safely. He also talks about his friend, Noa Argamani, who was abducted and taken hostage by Hamas terrorists as she screamed. Ruben talks about her and his support of her family. The story of another quiet hero.

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Iraqi Lebanese American, journalist and foreign policy specialist at DC-based think tank Federation for Defense of Democracies, Hussain spent his first 20+ years living in Saddam Hussein's Iraq and Lebanon. He explains the different "camps" in the very diverse Arab world and exposes Hamas. Hizballah. Iran. For the death cults they are. We discuss this war on the west, on Israel, on Jews and the dangerously uninformed activists demonstrating in support of Hamas in western countries. We need unity. Clarity. And fortitude. These extremists neither fear death nor do they value life. Not even Palestinian life. Or hostages. Hussain is one of the most reasonable, principled, informed and authoritative voices out there.

He must be heard. Now. 

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When war broke out in Israel on October 7th, Moti Jungreis wasted no time in getting on a plane so that he could assist in the massive civilian relief and support effort. A former investment banker based in Toronto, Jungreis has split his time between Israel and Canada in recent years.

He spent today, Monday, harvesting fruit in farmer's fields just outside the closed military zone in southern Israel, adjacent to the Gaza Strip. And he has been doing so much more over the last two weeks. In the midst of the carnage and horror, it is people like Moti Jungreis who exemplify the Israeli spirit and allow us to hope.

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In this episode we speak with Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, IDF spokesperson, discussing the ongoing conflict in Gaza. We talk about the recent release of two elderly female Israeli hostages by Hamas and the need to understand the psychological manipulation employed by Hamas regarding hostages. Hamas had meticulously planned and executed the hostage-taking operation to gain political leverage. Hamas' strategic aim was to delay Israel's ground maneuver in Gaza. Future releases and video executions as tactics employed by Hamas are still on the table. Israel's commitments are twofold: to dismantle Hamas militarily and administratively and to bring all its people home. Conricus acknowledges the challenges but stresses Israel's determination to achieve these goals.

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Jacqui Rivers Vital was in Ottawa visiting her family when she learned of the carnage unfolding in Israel on October 7. Her daughter, Adi Vital-Kaploun lived on a kibbutz on the border with Gaza with her husband and two young children. A second daughter lived on another kibbutz in the area. Her husband was visiting with Adi. Jacqui tells STLV in detail about the nightmare she faced to unravel the barbarism that befell her family, in real time; the murder of Adi and the Hamas exploitation of her 3-year-old grandson in a propaganda video. And more. And then there is the unfathomable absence of the Government of Canada, starting at the top, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly. Only Canada’s storied RCMP – the police force in the iconic red serge uniforms – supported and helped Jacqui. If you want to skip to the policy and conduct of the Canadian government, start at 23:20,  more or less. But you really should listen to the whole thing. It is an unfathomable story. The world must not turn away. Thank you, Jacqui, for sharing it with us.

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Prof. Uzi Rabi, Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University is one of the top global experts on middle east geopolitics and Arab culture, in every sense. Rabi is constantly on international and Israeli TV these days, explaining the phenomenon of “progressives” in the west embracing the savage Hamas terrorist movement and all it stands for. And make no mistake, Hamas is an anti-zionist and deeply anti-semitic movement. It is also anti-western; particularly hostile to the “woke” values and ideas promoted by its western supporters. After Hamas has made swift business of Israel and Jews it will turn its sights on infidels everywhere, but particularly in the west. And first in line will be the “progressives” so ardently championing their murderous cases today. Dr. Rabi explains this tangled mess brilliantly and finally, turns to ask the world: “America sent half its army around the world to find and hunt Osama Bin Laden. Why should Israel not do the same?”

Why, he is really asking, is there always a reluctance to allow Jews to defend themselves?

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The day began with the release of a Hamas video featuring three female Israeli hostages, calculated to torment the Israeli public. Psychological warfare. Then. As the nation waited for a press conference to be held by the families of hostages, incredible news broke. Live. Of the IDF rescue of a female soldier the night before. A glimmer of light in a very dark time. IDF spokesperson (res) Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus gives us the full report and analysis on that and more. 

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For Eli Beer, October 7 never ends. Eli personifies courage and power and principle and drive. Yet he looks and sounds broken. Listen to his voice; a whisper of what it was a month ago. His NGO, United Hatzalah, is a Jerusalem-based organization with more than 15,000 volunteers including trained medics, of all religions and ethnicities, who value human life. On Saturday, October 7, only United Hatzalah volunteers travelled deep into the heart of darkness, the area in southern Israel where thousands of Hamas terrorists went on a savage spree, torturing, raping, sodomizing, decapitating, dismembering, burning to death – any civilian or soldier who they came upon. This is the story of the heroism of Eli Beer and his civilian volunteers who went into this Hell to save anyone they could. Meeting last week with a group of Republican Jewish leaders in the United States, Eli disclosed for the first time one of the more macabre incidents of October 7 – when his people found the charred body of a baby who had been put in an oven and baked to death. I did not have the heart to ask him to repeat that horror today, but you should know. You should know everything. We all should. It is our duty as civilized beings. We do. Oy have the luxury of looking away. Saying: “I didn’t know.” Because this war on the Jews is just the beginning. Hamas and its allies – Iran, Hizballah, Houthis and more – have the same plans for all infidels. Everywhere. Eli also has some choice words for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has distinguished himself throughout this crisis as a man peculiarly detached from this attack on Israel and Jewish people everywhere, including in Canada. I have seen much and spoken with many. This interview with Eli was among the most difficult I have done. Please listen. It's the least we can do.

Below is a link to an article I wrote in March, 2022, for the National Post newspaper in Canada immediately following a United Hatzalah mission in which I participated to support Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. It helps you to understand what exceptional work United Hatzalah does. Not just in Israel and not just for Jews.

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We speak with Ya’akov Katz - military analyst, author and former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post -  for his signature trenchant analysis of the impossible dilemma that the IDF faces in the Gaza Strip. How will It deal with al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City; the largest in the Gaza Strip which also sits atop Hamas’ main subterranean HQ and operational hub? And those humanitarian pauses? Is it an endless game of moving civilians from one place to another in order to flush out the terrorist infrastructure entrenched underground? And. The hostages. Since speaking with Katz yesterday IDF has confirmed that a 19-year-old female hostage, an IDF soldier, was executed. We have also learned that an Israeli woman taken hostage on October 7 has given birth. Which means that we are holding at 240. And always, a torrent of fresh details about the incomprehensible savagery and sadism of HamasISIS. We end with a quick assessment of the low-boil conflict in northern Israel with Hizballah, which could erupt into full-blown war at any moment. As always, Katz brings clarity and deep knowledge to his analysis, which is why we keep inviting him back to the pod!

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Speaking with journalist and political analyst Haviv Rettig Gur is always a journey. He begins by sharing his family's personal experience with supporting a family in which many members were taken hostage. Some have been released. Some remain. Some were murdered on Oct. 7. Haviv explains the impossible, how this trauma is at once uplifting and devastating. Nothing in life is familiar. But Rettig Gur is a pragmatic optimist. He lauds the way in which the IDF has earned back so much trust from the Israeli population, in spite of its appalling dereliction of duty on October 7. He sees an unwavering resolve among the population that is unprecedented; to destroy Hamas’ military capability and liberate every single hostage. The captives are a double-edged sword, he explains: at once tearing the nation apart and bringing people together in common purpose. And then there’s the government led by PM Netanyahu, which is disgraced and detested. Yet the military must work with and defer to the civilian leadership, a bizarre and challenging situation. Israel can and will withstand international pressure and anything else that is thrown at us, he insists. Hamas’ evil has ensured that we will stay the course. Haviv Rettig Gur's ever eloquent telling of such difficult, painful realities always adds clarity and hope to how we see the present day madness.

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Beginning today, State of Tel Aviv brings you a weekly podcast feature: a look at the week past and what may be coming. Each Sunday, host Vivian Bercovici will speak with Ya’akov Katz, fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, former editor in chief of The Jerusalem Post, military and political expert, serial book writer and one of the liveliest story tellers around. Viv and Ya’akov will do their best to make sense of the heightened intensity that has seized Israel since October 7. They bring humor, as appropriate, and deep knowledge not only of Israel but the foreign policy, diplomatic, political and journalistic communities that wield outsized influence in the middle east. Today, they discuss the difficulty of how to “live” in a time of war and psychological agony, reflected in the hostage situation; the death last week of General Gadi Eisenkot’s son in battle in the Gaza Strip; the surrender of thousands of Hamas terrorists and the controversial photographs that hit the front pages of papers around the world; and a look ahead at what the coming days may bring. State of Tel Aviv will continue to publish in-depth podcasts on a regular basis but In these particularly tense times thought that a regular “check-in” would be appreciated by our listeners and supporters. Thanks for listening.

On Thursday evening, I spoke with Aviva Klompas, an extraordinary Jewish activist, educator and writer who has distinguished herself on social media since October 7. From the moment the horror began to unfold, Aviva posted constantly with information and updates on the incomprehensible evil that befell Israel; the savage Hamas attacks and the grief left in their wake, that we are just beginning to comprehend. An accomplished writer with a keen eye for detail. Aviva crafts vignettes and stories, distiling them to their essence. Each one is important testimony for the future. Aviva  has developed an important historical record, piece by piece, chronicling what we all learned, in real time, focusing always on the hostages and their families. She speaks as powerfully as she writes. I could listen to her all day. The discussion is framed by my observations and thoughts from my multiple visits over the last week to “Hostage Square” in central Tel Aviv, where I went last night for the lighting of the menorah, for the final night.

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Aviva Klompas is the co-founder and CEO of Boundless, a non-profit organization focusing on countering online antisemitism, boundlessisrael.org. A Toronto native, she resides in Boston and has deep experience in Israel-related advocacy and served as chief speechwriter for former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor.

This is the second instalment of our new Sunday feature: a quick, sharp focus on what went down in the past week and what's coming. Now clocking 72 days in captivity, the hostage crisis dominated the national psyche. The inadvertent killing by the IDF of three hostages who had escaped and were waving a white flag sent Israel reeling with intense shock, grief and disbelief. Their capture is why the war started and the nation is united about this and only this: Bring Them Home. NOW. I discuss this development with regular co-host, Ya'akov Katz. Former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, military, security and political expert and engaging raconteur. What happened and where are we going?

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In this episode, our Christmas Special, State of Tel Aviv brings you a “twofer”; interviews with two of this podcast’s favorite voices. IDF Spokesperson, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus and Ya’akov Katz, former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, security political analyst, share their thoughts on the challenges of urban warfare in the Gaza Strip and the continuing toll that the hostage crisis takes on all of Israel. We also get into the extreme tension and constant hostilities on the northern front with Hizballah. More than 100,000 Israeli civilians have been evacuated from the north and have no idea as to if or when they will be able to return. Since October 7 there has been ongoing fire from Hizballah, which Israel returns. It is a spark away from becoming a raging battle. And Hizballah is much better trained and fighting with a bigger arsenal of significantly more sophisticated and harmful weapons. Katz, in particular, is concerned that the failures of military intelligence and strategy that were so apparent in the south may also be prevalent in the north. We begin with Lt. Col Conricus. The Katz interview starts at 16:28. I wanted to leave you with some brain food for the coming week. We will be slowing down until just after New Year’s Day. A print piece or two may drop. But otherwise we’ll lie low. Thanks again for supporting State of Tel Aviv. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas (it is Christmas Day, after all) if you celebrate. And Happy New Year to all.

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Earlier today, I spoke with Ya’akov Katz, former editor of The Jerusalem Post for our regular Sunday morning check in and review of highlights of the previous week. We touch on the possibility of renewed negotiations for the release of the hostages, for whom time is running out. They have been kept in dreadful conditions, received very little food, water and no medical care or hygienic supplies. The hostage plight continues to gut the nation and try the families, unbearably. We then look at the northern front, where Hizballah has been attacking Israel more aggressively in recent days and the possibility of all-out war erupting looms. We wrap with the increasing political tensions which are coming to a boil and even prompted President Isaac Herzog to implore in a television address last Sunday for the politicking to stop. Of course, things just heated up more after his plea, and Ya’akov became involved in one particular skirmish involving former PM Naftali Bennett, who finished off the year with a spectacular own goal. Which Katz called. We look ahead with trepidation but the storied resolve that you just grow here after a while. Like a second skin. Happy New Year from the State of Tel Aviv. See you on the other side in 2024!

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We speak at length today with Meirav Leshem Gonen, whose 23-year-old daughter, Romi, has been held hostage by Hamas for three months. Romi’s four siblings and parents know little of her condition or treatment and have had no sign of life for almost 40 days. They do know that when captured she was badly injured. Reports from hostages released at Day 57 confirmed that her condition had deteriorated and that she was not receiving medical care. Until then, Romi had been kept deep underground, in the dark, dank, airless tunnel system and her family is deeply worried that time is running out, for her and all the hostages. Raw and searingly honest, Meirav has spent every moment since the nightmare began advocating for the release of all captives. For the last half hour of Romi’s freedom, Meirav was on the phone with her, hearing the carnage and violence, live. Romi’s near escape ended just before 11 am on October 7th. It’s a journey of impossible faith, distress and hope. No one is prepared for such an incomprehensible ordeal. Meirav’s strength of character and is remarkable. And heartbreaking. We will soon bring you a podcast interview with Romi’s father, Eitan Gonen.

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We cover a lot of ground in our chat today with Ya’akov Katz. Starting in Gaza, we discuss the change in military strategy that the IDF is using there. Meanwhile, the northern front heats up and concern is rising that war could erupt there any moment. And we finally get into the extreme societal fissures that have been left to fester in the name of “unity.” But the lid is blowing off the pot. And the politicking is getting very ugly. Very quickly. A tour de force with Yaakov’s always brilliant insights. 

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For 96 days now, Eitan Gonen has been in constant agony as he waits, and waits, for his beautiful, effervescent, 23-year-old daughter, Romi, to be freed from Hamas captivity. Last Saturday, we dropped a podcast episode focusing on our conversation with Romi’s mother, Meirav Leshem Gonen. Previously married to Eitan, the couple has five children together, ranging in age from 16 to 30. Romi, her father likes to say, is the sandwich. Right in the middle. Like Meirav, Eitan was on the phone with Romi for much of the time – four and a half interminable hours – when she and her best friend, Gaia, tried desperately to escape the Hamas savages on October 7th. At one point, Eitan told Romi to try to get to Be’eri, unaware that the kibbutz was overrun with terrorists who totally destroyed the community. Ultimately, Romi was captured and as far as the family knows is alive with a seriously wounded hand and kept in the tunnels. Eitan shares his fears, hopes and refusal to despair. This baring of their darkest moments in life by Romi’s father and mother is extraordinary and the two podcasts really should be listened to as companion narratives of a family navigating the unimaginable. A testament to life, love and hope. Eitan tells us about the restaurant in Tel Aviv where Romi works as a waitress. It’s called “Chez Vivie” and a table has been set on the patio for Romi, with her photo, waiting for her return. We all wait for Romi’s return, along with all 139 hostages still in Hamas hell.

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Ya’akov and I discuss a few of the hot issues that dominated the last week in Israel. Today marks 100 days since the 139 hostages still in Hamas captivity were taken. Their survival is so imperiled, having been held in horrific conditions, denied medical care, starved and subjected to all manner of abuse and torture. The crisis is absolutely gutting Israel and leadership seems resistant to understand how dire this is. For the hostages themselves and the health of the nation. We then move on to the hearing that began on Thursday at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, brought by South Africa, which levels the charge that Israel is committing genocide. And from there we wrap up by taking a look at PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to sideline repeated, dire warnings from the Shin Bet domestic security force regarding the imminent danger of increased violence in the West Bank. Surreal times. Even for Israel.

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Four years ago Visegrad24 started out as a Twitter account intending to provide a version of current events in Poland and the region that offered a different perspective; one that did not parrot what its founders considered to be an overly left-wing point of view that they felt was pervasive in news coverage. The initial focus of these two young brothers – repatriated Polish lads from an émigré family that had settled in London post WWII – was central and eastern Europe. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine they attracted significant online attention, which has continued since. But the real surge in their online popularity came with October 7th and the Israel Hamas war. Their immediate understanding of this seminal event as being a turning point in history led them to focus on this moment unceasingly. And they have not let up. During the last two weeks they have been in Israel and the West Bank, speaking with ordinary people in an effort to develop a real-time understanding as to how the people who live here are managing and understanding these momentous events. In the coming weeks and months Visegrad24 will be releasing content in various formats. For now, I invite you to listen to this fascinating interview I did last week with Stefan Tompson (and, no, there is no “h” in his surname), one of the founders of Visegrad24. We get into it all, including comments over the years that he’s really a “front” for right wing Polish government interests which, as he confirms, is bollocks.

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Ya’akov Katz is back from his brief trip to London where he lunched with the Prime Minister and then some. But, now it's back to reality and the constant crisis in Israel. Last Friday Israel was on tenterhooks as the International Court of Justice read its preliminary ruling at 2 pm local time. This pertains to the case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. As we say in Hebrew, the Court “walked between the teacups”; delicately avoiding any hard findings but also not foreclosing that possibility down the road. We then touch on the scandal plaguing UNRWA. Which one, you ask? Well, listen in to find out. And we finish up discussing the ongoing captivity of the hostages, whose plight may now be tied to a three point peace plan being floated by the U.S. On the latter point, I sure hope not. Even the ICJ called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. And so begins another week in Israel.

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Because she represents the future of Israel. Now sitting with the New Hope party (merged with Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party several years ago). Haskel entered the Knesset in 2015, young, bright and firmly in the back bench. In the years since she has distinguished herself for being principled, focused and whip smart. A mother of three very young daughters, she is consistently a top performer and strong voice for democracy, women and ethical government. We get into the tough stuff in this conversation: that horrible Black Shabbat of October 7th; the persistent nightmare ever since; the abandonment of Israeli women by the global “sisterhood” that is silent, or worse, in the face of overwhelming evidence of Hamas gang rape of women and men; our personal family legacies from the Holocaust and how we try to integrate and understand it all. Sharren is warm, open, thoughtful and pulls no punches. A fascinating discussion with a woman who will be shaping Israeli political life for many years to come.

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In our weekly chat Ya’akov and I get into the hostage dilemma that continues to tear apart the nation. It corrodes everything and Hamas understands this fully and leverages Israel’s psychic suffering brilliantly. But it feels like we are getting to a point where no victory is more important than bringing them home. Now. We then look at the spectacle of UNRWA imploding. Multiple exposures of UNRWA employees taking active roles in the murder and violence of October 7th and celebrating it since, have been made public and sparked outrage among many large donor countries. The weird part is – there is nothing new here. We’ve seen variations on this level of Hamas-UNRWA comingling for years, and no one really seemed terribly fussed by any of it. It’s hard to know what caused this mass response this time. But the end of UNRWA could be a very positive development, if tied to deradicalization of the population and reconstruction of the Strip.

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Ya’akov Katz is in Detroit today so we recorded a little later than usual, meaning we drop later. But. You’re probably distracted by the Super Bowl and all that goes with it. Among the ads running on TV is one sponsored by the government of Israel and it’s brilliant. Reminding all those dads watching the game of the Israeli fathers held hostage for almost 130 days. As always, we discuss the hostages, the snowballing UNRWA fiasco, heightened by Israel’s disclosure Saturday night of its recent discovery of a massive Hamas server farm located right underneath the UNRWA HQ in Rafah. And even still, UNRWA pretends that it had no idea. Whether this outrage finally causes the west to agree to bury UNRWA and start anew will likely play out in the coming weeks. As will the final Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, on Rafah, where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is holed up with many of the hostages. Will he take the coward’s way out and flee to Yemen, as he is rumored to be interested in doing, or will he go down fighting? To the end?

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Just back from a quick trip to Canada and the U.S., Ya’akov tells us he was struck by the insecurity and anxiety he encountered among Jewish groups he met with in Toronto, Detroit, New York, Chicago and Florida. (He sure covers a lot of ground in less than a week.) Their concerns are not much different from those that preoccupy Israelis: Hostages. Civilian casualties and humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s disunity, which is becoming more apparent as the immediate shock factor of October 7th recedes. And the escalating tension in Israel over the continuing exemption for ultra-orthodox men from serving in the army. There has been much talk in Israel in recent weeks and it is becoming louder. As Israeli war casualties mount there are growing cries of “Enough”! We get into all that and more. Have a listen.

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Incredibly, superstar spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, Eylon Levy, actually has a life off-air. Speaking with State of Tel Aviv earlier this week, Eylon shared a bittersweet vignette from a friend's wedding he attended recently. Turns out all the guys doing shots at the bar were on the team that rescued two Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity recently in an insanely daring commando operation. We talk about UNRWA, antisemitism globally, and how he keeps his cool in what may be the toughest job in crisis communications in the world at the moment. This guy doesn't skip a beat and he's just warming up. A great opportunity to hear a true master, unwound and unvarnished.

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On Friday, as I planned ahead to record with Ya’akov on Sunday (today),  I was certain that we would discuss “the day after”, which was much talked about last week, internationally. But, this being Israel, that issue was overtaken by events on Saturday: reports of a breakthrough in talks in Paris to bring home some (sadly, not all) of the hostages and a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday night that turned violent very quickly. A group of several thousand gathered in front of IDF Headquarters and called for everything possible: elections, hostage release, ultra-orthodox draft, you name it. It’s been five months since civil protests like this have occurred in Israel and it will definitely not be the last. The societal divisions that shook Israel throughout 2023 were put on hold on October 7th but the problems have not dissipated. If anything they are more pronounced. And another imminent crisis? The exemption of ultra-orthodox men from military service, while compulsory and reserve service times will be increased for those who do step up. It’s all just too much. And we get into it all.

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This week Ya’akov and I delve into two issues. First, we discuss the tragedy that resulted in the deaths of approximately 100 Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday as civilians desperate for food and provisions swarmed an aid convoy. Israel says that the chaos resulted from panic and, quite possibly, Hamas fire in addition to IDF shots. Fact is, what this disaster made clear is that Israel really has to work out a more secure way to get aid into the Gaza Strip. And we also need to find a way to get our hostages out. It is almost 150 days that 134 hostages have been held hostage by Hamas and this issue, more than anything, is gutting the soul and spirit of the nation, something that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar understands well. We close out by discussing the issue we expect will dominate the coming week. Which means……you’ll have to listen to the end. Thanks for tuning in.

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For five months, Michael Levy has inhabited a life that still feels foreign, but he is possessed by a mission to bring home his younger brother, Or, taken hostage by Hamas monsters, as he calls them, on October 7th. The youngest of three brothers, Or left for the Nova Music Festival early on the morning of October 7th with his wife, Eynav, to enjoy a carefree day in the sun. Their two-year-old son, Almog, was asleep. When the extended family awoke that day they entered a surreal Hell that never ends. Eynav was murdered and Or taken hostage. Almog cries every time they are mentioned and asks for them every day. The family does its best without really knowing how to navigate such an impossible situation. Michael speaks to us about the reality of a family living this nightmare and his hope for a happy ending, with Or coming home. He, like all of us, is painfully aware of the fact that we are out of time. We must bring them home. Now. Michael’s intelligence, candor and emotional awareness infuse his telling with so much…..power. Please listen.

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Following his State of the Union address on Thursday night, President Biden was caught on a hot mike saying that he’s due for a “come to Jesus” meeting with PM Netanyahu, expressing his exasperation with the man. Both men are trying to find a way through this war and their impossible political conundrums but the status quo is not going to hold much longer. Biden feels enormous pressure to expand the humanitarian aid corridor and flow of supplies to the Gaza Strip. He also makes it clear to Bibi that an assault on Rafah, which would result in further civilian casualties, is a non-starter. Netanyahu, of course, intends to show Biden who is boss and will not be pushed around by his American benefactor. All of which makes for a tense standoff that may prompt the President to pop over to see the Prime Minister in the coming days. Meanwhile, Qatar threatens to throw out the Hamas leaders it hosts in Doha if they do not manage to negotiate a deal to release the Israeli hostages, now in captivity for 156 days. It is believed that many of the 134 remaining hostages are no longer alive but Hamas refuses to confirm, deny or provide signs of life. There is also clearly friction between Hamas leaders, with Gaza-based October 7th mastermind, Yahya Sinwar, entrenched in the tunnels and determined to go it alone and buck the pressure. He wants to bring the mighty IDF to its knees. Have a listen.

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One year ago, Simcha Rothman was a household name in Israel and beyond. As Chair of the Knesset Committee on Constitutional, Law and Justice Issues, Rothman was the man in a scorching hot seat, taking the lead in shepherding through the legislature the controversial judicial reform package. Working closely with Minister of Justice, Yariv levin, Rothman bore the brunt of public anger and became a convenient target for political mudslinging. For much of 2023 Israel was roiled by unprecedent civil disobedience and dissent set off by the judicial reform legislative package. And then, October 7th happened. Since then Rothman has largely been out of the public eye but still very active in dealing with the unprecedented legal challenges posed by the horrors of that day and the challenges with respect to how Israel will manage various legal issues going forward. We discuss the new world in which we all find ourselves and we also manage to squeeze in a few minutes of discussion of the judicial reform moment. That issue will surely resurface and I, for one, expect Simcha Rothman to be front and center, yet again. Rothman and I don’t exactly see eye to eye on many issues but – as I have always said – State of Tel Aviv aspires to be a platform where respectful discussion and debate are facilitated. And I am grateful to Simcha Rothman for being game. Many other politicians and officials are not prepared to discuss and that is the real threat to democracy – when we lose the ability to speak to one another.

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Everyone’s hopping mad today, including Ya’akov Katz. He can be excitable but today he was downright livid about the irresponsible comments of Senator Chuck Schumer late last week, backed up by President Biden. Schumer – the most senior Democratic US Senator – basically said that it’s time for Israel to have elections so that PM Netanyahu will be thrown out of the top job. It was disrespectful. Stupid. And put Israel in heightened danger vis a vis its enemies in the region by broadcasting that the critical alliance between America and Israel is imperiled. Whatever he thought he was accomplishing remains a mystery. In doing so Schumer also made the already desperate situation of the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas even worse. And he only stiffened Netanyahu’s resolve to push on with the job that he feels must be done; to degrade Hamas’ military might and capability with a final military push on Rafah. We finish up with a brief discussion of gutter domestic politics in Israel which, if nothing else, offers a bit of levity and release of some tension. Another week in Israel. Month 6 of the War on Gaza and Hamas.

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It’s a pretty gloomy Purim in Israel; a holiday usually all buzzy and fun. On Purim we celebrate yet another close call with annihilation, which invites yet another miracle that saves us in the nick of time, followed by food, festivities and happy stuff. But not this year. Ya’akov and I get into the details of the top stories and issues preoccupying Israelis: the never-ending crisis with the hostages, Rafah and whether or not an assault on the city is necessary and imminent, allegations by the UN and various countries of Israeli interference with the provision of humanitarian aid, Shifa Hospital, and the descent of the Gaza Strip into even more extreme lawlessness and chaos. We close out with a short discussion of the ongoing refusal of the ultra-orthodox coalition partners in this government to accept any legislative requirement that haredi men be required to serve in the military at age 18. This could well be the issue that brings this government down. And, yes. As crazy as it may sound, the majority of Israelis want elections. The polls have been consistent in that regard for months now. Buckle up. It’s quite a ride today.

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One of the most interesting thinkers and writers out there, Batya Ungar-Sargon gets into the moral fecklessness of the “progressive” woke left. What’s so interesting is that Batya was once one of them… and her personal intellectual journey and unfettered candor make for a fascinating discussion. “I’m a leftist” she says. But she rejects the toxic antisemitism that seems to permeate the Left in the U.S. and elsewhere these days. I had thought and intended that we would discuss the growing chorus of October 7th denialism out there… and we did… but we meandered a bit before arriving at that destination. Because I went where she led me. Thanks, Batya, for a fascinating conversation. Shabbat shalom to all.

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Late-breaking circumstances made it impossible for Ya’akov to do his weekly gig with State of Tel Aviv today but we were fortunate to find the amazing Lt. Col. (res) Jonathan Conricus in Israel and available. Conricus is just back from yet another whirlwind speaking tour in the U.S. and his commentary is always appreciated by our listeners – and major media around the world. Always clear, measured and articulate, he has a way of stripping the most complicated issues down to their essence. Today, we discuss the ongoing war in Gaza, the ongoing captivity of the hostages, and the building tension in the country that really cannot be contained any longer. The good news is that Conricus is a realist but unyielding optimist. He is determined and certain that we will find our way through this period of constant crisis.

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It was great to have Ya’akov Katz back for our regular Sunday riff and we had a lot on our plates today. We spoke about how Israel seemed stuck in Gaza, not really doing anything dramatic and finding itself in quicksand. But last week the main action was elsewhere: Damascus, DC, Doha. Israel bombed a residence in Damascus that served as a base for IRGC officials when in town and a top General was killed as well as numerous other high ranking military officials. This was followed by the tragic attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy in which seven humanitarian aid workers were killed. Israel took responsibility for the incident but President Biden was furious. He has felt for some time that Israel is taking too long and that the civilian toll in Gaza is unconscionable. Tensions and tempers were high. And then today, a few hours after Ya’akov and I had finished recording, the news came out that Israel was partially withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. Fair to say that pretty much everyone was surprised. PM Netanyahu, it seems, was forced to relent and bow to American pressure. We get into the various events that led to this dramatic development and discuss where it may all lead. Hopefully, we will see the release of all the hostages very soon. Amen.

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Saturday night and Sunday morning were harrowing. For almost two weeks Israelis have been waiting for Iran to attack. A few days ago, the Supreme Leader made clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran would attack Israel directly. Not through a proxy. And, seemingly, Iran would not target a Jewish or Israeli site abroad. For now. Dire warnings of an attack within 24-48 hours were issued on Friday night. Saturday passed. At 9pm Saturday night the Israeli Home Front Command issued directives to follow in light of an imminent attack. A short time later we watched on our TVs as an unprecedented coalition of middle eastern and western air forces collaborated to intercept 99% of more than 300 armed drones and missiles launched from Iran in at least two "waves" to attack Israel. Terrifying does not begin to describe it. Neither does surreal. Ya'akov and I get into the unprecedented security challenges facing Israel, the region and the west. And we do our best to understand what may transpire going forward. Today? We carry on. Somewhat stunned but still standing. Have a listen.

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Five for Fighting, the stage name of singer/singwriter John Ondrasik, has some crazy timing. He popped over to Israel for a five day immersion in the reality and the pain of our post-October 7th reality. And he was in Tel Aviv on the night that the Islamic Republic of Iran launched more than 300 attack drones and ballistic missiles at us. As we now know, 99% of the offensive weapons were intercepted. Beyond miraculously. But within minutes of Ondrasik performing his amazing new song – “OK” – about October 7th and this seriously messed up world we live in – the Home Front Command issued directives country-wide for everyone to seek shelter. Iran was attacking imminently. We were told 24-48 hours. It turned out to be much less. Ondrasik could have left that night – he was travelling with his young son. But he did not. He stayed. And that tells you everything you need to know about the man. Thank you, John. He performed on Saturday night at Hostage Square at the big weekly support rally for hostages and their families. Moments after he finished his set I went backstage to congratulate him on a magnificent and moving performance. Within minutes we were all hurrying home. I caught up with John on Saturday midday - as we were waiting to see what Iran would do - and we had a great talk about the moral cowardice in the west that is emboldening violent extremism. He understands that it's not just about Israel but that western democracy and freedoms are threatened by this surge of Marxist and extreme Islamist violence. Since the introduction to this podcast was recorded, the 7-year old Beduin girl who I mention having been critically injured, has died. Her tragic fatality is the only one. A number of people were injured by missile and drone debris and there was some damage to a major Israeli Air Force base. Ondrasik stayed on for the full five days. Five for Fighting. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing high alert regarding Iran and its proxies in the region, he was unable to visit the site of the Nova music festival. But I am confident that John Ondrasik will be back. Not only is his music beautiful but he is one of those rare artists who has a moral backbone and is speaking out, no matter the consequences. The world needs more John Ondrasiks. Five for Fighting. Go Leafs!

You really don’t want to miss this amazing discussion. Or the video for the song. “OK.”

Except. We are so not OK.

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In the two decades since Five for Fighting’s first major single, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” hit the stratosphere, Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik), has released six studio LPs, including the platinum certified “America Town” and “The Battle for Everything;” and the top-10 charting “Two Lights,” along with an EP and live albums. A post 9-11 anthem, Ondrasik performed “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” at the 2001 Concert for New York, a benefit show at Madison Square Garden that honored first responders and the fallen about a month after the tragic September 11th attacks. Ondrasik has penned major hits, including the chart-topping “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World,” and “Easy Tonight,” which have earned tens of millions of streams and placed him as a top-10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s. The reflective “100 Years” has joined “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” as part of the American Songbook and continues to stand the test of time. Five For Fighting’s music has also been featured in more than 350 films, television shows, and commercials, including the Oscar-winning “The Blind Side,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “The Sopranos,” and the CBS drama, “Code Black.”

Believe me, our heads are spinning. Each week becomes more intense than the last. And there is a general feeling in Israel that rage is on a collision course with despair. Israel remains mired in conflict in Gaza with no apparent resolution in sight. Hostages remain in captivity six months on and the nation is absolutely dumbstruck. There is very little, if any, trust or confidence in the government or IDF leadership. We stand behind our soldiers and civil society leaders but those in positions of actual authority continue to amaze Israelis with their incompetence and arrogance. It seems that the counter-attack against Iran was well-considered and executed but we cannot say that about much, if anything else. Today, Ya’akov and I discuss all these issues and more. The hostage disaster. How many remain alive? And we try to place this very difficult time in the context of Jewish history, distant and recent past. How do we understand this moment, when we are meant to celebrate liberation and freedom?  As one hostage family member said to me recently: “We stand and look into the abyss. But with our heads held high.” Not in my lifetime has there been a time when the existence and future of the Jewish democratic state has seemed and actually been so imperiled. How do we understand this and how do we fix it? You can hear the intensity in the pitch of our discussion this week. We’re a metaphor for the national mood.

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“We face the abyss and we stand tall. I don’t know how I will sit at the Passover table this year.”

Sharone Lifschitz made those comments when we met last Friday at the Hostage Family Forum HQ in central Tel Aviv. Her 83-year old father, Oded, remains in Hamas captivity. His wife and Sharone’s mother, 85-year-old Yocheved, was released from a Hamas dungeon on Monday, October 23. Sharone talks about the horror she has inhabited since October 7th, when she learned of the Hamas attack while driving with her family in the UK, where she resides, to bring home a new puppy. In an instant she entered a life that no one can imagine and that continues to this day. We speak about her parents, the larger community, and what it means to be Israeli and Jewish in this moment. Throughout, we refer to this Passover week, when Jewish people traditionally gather to celebrate freedom. It is a time of joy, when we remember our historic roots as slaves in Egypt and the exhilaration of liberation. This year, of course, such matters are painfully poignant and all too real. Listen to Sharone. She will enlighten and enhance your perspective, whether or not you mark Passover. Whatever faith you follow. Atheist. This is about honoring life and decency.

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On April 5th State of Tel Aviv spoke at length with Columbia University Professor Shai Davidai about his overnight evolution from low-key academic to high profile activist. The catalyst? The October 7th Hamas massacre in southern Israel which galvanized extreme Islamist sympathizers and hard left “progressives.” Literally overnight, Jews and Israel were vilified on campuses, in media, in massive street protests throughout North America and Europe. Davidai was horrified by what he saw happening on the Columbia University campus and began to speak out and speak up. In this episode we go back to October 7th and get into the university administration’s abdication of responsibility to its community and why and how Shai Davidai became the reluctant activist with a national profile. We also dive into the very dramatic events that have occurred on Columbia’s campus since October 7th, climaxing in anarchy this past week.

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Shai Davidai is an Israeli Professor at Columbia Business School. He moved to the United States in 2010 to pursue a PhD in Social Psychology from Cornell University and has worked at Princeton University and The New School for Social Research. Ever since October 7, Shai has been devoting his time and energy to battle support for terrorism and the rise in antisemitism at Columbia University and colleges all across the country.

In Part II of this podcast of my interview with Columbia University Professor Shai Davidai on April 5th, we discuss the similarities between the reluctance of German and Austrian Jews to see the looming crisis almost one hundred years ago and the same tendencies among American and Canadian Jews today. Davidai discusses the ongoing investigation into his conduct that has been launched by the Columbia University administration. He sees it as being little more than an effort to intimidate him into silence. Meanwhile, Columbia has literally become a battleground in recent days. The crisis shows no signs of subsiding. That Columbia leadership has taken such a daft and irresponsible approach to such extreme antisemitism is as disturbing as the Jew hatred itself. But – we do end on a somewhat positive note, with Davidai encouraging everyone to step up so we can save ourselves. “We invented Superman!” he exults. “We can save ourselves!”

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Shai Davidai is an Israeli Professor at Columbia Business School. He moved to the United States in 2010 to pursue a PhD in Social Psychology from Cornell University and has worked at Princeton University and The New School for Social Research. Ever since October 7, Shai has been devoting his time and energy to battle support for terrorism and the rise in antisemitism at Columbia University and colleges all across the country.

In my weekly chat with Ya’akov Katz we focus on the hostages. That’s pretty much the main and only thing on everyone’s mind. This focus was heightened and manipulated masterfully by Hamas during the Passover holiday by the release of two separate videos of Israeli men still in captivity. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Keith Siegel and Omri Miran, all appeared to be in reasonable physical condition. But, who knows. Hersh lifted the stump of his left arm, having had his dominant hand blown off by a grenade below the elbow. They spoke about how much they missed their loved ones and just want to come home. The whole country wants them home. This war? We were told that it would accomplish two things: destroy Hamas’ military capability and return the hostages. Sadly, it has done neither one. It is time to bring them home. Take a pause. And restore some sanity and accountability to this country.

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Carmel Gat, 39 and held in Hamas captivity since October 7th, is part of a big, loving family with deep roots on Kibbutz Be’eri. Her younger cousin, Shay Dickmann, spoke with State of Tel Aviv one week ago, on the morning after the Passover seder. Her extended family has suffered terribly for almost seven months and they continue to grieve. For her murdered grandmother and for Carmel. Imprisoned. Shay tells us about the Kibbutz Be’eri seder in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv, which her family attended this year. So many empty chairs. So much despair and, still, so much hope. In today’s short podcast we focus on the seder night and, of course, the morning after. In a few days we will have a lengthier podcast about the dark journey this family has been on and that we all hope comes to as happy an ending as possible. As soon as possible.

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The only thing that Israelis are focused on is ending this agony. From October 8th I have been a broken record. Until the fate of the hostages is settled, for better or worse, israel is stuck on October 7th. This country cannot move ahead without closure, which is, agonizingly, always just a wee bit out of reach. We know that hostages are dying in captivity. They are kept in horrific conditions. Will Hamas release the hostages? We discuss the only thing that matters to most Israelis.

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Never a slow week in these parts. This week the focus was, yet again, on Rafah, the city in the southern Gaza Strip that PM Netanyahu is adamant must be attacked in order to destroy Hamas as a military force and power that can ever dream of repeating October 7th. The Biden administration is vigorously opposed to this operation, to the point that it has …

October 7 was a huge blow to Israel, but some families were particularly hard hit. There is no rhyme or reason. Some homes were passed over while all the neighbours were burned alive, murdered or taken hostage. The Gat family of Kibbutz Be’eri is one of the unlucky ones. Wife, mother, grandmother and more, 68 Kinneret Gat was murdered outside her home a…

Our regular Sunday man, Ya’akov Katz, is travelling today and we are joined by Jonathan Conricus, Lt. Col. (Res) in the IDF and a familiar face to many around the world from his television commentary for the first few months of the war. He is currently a general consultant and also a senior fellow with D.C.-based think tank Foundation For Defence of Dem…

Back from a short trip to the U.S., Ya’akov Katz is fired up. Since October 7, Israelis have been pretty obliging regarding commands from leaders in government and the IDF to come together as a united front, but almost eight months later the rage is spilling out. And Ya’akov is no exception. Last week was surreal, even by Israeli standards. But what dom…

Karim Khan, K.C., is the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and in the last week he has become a household name, globally. Mr. Khan made a lengthy statement one week ago, announcing his intention to seek judicial approval to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defence Yo…

It has been a grim two weeks in Israel, with an onslaught from the International Courts in The Hague, serious hostilities on three fronts – the north, West Bank and, of course, the Gaza Strip – with the added bonus of Egypt being less than friendly…. and the continued torture of what we now believe to be 128 hostages in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad captivity. How many remain alive is unknown. Israelis are fatigued with this very long war effort and there is no end in sight. Also in recent weeks, as the Rafah operation intensifies, more information dribbles out about the massive tunnel network between Egypt and the Gaza Strip that has been the main supply route for all manner of weapons and supplies since 2007 for Hamas and others. Egypt knows. Israel knows. And yet, they are still there. How can that be? For almost eight months now, the Israeli hostages have been in the hands of terrorists and Israel has been unable to rescue them. How can that be? I spoke late Thursday evening with Jonathan Conricus…..to take on these very difficult topics and more, discussing the tragic events of last Sunday night in the Gaza Strip, in which dozens of Palestinian civilians were killed in a massive fire. The world leaped to blame Israel. By the time the IDF shared information as to what had actually transpired, minds were closed and made up. We cover it all. The north. West Bank. The south. We even chat about the Imperial War Museum in London. Have a listen.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, ever profound in her agony, stated in recent days that it is “an embarrassment to the human race that we haven’t been able to save” the hostages held by Hamas. Her 23-year-old son, Hersh, is among the 125 people still in Hamas Hell, having survived a grenade attack in which his left arm was blown off and his best friend murdered. …

It has been a very intense week in northern Israel with a deeply concerning escalation of conflict with Hizballah. We spoke yesterday, Thursday, with Sarit Zehavi, Lt. Col. (Res.) who spent 15 years working in Military Intelligence and is among Israel’s foremost experts on security in the north. Founder and president of the Alma Center, which focuses on…

The elite commando operation on Saturday that rescued four Israeli hostages who had been held by Hamas for eight months rocked the world…and gave Israelis a jolt of joy that was desperately needed. The country has been pummeled by this long war, tensions in the north and relentless diplomatic attacks. That more than 100 civilians remain in captivity alm…

The IDF took a heavy blow on the weekend with 10 soldiers killed and another who passed from severe injuries suffered earlier. With our regular itinerant guest, Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus, we discuss the circumstances in Gaza that caused the deaths of eight IDF soldiers in a single incident. As a former infantryman who was in active service in the area where the tragedy occurred, Conricus infuses the telling with immediacy and deep knowledge. We then touch on increased humanitarian aid to Gaza before moving on to France, briefly. In an unprecedented and very hostile move, President Emmanuel Macron declared recently that all Israeli defence companies will be banned from participating in the biennial Eurosatory Exhibition – the largest such international event for the land, air-land defense and security industry. Ironically, as Conricus tells us, the theme for this year’s Exhibition is counter-terrorism. Israel is banned but China is participating. Mull that. This is a huge blow to Israel. We then pop up to the northern front, where fires burn out of control, residents are coming up to nine months since they were evacuated and there is no resolution in sight. It’s a lot of difficult information to process but…..as always….State of Tel Aviv tells it like it is. No sugar coating. We really do live in interesting times.

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So – our usual schedule got a little wonky this week. I was on a semi-holiday but became totally sick which was the first domino to fall. Anyway, we’re back. I caught up with Ya’kov on Tuesday afternoon in Israel and share the discussion today. We spend significant time on the ultra-orthodox refusal to serve in the IDF which is now a crisis. Israel simp…

There’s this weird feeling in the air in Israel. A very tense lull in military action. The IDF continues its limited operation in Rafah, with the intention of routing out the last of the Hamas and PIJ weapons caches and fighting forces. Sometimes it feels like it will never end and there are many Israelis who fear that may be the government’s intention.…

I’m back today with Ya’akov Katz to review the past week and try to make sense of it all. And we spend a lot of time discussing the performance last Thursday of President Joe Biden at the debate with Donald Trump. The way in which America is perceived - the putative leader of the free world - impacts everyone, everywhere. We discuss what the consequence…

For the four siblings and parents of 23-year-old Hamas hostage, Romi Gonen, life has been totally upended since October 7, 2023. . Her mother, Meirav Leshem Gonen, older sister Yarden and her father, Eitan, were on the phone with her for four hours that morning. From the very first moments of the Hamas attack she was in near constant contact with one of them. They heard everything. In separate podcasts in January (links are in the notes, below), I interviewed both Meirav and Eitan. They spoke in detail about those surreal hours when no one understood the scope of the attack. But their Romi was in the vortex of the unfolding Hell and thank goodness she had a charged phone so that they could support her. Until, that is, the Hamas monsters pulled her from the car where she was trapped, with a bullet in her arm. (All this is discussed in detail in the January podcasts.) Not until some hostages were released in late November did the family receive confirmation that Romi was alive.

For nine months they have been among the hostage families at the forefront of efforts to ensure that the ongoing savagery of Hamas is not forgotten. They are at the United Nations, meeting with government leaders, groups and individuals visiting Israel, media, anyone and everyone who demonstrates an interest in the desperate plight of the hostages. I have met with Meirav and other family members on numerous occasions. This episode is a special focus on what their lives have become.

When I was in Geneva recently on June 19 (total coincidence), I was invited to watch Meirav Leshem Gonen address the opening plenary session of the UN Human Rights Council, at which Navi Pillay, Chair of the latest Commission of Inquiry into Israel’s conduct since October 7th, presented her “findings”. Not only is the Commission yet another UN farce, but the tenor of the proceedings contrasted so sharply with the dignity of Meirav. Her power saturated the large meeting hall.

Join me on this fascinating journey with the Gonen family, through desperate lows, hope, determination, fury and a relentless focus on doing everything possible to free Romi and all the other hostages in Hamas hell. It is a tour de force because of who and what they are. Their determination and courage are just awesome. You will hear Meirav laugh, cry, tear a strip off the UN Human Rights Commission and more. We get into music, family, power and the responsibility of every person who cherishes freedom to step up and speak up. This is the story of what was probably a quite ordinary family that has come to embody devotion, strength, decency, dignity and ferocious love. They are anything but ordinary. And we discuss that too - how circumstances have thrown them into this insane life situation and how they have risen to the challenge, together.

Podcast Notes:

Remarks of Ms. Navi Pillay at UNHRC, June 19, 2024:

Remarks of Meirav Leshem Gonen at UNHRC, June 19, 2024:

Link to UNHRC proceedings on June 19, 2024

Eden Golan “Hurricane” video on Youtube

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Israel is riveted by the possibility – which has been much talked about in the last few days – of a return to the hostage negotiating table to finally bring an end to this interminable crisis. We have no idea how many remain alive. But they must be brought home. In any condition. And Hamas has finally agreed to the Israeli position that it will not agre…

In Israel this morning we awoke to the news of the attempted assassination of President Trump on Saturday. In addition, there was an Israeli operation executed on Saturday as well to assassinate Mohammed Deif, the second-in-command to Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip. Whether Deif was in fact killed remains unclear. He has eluded more than one attempt on …

Tension has spiked again in Israel. The sustained war of attrition in the north is intense and wildly destructive. People are dying and a large swath of the country has been not just rendered uninhabitable but basically, destroyed. Everything. Homes, businesses, infrastructure. As expected, the hostage families are advocating constantly and in full force for the negotiation of an agreement for the release of their loved ones from Hamas captivity. We know so little of their last nine and a half months as Hamas hostages. But we do know that they have been abused and tortured physically, psychologically and, many, sexually. And then there’s the trip Bibi is taking to America to address Congress. The dissonance between his actions and the emotional despair of the people is profound. That he can place a speech ahead of the importance of being present and at least making an effort to appear to care about the exhaustion and depletion of the people – is not going down well in Israel. At such a critical moment in the nation’s history, the Prime Minister should be here. Period. Full Stop.

You may wish to have a look at an op-ed piece I wrote for the National Post newspaper (Canada) on Saturday.

Also, Ya’akov’s Friday column in the Jerusalem Post – which we mention in our conversation – is here. A great read, as always.

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Since we recorded this podcast so much has gone down, and none of it good, sadly. The horrific rocket attack on a soccer pitch on Saturday afternoon in the Druse village of Majdal Shams, in the norther Golan Heights, becomes worse as we learn more. Children. Obliterated by an Iranian missile launched by Hizballah from S. Lebanon. Twelve dead. Many more …

In this episode, I discuss the heightened tensions in Israel amid fears of an imminent attack from Iran and its regional allies, a situation compounded by the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. With co-host Yaakov Katz on vacation in Europe, I sought out two pundits familiar to State of Tel Aviv listeners: Amir Tibon, diplomatic correspondent for Haaretz and author of the forthcoming book “Gates of Gaza”, and Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Jonathan Conricus. Amir discusses the current threat environment and the influential role of the United States, while Jonathan explores the strategic implications of Israel's potential shift in dealing with Iran. The episode highlights the deep concern within Israel and debates around a potential hostage deal with Hamas, reflecting the complex geopolitical dynamics at play. The Sunday podcast, usually paywalled, is made accessible to all this week due to the critical nature of the situation. It really is existential. We get into everything. Don’t miss it.

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In this episode, I speak with an extraordinary woman, lawyer and legal advocate for Israel - British barrister Natasha Hausdorff - who specializes in international law and human rights. We explore some of the key issues facing Israel, including its “legitimacy” as a state, the legal validity of recent accusations of genocide, and the doctrine of proportionality in military responses under international law. Hausdorff shares insights from her recent appearance with Douglas Murray at the Munk Debate in Toronto -which went viral globally- and discusses the broader implications of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism worldwide. The episode highlights Hausdorff's role in defending Israel's actions under international law and her efforts to educate and inform on these critical topics. Her deep knowledge, experience and brilliance in explaining complex issues straightforwardly is an opportunity not to be missed.

Podcast Notes

* JNS “The Quad” episode featuring an interview with Natasha Hausdorff, in studio

* Natasha Hausdorff’s online biography

* Munk Debate, DATE, featuring Natasha Hausdorff, Douglas Murray, Mehdi Hassan and Gideon Levy

* UK Lawyers for Israel Charitable Trust

* UKLFI upcoming webinar entitled “Unravelling the ICJ Advisory Opinions” with Natasha Hausdorff and Olivia Flasch on Thursday 22 August at 6 pm (UK), 8 pm (IST) and 1 pm (EST)

* Article by Iran International reporter Negar Mojtahedi exposing Iran’s financing of University of Toronto pro-Hamas encampment

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Today Ya’akov and I wonder what’s going on with Iran and their much anticipated retaliatory attack on Israel, following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. We speculate on the role of the newly elected Iranian president in possibly restraining the Supreme Leader’s threat to avenge, ongoing hostage negotiations, and the potential ceasefire…

In this episode, I continue my discussion with British barrister Natasha Hausdorff, who specializes in international law and human rights. We focus today on the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross – which has done little, if anything, to assist the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. We then move on to the complex issue of hospitals and schools, which have a special protected status under international laws of conflict; that is, until they are used as military headquarters and operational bases. This is the classic modus operandi of Hamas, and the world – particularly NGOs like the United Nations and UNRWA – look away. Rather than pounding Hamas and its supporters for such immoral conduct and using civilians as human shields, these institutions and individuals instead pile on Israel. Curiously, they also say nothing – they are silent – in the face of clear and overwhelming evidence of the weaponization of sexual crimes by Hamas. In effect, they applaud Hamas’ barbaric conduct. Which, really, is exactly what these organizations are doing. Silence is not just complicity – it is also encouragement. We discuss the unbearable hypocrisy of this axis of pro-Hamas savagery. #BelieveAllWomen. Unless they are Jewish or Israeli women. We bring this discussion right up to the moment, commenting on the recent Israeli attack on a school in Gaza which was a robust Hamas military base. Why is the global community not criticizing Hamas? We can’t explain the insanity but we do expose the double standard. Another superb chat with the brilliant Natasha Hausdorff.

State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.