408 Is it Time for Elections?  “... It [is] not best to swap horses when crossing streams”, said Abraham Lincoln when running for reelection during the American Civil War. How well does that argument apply to Israel today? Polls show that Israelis have low confidence in the current government. This is a dangerous situation in a time of multiple major conflicts. But it is also dangerous to create a new election season in such a situation as well. Which is the greater danger? Should we push for elections as soon as possible, or wait till the war(s) settles down?  Calev hosts this ep ..read more

407 National Security and Arab Israelis In the context of the Gaza war, many Jewish Israelis argue that their fellow citizens of Arab ethnicity present a security threat. Employment, access and movement must be monitored and perhaps restricted, according to this view. Is that concern reasonable? And even if it hypothetically is, can a democracy functionally discriminate based on the ethnicity of its citizens? How should a democratic Jewish state resolve this dilemma?  Mike hosts this episode’s debate, where Matt takes the position that we can racially profile to maintain security, and J ..read more

405 American Abstention The routine is that if Israel doesn’t approve of a United Nation Security Council resolution, the United States vetoes it. But in March, America abstained on UNSC resolution 2728. Israeli leaders (and many Israelis) were furious. Is this a big deal and a sign of things to come? Is the allyship between these two democratic nations deteriorating? Or is this just a typical dustup between administrations, soon to be in our rear view mirror?  Benji hosts this episode’s debate, where Matt takes the position that this is a major setback in Israel/US relations that will ..read more

404 - How will this war be seen by history? Israel has fought Hamas in Gaza over and over again. There was Operation Cast Lead in 2008, Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, and Operation Protective Edge in 2014 just to name a few. Thousands of rockets have been launched at civilian areas of Israel and Israel has counter attacked over and over again.  Will the current war, Operation Swords of Iron be just another battle in this long running war? Or will this war be remembered as a moment of change in Israel and the region?  Matt hosts this episode’s debate, where Alan takes the pos ..read more

403 Should Freeing Hostages Be the Priority? The Gaza war has challenged Israel with countless moral dilemmas. One of the most painful relates to the efforts to free the hostages. Inevitably, missions to destroy Hamas will put the lives of Israeli hostages at risk. Conversely, delays for negotiations and deals to release hostages give Hamas time to regroup or escape. How should our leaders decide to prioritize between defeating our enemies and rescuing our citizens?  Matt hosts this episode’s debate, where Jordana takes the position that the destruction of Hamas must be the highest prio ..read more

402 When can we critique the government?   “Don’t swap horses in the middle of the stream” - associated with Abraham Lincoln’s re-election campaign.  Israelis, and Zionists worldwide, consistently complain about whatever government is in power.  But in the middle of a war, what are the rules? Can we openly critique, complain or even demand change of a government in the middle of a national crisis? Can we afford not to?  Benji hosts this episode’s debate, where Calev takes the position that we must aggressively bring our complaints and demands to the government, and ..read more

401 - Proportionality and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) After defining proportionality (enjoy the audio clip from the West Wing) there is so much to debate about the ethical conduct of the current war. While it is difficult for citizens to debate these issues with limited information, it is arguably their duty to do so. Is Israel correctly protecting civilian life in Gaza? Should it be sending in more humanitarian aid? How much should international opinion be taken into account?  Calev hosts this episode’s debate, where Matt takes the position that Israel must improve its conduct ..read more

308 Framing the Conflict Post October 7 Israelis and Zionists all had to have some understanding of the conflict with Palestinian Arabs. This was as true before October 7th as afterwards. In what ways do we need to reframe those understandings after the massacres? What discomforting truths did we avoid? What misconceptions have been disproven?  Calev hosts this episode’s debate, where Benji takes the position that he must reframe his understanding of the conflict, and Mike argues that he does not.  Am Yisrael Chai ..read more

308 Framing the Conflict Post October 7 Israelis and Zionists all had to have some understanding of the conflict with Palestinian Arabs. This was as true before October 7th as afterwards. In what ways do we need to reframe those understandings after the massacres? What discomforting truths did we avoid? What misconceptions have been disproven?  Calev hosts this episode’s debate, where Benji takes the position that he must reframe his understanding of the conflict, and Mike argues that he does not.  Am Yisrael Chai ..read more

Israel Citizens Filling the Breach When Government Fails This is an era when citizens around the world don’t have a tremendous amount of trust in government. Israelis and Jews around the world are still shaken by the intelligence and operational failures that led to the October 7th massacres. In the weeks and months since, many are still complaining that the work still isn’t being taken care of. We never know what’s really happening in “the room where it happens”, and there are concerns that the decisions aren’t being made well.  Israelis from all parts of society jumped in to fill the ..read more