Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

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**Call Me Back – with Dan Senor**

Presenting the challenges and dilemmas facing Israelis and Jews around the world.

Latest Episodes:

ISRAEL VOTES: The Political Landscape - with Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

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What will Israelis really be voting on in the first election since October 7?

Today we are launching Israel Votes, a new Call me Back and Ark Media series that will be your hub for unpacking the Israeli election. Ark Media contributors Amit Segal and Nadav Eyal join Dan to set the stage, exploring how October 7, the war, coalition politics, deep social divides, and the Netanyahu brand will all play a role in the upcoming vote, which many Israelis feel may determine the character and future of the Jewish state.

In this episode:

06:45 - Why this election feels different from every Israeli election before it

08:55 - Netanyahu’s coalition problem and the ultra-Orthodox question

11:55 - How October 7 changed the political map and voter psychology

16:40 - Is this election a referendum on the past or a vote about the future?

21:00 - What Israel’s demographic and political trends mean for the outcome

26:45 - The opposition’s strategy and the Bennett factor

More Ark Media:

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Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

Bret Stephens’ State of World Jewry Address Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Is the right way to fight Antisemitism maybe to… stop fighting it?

In this special episode, we share The State of World Jewry address delivered by New York Times columnist Bret Stephens at the 92nd Street Y. Stephens, who is also the editor-in-chief of SAPIR Journal, offers a bracing diagnosis of modern antisemitism and argues that it cannot be educated away, apologized for, or solved through allyship. Instead, he calls for Jewish confidence, cultural seriousness, and moral clarity in the face of rising hostility.

In this episode:

- Why antisemitism is about resentment, not misunderstanding

- The false promise of fighting antisemitism head-on

- The danger of approval-seeking and respectability politics

- October 8th Jews and the identity reckoning

- Jewish values as inherently countercultural

- Building strength instead of chasing acceptance

This episode was sponsored by SAPIR: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBack

More Ark Media:

Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

What's Trump's plan with Iran, and beyond? - with Niall Ferguson Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Is there a deeper strategy underlying President Trump’s actions?

Dan is joined by historian, Free Press columnist, CBS contributor, and Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution Sir Niall Ferguson to connect the dots on how President Trump is using leverage, unpredictability, and selective force across Iran, Venezuela, Europe, and beyond. They discuss why a counter revolution in Iran has little chance without foreign intervention, what “regime alteration” means, whether we're still living through Cold War II, and why Europe keeps taking the bait.

In this episode…

- Iran strike timing, targets, and endgame

- “Regime alteration” vs. regime change

- Why Iran’s protests failed and fear works

- Turkey’s mediation and Erdoğan’s ambitions

- Saudi pressure and regional deterrence logic

- Cold War II and the authoritarian axis

- Davos, Europe’s weakness, and the Greenland distraction

- MAGA tensions, Israel, deterrence, and Taiwan

This episode was sponsored by United Hatzalah. Donate today at IsraelRescue.org/CallMeBack. Add this number to your phone right now if you live in Israel – 1221, and for those visiting it’s 972-2-5-383838.

From the episode:

- Niall Ferguson’s essay in the Free Press, “The Myth of Revolution in Iran”

More Ark Media:

Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

The Story of American Antizionism - with Shaul Kelner Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

Is Antizionism a Soviet invention for persecuting Jews?

Dan is joined by Shaul Kelner, professor of Jewish studies and sociology at Vanderbilt University, to examine the rarely-told history of Antizionism. Kelner explains how a framework designed to deny Jewish life under Soviet rule has resurfaced in the West long before October 7 and why many American Jews were unprepared for its scale and intensity.

In this episode...

08:00: The Soviet roots of Antizionism

15:00: How Antizionism entered the West

21:00 Marxism and ideological monoculture in American universities

28:00 Why American Jews are seduced by Antizionism

32:00: Stop debating semantics

This episode was sponsored by SAPIR: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBack

From the episode:

- Shaul Kelner’s book, A Cold War Exodus: How Americans Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews

- Read Shaul’s article on American Antizionism in the Shalom Hartman Institute's Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas

- Attend The State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y

More Ark Media:

Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

The strike on Iran is back on the table - with Mark Dubowitz and Yonatan Adiri Jan 25, 2026

Show notes

Is a U.S. strike on Iran back on the table? How could it reshape the Middle East? And what role could the Middle East play in the new world order taking shape these days?

Dan Senor speaks with Mark Dubowitz and Yonatan Adiri about the rising likelihood of U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic, which targets are being considered, and how Iran could retaliate. They also unpack Israel’s internal debates on how to respond, the Saudi UAE rift and what it means for normalization, Turkey’s expanding footprint, and why India is becoming a more important regional player.

In this episode...

- Is a U.S. strike on Iran coming and what would actually be hit

- How Iran might retaliate and the debates inside Israel over next steps

- Whether military action is meant to pressure the regime or help bring it down

- Why Trump paused an attack and the regional forces shaping that call

- Saudi Arabia’s recalculation, its rift with the UAE, and the impact on normalization

- Turkey’s rise and why India is becoming a quiet power broker in the region

This episode was sponsored by SAPIR: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBack

From the episode:

- Listen to Yonatan’s podcast What’s Your Number?

- Listen to Mark’s podcast The Iran Breakdown

More Ark Media:

Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

Phase II of Trump’s Gaza Plan - with Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

What will Phase II of Trump's plan for Gaza look like on the ground? Who’s in charge of Gaza now, and who’s paying the bills? Dan is joined by Ark Media contributors Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal to cut through the fog around “phase two” of the Gaza plan. They break down the new governing structure — Trump’s “Board of Peace,” the Gaza Executive Committee, a Palestinian technocrat government, and an International Stability Force — and explain what will actually matter on the ground: money, security control, and whether Hamas truly disarms. They also assess Israel–U.S. friction, the odds of renewed fighting, what daily life in Gaza looks like right now, and how all of this collides with Israeli election politics.

In this episode...

- Understanding the Governance of Gaza

- Who Holds Power in Gaza? Money, Security, and Accountability

- Hamas After the War

- Phase Two, the Yellow Line, and Israeli Withdrawal

- The International Stability Force Explained

- Life in Gaza Right Now

- Gaza Meets Israeli Politics

- The Bigger Regional Picture

From the episode:

This episode was sponsored by The Shalom Hartman Institute: Learn more about the Community Leadership Program at https://go.hartman.org.il/CLP-CMB

More Ark Media:

Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

Jews and Identity Politics - with Yascha Mounk (Part 2) Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

In part two of Dan’s conversation with political scientist Yascha Mounk, the two discuss identity politics, its growing influence on the American left, and the danger this trend poses to pluralistic societies.

They examine why identity politics is so seductive, how it reshapes government, schools, and civic institutions, and why Mounk believes it ultimately undermines both individuality and democratic cohesion. The conversation also turns inward, exploring Jewish identity: where it strengthens pluralism, where it becomes politicized, and why Jews, in particular, should be cautious about abandoning universal principles for group-based power.

In this episode...

- Why liberalism today feels unrecognizable

- What identity politics is and why it’s so appealing

- How universalism gave way to group-based politics

- When inclusion turns into segregation

- Jewish identity and the limits of identity-based politics

- Why free speech remains essential for a pluralistic democracy

From the episode:

- Listen to Yascha’s podcast The Good Fight

- Subscribe to Persuasion

- Purchase Yascha’s book, The Identity Trap

More Ark Media:

Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

Is Antisemitism the Gateway Drug to Socialism? — with Yascha Mounk (Part 1) Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

Is Antizionism the new common denominator of the left? Political scientist Yascha Mounk, founder of Persuasion and author of The Identity Trap, joins Dan to discuss whether the rise of Zohran Mamdani is indicative of a growing connection between socialist causes and hostility towards Jews. Drawing on his personal history, Mounk explains the different iterations of Antisemitism on the left and discusses with Dan whether it is categorically different from what we’re increasingly seeing on the American right.

The conversation went longer than normal, so stay tuned for part 2 in which Dan and Yascha discuss how identity politics consumed America and Jews should be wary of falling into the same trap.

In this episode...

- Yascha’s political upbringing

- The history of Antizionism on the left

- What would Mamdani compromise on?

- Is the IHRA’s definition of Antisemitism dangerous to free speech?

- The Western left’s silence on repression in Iran

This episode was sponsored by SAPIR: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBack

From the episode:

- Listen to Yascha’s podcast The Good Fight

- Subscribe to Persuasion

- Purchase Yascha’s book, The Identity Trap

More Ark Media:

Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

What Happens If the U.S. Strikes Iran?- with Karim Sadjadpour and Nadav Eyal Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

While President Trump has made multiple threats against the Islamic Republic’s regime due to its violent crackdown against protesters, the world still waits to see whether the United States will indeed follow through. Karim Sadjadpour, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Ark Media contributor Nadav Eyal join Dan to discuss what shape might an American attack take, whether it has in fact already started, how Iran might retaliate, and whether this could be the end of the Ayatollah regime.

In this episode...

- Under the communications shutdown, can we know what’s happening in Iran?

- Israel expects an American action… But of what kind?

- Is the Ayatollah regime crumbling?

- Is the United States already operating within Iran?

- Getting into the mind of the Supreme Leader

- How is Israel preparing?

- What should the West do?

- Understanding Reza Pahlavi’s role

This episode was sponsored by Birthright: Invest in the Jewish future today at onetripchangeseverything.com.

From the episode:

- Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.

- Nadav’s latest newsletter on Iran

- Read Karim’s latest piece in Foreign Affairs

More Ark Media:

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Pattricio Spadaveccia, Yuval Semo

If Tehran Falls, What Then? - with Karim Sadjadpour Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back https://inside.arkmedia.org

Gift a subscription of Inside Call me Back: https://inside.arkmedia.org/gifts

Read Karim's piece in Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/autumn-ayatollahs

Subscribe to Nadav Eyal’s Substack: https://nadave.substack.com/

Subscribe to Amit Segal’s newsletter ‘It’s Noon in Israel’: https://arkmedia.org/amitsegal/

Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast

For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.org

To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/

Ark Media on Instagram: https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg

Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor

Dan on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dansenor

To order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn

Today’s Episode:

As Iran enters another week of unrest, protests have continued to spread across the country, with demonstrations reported in multiple major cities. The regime has responded by sharply restricting internet and cellular access, making it difficult to assess the full scale of the crackdown as regional tensions rise and President Trump warns that the United States could intervene if protesters are killed.

To discuss what this moment could mean for Iran’s future, Dan was joined by Karim Sadjadpour, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a recurring guest on the podcast. Karim examines whether Iran may be nearing a tipping point, how the regime is attempting to suppress dissent, and what the fall of the Islamic Republic could look like, including the risks and challenges of political transition.

CREDITS:

ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor

ADAAM JAMES LEVIN-AREDDY - Executive Producer

BRITTANY COHEN - Production Manager

MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor

MARIANGELES BURGOS AND PATRICIO SPADAVECCHIA - Additional Editing

YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer