Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

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Bibi in Washington - with Amit Segal Jul 19, 2024

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*** Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/mr2sejpr *** Prime Minister Netanyahu prepares to arrive in Washington, DC next week for an address to a joint session of Congress (his 4th), a meeting with President Biden (covid-permitting), all against the backdrop of the negotiations over hostages and a temporary (or phased) ceasefire. To help us understand what is going on the eve of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit, to preview what the Prime Minister hopes to get out of the visit, and the stakes for the visit (and also the future of the political Right in Israel), we are joined by Amit Segal. He is the chief political correspondent and analyst for Channel 12 News, and for Yediot Achronot, the country’s largest circulation newspaper. In his military service, he worked as a media and parliamentary correspondent for IDF (military) Radio.

The Death of Deif – A turning point? With Ronen Bergman Jul 15, 2024

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*** Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/5dw43272 *** Who is Mohammed Deif? Why does he matter (or why did he matter?) Is he dead? We have often said on this podcast that Hamas long ago transformed from a ragtag militia to the equivalent of a light infantry army of a sovereign state. The architect of that transformation was Mohammed Deif. If Hamas was a terror army, its commanding general or army chief of staff was Mohammed Deif. The second intifada? Deif was central to its planning and execution. Its tunnel system and rocket arsenal? All that, too, was Deif. And October 7th? Mohammed Deif. Israel had been on the hunt for Deif long before October 7th. In fact, he had escaped at least seven assasination attempts going back to 2001. Today he is most likely dead, based on an extraordinary intelligence and military operation that took place on Saturday morning. To help us understand what Hamas is, today, without Mohammed Deif, and what it means for Israel’s war against Hamas – and for the hostage and ceasefire negotiations – we are joined by Ronen Bergman, who is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and Senior Correspondent for Military and Intelligence Affairs for Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli daily. Ronen recently won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on this war and the pre-war intelligence failures. He has published numerous books —including “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations,” and also “The Secret War with Iran." Ronen is also a member of the Israeli bar (he clerked in the Attorney General’s Office), and has a master’s degree in international relations and a Ph.D. in history from Cambridge University.

Naftali Bennett, (former) Prime Minister Jul 12, 2024

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*** Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/24rsb4wv *** Today we sit down with one of the most interesting figures in Israeli public life, former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who served as Israel’s 13th Prime Minister (2021-22), and previously, in a Netanyahu-led government as Defense Minister (2019-20), and earlier on as Economy Minister. When he himself was prime minister, Naftali Bennett's government was comprised of 8 political parties from across the ideological spectrum - from his own Yamina Party and the New Hope party on the Right, through Yair Lapid’s party in the center, to the Labor and Meretz parties on the Left. And then – for the first time in an Israeli Government – there was the Arab Muslim party, Ra’am. In his business career, Prime Minister Bennett was a successful start-up entrepreneur. And he served in Israel’s elite Sayeret Matkal special forces. In this long-form interview, we try to better understand Naftali Bennett's worldview on a range of issues in Israel’s post-10/07 reality – its strategic situation as it faces multiple war fronts or possible war fronts, and we wanted to better understand his vision for addressing the growing internal Israeli tensions – within the Israeli public..

The American Victims of 10/07 — with Jonathan Greenblatt Jul 10, 2024

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*** Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/2h98vux8 *** On October 7th, Hamas slaughtered, brutalized, wounded, and kidnapped numerous U.S. citizens. We think of 10/07 as a singular Israeli experience. But it was not. Americans were attacked too. There are even 8 U.S. citizens still being held hostage today by Hamas. It’s not clear what the U.S. Government is doing for these American victims and their families. What recourse do our fellow citizens have? Well, here’s one: the Anti-Defamation League has filed a lawsuit on behalf of more than 125 US citizens and their families who were killed or wounded in the kibbutzim in southern Israel and at the Nova music festival. The lawsuit accuses Iran, Syria and North Korea of providing material support to Hamas. The lawsuit lays out publicly available evidence of training, weapons and financial support from Iran; training and financing from Syria; and weapons and tunnel-digging assistance from North Korea. But where can this lawsuit actually go - what could it achieve? This is the focus of my conversation with Jonathan Greenblatt, who has been the CEO of the ADL since 2015. Prior to joining the ADL, he was a senior official in the Obama White House, and has had a long career in business and the non-profit sector before he joined the Obama administration. To learn more about the Anti-Defamation League, visit: https://www.adl.org/ Find Jonathan on X here: https://x.com/JGreenblattADL And on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jgreenblattadl/ ADL on X: https://x.com/ADL ADL on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adl_national/?hl=en

A Hostage Deal — with Haviv Rettig Gur & Nadav Eyal Jul 08, 2024

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*** Share episode on X: https://tinyurl.com/vehsrjpx *** Before today’s conversation, one housekeeping note. We are announcing our second "Call Me Back Live" Event. I will be talking to creators of Fauda -- Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz. They are scripting OCTOBER 7th, a feature film on the heroic true story of Noam Tibon, who rescued his son Amir Tibon, a Haaretz journalist, and his young family, from Hamas terrorists who had invaded their home at Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Issacharoff is also is a war correspondent who has been embedded with the IDF in Gaza. The event is July 22 at 6pm in NYC at the Comedy Cellar. Part of the proceeds will be donated to Leket, Israel’s leading food rescue organization, which has played a critical role working with farmers and kibbutizm in the Gaza envelope since 10/07. To RSVP, please go to comedycellar.com, click the "lineups" button on the top left and select "July 22". Now onto today’s conversation. How close is Israel to reaching a hostage deal with Hamas and – with that – a temporary ceasefire that could possibly become a permanent ceasefire? And why does this negotiations process have direct implications for Israel’s Northern border, between Hezbollah and Israel? Could a Gaza ceasefire result in a de-escalation on Israel’s Northern border? To help us understand what’s going on here, we have two guests today: -Nadav Eyal is a columnist for Yediot. Eyal has been covering Middle-Eastern and international politics for the last two decades for Israeli radio, print and television news. -Haviv Rettig-Gur has been a regular presence on this podcast since October 8. He is a senior political analyst for the Times of Israel, and has been an important interpreter for Western audiences of how to understand this conflict in broader historical terms. Speech by Nadav Eyal discussed on this episode: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9IUmVwtRZV/?igsh=MW95bXpyZ2hhdm4xNA==

The IDF advocates for an end to the war - with Nadav Eyal Jul 03, 2024

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*** Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/2fpvh4mv *** In recent days, while we have all been consumed with the U.S. presidential debate, less international attention has been on Israel. But during this time, Israel’s security apparatus has proposed and advocated for a formal end to the war in Gaza. This is in part because the IDF is closer to achieving its military objectives in Gaza by having dismantled Hamas’s capabilities – and in part because they believe it’s the only way to get some calm on Israel’s northern border, at least for now. The security establishment argues that there is a connection between the two fronts. Whether or not the Government will accept and implement this proposal, is not yet clear. To help us understand what’s going on here, our guest today is NADAV EYAL, who returns to the podcast. He is a columnist for Yediot. Eyal has been covering Middle-Eastern and international politics for the last two decades for Israeli radio, print and television news.

Mike Murphy’s Biden (retirement) Plan Jul 01, 2024

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*** Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/25du5vv4 *** In today’s episode we unpack what has actually happened in American politics (up and down the ballot) since the presidential debate, we explore Biden’s options (which are not binary), what it tells us about public service in America, and how allies and adversaries abroad might be watching these events unfold. Mike Murphy has worked on 26 GOP gubernatorial and US Senate races across the country, including 12 wins in Blue States. He was a top strategist for John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC. He’s co-host of the critically acclaimed "Hacks on Tap" podcast. Mike is also co-director of the University of Southern California’s Center for the Political Future. He’s also the CEO of the EV Politics Project (evpolitics.org). Find Mike’s podcast, Hacks on Tap, here: https://www.hacksontap.com/ Published pieces we discuss in this episode: “This Isn’t All Joe Biden’s Fault” by Ezra Klein, THE NEW YORK TIMES: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/30/opinion/biden-debate-convention.html “Biden Goes Global” by Seth Mandel, COMMENTARY MAGAZINE: https://www.commentary.org/seth-mandel/biden-panic-goes-global/ “Biden's Presidential Debate Fiasco May Tempt U.S. Foes in the Mideast to Test His Resolve” by Amos Harel, HAARETZ: https://tinyurl.com/3f5kyu5f

Bonus Episode: Noa Tishby and Emmanuel Acho Jun 29, 2024

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*** Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/ydvnv2ry *** Since October 7th, many of us have had uncomfortable conversations we could never have imagined having. October 7th sparked debates and discussions that got very awkward very quickly. But what’s unique about our guests today is that they were having these conversations prior to October 7th. Not only were they having these conversations, they were working on a book that chronicled these difficult conversations. Their book is called “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew”. It’s by Noa Tishby and Emmanuel Acho. Emmanuel is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and the host and producer of an online series called "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man". Emmanuel was nominated for an emmy award for this series. He’s also a 2021 Sports Emmy winner, a Fox Sports Analyst. And, perhaps most importantly, Emmanuel is a former NFL linebacker. Noa Tishby is the New York Times bestselling author of Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. A native of Tel Aviv, she served in the Israeli army before moving to Los Angeles and launching a career in the entertainment industry. An award-winning producer, Tishby made history with the sale of In Treatment to HBO, the first Israeli television show to become an American series. She has had an extraordinary career in Israeli television and film. To order their book: Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/4k3uv8av B&N - https://tinyurl.com/mv2xfxsp

Where was the IDF on Oct 7? - with Ronen Bergman Jun 27, 2024

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*** Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/yvesakat *** One of the questions we repeatedly get from you, our listeners, is - "Where was the IDF on October 7th?" It's a topic that we have strenuously avoided. After the war, there will be a formal commission of inquiry that attempts to understand all that went wrong and why. There will be a time and a place for that. And yet, as the war in Gaza winds down, and as Israel prepares for another possible war, this question re-emerges. What lessons can be learned? More and more journalists in Israel are exploring the topic. So, we are going to dedicate an episode from time to time in the weeks ahead to try to understand what these journalists are learning. Our only caveat is that this is a difficult topic to explore - for all the obvious reasons. The information is uneven... there is still an element of fog of war. When I was in Israel last week, I visited Ronen Bergman in his home in Ramat HaSharon, to have a long conversation about what he has pieced together. Ronen is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and Senior Correspondent for Military and Intelligence Affairs for Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli daily. Ronen recently won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on this war and the pre-war intelligence failures. He has published numerous books, including: “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations” - https://tinyurl.com/mwbmchaj And also, “The Secret War with Iran" - https://tinyurl.com/2p8sh9u Ronen is also a member of the Israeli bar (he clerked in the Attorney General’s Office), and has a master’s degree in international relations, as well as a Ph.D. in history from Cambridge University. Read Ronen's piece in The New York Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html

The ‘Day After’ Document - with Prof. Netta Barak-Corren Jun 24, 2024

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Share on X: https://tinyurl.com/yc8jb3m6 Is now the time for Israeli decision-makers to begin serious internal deliberations and planning for the “day after” in Gaza? According to Nadav Eyal in his column last Friday in Yediot, over 95% of Hamas rockets are gone, Hamas’s smuggling routes have been closed, and its munitions production capacity is zero. Is progress in defeating Hamas appears much better than one would think from reading popular press accounts? It’s against that backdrop that we’ve learned of a 28-page document -- this is not publica -- and is circulating among Israeli military leaders and war strategy decision-makers within the government. Some we spoke to suggested that this document is being treated as the basis for ‘day after’ planning in the government. It’s called: "From a murderous regime to a moderate society: the transformation and rehabilitation of Gaza after Hamas". The researchers are Prof. Netta Barak-Corren, a law professor who works on conflict resolution; Prof. Danny Orbach, a military historian; Dr. Nati Flamer who specializes in Hamas and Hezbollah; and Dr. Harel Chorev, an expert on Palestinian society. To help us understand these recommendations, we are joined today by one of its authors, Prof. Netta Barak-Corren, who is a legal scholar with degrees from the Hebrew University (where she is a professor). She clerked for the Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court, and then pursued doctoral studies at Harvard, graduating in 2016. She currently is on leave from Hebrew University, while she’s visiting faculty at Princeton. She’s previously taught at University of Pennsylvania and University of Chicago.

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