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Israel at War – The Critics Mar 14, 2024

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From the Oval Office to the Oscars, the week of March 11, 2024, has seen more vocal public criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza than at any other time during the Israel-Hamas war. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi analyze, and respond to, recent rebukes leveled by Israel’s closest allies and by fellow Jews.

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Israel at War – The Food Crisis Mar 06, 2024

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On Thursday February 29, a tragedy unfolded in Gaza City during a food aid delivery.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss more than just the food crisis unfolding in Gaza as they consider Israel’s responsibility to Gazan civilians. They examine the struggle in Israeli society to engage in moral discourse and the growing chasm between the Israeli and Jewish diaspora’s responses to the war.

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Israel at War – Rafah Feb 28, 2024

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The city of Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas’ power in the Gaza Strip and final stand for the IDF’s military campaign. But Israel’s closest allies have implored it not to invade, warning that this would only exacerbate the growing humanitarian crisis for Gazan civilians.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi balance the moral responsibilities, psychological needs, and geopolitical strategies at play in Israel’s decision to move in to Rafah, and whether a ceasefire now might be the solution.

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Israel at War – The End of Victimhood? Feb 21, 2024

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As the IDF moves into a ground invasion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and the toll on Palestinian lives continues to grow, Israel’s military actions are garnering greater criticism from world leaders.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on how this war is being judged on the global stage, and whether Israel’s initial public position as victims of the October 7th attacks is best serving its cause today.

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Israel at War – The Haredi Dilemma Feb 14, 2024

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On Tuesday, February 13, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid demanded that Ultra-Orthodox Jews be drafted into the army, a long-debated move that if enacted would formally end the de-facto blanket exemption for roughly 15% of the country’s population.

Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dive into the Haredi ideology behind their separatism and avoidance of military duty at a time when Israel needs them most.

Mentioned in this episode:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/footage-shows-hostages-being-rescued-from-hamas-captivity-in-daring-rafah-operation/

This episode is sponsored by Marshall Zola.

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Israel at War – The Hostage Dilemma Feb 08, 2024

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On Tuesday, Hamas countered Israel’s ceasefire proposal with a sweeping offer to return all remaining captives from October 7 and beyond–those alive and the remains of those who perished–for what amounts to a near-total dismantling of the IDF’s military effort in Gaza. Could the country accept a hostage deal that would essentially forfeit the goal of eliminating Hamas’ military power?

This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi grapple with the impossible position faced by Israel: choosing between the Zionist imperative of self-defense and the Jewish imperative of pidyon shvuyim (redemption of captives).

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more.

Go deeper on this subject with scholars from the Hartman Institute:

Read Mikhael Manekin’s essay in Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas On Redeeming Captives

Watch Elana Stein Hain’s session on The Mitzvah of Redeeming Captives

Israel at War – The Politics of Fantasy Feb 01, 2024

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A staggering 38% of Israelis support post-war Jewish resettlement in the Gaza Strip, exemplified by a discordantly jubilant conference on Sunday, January 28 led by right-wing activists, ministers, and lawmakers including Itamar Ben Gvir and Betzalel Smotrich. Why do so many Israelis want to undo the 2005 Gaza disengagement, and why are some of them celebrating this moment?

Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack the layers of motivation driving this sentiment, the consequences it could have to Israel’s unity, the peace process, and the genocide case at the Hague, and what the Israeli political center can do in response.

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Mentioned in this episode:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/38-of-israelis-back-reestablishment-of-gaza-settlements-poll/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/12-ministers-call-to-resettle-gaza-encourage-gazans-to-leave-at-jubilant-conference/

Israel at War – The Hague: Victory or Defeat? Jan 29, 2024

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On Friday, January 26, the International Court of Justice stopped short of calling for an immediate, unilateral ceasefire, and instead ordered Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and prevent and punish incitements to genocide. Is this a vindication or a setback for Israel as the world awaits a final verdict in the Hague? Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the trial and the shift in behavior by Israel’s government since this ruling.

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Israel at War – The Grand Bargain Jan 24, 2024

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A month ago, the prospect of Palestinian statehood was a distant fantasy for most Israelis. Now, as hostages continue to languish in Hamas captivity and the IDF’s progress in Gaza tapers, the war-weary public has polled in favor of a regional deal, brokered by the U.S., that would ensure a two-state solution in the near future. Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi express their reactions, reservations, and predictions regarding this so-called “grand bargain” between Israel, the Palestinians, and their Sunni Arab neighbors, and imagine what this transformative peace would mean for a nation deeply scarred by the atrocities of October 7th.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The poll of Israelis in favor of a deal to tie release of hostages to Palestinian statehood

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Israel at War – The Next Phase Jan 17, 2024

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After months of an intensive ground invasion, the IDF is entering “phase three” of the war with Hamas. Yet the original goal of eliminating the Hamas regime in Gaza remains distant and security for Israel seems elusive. Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss whether the goal posts have shifted and if the Israeli public can endure a protracted war to achieve lasting security.

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