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Who are Israel's Settlers? Jul 05, 2023

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Settlers in the West Bank now play a major role in both domestic and international Israeli affairs, and they are a powerful force in Israeli politics. In this episode, Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain talk about the various reasons that people live in the West Bank, explore in depth the commitments and values of those who live over the green line for ideological reasons, consider why some settlers have recently become more violent, and discuss how the various motivations for living there have shifted over time.

The No-Longer Silent Majority Jun 21, 2023

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After nearly six months of weekly demonstrations in Israel, the inevitable protest fatigue is starting to set in. Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain explore how to capitalize on the energy and commitment of the pro-democracy movement and ask: Has liberal Israel finally awakened, and is it ready for the long, hard work of transforming Israeli society?

The Rise of Haredi Power Jun 07, 2023

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Over the past few decades, Israel's Haredi community has transitioned from the political periphery to a position of power and influence. Now at the center of Israeli public debate, longstanding resentments around the community's promotion of its own interests as well as its self-proclaimed role as "guardian of Jewishness" are resurfacing. Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain ask: are there any compromises that will contain Haredi power or will the rise of the Haredim necessarily come at the expense of mainstream Israel? Will the Haredi community's surging population mean the inevitable end of liberal Israel?

Can Zionists Speak about the Nakba? May 24, 2023

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The Nakba (catastrophe) and Israel's legitimacy are often seem as a zero-sum game: you can acknowledge one or the other, but not both. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's recent speech at the United Nations during the first ever formal commemoration of this day (May 15th) did little to assuage this polarization. But many who live in Israel encounter fellow Israeli citizens for whom the Nakba is a central part of their identity. Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain explore these tensions and complexities as Zionists. They ask: can we acknowledge Palestinian suffering, especially in relationship to Palestinians who are citizens of Israel? Can we hear their stories without endorsing their political conclusions, and is there room for a cautious Zionist exploration of the Palestinian narrative of Nakba?

Religious Zionism and Judicial Reform May 10, 2023

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The religious Zionist demographic makes up about 10% of the Israeli population, yet it has emerged as one of the most influential segments of society, both within the government and in the country at large. This demographic is undergoing significant change, from being primarily focused on issues of security, territory and settlement, to being at the forefront of the government's judicial revolution. Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain dive into the complexities of the religious Zionist community's evolution and its relationship to Netanyahu's governing coalition.

Elana Stein Hain new book, Circumventing the Law, is available for pre-order: https://www.pennpress.org/9781512824407/circumventing-the-law/

Netta Barak-Corren's English paper on the Judicial Reform:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_r-5u_lT6TIc27SjireMrlNux1roM72C/view

Reflections on Israel at 75 Apr 26, 2023

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A large segment of Israeli society is approaching the country's 75th anniversary with a sense of anxiety. Will a democratic Israel withstand judicial reform and be changed forever? Will defending the vision of Israel as both a Jewish and a democratic state help unify a largely divided Jewish population in Israel? In this Yom Ha'atzmaut episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi, reflect on the resilience that the ruling coalition's recent attacks on Israeli democracy have exposed and evoked across many groups within Israeli society, as well as their own evolution and commitments to Jewish and pluralistic values.

Funding an Israel We Disagree With? Apr 19, 2023

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Is funding from Jews in the Diaspora problematic? If so, when and in what context? Should there be limits on financial support and what they should be? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi talk through the role of money and the culture of support in Israel-Diaspora relations.

What Happens Next? Mar 29, 2023

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This week, the largest protests in Israeli history forced Netanyahu's governing coalition to put a pause on its judicial reform. Can the government that brought the country to the brink of civil war be trusted to advance a needed judicial reform process? What needs to happen to build a civil society and create a coalition that could lead Israel through the next phase? Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain discuss the internal mechanics that are motivating Netanyahu's coalition government, the key aspects of this reform that make it so problematic, and the constraints of politics on the human conscience.

On the Verge of a Constitutional Crisis Mar 15, 2023

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Last week, President Herzog publicly called for the Netanyahu-led government to rescind its current judicial overhaul plan and resume talks with the opposition. Unheeded, the government's legislative blitz continued as protests against the government gather momentum. Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain explore the complexity of the coalition government, the line between civil disobedience and conscientious objection, and how much longer Israel can continue to defy the odds as a fractured society.

Avi Sagi Article (in Hebrew) https://heb.hartman.org.il/resisting-commands-civil-disobedience/

A Pogrom in Huwara Mar 02, 2023

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This week a gunman shot and killed two Israeli brothers driving through the West Bank town of Huwara, which was later rampaged by Jewish settlers who burned cars and buildings overnight and into the day. Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain talk through the grief, shame and devastation that marks this week's events as well as this broader breakdown of justice in Israeli society.

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