The Promised Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The "Dilemmas of Power" Edition Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/posts/52877485

—My Way or Norway?—

The "Norwegian Law" lets ministers resign from the Knesset and get replaced by party cronies. Is that corrupt cronyism, or just good government?

—Deunification by Reunification—

Only a week passed before Israel's new government came up against a controversy that threatens to blow it apart, over whether Palestinians who marry Israeli citizens should automatically get citizenship. What should MKs do when politics demands something their conscience cannot allow?

—A Brook of One's Own?—

The Parks Authority wants to set aside times when brooks, streams, rivers and lakes are open only to women bathers, or only to men bathers. But is that cool?

—Delta, "Keep Climbing"?—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we gulp and ask, how freaked-the-f*ck out should we be over rising COVID numbers, including among fully vaccinated folks.

All that and new music by Itai Toren, the 22 year old son of one of Israel's best rocker-songwriters!

The "Naked Truths" Edition Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Sally Abed and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on https://www.patreon.com/posts/52610627

—"A Coalition Exposition"—

Eight documents tell us tons about what Israel's new government plans to do, and plans not to do, and also about the exquisite tensions knitted into the fabric of this right-center-left/Jewish-Arab/religious-secular/straight-and-queer/feminist-and-not-so-feminist coalition.

—Bye Bye Bibi Bye Bye—

Benjamin Netanyahu dominated Israeli politics for a dozen years. What legacy did he leave?

—The Bare Necessities of the Naked Truth—

Why are so many Israelis squeamish about nudity?

—All Bets Placed?—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we place bets on how long Israel's new government is gonna last.

Plus, a celebration of Alon Tal, on his journey from the Promised Podcast to the Knesset!

All that and the fresh-from-the-barricades music of the Barak Cohen Band!

The "Hey, What's Up With the New Guy?" Edition Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/promisedpodcast

—"Who Are You, Naftali Bennett?"—

Is Israel's incipient prime minister, Naftali Bennett, the hard-line ideologue that most people take him to be?

—No Place Like Home?—

Must the Prime Minister's family live in the official Prime Minister's residence, even if they'd rather stay in their villa in Ra'anana, not far from Allison?

—Who Let the Dogs In?—

What explains Israel's canine-mania?

—So We Dropped-in on the New Clubhouse App, And…—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, after we spent hours on the drop-in audio social media app "Clubhouse," listening to Palestinians and Israelis try to talk, we try to get out of fetal position long enough to describe what we heard.

All that and the moving new record from 75-year-old Shalom Hanoch!

The "I Have Been Able to Form a Government" Edition Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—"I Have Been Able to Form a Government!"—

Just before the deadline passes, Israel has maybe the oddest government in the country's history, including a coalition of 8 very different parties, some from the pretty far right, some from the pretty far left, including one an Islamist party. What's it mean and what's it augur?

—President & Accounted For—

Yitzhak "Bugzhi" Herzog, one-time leader of the labor party, and son of Israel's sixth President, Chaim Herzog, was just overwhelmingly elected by the Knesset this week to serve as Israel's eleventh President. Herzog is a consummate insider, the elite son of an elite son of an elite son, and his opponent was a poor immigrant from Morocco who suffered inspeakably over the course of her life, and rose to be one of the country's most revered figures. Is Herzog the right person at the right time for this job?

—Ripping Point?—

Why so many young Jewish-American progressives are saying (sadly) they're done suffering for the sins of a Jewish state that makes no sense to them anymore.

—"Israel's Problems Are Not Like America's"—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about a new, viral article in the Atlantic by one of our faves, Matti Friedman, called "Israel's Problems are Not Like America's." Do Americans (and especially American Jews) have an Ari Ben-Canaan problem? (And who the hell is Ari Ben-Canaan, anyway?)

All that and fun with The White Trash!

The "Still Crazy After All These Tears" Edition May 27, 2021

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Sally Abed and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—Still Crazy, After All These Tears—

A cease fire has taken affect, dust has settled, dead have been buried, and rubble has begun to be cleared. But what, if anything, has changed?

—Who's Afraid of Fifth Elections?—

So maybe 5th elections are a good idea!

—Dissenting Court or Courting Dissent?—

Did the Supreme Court just save Israeli democracy (or destroy it)?

—You Okay?—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we check in with one another and ask how we are doing, personally, as the violence recedes, as the corona virus seems to be forgotten, and the movie theaters are reopening.

All that and the grunge garage band rock of The Grasshoppers (Ha-Hargolim)!

The "Fair Thoughts & Unhappy Hours" Edition May 20, 2021

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—The Problem of Power—

Trevor Noah and John Oliver say that death counts alone are enough to see that Israel is wrong, and fighting an "unfair fight." What do you do with a claim like that?

—Paradigm Lost?—

Before the fighting, Right, Left, and Center politicians negotiated a coalition to replace Netanyahu, with the support of an Islamist party. Once the fighting broke out, the coalition fell apart before it ever took hold. Does this prove what many say, that an Arab-Jewish political alliance cannot survive an Arab-Jewish war?

—Subterfuge—

Is it kosher for the IDF Spokesman to lie to reporters, if it helps the IDF do its job?

—Thrown Out for Throwing Rocks—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about a petition demanding to sack a high-school principal caught on film throwing a rock in a riot. The man – Sagi Rosenbaum is his name – says he sees he made a terrible mistake – is that enough to let him keep his job?

All that and the powerful rap of 22-year old Jerusalemite Adi Agai!

The "F*cked Up Chickens, Coming Home to Roost" May 13, 2021

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman, Sally Abed and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—"F*cked Up, Horrible Chickens"—

Rockets and missiles from the south and mob violence most everywhere else: Why did Israel just dissolve into bloodshed?

—"If I Forget Thee, O' Jerusalem Day"—

How do you celebrate the "reunification" of Jerusalem (and how don't you)?

—Will Social Media Be the Death of Me?—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about the roles played by Twitter, Facebook, Tiktok and Instoosh in our Hobbesian war-of-all-against-all moment.

All that and the music of Trace Kotik, in celebration of his brand-new debut record, Everything Has Been Done by Now, So Now, Everything is Possible…!

"The Fault Is Not in Our Stars" Edition May 06, 2021

Show notes

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida, Sally Abed (for a bit) and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—(Qui Est-Ce Que) J'Accuse?—

Forty-five people are crushed to death by a crowd at an all-night revelry at Mount Meron. Who or what is to blame?

—All in the Family—

Is "family-uber-alles" the only thing that cuts across lines of religion, language, ethnicity, sexual orientation and all other things that divide one Israeli from the next?

—Ethnic What?—

On last week's podcast, Sally called Israeli policy in Jaffa "ethnic cleansing." This week she tell more about what she means, and why she thinks the label fits.

—They Made You Do What?—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about the labyrinthine procedures one needs to follow these days traveling back and forth between Israel and the US, after Allison and Noah just ran that gauntlet.

All that and the music of Stephane Legar, in honor of his new single, Na'im Meod!

The "There's Something About Romi!" Edition Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

Sally Abed, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—Our Bennett-factor—

The liberal, center-left newspaper Haaretz endorses Naftali Bennett, a privatize-anything-that-moves and annex-anything-God-promised-to-us-in-the-Bible right wing ideologue, as our next prime minister. What gives?

—Jaffa, Lit—

Jaffa explodes in violence and protest. What and who are to blame?

—Hebrew & Me—

Maybe the most intimate question we know: What does Hebrew mean to us?

—The Demonstrations and Violence in Jaffa: A First-Hand Look—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we hear from Sally, who was arrested at one of the Jaffa demonstrations last week, what the demonstrations was like, what the arrest was like, and whether doing hard time really hardens a woman, like in the movies. Also, how bad is prison hooch, really?

All that and the great debut EP of the one-and-only Romi Mor!

The "Unity is the Thing We Seek" Edition Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

Don Futterman, Noah Efron and Times of Israel Ops & Blogs Editor Miriam Herschlag discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.

Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon

—"Unity is the Thing We Seek"—

Opposition leader Yair Lapid says he wants a right-left-and-center "National Unity Government." The fact that it won't be able to do anything about the occupation is a feature, he says, not a bug. Does he have a point?

—How Do You Solve a Problem Like Ben Gvir?—

Kahanist MK Itamar Ben Gvir represents an outlook that most Israelis find loathsome. Is it better to fight him, or just ignore him?

—Hip Like Us—

Does what we Israelis wear tell us something about who we are?

—Mask-Free and Prosper—

For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about this strange pandemical moment, after the mask mandate was rescinded this week, when things seem to be opening up both higgledy and piggledy, which moment feels both like a resurrection – We hath risen! — and also maybe like a prologue to a setback down the road. It's weird, so we talk about it.

All that and the great first record of Minus Efes!

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