Haaretz Podcast
366 episodes - English - Latest episode: 19 days ago - ★★★★ - 129 ratingsFrom Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.
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Episodes
Bibi went gunning for his only real rival
March 01, 2020 14:18 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBHaaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn and senior correspondent Anshel Pfeffer join host Simon Spungin for a final pre-election podcast. What, if anything, can oust Benjamin Netanyahu from the Prime Minister’s Office? Will Israeli voters finally deliver a decisive election result, or are we heading for a fourth election? Which of the parties will stick to their pre-election promises and which betray their voters? And, once the dust has settled on this election, how does Netanyahu plan to defeat hi...
Israel’s ready for corona – but not for women in power
February 26, 2020 11:23 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBJust days ahead of Israel's third election in under a year, host Simon Spungin is joined by Dina Kraft and Ruth Schuster for a wide-ranging discussion of some of the issues that have flown under the radar in this campaign: Women's rights, the global climate emergency and coronavirus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bernie, Bibi and the brutal occupation: Listen to Gideon Levy
February 23, 2020 14:28 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBSenior Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy joins host Simon Spungin to discuss Bernie Sanders’ victory in Nevada and what a Sanders presidency could mean for Israel; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desperate efforts to cling onto power and the 'racists in disguise' who hope to unseat him; and, how Israeli leaders from every party have – with the connivance of the public and the media – normalized the racist and brutal occupation of 4.5 million Palestinians. Slip-of-the-tongue alert At 3:19 mi...
Jewish Votes Will Boost Arab Parties – and Could Save Israel
February 19, 2020 12:21 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBWith Israelis set to vote for a third time in less than a year, Haaretz Weekly discusses the rise in support for a predominantly Arab party among left-wing Jewish voters, who are disillusioned with the traditional “Zionist” parties. Host Simon Spungin is joined by Judy Maltz and Bradley Burston. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The only way Bibi can stay out of jail
February 16, 2020 14:08 - 24 minutes - 22 MBWith just two weeks to go until Israel’s third election in 11 months, Anshel Pfeffer and Chaim Levinson join host Simon Spungin to discuss the seemingly intractable impasse that has bogged Israeli politics down for the past 14 months – and what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be willing to do to stay out of jail. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Israel’s third election is a racist race to replace Bibi
February 12, 2020 14:45 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBOn today's two-part episode of Haaretz Weekly, host Simon Spungin is joined by senior Haaretz columnist Ravit Hecht to discuss the groundswell in anti-Arab racism that is dominating Israel’s third election campaign in a year. In part two, Haaretz’s resident film buff and TV critic Adrian Hennigan discusses the Oscar success of “Parasite,” the joy of “Jojo Rabbit” and the failure of Netflix to pick up any major awards. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Netanyahu's ‘Annexation Nation’ is ready to strike again
February 05, 2020 11:58 - 16 minutes - 15 MBOn today's show, Haaretz's diplomatic correspondent Noa Landau joins host Simon Spungin to discuss the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan, unveiled to much fanfare in Washington last week, as well as Prime Minister Netanyahu's indecent haste to claim that the Americans had given Israel the green light to annex its West Bank settlements - despite the Administration's insistence that this is not the case – and Bibi's own contribution to the plan: the possibility of stripping ...
Trump’s unreal deal: No peace, no plan, no Palestinians, no point
January 29, 2020 14:11 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBAfter months of waiting, U.S. President Donald Trump finally unveiled his much-vaunted peace plan for Israel and Palestine on Tuesday, to the delight of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the disgust of the Palestinians and the bemusement of many. Joining host Simon Spungin on the pod for this breaking news episode is senior Haaretz columnist Chemi Shalev. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From Auschwitz to annexation: Politics trumps peace for Bibi and Gantz
January 26, 2020 14:18 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBOn today’s show, host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz’s Allison Kaplan Sommer for a wide-ranging discussion, focusing on U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” and the two Israeli leaders who have been invited to meet him at the White House. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hijacking the Holocaust for Putin, politics and power
January 19, 2020 12:22 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBOn today's show, host Simon Spungin, Haaretz's history correspondent, Ofer Aderet, and Anshel Pfeffer, discuss the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, which will take place this week in Jerusalem to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Who is organizing the event, why did Poland's president decry the decision not to allow him to address the gathering and why will Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been accu...
Iran’s ‘nuclear revenge’ for the death of Soleimani
January 12, 2020 14:45 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBOn today’s show, host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz’s senior Middle East analyst, Zvi Bar’el, and by military affairs analyst, Amos Harel, to discuss the fallout from the United States’ assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force. We ask whether Soleimani was a legitimate target for an extrajudicial killing, how Iran will seek to avenge his death, what role Israel may or not have played in providing the intelligence...
Under Trump, haters don't need an excuse to attack Jews
December 31, 2019 14:46 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by senior columnist Chemi Shalev, for an unscheduled episode dedicated to the horrific attack at a Hanukkah party in Monsey, NY. We discuss the atmosphere which has led to a spate of anti-Semitic attacks and incidents, the role that President Donald Trump is accused of playing in inciting hatred and the Israeli response to yet another attack on Jewish communities in the Diaspora. We also hear from Haaretz’s New York correspondent, Danielle Ziri, who spoke to loc...
The Mossad, China's Trojan horse and censorship. Yossi Melman talks spooks and state secrets. Listen
December 23, 2019 08:50 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBOn today’s show: Host Simon Spungin is joined by veteran intelligence and strategic affairs correspondent Yossi Melman, who recently rejoined Haaretz after a six-year hiatus. In a wide-ranging discussion, we talk about the daily interference from the military censor that Israeli journalists have to put up with, the authorities’ attempts to silence critical reporting by claiming it could endanger national security and why the Mossad – one of the most clandestine organizations in the world – ...
Pedophiles and politics: Why is an alleged child rapist still in Israel?
December 15, 2019 12:03 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBIsrael’s failure to treat allegations of sexual child abuse seriously – exemplified by its handling of the Malka Leifer case – is taking a heavy toll on relations with Australia’s Jewish community and bilateral relations with Canberra. Five years after she was arrested in the West Bank, and 11 years after she fled to Israel, the former principal of a prestigious ultra-Orthodox school for girls in Melbourne is still fighting her extradition back to Australia, where she faces 74 charges of sex...
Israel’s goal is to kill Palestine, not Palestinians. Listen to Amira Hass
December 08, 2019 09:47 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz's Palestinian affairs commentator, Amira Hass, who just returned from a week in the West Bank city of Hebron, where she saw how Israel is implementing its decades-long plan to eradicate Palestinian nationhood and identity. We also discuss Israel's creeping annexation of the Jordan Valley, the tense relationship between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority and - for comic relief - the chances of President Donald Trump's peace plan bearing fruit. Follow ...
Labour’s lost Jews: Corbyn’s failure to deal with anti-Semitism roils already toxic British election
December 01, 2019 14:34 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Anshel Pfeffer and Esther Solomon to discuss the anti-Semitism allegations that have been levelled against the Labour Party and its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, ahead of the December 12 general election. Are both sides guilty of conflating anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism? Was Britain’s chief rabbi right to warn of the dangers of a Corbyn-led government? Is the incumbent prime minister, Conservative leader Boris Johnson, any better for the United Kingdom’s minoriti...
Netanyahu fought the law and lost. Can he defeat his own party? Listen to Haaretz editor Aluf Benn.
November 24, 2019 13:55 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBJoining host Simon Spungin for Episode 50 is Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn, who looks back on a tempestuous week in Israeli politics, following the attorney general's decision to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery, breach of trust and fraud. We ask: Is the end for Netanyahu? Can he survive an internal challenge to his leadership of Likud? Who are the frontrunners to replace him? And could he possibly win the seemingly inevitable third election and be tasked with forming...
From Qatar to Tel Aviv, is soccer selling its soul?
November 17, 2019 14:54 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Anshel Pfeffer and Uzi Dann, ahead of the exhibition soccer match between Argentina and Uruguay in Tel Aviv this week. We ask: Why is Israel hosting a game between two foreign countries? Why were there protests in Buenos Aires and Barcelona against the game? And is soccer the new arena for countries seeking to exercise soft power, gain influence and ‘sportswash’ their crimes? We also discuss the 2022 World Cup, which is due to be held in Qatar – and whether sp...
Dangerous games in Gaza: Listen to Haaretz’s military analyst
November 12, 2019 11:01 - 8 minutes - 7.68 MBHost Simon Spungin speaks to Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel about the latest flare-up in tensions between Israel and Islamic Jihad, following the assassinations in Gaza and, apparently, Damascus, of two of its top commanders. We try to understand what exactly happened, why now and what next – given the increasing likelihood of a fresh election in Israel. For the latest news, visit Haaretz.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bibi’s BDS smears are ammunition for anti-Semitism apologists
November 10, 2019 14:57 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBHost Simon Spungin talks to Esther Solomon, Haaretz.com’s opinion editor, and Chaim Levinson, the paper’s political correspondent, about two elections: the general election in the United Kingdom, where Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn can’t shake allegations of anti-Semitism; and the potential of a third election in Israel, where none of the candidates have thus far managed to forge a coalition. We also touch on Israeli attitudes toward anti-Semitism, whether labelling anti-Israel criticism as “a...
Anti-Semitism Is Not a Jewish Problem. Israel Is.
November 04, 2019 08:10 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBIn Part 1 of today’s Haaretz Weekly, host Simon Spungin talks to Anshel Pfeffer about last week’s Judaism, Israel and Diaspora conference in Jerusalem. We also hear from some of the participants in the conference, including Isaac Herzog, Natan Sharansky and Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur, on the main issues on the agenda, from anti-Semitism to Aliyah. In Part 2, David Makovsky – the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow in The Washington Institute's Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship and di...
No territory, no leader – but Baghdadi's death could inspire an ISIS comeback
October 27, 2019 15:59 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBHost Simon Spungin talks with award-winning freelance journalist Wilson Fache, who has just returned from Iraq and Syria, about the assassination of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Will Baghdadi's death change anything on the ground for the Kurdish minorities in Turkey, Syria and Iraq? Will Da'esh respond to its leader's death with a round of violent attacks? And what can we read into the fact that Baghdadi was killed in the Idlib Province of Syria – just a few miles from the bord...
Why Trump's Kurdish chaos is bad news for Bibi's war on Iran
October 16, 2019 11:07 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBHost Simon Spungin talks to Haaretz security analyst Amos Harel about the renewed fighting in northern Syria, following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to green-light Turkish military action in the Kurdish region. We discuss the ramifications for the region, for Israel and for the relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the two leaders - Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin – with whom he claims to have excellent relations.
Bibi labelled HBO's 'Our Boys' anti-Semitic. The truth is even more harrowing
October 06, 2019 13:43 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBAhead of this week's finale of the HBO/Keshet mini-series "Our Boys," host Simon Spungin talks to Allison Kaplan Sommer and Adrian Hennigan about the controversy surrounding a show that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "anti-Semitic." We ask: Did the show's creators harm Israel's image? Were they justified in focusing on the murder of a Palestinian teen, rather than the kidnap and murder of three Israelis that preceded it? And is Israel capable of taking a warts-and-all look at itsel...
In Israel's Mexican standoff, the only way out may be another election
September 26, 2019 10:08 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Anshel Pfeffer for a hastily arranged episode of Haaretz Weekly, in which we try to shed some light on Israel's masterclass in dysfunctional democracy. Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu manage – or even try – to form a new coalition; will President Reuven Rivlin tap Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz to have a crack; and will Avigdor Lieberman surprise everyone by backtracking on his demand for a secular coalition?
Is Bibi weighing the 'Nixon option' after election failure?
September 22, 2019 13:25 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Allison Kaplan Sommer and Judy Maltz for a post-election discussion about voter turnout, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's mistakes and whether the newly invigorated Arab parties can play a role in forming the next Israeli government. We also ask whether Netanyahu is seriously considering the 'Nixon option' - agreeing to resign from office in exchange for promise that he won't be indicted for graft.
A watershed election for Netanyahu – and for Israeli democracy
September 15, 2019 12:30 - 22 minutes - 21 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Anshel Pfeffer and Chaim D. Levinson for a final discussion ahead of this week's do-over Israeli election. Will Avigdor Lieberman derail Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to form another government? Who will benefit from low voter turnout? And will President Donald Trump's vague promise of a Mutual Defense Treaty sway any floating voters?
'In this no-issue election, don't believe a word anyone says.' Listen to Haaretz editor-in-chief
September 05, 2019 11:59 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn, for a wide-ranging discussion on the upcoming Israeli election. We discuss speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump could provide Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a pre-election diplomatic gift, whether Ayman Odeh can galvanize Arab voters and whether Haaretz has the resources to fact-check everything said by politicians in the run-up to September 17.
Which of Netanyahu's wars will win him the election?
September 01, 2019 13:42 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Anshel Pfeffer to discuss events on Israel's northern border, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unbridled attacks on the media and how both those issues fit in with the upcoming election, which is now just two weeks away.
How our investigation into lone soldier suicides hit a nerve. Listen to Judy Maltz
August 27, 2019 06:30 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Judy Maltz, to discuss the months-long investigation, written with Yaniv Kubovich, into the thousands of lone soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces and their disproportionately high rate of death by suicide. Who is supposed to be looking after these young volunteers, are they being used for fundraising purposes and will anything change as a result of this exposé?
U.S. Jews have only themselves to blame for Trump's anti-Semitic tropes. Listen to Gideon Levy
August 25, 2019 12:52 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by senior Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy, who has harsh words for the American-Jewish establishment, which he accuses of supporting the occupation policies of the Israeli government. Gideon also tells us about his visit to the ancestral home of U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Talib, who, along with Ilhan Omar, was banned from entering Israel last week over their support of the boycott movement.
Will Israel pay a price for Bibi's capitulation to Trump?
August 18, 2019 14:50 - 18 minutes - 17 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz diplomatic correspondent, Noa Landau, to discuss the fallout from Israel's decision not to allow Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to enter the West Bank. Why did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backtrack, how will Democrats react and what impact will the decision have on the 'holies of holies' – bipartisan support for Israel in the United States?
Israel's not-so-secret 'disappearance' of Nakba history
July 14, 2019 13:26 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz's Hagar Shezaf, to discuss her recent article detailing Israeli efforts to 'disappear' documented evidence of Israeli war crimes during the 1948 War of Independence – the Palestinian Nakba. Hagar, who interviewed archivists, historians and defense officials, tells us about the reporting that went into the story, reactions to it (including an editorial in Haaretz) and why it matters. Click here to read the original article.
Bibi and Trump's Iran dilemma: Wage war or win an election
July 07, 2019 10:17 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel to discuss the latest developments in the Iranian nuclear crisis: What is the Islamic Republic hoping to achieve, will U.S. President Donald Trump be maneuvered by his hawkish advisors into war with Tehran and what does all this mean for Israel? Also: Why is the United States getting increasingly and publically vexed by Israel's close ties with China?
What really happened to South Africa's Jewish community
June 23, 2019 14:27 - 27 minutes - 25 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz's Judy Maltz and writer Roy Isacowitz to discuss Jewish life in South Africa, where – according to a new seven-part series by Judy – Zionism is a dirty word, Israel is the new apartheid and BDS is on the rise. We cover the rapid and dramatic decline in the number of Jews calling the Rainbow Nation home, the impact of the BDS movement on their lives and the historical impact of Israel's support for the Apartheid regime. Follow Haaretz Weekly on iTunes,...
Iran is a threat, but occupation is also Israel's enemy: Listen to Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken
June 16, 2019 14:50 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBAs Haaretz celebrates the 100th anniversary of its first edition, which was published on June 18, 1919, publisher Amos Schocken joins host Simon Spungin to discuss the newspaper's successes and failures, the state of Israel today and what he considers the main threats to the future of the Jewish state. We also discuss the place of media outlets in modern democracies, the key role that Israel's Arab citizens must play in running and defining the country, and the positive message that can be t...
Israel is the most racist, gay-friendly country on Earth
June 10, 2019 13:20 - 28 minutes - 26 MBHost Simon Spungin talks to Ravit Hecht, Avshalom Halutz and Larry Derfner about Pride Week in Israel – just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed a gay Likudnik as his justice minister. We also discuss allegations of 'pinkwashing' against Israel, government foot-dragging on legislation to grant LGBT parents equal rights and the undercurrent of anti-gay sentiment among a small but powerful ultra-Orthodox minority. Follow Haaretz Weekly on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts...
Shell-shocked Netanyahu snatches do-over election from the jaws of victory
June 02, 2019 14:07 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBHost Simon Spungin talks to Haaretz's Anshel Pfeffer about the fallout from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu'sfailure to form a new coalition and a second Knesset election in the space of five months. What will happen to the Israeli political map in the 100 or so days before Israelis vote on September 17? Will Ayelet Shaked and Naftali Bennett make a comeback? Will left-wing parties merge to form a viable alternative? And will the Blue and White party break the mold and become a long-term c...
By tormenting Bibi, Lieberman could accidentally save Israeli democracy
May 27, 2019 11:31 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBSix weeks after Benjamin Netanyahu was tasked with forming the next Israeli government, the prime minister is being led a merry dance by Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman, who is refusing to join the coalition unless Netanyahu agrees to pass a law ending the draft exemption for yeshiva students. Joining host Simon Spungin the studio this week is senior Haaretz columnist Chemi Shalev, who says that it would be deliciously ironic if Lieberman, whose acrimonious relationship with Neta...
Parties, protests and sky-high prices as Eurovision rocks into Tel Aviv
May 12, 2019 12:58 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBAs Israel welcomes the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, host Simon Spungin and Haaretz culture correspondent Avi Pitchon meet with ambassadors from two of the 41 countries taking part in the competition: Ambassador Thessalia Salina Shambos of Cyprus and Ambassador Magnus Hellgren of Sweden. We discuss the unifying character of Eurovision, the unique challenges of hosting the event in Tel Aviv, whether protests during the competition are legitimate – and much more.
Netanyahu fiddles while Gaza – and Israel's south – burn
May 05, 2019 14:52 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBHost Simon Spungin and Haaretz columnist Allison Kaplan Sommer discuss the latest escalation between Israel and the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, which comes on the eve of Ramadan and just days before Israel celebrates Independence Day. And, with guests arriving in Tel Aviv for the Eurovision Song Contest, we ask: Is Hamas merely blackmailing Israel? Will Netanyahu allow Israel's south to be bombarded with rockets while Tel Aviv parties? And why has no one on the Israeli side got a...
From Poway to Palestine, Jewish-Muslim kinship will prevail
April 28, 2019 14:47 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by recently retired Haaretz columnist Bradley Burston to discuss the shooting attack at a synagogue in San Diego, an anti-Semitic cartoon in the New York Times International Edition and hopes for a better future in Israel.
During Passover, Israel takes a pass on religious freedom
April 21, 2019 14:01 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBAs Jews in Israel and across the world celebrate the Passover holiday – also known in Hebrew as the festival of freedom – we discuss the controversial ban on bringing food into public hospitals during the eight-day holiday. Is the government merely protecting the sensibilities of religious Jews or is this a as clear a case of religious coercion as it seems? We'll also talk about the start of negotiations between Prime Minister Netanyahu and his likely coalition partners – one of whom is dema...
Netanyahu's 'Camgate' tactic is straight out of the Jim Crow playbook
April 14, 2019 13:30 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz diplomatic correspondent Noa Landau and author and editor Larry Derfner, to discuss the aftermath of Israel's general election. Will the New Right party squeeze into the Knesset after all - and what will become of its two leaders, Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked. Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new coalition protect him from indictment - and where is Avigdor Lieberman? Will Israeli authorities take action against the Likud over "Camgate"? And...
Netanyahu – the political genius leading Israel into the abyss
April 10, 2019 12:44 - 27 minutes - 25 MBHost Simon Spungin is joined by senior Haaretz columnist Bradley Burtson and social media editor Alex Griffing, to discuss the immediate aftermath of Tuesday's Israeli election. With 97 percent of the votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears poised to secure a record-breaking fifth term of office – despite his Likud party gaining the same number of seats at his closest rival. As Netanyahu begins the process of forming his new government, we ask: What price will Bibi pay for ...
Netanyahu's only ideology is staying in power
April 07, 2019 13:20 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBWith just hours to go before voting begins in one of the closest, bitterest and most contentious elections in recent Israeli history, host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn and columnist Anshel Pfeffer. Is there nothing that Bibi won't do, say or promise to remain in power? Will a coalition of former allies, from across the political spectrum, join forces to push Netanyahu out? And what do the prime minister's recent comments about annexing parts of the West Bank r...
Netanyahu needs to crush Hamas or his rivals will crush him
March 25, 2019 15:21 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBHost Simon Spungin talks to senior correspondent Chemi Shalev about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's short trip to the United States, which has been cut short by a rocket attack on a central Israeli moshav: What does the prime minister's hasty retreat tell us about how he thinks his election campaign is going and how will his rivals use his perceived inability to crush Hamas against him? In Part II, Hagar Shezaf, Haaretz's video and multimedia editor, casts her critical eye over Justice M...
For every Gaza rocket, Israel commits thousands of crimes. Listen to Amira Hass
March 17, 2019 15:46 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBHost Simon Spungin talks to Amira Hass, Haaretz's long-serving correspondent in the Occupied Territories, about the cost-of-living protests in the Gaza Strip, the "accidental" rocket fire on Tel Aviv and how Israel's policy of separating the West Bank from Gaza is effectively stifling Palestinian national unity. We also discuss the first election in Israeli history in which the Palestinians are a non-issue and ask what it will take get them back on the agenda.
Netanyahu's fate is in the hands of a pro-marijuana crackpot
March 10, 2019 16:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBHost Simon Spungin talks to Ravit Hecht, Allison Kaplan Sommerand Chaim Levinson about the Central Election Committee's decision to bar left-wing and Arab candidates, while granting a certificate of kashrut to far-right candidates. Plus: Will wild and wacky Moshe Feiglin become the kingmaker in the next Knesset – assuming he's not too stoned to vote – and why are Israelis apparently oblivious to the Ilhan Omar controversy that's dominating the American news cycle?
Netanyahu has lost America. Is Israel next?
March 03, 2019 14:36 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBDays after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be served a draft indictment - for fraud, breach of trust and bribery - host Simon Spungin and columnist Bradley Burston discuss his plan for political survival and ask: Is there anything Bibi won't do to remain in power?