Israel Policy Pod
321 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★ - 146 ratingsA weekly podcast that goes beyond the headlines to bring you analysis from Israel Policy Forum experts and distinguished guests including policymakers, activists, and academics.
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Episodes
What to Do When the Party Leaves You?
June 03, 2020 03:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz talk with MK Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh about her political ambitions, looming West Bank annexation, and her decision to break ranks with Benny Gantz's Blue and White party for Yesh Atid. Support the show
How Will the Palestinians Respond to Annexation?
May 28, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBOn this episode, Israel Policy Pod presents a recording of Israel Policy Forum's recent briefing call with PLO Ambassador to the United Kingdom Husam Zomlot. We also encourage you to read Michal Koplow's latest column on the necessity of a Palestinian counter-offer to the Trump plan. Support the show
The Great Knesset Debate
May 21, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 48.3 MBFind out how Israeli opposition parties are responding to West Bank annexation, featuring MK and former Deputy Mossad Head Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid), MK and former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan (Israel Democratic Party), and Aida Touma-Sliman (Joint List). Support the show
Is Abbas Serious This Time?
May 20, 2020 20:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBPolicy Director Michael Koplow joins hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz to help break down a recent dramatic announcement from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that has the Israel Policy Pod team feeling a sense of deja vu. Register for our upcoming video briefing (Tuesday, May 26) with Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot: ipf.li/may26 Support the show
The Ministry of Silly Walks
May 15, 2020 00:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz break down why the swearing in of Israel's new government has been postponed, explain the expansion of the cabinet to include superfluous ministerial portfolios, and check in on the status of West Bank annexation plans. Support the show
"Don't Know" About Annexation
May 13, 2020 19:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBProfessor Tamar Hermann of the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) joins host Evan Gottesman to break down the findings in the lDI's latest Israeli Voice Index: what it shows about Israeli public opinion on annexation, and why so many Israelis responded by saying they "don't know" about a question of existential national significance. Click here to read the findings of the May 2020 Israeli Voice Index. Support the show
Dissecting Trump Plan Talking Points
May 07, 2020 21:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBPolicy Director Michael Koplow and host Evan Gottesman break down a set of talking points on the Trump administration's Israeli-Palestinian proposal laid out in a recent op-ed by U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Read Michael Koplow's latest article: "Creating New Realities" Read Evan Gottesman's latest article: "Debunking David Friedman's Talking Points on the Trump Plan" Support the show
Israel-China Ties in Focus
May 06, 2020 23:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBDr. Shira Efron, Israel Policy Forum's policy advisor and an expert on Israel-China ties, joins host Evan Gottesman to discuss recent developments in the Jerusalem-Beijing relationship and their impact on the U.S.-Israel alliance. Read Dr. Efron's work on Israel and China: The U.S.-Israel Relationship's China Problem (Israel Policy Forum) Chinese Investment in Israeli Technology and Infrastructure: Security Implications for Israel and the United States (RAND) The Evolving Israel-China Re...
EuroTrip
April 30, 2020 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBPolicy Director Michael Koplow joins hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz to discuss the recent warning from European ambassadors against West Bank annexation, while in Israel, a supreme court ruling could send the country to fourth elections. Support the show
Israel's Commanders Confront Annexation
April 29, 2020 23:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz speak with Dan Rothem, CEO of Commander's for Israel's Security, about how the movement of high-ranking ex-generals is confronting the imminent threat of West Bank annexation. For a follow-up to the discussion, join Israel Policy Forum for a video briefing with Israeli pollster Gilad Hirschberger on the Israeli public's reaction to annexation. The program will take place on Tuesday, May 5 at 2pm ET/11am PT. Click here to register. To read Commanders for I...
Access East Jerusalem
April 23, 2020 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBHost Evan Gottesman speaks with Association for Civil Rights in Israel Executive Director Sharon Abraham-Weiss and Abir Joubran-Dakwar, Director for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories at ACRI about access to healthcare services in East Jerusalem, an area whose residents have long been locked in political and legal limbo. Support the show
Countdown to Annexation
April 23, 2020 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBEvan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss the Netanyahu-Gantz coalition agreement, which calls for annexation deliberations to begin July 1. Support the show
A Fourth Election? In This Economy?
April 14, 2020 22:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss the unthinkable: a fourth Israeli Knesset election in the span of just over a year (and in the middle of a pandemic, no less). Support the show
A Labor of Love: A Discussion with Stav Shaffir
April 08, 2020 00:00 - 47 minutes - 28.7 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz speak with former Member of Knesset and Green Movement leader Stav Shaffir about the collapse of the Labor Party and how the Israeli left can rebuild. Support the show
Americans, Israelis, Palestinians, and the World Ahead
April 02, 2020 21:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBHost Evan Gottesman speaks with Ilan Goldenberg, Israel Policy Forum policy advisor and senior fellow and director at the Center for a New American Security Middle East Security Program, about the new world being shaped by coronavirus, and where Israelis and Palestinians fit into a conversation dominated by fear of pandemics and a global public health crisis. Support the show
Blue and White Blues
March 31, 2020 21:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss shake-ups and breakups on the Israeli center-left, as Kachol Lavan and Labor-Gesher-Meretz fragment over the question of an emergency unity government. Support the show
Coronavirus Comes to Gaza
March 26, 2020 21:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBDr. Shira Efron joins hosts Evan Gottesman and Margaux Nijkerk to discuss the spread of the novel coronavirus to the Gaza Strip and why the Palestinian coastal enclave could be especially hard hit by the public health crisis. Dr. Efron co-authored the RAND Corporation study "The Public Health Impacts of Gaza's Water Crisis." To read the study, click here. Support the show
One State: The Logical Conclusion of Annexation
March 25, 2020 19:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBIsrael Policy Forum's new study, "In Search of a Viable Option," evaluates seven potential outcomes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this episode, hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz explore two of those approaches, one Jewish state, and the Trump plan, with Dr. Shaul Arieli, a retired colonel in the IDF and an expert on the geography of the West Bank and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Map link: ipf.li/wbmap Support the show
Netanyacoup?
March 20, 2020 18:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBFrom tracking cell phones to curbing the activities of the Knesset, recent actions undertaken by Israel's caretaker government have critics alleging that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and allies like Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein are using the coronavirus as a pretext to consolidate authoritarian rule. Israeli officials counter that extreme circumstances are a legitimate basis for extreme measures. To better understand the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of these policies, host Evan Gottes...
Three Elections, Zero Winners
March 17, 2020 22:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBAfter three Knesset elections, Israel's politicians are still locked in a stalemate. Add in coronavirus, and you have a recipe for real uncertainty. Hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss the different directions Israel could take after President Reuven Rivlin gave Benny Gantz the mandate to form a government over the weekend, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calculates his next move. Support the show
Emergency Coronalition
March 12, 2020 19:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBWith the Coronavirus crisis dominating the headlines, Netanyahu calls for an emergency unity government under his leadership while his court date looms and Labor-Meretz-Gesher's Orly Levy emerges as a potential ally. Support the show
A Flashback From the 1980s: The Jordanian Option
March 10, 2020 19:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBIsrael Policy Forum's new study, "In Search of a Viable Option," evaluates seven potential outcomes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this episode, hosts Evan Gottesman (who co-authored the study) and Margaux Nijkerk zoom in on one of those approaches, the Jordanian option, with Israel Fellow Nimrod Novik, who participated in secret talks between Israel and Jordan in the 1980s. What does the Jordanian option entail? How did a mainstream Israeli policy come to be seen as an existential ...
Searching for a Viable Option
February 27, 2020 22:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBIf not two states, then what? Host Margaux Nijkerk breaks down this question with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro, Dr. Shira Efron, and Evan Gottesman as they discuss a new report authored by Evan and Dr. Efron evaluating seven possible outcomes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We appreciate your listenership and support of Israel Policy Pod, and value your thoughts and feedback on our programs. Please take a few minutes to complete our brief survey so that we can con...
The Election to End All Elections?
February 26, 2020 20:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBIs a Netanyahu right-wing majority within reach? Does Benny Gantz have a realistic path to form a coalition? Less than a week before Israelis head to the polls for a third consecutive time, host Eli Kowaz is joined by Independent Journalist Neri Zilber to break down the state-of-play in Israeli politics. Neri is an adjunct fellow of The Washington Institute and policy director at BICOM. Support the show
Mapping the Trump Plan
February 07, 2020 15:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBHost Eli Kowaz speaks with Tel Aviv-based analyst Dan Rothem about the new borders set out in the Trump administration's Peace to Prosperity proposal and their ramifications for Israel's secure, Jewish, and democratic future. Support the show
The Real Deal? Understanding Trump's Israeli-Palestinian Plan
January 30, 2020 01:00 - 1 hour - 41.4 MBAmid Israel’s continuing political deadlock, the Trump administration has now unveiled its long-delayed Israeli-Palestinian plan. Upending decades of bipartisan policy, the proposal gives American endorsement to Israeli annexation of broad swaths of the West Bank and limits Palestinian territorial contiguity. What does the plan mean for Israel’s security and Jewish and democratic character? And how will this new American policy impact the future viability of a two-state solution? Listen in t...
Wheeling and [Ultimate] Dealing
January 24, 2020 18:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBOver the past week, the Trump administration's perennially delayed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan has gone from the realm of fantasy to being just around the corner. Is this a serious proposal or a transparent political ploy to trap Benjamin Netanyahu's rival, Benny Gantz? What do the rumored elements of the plan mean for the future of the two-state solution? Hosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk discuss. Support the show
Deadline Drama
January 16, 2020 14:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBIn this week's episode Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk discuss the deadline drama as Wednesday marked the final day for parties to register for March’s election. Support the show
Inside the Joint List: A Talk with MK Aida Touma-Sliman
January 09, 2020 22:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Margaux Nijkerk talk to Aida Touma-Sliman, a member of Knesset for the Joint List. Tune in for a discussion on MK Touma-Sliman's advocacy for women's rights and Arab citizens of Israel, West Bank annexation and threats to a two-state solution, Israel's unprecedented third election, and how a leftist member of Knesset can find common ground with right-wing politicians. Support the show
After Soleimani: War With Iran?
January 06, 2020 22:00 - 45 minutes - 31.5 MBIsrael Policy Forum hosted a briefing on the death of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and its impact on American and Israeli security, with Ilan Goldenberg in conversation with Michael Koplow. Support the show
Israel in 2020: Five Things to Watch
December 31, 2019 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss five issues that will shape Israeli politics, U.S.-Israel relations, and the future viability of a two-state solution in 2020. Support the show
Follow The Leader
December 27, 2019 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.58 MBEli Kowaz and Margaux Nijkerk discuss Benjamin Netanyahu's convincing primary win over challenger Gideon Sa'ar. Support the show
Sa'ar Wars
December 19, 2019 21:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBOn this episode of Israel Policy Pod, hosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk talk about the Likud primary and how it could shape projections for the March Knesset election results. Support the show
How Is This Election Different from All Other Elections?
December 12, 2019 21:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss the official launch of an unprecedented third Knesset election season in the span of twelve months. Will this election be different from the past two? And what factors are shaping the early stages of the campaign? Then, the program turns to events in Washington for a discussion with Israel Policy Forum Government Relations Manager Aaron Weinberg on the recently passed H.Res. 326 — covering American support for a two-state solution and opposition to ...
Jordan Valley Annexation: Is Bibi Amman of His Word?
December 05, 2019 22:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBFor the second time in Israel's seemingly interminable election cycle, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deployed the possibility of Jordan Valley annexation as way to rally support — even if Israel's security and relationship with the neighboring Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan suffer because of it. All the while, the United States appears more deferential on annexation than ever before. Will Bibi really exploit this so-called "historic opportunity?" How will the Jordanians and Palestinians...
Netanyahu, Indicted
November 21, 2019 22:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss the biggest Israeli political news story of the past decade: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted in three corruption cases, with charges including fraud, breach of trust, and bribery. Support the show
Unpacking "Our Boys"
November 15, 2019 17:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Margaux Nijkerk are joined by Hagai Levy, co-creator of the the HBO hit series "Our Boys," to discuss the impact of the show. Support the show
Yair Golan: From the Front Lines to the Knesset Floor
October 31, 2019 20:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBLess than two weeks before his keynote address at Israel Policy Forum’s Annual Event in New York City, MK and former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan sits down with Eli Kowaz to talk about Israeli politics, Israel’s future with the Palestinians, and the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin. Support the show
Loving Israel, Conditionally
October 25, 2019 13:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBHosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk speak with Israel Policy Forum's Policy Director Michael Koplow about how the topic of conditioning American aid to Israel has entered the Democratic Party primary race and what it means for the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Support the show
An Uncertain Time, in Israel and Beyond
October 18, 2019 19:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss what happens when Benjamin Netanyahu hands over the mandate to form a government next week, and how Israel's political uncertainty squares with America's withdrawal from the Middle East and the ascent of Turkey and Russia in the region. Support the show
Thinking About the Future: Third Election's the Charm?
October 11, 2019 22:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBHosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk are joined by IPF Atid's Shanie Reichman as they parse the meaning of Israel's present political paralysis and what Prime Minister Netanyahu's future portends for the U.S.-Israel partnership. Support the show
Bibi's Bad Day
October 03, 2019 21:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBBenjamin Netanyahu may have been given the first opportunity to form a government, but he isn't having a good day or week for that matter. Hosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk discuss the embattled prime minister's legal troubles, pre-indictment hearings, and recent political setbacks. Support the show
The Risks and Rewards of Going Second
September 27, 2019 02:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBA week after Israeli elections, hosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk discuss the Joint List's historic recommendation of Benny Gantz as prime minister, Avigdor Liberman's ever-enigmatic behavior, and why Gantz prefers to let Benjamin Netanyahu have the first shot at forming a government. Support the show
The Day After Elections
September 18, 2019 19:00 - 16 minutes - 11 MBThe day after Israel's second election of 2019, hosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk parse the results of the do-over Knesset contest. Exact election results are subject to change as additional ballots are counted Support the show
Before Israel Votes
September 13, 2019 15:00 - 49 minutes - 34.1 MBBefore Israelis head to the polls, tune in to our briefing with journalist and former Member of Knesset Ksenia Svetlova, covering developments from the last stage of the campaign: the cameras bill, Prime Minister Netanyahu's Jordan Valley promise and trip to Russia, the Liberman-Bibi rivalry, and the state of the smaller parties. Support the show
Israeli Elections, West Bank Annexation: Bibi's Jordan Valley Vow
September 11, 2019 00:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBBenjamin Netanyahu has promised to annex the Jordan Valley region of the West Bank (and the rest of the settlements, for good measure) if he comes out on top in next week's election, and he hopes President Trump will help. Hosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk break down what that means in the context of Israeli domestic politics and relations with the rest of the world. Support the show
The Knesset Race Begins (For Real This Time)
September 05, 2019 23:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBThere are less than two weeks left before Israelis head to the polls, and a quiet campaign season is finally picking up. Hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz are joined by a new co-host, Margaux Nijkerk, to discuss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pro-annexation push, the Trump administration's maneuvering on Bibi's behalf, and Benny Gantz's stance on territorial compromise; plus, a look at the polls. Support the show
Israel's Two Week Campaign Season
August 29, 2019 13:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBIt's been a slow campaign season in Israel, but things are picking up as September 17 draws ever closer. Hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's deal-of-questionable-legality with the far-right Zehut party, Labor leader Amir Peretz's disappearing mustache, a new arrangement between Kachol Lavan and Avigdor Liberman, plus, a look at the polls. Support the show
Israel and Iran: More Conflict Ahead?
August 29, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBHost Evan Gottesman speaks with Sima Shine of the Institute for National Security Studies about recent developments in Israel's campaign against Iranian proxies in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, as well as the Trump administration's potential outreach to Iran and ramifications for American interests in the Middle East. Support the show
Arab Parties, Israeli Politics
August 22, 2019 21:00 - 1 hour - 42.4 MBIsrael Policy Pod's Evan Gottesman hosts a briefing with Arik Rudnitzky, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, on the latest developments in Israeli Arab politics — including Joint List leader Ayman Odeh's announcement that he would conditionally sit in a government led by Benny Gantz. Support the show