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
One Does Not Simply Enter Israel
August 15, 2019 23:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBEli and Evan are joined by Government Relations Manager Aaron Weinberg to discuss the Israeli government decision to deny Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib entry into Israel. Support the show
Three Election Outcomes
August 09, 2019 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz review three potential election outcomes — a unity government, a center-left coalition, and a right-wing coalition — and explain why one possibility looks more likely than the others. Support the show
It's My Party (Take Two): An Overview of Israel's Political Parties
August 02, 2019 20:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz run down the list of major political parties running in the September Knesset elections. Support the show
The Left's Bumpy Ride to Unity
July 25, 2019 07:00 - 17 minutes - 12.4 MBHost Eli Kowaz and Policy Director Michael Koplow discuss the Meretz-Barak-Shaffir merger on the Israeli left and its implications. Recorded on a bus so please excuse audio difficulties but admire our dedication. Support the show
Queen of the Right
July 24, 2019 11:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBHost Eli Kowaz and Policy Director Michael Koplow discuss the return of Ayelet Shaked to lead the New Right party, as well as other developments in the Israeli elections. Support the show
Deadline Approaching
July 19, 2019 15:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBWith the deadline for final party registration fast approaching in Israel, hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz check in with developments from Labor, Meretz, and the Arab parties. Support the show
Don't Know Much About Antiquity
July 10, 2019 19:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBFrom tunnels under Silwan to arguments on Twitter, ancient history is in the news in Israel. Host Evan Gottesman speaks with Yonathan Mizrahi, founder and executive director of Emek Shaveh, an Israeli NGO working to stop the politicization of archaeology in Israel and the West Bank. Support the show
Bahrain Blues / Barak Is Back
June 28, 2019 18:00 - 46 minutes - 32.3 MBIn this week’s episode host Eli Kowaz talks to ALLMEP Executive Director Joel Braunold about the Trump administration’s workshop in Bahrain, and discusses Israeli elections with Policy Director Michael Koplow. Support the show
Of Leftists and Liberman
June 21, 2019 16:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBWhat's new in Israeli politics this week? Hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz debate changes on the left, including upcoming Meretz and Labor primaries, as well as the restoration of the Joint List; plus, a discussion of Avigdor Liberman's growing momentum. Support the show
Israeli Party Primaries and Partial Annexation
June 13, 2019 21:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss Labor and Meretz primaries, Arab party politicking, and an apparent endorsement of partial unilateral West Bank annexation from American Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Support the show
Synagogue and State
June 06, 2019 20:00 - 38 minutes - 17.5 MBHost Eli Kowaz discusses about synagogue and state will play into the Knesset race with guest Uri Keidar, the executive director of Israel Hofsheet, an organization dedicated to advancing cultural and religious pluralism in Israel. Support the show
Israeli Election Insights with Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin
June 05, 2019 20:00 - 34 minutes - 15.8 MBToday's episode of Israel Policy Pod features highlights from our latest Israeli elections briefing, featuring Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin, a policy analyst and public opinion expert who has advised five Knesset campaigns, as well as electoral and civil society campaigns in fifteen countries. Support the show
Israeli Elections 2019, Take Two
May 29, 2019 23:00 - 21 minutes - 9.97 MBPolicy Director Michael Koplow speaks with host Evan Gottesman about Israel's second election of 2019. Plus, a dispatch from Communications Director Eli Kowaz in Tel Aviv. Support the show
West Bank Annexation: Regional Ramifications
May 28, 2019 22:00 - 1 hour - 31.2 MBHost Evan Gottesman speaks with Tamara Cofman Wittes of the Brookings Institution about how Israeli annexation of West Bank territory would play out with other Middle East governments. Support the show
What's the Deal With the Ultimate Deal?
May 24, 2019 15:00 - 40 minutes - 18.5 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz get to the heart of the incoming Trump administration "ultimate deal" plan; plus, an original Eurovision song mashup from Eli. Support the show
Immunity, Coalition, Netanyahu, Eurovision
May 17, 2019 19:00 - 21 minutes - 9.87 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's troubled pursuit of immunity from prosecution and backlash from Gidon Saar and other Likudniks, plus a five minute aside on the geography of Eurovision's Eastern European and non-European contestants. Later in the episode, Samantha Pohl makes her podcast debut. Support the show
Israel: Lost in Gaza?
May 09, 2019 18:00 - 34 minutes - 15.7 MBEvan Gottesman speaks to Israel Policy Forum's Israel Fellow Nimrod Novik, a former senior foreign policy adviser to Shimon Peres, about Israel's strategy in Gaza and why Palestinians and Israelis keep returning to brief (but costly) exchanges over the Strip. Support the show
Death and [Palestinian] Taxes
May 03, 2019 15:00 - 25 minutes - 11.5 MBThe Palestinian Authority is rejecting tax transfers from Israel. Why? And what does it mean for the future of the pro-annexation movement and the viability of the Palestinian Authority itself? Israel Policy Pod host Evan Gottesman and Policy Director Michael Koplow discuss. Read: Michael Koplow on the tax transfer issues and the risks of partial annexation Read: Evan Gottesman on the Paris Protocol and Palestinian tax transfers Support the show
Netanyahu and Annexation: Where Do Israelis Really Stand?
April 24, 2019 19:00 - 32 minutes - 14.7 MBIsrael Policy Pod host Evan Gottesman speaks with Israeli pollster Camil Fuchs (Channel 13) to get a clearer sense of where the Israeli public truly stands regarding Benjamin Netanyahu and West Bank annexation. Support the show
Knesset Elections: The Week After
April 16, 2019 19:00 - 22 minutes - 10.1 MBOne week after Israelis voted for their next government, hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz break down election results and discuss the road ahead, with special focus on issues like West Bank annexation and tensions between the ultra-Orthodox parties and Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beiteinu. Support the show
Election Day Is Here
April 08, 2019 04:00 - 28 minutes - 13.2 MBEli Kowaz hosts Walla News Political Correspondant Tal Shalev to preview Israeli election day. Support the show
Israel, Illiberal: Is the Jewish State in Democratic Decline?
April 05, 2019 04:00 - 44 minutes - 20.6 MBIs Israel becoming increasingly illiberal? On the eve of Israeli elections, host Evan Gottesman puts the question to Tamara Cofman Wittes and Yael Mizrahi-Arnaud, authors of the new Brookings Institution study "Is Israel in Democratic Decline?" (read the study here). Support the show
Coalition Calculations
April 02, 2019 04:00 - 30 minutes - 14 MBHost Eli Kowaz is joined by Policy Director Michael Koplow to discuss different scenarios for Israeli election outcomes as the Knesset campaign enters its final week. Support the show
From Gaza to the Golan
March 27, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 11.3 MBExecutive Director David A. Halperin and Policy Director Michael Koplow talk conflict in Gaza and American recognition of Israeli sovereignty in the Golan — and how these issues square with Israeli voters in the lead-up to April 9's Knesset election. Support the show
3 Weeks To Go
March 21, 2019 04:00 - 25 minutes - 11.6 MBAfter a rough political week for Benny Gantz, Walla's Tal Shalev joins host Eli Kowaz to talk about where things stand three weeks before Israelis head to the polls. Support the show
Bibi's American Campaign
March 15, 2019 04:00 - 34 minutes - 15.8 MBHosts Eli Kowaz and Evan Gottesman discuss the American angle to Netanyahu's pursuit of reelection. Support the show
Netanyahu Indictment Announcement: Will it Swing Israel's Election?
March 04, 2019 05:00 - 35 minutes - 16.2 MBHosts Eli Kowaz and Evan Gottesman assess whether the Israeli attorney general's announcement of his intention to indict Benjamin Netanyahu in three corruption cases can swing the April Knesset election. Unfamiliar with the politicians and parties mentioned in this episode? Read more on: Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud Benny Gantz and Kachol Lavan Avigdor Liberman and Yisrael Beiteinu Moshe Kahlon and Kulanu Rafi Peretz and Bayit Yehudi/Union of Right Parties Ayman Odeh, Ahmad Tibi, and ...
Deal or No Deal
February 27, 2019 05:00 - 27 minutes - 12.5 MBExecutive Director David A. Halperin and Policy Director Michael Koplow discuss the impact of the Trump administration's long-rumored "Ultimate Deal" on Israeli elections. The big question in the room is: deal or no deal? Support the show
It's My Party: The Israel Policy Pod Political Party Primer
February 22, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 28.4 MBHost Evan Gottesman and Policy Director Michael Koplow give an overview of the various Israeli political parties running in the 2019 Knesset elections. Fast-forward to check out any of these political parties: 01:50 Kachol Lavan 08:04 Likud 15:30 Bayit Yehudi 22:19 Labor Party 26:13 Yisrael Beiteinu 30:43 Hayamin Hehadash 38:00 Kulanu 41:00 Meretz 43:40 United Torah Judaism 46:57 Shas 51:44 Arab party overview 54:04 Hadash-Ta'al 55:25 United Arab List-Balad 01:00:07 Gesher Support the show
A Podcast About a Podcast
February 20, 2019 05:00 - 31 minutes - 14.5 MBIsrael Policy Forum Executive Director David A. Halperin and Policy Director Michael Koplow join the podcast to talk about another podcast's take on Israel and what they think it missed. Support the show
Deadline Week
February 18, 2019 05:00 - 30 minutes - 13.9 MBEli Kowaz hosts Tal Shalev of Walla News to discuss Israeli elections and the crucial week ahead approaching the party list registration deadline on Thursday. Support the show
Gantz Fever
January 31, 2019 05:00 - 35 minutes - 16.3 MBHosts Eli Kowaz and Evan Gottesman take a look at Benny Gantz’s debut speech and what it says about the state of Israeli politics. Support the show
It's Breakup Season
January 06, 2019 18:00 - 25 minutes - 11.5 MBEli Kowaz and Evan Gottesman discuss the recent breakups in Israeli politics as we approach April elections. Support the show
Israeli Elections
December 28, 2018 17:00 - 26 minutes - 12 MBOn the last podcast of the year (for real this time) Eli hosts Walla News Political Correspondent Tal Shalev to talk about the recently-announced April 9th elections. Support the show
BaShana HaBa'a: Predictions for 2019
December 21, 2018 11:00 - 40 minutes - 18.6 MBWill Trump reveal his "ultimate deal?" Will Netanyahu break Ben-Gurion's record as Israel's longest serving Prime Minister? In our last episode of the year, Eli hosts Policy Director Michael Koplow to discuss predictions for 2019. Support the show
One-State Reality
December 13, 2018 20:00 - 32 minutes - 15 MBHosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz talk about the rise of West Bank terror in recent weeks and months and what it tells us about a one-state reality. Support the show
Last Week in Israel
November 27, 2018 20:00 - 46 minutes - 21.3 MBHow long can the coalition last with a single seat majority? What can Benjamin Netanyahu accomplish in terms of regional diplomacy without progress on the two-state solution? And was Airbnb's decision to de-list properties in West Bank Jewish settlements fair? Eli Kowaz and Evan Gottesman address all of these questions and more as they take on the last week in Israeli political developments. Support the show
The Blue and White After the Blue Wave
November 07, 2018 21:00 - 25 minutes - 11.5 MBAs the dust settles from the 2018 U.S. congressional midterm elections, Israel Policy Forum Policy Director Michael Koplow joins host Evan Gottesman to break down the future of American policy on Israel and the changing approaches the Democratic and Republican parties are taking to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Support the show
Welcoming the Stranger
November 02, 2018 04:00 - 18 minutes - 8.63 MBIn the aftermath of the Pittsburgh synagogue tragedy, Israel Policy Pod takes a break from our normal content to highlight the important work of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), whose support for refugees and immigrants has come under attack by far-right extremists including the murderer in Pittsburgh. Host Evan Gottesman speaks with Naomi Steinberg, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at HIAS, about the history of the organization and the current challenges it faces in the United...
Mergers and Acquisitions
October 24, 2018 04:00 - 23 minutes - 10.8 MBIlan Goldenberg, Israel Policy Forum's Policy Adviser and a Senior Fellow and Director at the Center for a New American Security's Middle East Security Program joins Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss the merger of the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the U.S. Embassy to Israel. Support the show
Preventing Palestine
September 20, 2018 04:00 - 54 minutes - 25 MBThe Camp David Accords, Israel-Egypt Treaty, and Oslo Accords produced some of the most widely celebrated moments in Arab-Israeli diplomacy. But what if these arrangements complicated things for future generations of Palestinians, Israelis, and Americans? To address this question, Israel Policy Pod host Evan Gottesman sits down with Dr. Seth Anziska, author of the new book "Preventing Palestine: A Political History From Camp David to Oslo." Support the show
Is American Aid to the Palestinians Over?
August 30, 2018 04:00 - 40 minutes - 18.5 MBIs American aid to the Palestinians over? Israel Policy Pod host Evan Gottesman asks Dave Harden, former assistant administrator for USAID's Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance. Harden has managed USAID's work in the Palestinian territories, where he led the the agency's mission for over a decade, as well as in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Haiti. Support the show
Druze Blues
August 15, 2018 04:00 - 14 minutes - 6.75 MBHosts Eli Kowaz and Evan Gottesman discuss the nation-state law with IDF Brig. Gen. (res.) Amal Asad. Special thanks to Shanie Reichman for English-language voice-over. Support the show
The Ins and Outs of Gaza
August 02, 2018 04:00 - 30 minutes - 14 MBIsrael Policy Pod host Evan Gottesman speaks with Tania Hary, executive director of Gisha, an Israeli NGO working to improve Palestinian freedom of movement in and out of Gaza. Support the show
Birthright and the Nation-State Law
July 20, 2018 04:00 - 34 minutes - 15.8 MBEli and Evan discuss the nation-state law passed by the Knesset and Birthright walkouts by American Jews with Israeli journalist Allison Kaplan Sommer. Support the show
Is There a Plan B?
July 13, 2018 04:00 - 26 minutes - 12.3 MBHosts Eli Kowaz and Evan Gottesman are joined by Israel Policy Forum's Israel Fellow Nimrod Novik to discuss the Trump administration peace plan and debate whether the administration has a Plan B. Israel Policy Forum Executive Director David A. Halperin joins at the end to discuss the new 50 Steps Before the Deal Initiative. Support the show
The Situation On The Ground
June 29, 2018 04:00 - 32 minutes - 14.8 MBIsrael Policy Forum Executive Director David A. Halperin returns from the organization's leadership delegation to Israel and the West Bank and shares his impressions abut conditions on the ground and the launch of the 50 Steps Before The Deal initiative. Support the show
Settlements, Diaspora, and Demography
June 14, 2018 04:00 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MBOxford University's Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn, author of "City on a Hilltop: American Jews and the Israeli Settler Movement," joins the podcast to share her expertise on the state of the settlement enterprise in the occupied territories, the American role there, and changing Diaspora Jewish demographics that promise to reshape Israel's external relations. Support the show
Securing Southern Syria
June 06, 2018 04:00 - 42 minutes - 18.7 MBEli and Evan are joined by Elizabeth Tsurkov, a research fellow at Israel's Forum for Regional Thinking, to talk about developments with Israel, Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime in southern Syria. Support the show
Jerusalem Syndrome
May 30, 2018 04:00 - 45 minutes - 21 MBLior Schillat of the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research joins Eli and Evan to talk about the new development plan for East Jerusalem, recently approved by the Israeli cabinet. Support the show