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Israel Policy Pod

Israel Policy Forumwww.israelpolicyforum.org

A weekly podcast that goes beyond the headlines to bring you analysis from Israel Policy Forum experts and distinguished guests. 

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Episodes

The Year of October 7

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Director of Policy Research Shira Efron. The trio reflects on the first anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attack and discusses Israel's thus-far successful escalation with Hezbollah in Lebanon, possible Israeli retaliatory options against Iran, U.S.-Israel relations in the shadow of the war, the current state ...

Oct 10, 20241 hr

For Such a Time as This

In this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Israel Policy Forum CEO David Halperin hosts Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Senior Rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue. They discuss key themes from Rabbi Cosgrove’s new book, For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today —including the effect of October 7 on American Jews, the generational divide of Israel views, lessons learned from this past year, and more. Watch our video briefing with Ksenia Svetlova on the recent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah here . Supp...

Sep 25, 202436 min

Pagers, Politics, and Police

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Shanie Reichman discuss Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies blowing up across Lebanon, the prospects for further escalation on Israel’s northern front, the chances Yoav Gallant will actually be fired, the state of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire talks, Itamar Ben Gvir's Israel Police, and more. Support the show Follow us on Insta...

Sep 19, 202446 min

Hostage Murders and Shifting Scenarios

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Col. (res.) Dr. Michael Milshtein, former head of the Palestinian arena in Israeli Military Intelligence, to assess the state of the Israel-Hamas war following the tragic murder of the six Israeli hostages over the weekend. They discuss the lessons that should be drawn about Israel's current war strategy, the debate over the Philadelphi Corridor, the status of Hamas inside Gaza, growing con...

Sep 05, 20241 hr 3 min

Hezbollah Attack Thwarted, Gaza Talks Stall

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Director of Policy Research Shira Efron. The trio discussed the attempted attack by Hezbollah earlier this week that was thwarted by the IDF, the implications of this event on the northern front, the state of the Gaza ceasefire/hostage talks after Secretary of State Blinken's visit last week, what the Biden ...

Aug 28, 202452 min

Awaiting the Return of the Hostages

On this week's episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts two families of Israeli hostages seized on October 7 who are still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. First, Maya and Gili Roman describe their family's harrowing experience in Kibbutz Beeri on Black Saturday, and how their relatives Yarden Roman-Gat and Carmel Gat were taken hostage. Carmel remains a hostage in Gaza. Next, Jonathan Dekel-Chen discusses the fate of his family in Kibbutz N...

Aug 21, 202453 min

Israel's Waiting Game

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Shanie Reichman discuss the waiting game for an Iranian and Hezbollah retaliation, what the threatened attack may look like, the recent controversial strike in Gaza City, the prospects for a ceasefire-and-hostage deal to materialize in the upcoming Doha summit, the Netanyahu government bringing back the judicial overhaul, and ...

Aug 13, 202458 min

Haniyeh, Hezbollah, and the Hostages

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Senior Director of Policy Research Shira Efron. The trio discussed the targeted assassinations of Hamas political head Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and of top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon, possible Iranian and Hezbollah retaliations, the wider impact it could have on hostage talks, what role the Biden administ...

Jul 31, 202456 min

Between Washington and the War

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Director of IPF Atid Shanie Reichman discuss the likely assassination of Mohammed Deif, the state of play in the renewed hostage negotiations, Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming trip to Washington, Israeli politics ahead of summer break, checking-in on the northern front with Lebanon, and more. Support the show Follow us on Instagram , Twitter/X , and Bluesky ...

Jul 17, 202446 min

The State of Israel's Multi-Front War

In this episode, Ehud Yaari, a longtime Middle East commentator for Israel's Channel 12 and an international fellow at the Washington Institute, joins Neri Zilber for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of play in the Gaza war, the prospects for a hostage deal, myths surrounding the day after, the chances for de-escalation with Hizballah in Lebanon, fears for stability on the West Bank, and much more. Join Israel Policy Forum for our virtual Summer Learning Series on key issues and concepts...

Jul 10, 202451 min

Political Games and Ambiguous War Aims

Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Foundation of Policy Research Shira Efron to discuss developments in Israel’s political arena and across the various fronts of the ongoing war. They unpack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first Hebrew-language interview in over a year, his upcoming visit to Washington, and the Haredi military conscription saga threatening his coalition. With the chances of a hostage...

Jun 27, 202458 min

The Center Must Hold

On this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Neri Zilber hosts Yair Zivan, chief foreign policy advisor to former Israeli prime minister and current opposition leader Yair Lapid, and the author of the forthcoming anthology The Center Must Hold: Why Centrism Is the Answer to Extremism and Polarization . They discuss the meaning of centrism as a distinct political movement, its increasing importance worldwide, the experience of working in the Bennett-Lapid government, and the current moment in Israeli po...

Jun 20, 202448 min

Rescues, Resignations, Negotiations, and the North

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman discuss Saturday's heroic hostage rescue operation, the landmark speech by President Biden laying out a Gaza hostage-and-ceasefire deal, the implications of Benny Gantz's resignation from the emergency wartime government, the prospects of war breaking out with Hizballah in Lebanon, and more. At this critical juncture in the war in Gaza, Israel Policy Forum ex...

Jun 10, 202452 min

UNRWA at a Crossroads: Charting a Course to Meaningful Reform

October 7 and the war in Gaza have cast a spotlight on UNRWA’s deep-seated and longstanding flaws. On this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Israel Policy Forum's Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Director of Policy Research Dr. Shira Efron, Senior Policy and Communications Associate Alex Lederman, and Policy Advisor Jess Manville discuss their new policy report charting a path toward incremental and meaningful UNRWA reform to align the agency with realistic future outcomes to the conflict...

May 29, 202453 min

Inside Palestinian Politics and the Day After

On this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Samer Sinijlawi, a Palestinian activist from East Jerusalem and a member of the Fatah party 'shadow leadership,’ to discuss his unique story from rock-throwing youth to peace activist, the need for true reform in Palestinian politics, building bridges and empathy between Israelis and Palestinians in the wake of October 7, what the day after in Gaza could look like, and more. S...

May 23, 202454 min

Remembrance and Independence Under the Specter of War

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman discuss this year's Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut under the pall of October 7, the state of U.S.-Israel relations, the ongoing Rafah operation amid the wider war in Gaza, Israel's lack of a day-after strategy, growing dissent in the war cabinet, anti-Israel campus protests, and more. Read Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Sr. Director of Policy Research ...

May 16, 202456 min

Ceasefire Reports and Netanyahu's Retorts

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Haaretz Military Correspondent Amos Harel to discuss the overall state of the Israel-Hamas war. They cover the limited Israeli ground incursion into Rafah, Hamas' response to the ceasefire-for-hostage deal proposal, the situation on the northern border with Lebanon, and more. Support the show Follow us on Instagram , Twitter/X , and Bluesky , and subscribe to our email list here ....

May 08, 202456 min

Campus Chaos, Ceasefire Considerations, and Rafah Remonstrations

On this week’s episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Israel Policy Forum’s Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Director of Policy Research Shira Efron. Together they assess the ongoing turmoil on U.S. college campuses surrounding the Gaza war, the prospects for a ceasefire-for-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, the state of play in the war nearly seven months in, and more. Support the show F...

May 03, 20241 hr 2 min

Israel's Multi-Theater War

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman discuss Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend, the Israeli mood before and after, the timing and scope of the impending Israeli retaliation, the state of play in the Gaza war, the fate of a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, rising tensions in the West Bank, and more. In the wake of Iran’s unprecedented direct attack on Israel, Israel Policy Forum ...

Apr 18, 202457 min

The Brusque Breakdown of the Bibi-Biden Bromance

On this week’s episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Israel Policy Forum’s Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Director of Policy Research Shira Efron. Together they unpack Israel’s anger at the U.S. abstention at the U.N. Security Council, why Netanyahu seems intent on creating a crisis with the Biden administration, domestic politics in Israel dictating diplomacy, how U.S.-Israel ties reached ...

Mar 26, 20241 hr 3 min

Gaza: Today and Tomorrow

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Col. (res.) Dr. Michael Milshtein, former head of the Palestinian arena in Israeli Military Intelligence to assess the current moment in the Israel-Hamas war. They cover Israel’s misconception before October 7, the third phase of Israel’s war campaign in Gaza, planning for the day after Hamas, the chances of a hostage and ceasefire deal by Ramadan, and more. Listen to the May 2023 episode w...

Mar 07, 202455 min

The Northern Front

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts military and strategic affairs analyst Yaakov Lappin to discuss the current state of play between Israel and Hezbollah. They cover what Hezbollah is actually thinking, the connection to the Gaza war, the merits of diplomacy versus a military operation to resolve this conflict, and more. As Israel pushes forward with its war in Gaza and grapples with political turmoil at home, Israel Policy ...

Feb 29, 202456 min

Wartime Upheaval and Day-After Diplomacy

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Israel Policy Forum’s Israel Fellow Nimrod Novik and Director of the Horizon Center for Political Studies and Media Outreach Ibrahim Eid Dalalsha. They discuss the current mood in the West Bank amidst the Gaza war, growing concerns ahead of Ramadan, diplomacy surrounding Gaza and whether the U.S.-led ‘grand bargain’ can actually succeed, Palestinian Authority reform, the day after in Gaza, ...

Feb 21, 202452 min

Negotiations, Escalation, and a Pending Operation

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman discuss a potential impending Rafah operation, the state of play of the hostage negotiations, strains in the Israel-U.S. relationship over the Gaza war, tensions growing on the northern border with Lebanon, and more. Explore more of our commentary and analysis at our Israel at War resource hub, here . Support the show Follow us on Instagram , Twitter/X , and ...

Feb 16, 202449 min

Negotiations, Tensions, and Politics

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman unpack the latest updates from Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, possibilities for an upcoming hostage-release deal, tensions on the northern border with Hizballah, debates in the government about resettling Gaza, emerging details about UNRWA’s involvement in the October 7 attacks, and more. This week, our board chair, David Sherman, and CEO, David Halperin...

Jan 31, 202457 min

Untangling the War's Objectives

In this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Director of Policy Research Shira Efron. They discuss the state of play in the Gaza war, whether Israel's twin war aims of destroying Hamas and rescuing the hostages are now in conflict, the prospects for a new hostage release deal, the humanitarian situation inside Gaza, renewed talk internati...

Jan 25, 20241 hr 7 min

Israeli Politics Amid the War

Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Walla News Chief Political Correspondent Tal Shalev to discuss the state of play in Israeli politics amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Support the show Follow us on Instagram , Twitter/X , and Bluesky , and subscribe to our email list here ....

Jan 12, 20241 hr 6 min

New Year, New Phase

With the war in Gaza apparently entering its third phase, IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman hosts Tel Aviv-based journalist and Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to discuss the current state of play in the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli politics, and the region. They discuss the reported assassination of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, the social implications of Israel’s military reservists beginning to return home, the latest on the Israeli hostages who remain in captivity, the High Court’...

Jan 04, 20241 hr

The Gaza War, Personally and Professionally

Haaretz Military Correspondent Amos Harel joins Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to share his experience since October 7 in balancing his role as an Israeli citizen and professional journalist. They assess the state of Israel's military operation against Hamas in Gaza and analyze the larger regional threats and dynamics at play. — Nearly two months since the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, the immense challenges ahead are still coming in...

Dec 20, 202355 min

The War Continues, Politics Comes Back

In this episode of Israel Policy Pod, IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman hosts Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber for their last wartime update of 2023. They discuss the recent stories from Israel's military operation in southern Gaza, Netanyahu's latest political moves amidst rising domestic friction, the challenges facing the U.S.-Israel relationship, the mounting international pressure on Israel, and more. Read our new policy report, Starting From the ...

Dec 13, 202352 min
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