Israel Policy Pod

What happens in the Holy Land doesn’t just impact Israelis and Palestinians; it reverberates across the Middle East. Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Hesham Youssef, a retired Egyptian diplomat and U.S. Institute of Peace senior fellow, and Farah Bdour, the programs director at the Amman Center for Peace and Development in Jordan, for a wide-ranging conversation about the key roles Egypt and Jordan play in the Israeli-Palestinian arena. Both Hesham and Farah are contributors to a new collection of analysis by an Israel Policy Forum task force entitled "Critical Neighbors: Egypt, Jordan, and the Israeli-Palestinian Arena," which offers Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, and Jordanian perspectives on recent developments in Jerusalem.Explore the full collection of analysis online here.Or download a PDF version here.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

After the shock of losing its parliamentary majority, and with the Knesset coming back from a holiday break next week, what does the future hold for the Bennett-Lapid government? Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Walla News Chief Political Correspondent Tal Shalev for a deep dive into the chances of the government surviving, the prospects of yet another election, Bibi Netanyahu eyeing a comeback, and who really is the most powerful person in Israeli politics today.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

In this episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber, Diane and Guilford Glazer Family Foundation Director of Policy Research Shira Efron, and Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow catch up on the major events of the past month, including clashes at Jerusalem's holiest site, the surprising diplomatic response, renewed rocket fire from Gaza, and the staying power (or lack thereof) of the Bennett-Lapid government.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

Violence continues to plague Israel, with another terror attack in Tel Aviv last week killing three Israelis. In this episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber is joined again by Amos Harel, Haaretz's military analyst, to assess the ongoing escalation and how the Israeli security forces and public have responded. They also discuss how Israel views both the looming Iran nuclear deal and the Russian army’s military failures in Ukraine.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

Violence has escalated in Israel, with three terror attacks in the span of a week leaving 11 Israelis dead. In this episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber speaks with Col. (res.) Dr. Michael Milshtein, the former head of the Palestinian arena at Israeli Military Intelligence, to analyze why such attacks are occurring now, what the Israeli government is doing to prevent them while heading into a highly sensitive holiday period, and why the future of the conflict will be determined by the Palestinian young generation.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

In this week's episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber speaks with Knesset Member Prof. Yossi Shain of the Yisrael Beitenu party about many of today’s pressing issues, including Israel's Ukraine policy, refugees and the Law of Return, and Israel-Diaspora relations, as well as his new book, The Israeli Century: How the Zionist Revolution Changed History and Reinvented Judaism, and what it was like leaving academia for the bruising world of Israeli politics.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

In this episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber, Research Director Shira Efron, and Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow discuss Israel's delicate balancing act in the Ukraine war, as well as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's surprise mediation efforts. They also delve into the state of Israel-Turkey ties in the wake of President Isaac Herzog's state visit and provide a status update on Israeli-Palestinian relations.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

The Israeli intelligence services like to operate in secret, but one journalist has made a career by bringing them out of the shadows: Ronen Bergman of The New York Times and Yediot Ahronot. In this week's episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber talks with Ronen about why he chose to focus on this specific beat, how he goes about his work, the stories behind his bestselling book, Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations, and his recent reporting on the Israeli cyberweapon firm NSO Group.Ronen Bergman's recent New York Times article on NSO Group: The Battle for the World's Most Powerful CyberweaponRise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations by Ronen Bergman Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

The crisis in Ukraine is drawing the entire world's attention, and Israel is no exception. In this week's episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Washington Institute Senior Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya, author of Putin's War in Syria: Russian Foreign Policy and the Price of America's Absence. Anna and Neri contextualize the escalating standoff between Russia and the West and assess how it impacts Israel, which must walk a tightrope in order to maintain good relations with both its U.S. ally and an increasingly Middle East-focused Russia—all while hoping that world attention remains on the Iranian threat.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum policy advisor Neri Zilber hosts Jerusalem Post military correspondent Anna Ahronheim and Times of Israel military correspondent Judah Ari Gross to discuss their recent trip to Bahrain with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, the historic defense agreement signed, Israel-Gulf security ties more generally, lasers (yes, lasers), and the fallout from the death of 78-year-old Palestinian-American Omar Assad in the West Bank. Anna and Judah also describe what it's like to cover the unforgiving military beat in Israel. Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel in 1949, shortly following Israel’s independence, and the countries shared close ties for decades. Yet recent years have seen a deterioration in the Israel-Turkey relationship, and President Isaac Herzog is set to visit Turkey soon in a bid to repair it. Tel Aviv-based journalist and Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Policy Director Michael Koplow and INSS Senior Research Fellow Gallia Lindenstrauss to explain how the friendship between Jerusalem and Ankara soured, the prospects for real reconciliation, and the role of the Palestinian issue in both strengthening and straining this important relationship.Support the show

Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Family Foundation Director of Policy Research Shira Efron to discuss the past week's biggest stories in Israel, including settler violence, a potential solution for Gaza’s energy crisis, Lapid's meetings with Palestinian officials, Gadi Eisenkot's first post-IDF interview, and of course Netanyahu’s plea deal.Support the show

Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu has entered talks with the attorney general over a plea deal to end his ongoing corruption trial, a move that could have major legal and political ramifications. Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Haaretz and Economist correspondent Anshel Pfeffer, author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu, to unpack the possible terms of the deal, explain why it's on the table now, and assess what it all could mean for not just Bibi's future, but the stability of the Bennett-Lapid coalition. Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

In the third episode of IPF Atid’s mini-series on climate security, IPF Atid National Director Shanie Reichman hosts David Harary, a member of the IPF Atid DC Steering Committee and the Executive Director of the Center for Development and Strategy, a DC-based think tank exploring the nexus of global development, sustainability, and security in an era of unprecedented change. They discuss the impacts of climate change on violent conflicts across the Middle East and the role of emerging technologies in mitigating the risks. Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

With a new year upon us, it's time to catch up on the latest developments in Israel and look ahead at what 2022 may bring to the Israeli political arena. Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Walla News Chief Political Correspondent Tal Shalev to discuss the state of the Bennett-Lapid coalition, the recent meeting between Benny Gantz and Mahmoud Abbas, the government's handling of the Omicron wave, Bibi Netanyahu's future, and more.Curation Corner Recommendations:Neri's selectionThe Looming Threat of a Nuclear Crisis with Iran by Robin Wright in The New YorkerTal's selectionTrump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East by Barak Ravid in Axios (excerpts in English) Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

2021 was indeed a historic year in Israel. It included yet another election, this time ending the Netanyahu-era and bringing to power a diverse coalition that replaced him, a war in Gaza, inter-communal riots, a reset in U.S.-Palestinian relations, and much more. To recap this eventful year and present the first-ever Israel Policy Pod End-of-Year Awards, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Family Foundation Director of Policy Research Shira Efron to make their selections for the biggest winner, biggest loser, and everything in between in Israeli politics over the past twelve months. Curation Corner Recommendations:A Malign Embrace: Ebrahim Raisi and Iran by David Patrikarakos for New Lines MagazineDoing it his way: How Naftali Bennett could beat the odds and wind up transforming Israel by Shalom Lipner for Atlantic CouncilA Day in the Life of Abed Salama by Nathan ThrallSupport the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitt

In the second installment of IPF Atid’s mini-series on climate security, Shanie Reichman and Max Webb of IPF Atid host MK Alon Tal, a member of Knesset in the Blue and White party and a leading Israeli environmental activist and academic. They discuss the role of Israel’s new government in promoting pro-climate policy, the impact of the Abraham Accords on climate cooperation, and the problems and prospects climate change poses on a potential two-state solution.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

After a deadly terror attack in Jerusalem’s Old City, a looming Palestinian security operation in Jenin, and a financial crisis in the Palestinian Authority, where are things headed in the Palestinian arena? In this episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts reporter Adam Rasgon, formerly of The New York Times, for a deep dive into the current state of Palestinian society, from Jerusalem and the Jenin refugee camp to the corridors of power in Ramallah and Gaza City.Curation Corner recommendations: Neri's selectionAn Archaeological Dig Reignites the Debate Over the Old Testament’s Historical Accuracy by Matti Friedman in Smithsonian MagazineSupport the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

With the Bennett-Lapid government nearly half a year old, it is time to assess how, if at all, Israel’s security policies have changed since the departure of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister. In this episode, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Haaretz Military Correspondent and Defense Analyst Amos Harel for a wide-ranging conversation on how Israeli decision-makers view the Iranian threat, U.S. efforts to restore the nuclear agreement, advanced weapons entering Lebanon, and the state of affairs in both Gaza and the West Bank.Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.

Shalom, I’m Neri Zilber, a Tel-Aviv-based journalist and the host of Israel Policy Pod, Israel Policy Forum’s ongoing podcast that goes beyond the headlines to bring you analysis from our experts and distinguished guests, including policymakers, journalists, activists, and academics.Israel Policy Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the goal of a two-state solution in order to preserve Israel’s future as Jewish, democratic, and secure. Find Israel Policy Pod wherever you get your podcasts and support our work at israelpolicyforum.org/support Support the showFollow us on Instagram and Twitter/X, and subscribe to our email list here.