Future of Israel: Mission (Dr. Faydra Shapiro)

On November 1st, Israelis headed to the polls for the fifth time in the last four years to elect the members of its 25th Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition emerged victorious. In the lead up to Israel’s 75th birthday, it’s a good time to ask: is Israel changing, and if so, how? How will these elections affect the U.S.-Israel relationship, Arab Israelis, Palestinians, and, most importantly, the future of Israel itself? This month, Robert is sitting down with Israelis from all walks of life to answer these questions and to use these elections as a cipher to better understand Israel, the Near East, and the early 21st century world writ large. Robert’s first guest is Philos Senior Research Fellow Dr. Faydra Shapiro, Founder and Executive Director of the Israel Center for Jewish-Christian Relations and Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Religions at Tel Hai College in northern Israel. She has published and presented extensively on the topic of Christian relations with Israel and resides in the Galilee with her family. Canadian-born, Dr. Shapiro made Aliyah to Israel 14 years ago. She identifies as a religious Zionist and feels a deep passion for the survival of the world’s only Jewish state, while always trying to see the country empathetically without giving up the principles she believes are vital to the fulfillment of its divine mission.