Haaretz Podcast From Trump's Gaza Riviera to the Iran war and Qatargate: Israel's 2025 in review
Dec 30, 2025
Amos Harel, a Senior Haaretz defense analyst, discusses the intense 12-day military exchange with Iran and assesses the IDF's performance during the crisis. Bar Peleg dives into the Qatargate scandal, revealing how political payments influenced perceptions while the Gaza war escalated. The conversation highlights the shocking realities of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the pressures faced by wartime leadership, and unexpected diplomacy from Trump that led to a ceasefire. Together, they provide a riveting overview of Israel's tumultuous year.
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Gaza Riviera Normalized Dangerous Ideas
- Donald Trump's Gaza Riviera proposal normalized ideas of transfer and helped push fringe ethnic-cleansing concepts toward the political mainstream in Israel.
- Aluf Benn warned this endorsement gave far-right ideas international legitimacy and shifted mainstream discourse.
Qatargate Exposed Influence Over Policy
- Qatargate revealed that advisers close to Netanyahu received Qatari payments that influenced Israel's Qatar policy and messaging during the Gaza war.
- Bar Peleg argued the public must know if advisers' Qatar ties shaped critical wartime decisions.
Netanyahu's Trial Felt Both Spectacular And Mundane
- Dahlia Scheindlin described the courtroom atmosphere when Netanyahu began cross-examination: full, anticipatory, then technical and subdued.
- She said most Israelis had become consumed with the war, treating the trial as an extraordinary but normalized coexistence.