What Matters Now

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the head of Realign For Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse. This week, we dive into the five likely scenarios that could play out in Gaza during 2026, which Alkhatib recently proposed on his social media channels. According to Alkhatib, the five proposals all "undermine Hamas severely and massively change the calculus and geostrategic landscape following the Trump-sponsored ceasefire in October, which has temporarily halted the war." The five proposals include: A mutiny from Hamas’s ranks within Gaza due to economic and cost-of-living pressures; a significant rise and empowerment of anti-Hamas militias in different areas of the Gaza Strip; mass protests and large-scale uprisings against Hamas throughout the Gaza Strip by civilians; a mass exodus of civilians, from the Red Zone controlled by Hamas behind the "yellow line" into the Israeli-controlled Green Zone; and a successful international stabilization force (ISF) deployment with the mandate of battling and demilitarizing Hamas. We go through each scenario point-by-point throughout the conversation, leaving time for a reader's question or two. And so this week, we ask Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Palestinians walk along a street past a tent camp in Gaza City, December 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with cookbook author Adeena Sussman. In this conversation with the bestselling author of "Sababa" and "Shabbat," Sussman discusses the intersection of cooking, culture, and personal experiences as she continues melding her American Jewish background with her current Israeli life in her recipes. She reviews aspects of her latest cookbook, "Zariz," which emphasizes quick, easy recipes with shorter lists of ingredients, and how working on it during the war offered a therapeutic outlet during troubling times. Sussman talks about her various Hanukkah recipes, tips for frying potato pancakes and sufganiyot, and how to streamline the latke-making and doughnut frying processes, if one decides to make their own. Adeena Sussman's Sheet Pan Latke BoardFor the latkes: 1½ - 1¾ lbs skin-on Russet potatoes, scrubbed (depending on your sheet pan size)1 med-large onion, peeled2 eggs2 tsps kosher salt, plus more to taste½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper3-4 tablespoons potato starch, cornstarch or flour¼ - ⅓ cup olive oil Toppings ideas: Gravlax, sour cream, dill, lemon zest, capersSour cream + fish eggs + green onionAvocado + chili crispHorseradish sour cream + quail eggPear GorgonzolaPomme persimmonLabaneh +  jamApple butter InstructionsArrange a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 450°F. Grate the potatoes and onions on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Using both hands, squeeze out and discard as much of the liquid from the potatoes as possible; transfer them to a second bowl. Add the oil to a quarter-sheet pan (or 9 x 13 inch glass metal baking dish); place in the oven and heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking, 7 to 8 minutes. During the last two minutes of the oil heating, stir the eggs, salt, pepper, and potato starch into the potato-onion mixture. Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Quickly pour and spread the latke batter across the pan; tip and spoon any excess oil over the top. Bake until deep golden brown and crisp, 23 to 25 minutes (or longer as needed). Cut into squares and top with the toppings of your choice. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Cookbook author Adeena Sussman with her latest, 'Zariz,' in December 2025. (Courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with James Pasch, the Anti-Defamation League's vice president of litigation. Pasch, is currently in Israel to meet with the plaintiffs in a massive lawsuit the ADL initiated against Iran, North Korea, Syria and Hamas, for their part in the October 7 massacre. In a new strategy, the legacy Jewish organization's work in fighting antisemitism is moving to encompass lawfare and since the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the ADL has filed more lawsuits than in all the years of the existence of the organization. In this podcast, we discuss how the ADL and other legal organizations are being creative in repurposing laws and redefining terms. We also hear about the struggle to remain firmly inside the Constitution and Bill of Rights when taking on the campus protests that test the boundaries of Freedom of Speech. And we learn how the ADL is preparing for the next big wave of campus hate. And so this week, we ask James Pasch, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: James Pasch (courtesy)/ People hold US and Israeli flags as they gather before the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, outside a military base near Re'im, southern Israel, October 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Dr. Gilad Malach, a research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. Malach's research focuses on public policy related to Israel's ultra-Orthodox community, including issues critical to its integration into Israel's economy and society. This week, the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is debating a new bill aimed at regulating Haredi draft exemptions. Starting with the foundation of the state in 1948, Malach takes us through the evolution of the ultra-Orthodox community's refusal to serve in the IDF. We hear of previous efforts to entice the population to join the army and how badly they failed. Malach takes us through the unique make-up of the ultra-Orthodox household, in which women generally are more educated and go out to work, while men form a "community of learners." As this new legislation is being debated, we learn what is at stake for the community, as well as the frustrations from the majority of Israelis who are shouldering the national burden. And so this week, we ask Dr. Gilad Malach, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Ultra-Orthodox Jews from the two rival factions of the Ponevezh Yeshiva stand outside the yeshiva following a mediation session held at the place, in Bnei Brak, November 19, 2025. (Erik Marmor/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this conversation, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, head of Realign For Palestine and a Gaza-born advocate, shares his firsthand experiences from a recent flyover of Gaza. He discusses Hamas's grip on power, using brutality to maintain control despite being unpopular. Alkhatib also reveals that hospitals have turned into interrogation centers under Hamas. He advocates for a radical pragmatism approach to challenge established narratives and emphasizes the need for a new social contract in Gaza to avoid mere reconstruction.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with the past president of The Hebrew University, Prof. Asher Cohen. During the eight years Cohen served as university president, Israel encountered numerous challenges, including the coronavirus epidemic from February 2020, the uproar over the Judicial overhaul and, most seriously, of course, the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel that left 1,200 murdered and 250 taken hostage to the Gaza Strip. It also meant a major call-up of reserves, which greatly impacted the pool of students over the past two years. Even more threatening to Israel's future, argues Cohen, is that following the beginning of the war, Israeli academics began facing boycotts and funding drops. Without collaborations with institutions abroad, the Ivory Tower will quickly crumble, we hear. But we’re also going to look to the future, because Cohen is spearheading a national AI infrastructure initiative which the government has approved, to the tune of $500 million. And so this week, we ask Prof. Asher Cohen, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Prof. Asher Cohen (Igor Farberov)/ The Albert Einstein privet library, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, March 19, 2012. (MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Haviv Rettig Gur, a senior analyst at the Times of Israel and seasoned political commentator, shares insights on the fallout from the BBC scandal and its impact on British Jewry. He discusses rising antisemitism and the fears faced by Jewish students in the UK. The conversation shifts to the potential for a presidential pardon for Benjamin Netanyahu, examining the complexities of the pardon process and the motivations behind Trump's request. Rettig Gur argues that while he critiques Netanyahu, he still sees hope for reconciliation and a path forward.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman. The duo beta-tests their soon-to-be-launched podcast series — so new it does not yet have a name — in which they will deliver entertainment news from a Jewish angle (aka Jangle) and review one new or noteworthy film. This week, in episode zero, the pair first discusses the growing boycott of Israeli filmmakers at international festivals. Hoffman weighs in on how this is misfiring when it comes to some of the more prominent -- and very left-wing -- Israeli artists. Next, we hear about "Nuremberg," the Hollywood treatment of the Nuremberg Trials, which began in November 1945, launching the field of international law. In the film, psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) is ordered to evaluate whether Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) is fit to stand trial. As the highest-ranking surviving Nazi military commander, to the Allied lawyers, Göring is the "big fish" that must be landed. Borschel-Dan and Hoffman give their differing opinions of the movie and agree to disagree. And so this week, we ask Jordan Hoffman, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Jordan Hoffman (courtesy) / Rami Malek and Russell Crowe attend the 'Nuremberg' AFI Fest red carpet premiere screening at TCL Chinese Theatre on October 24, 2025, in Hollywood, California. (Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Classics/AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eli Sharabi, a former Israeli hostage and author of the memoir 'Hostage,' shares his profound journey of survival and loss. He discusses the emotional turmoil of reuniting with fellow captive Alon Ohel and the bittersweet grief of burying his brother. Writing became a therapeutic outlet, a voice for others, while public speaking has helped him navigate through trauma. Eli reflects on the effects of global antisemitism and his hopes for a rebuilt Kibbutz Be'eri, emphasizing healing through community and understanding in challenging times.

Ronen and Orna Neutra, Israeli-born American parents of Captain Omer Neutra, share their heart-wrenching journey after their son was declared deceased while his body remains in Gaza. Ronen recounts critical details about October 7, emphasizing Omer's bravery during the ambush. The couple discusses their advocacy efforts in Washington, lobbying to ensure the recognition of deceased hostages and the need for proper burials. They express concerns about political declarations regarding the ceasefire, asserting that true healing cannot begin until every hostage is home.