Israel Policy Pod

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. They discuss the ongoing protests across Iran against the regime, the strategic indecision by the Islamic Republic especially since last year's 12-day war with Israel, the prospects for miscalculation between Tehran and Jerusalem, President Trump's threats to 'come to the rescue' of the Iranian people, how the events in Venezuela impact Iran's thinking, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Col. (ret.) Dr. Michael Milshtein, former head of the Department for Palestinian Affairs in Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate. They discuss the current status of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the contrasting realities on the ground in the Hamas-controlled red zone and the Israeli-controlled green zone, prospects for the U.S.-led Phase II of the deal, the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump, fear of escalation in Lebanon, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Distinguished RAND Israel Policy Chair Shira Efron to hand out Israel Policy Pod's end-of-year awards and make predictions for 2026. The trio discuss the key events and biggest surprises of a momentous 2025—including the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal, the Iran war, and Israeli politics—as well as the biggest winners and losers of the past 12 months. They look ahead to assess what will happen next in Gaza and Iran, the fate of Netanyahu's pardon request, Naftali Bennett's political prospects, when exactly a new Israeli election will be held, and more.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

In this special two-part episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and Israel Policy Forum Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow discuss the assassination of Hezbollah’s top military commander in Beirut and what it says about the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal, the state of play in Gaza amid what appears to be a stalled postwar transition, and what we learned from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's meeting with President Trump last week. Following that, Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Shanie Reichman and co-founder of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum U.S. Matan Sivek discuss the story behind the Hostage and Missing Families Forum’s efforts over more than two years to free the hostages taken captive by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Shanie Reichman hosts Jacob Magid, U.S. Bureau Chief at The Times of Israel. They discuss whether the Gaza ceasefire will hold, the Hamas members trapped in Rafah, the UNSC resolution vote on President Trump’s 20-point plan, PA reform, settler violence in the West Bank, and more.No Time to Lose: A Blueprint for Reforming the Palestinian AuthoritySupport the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

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 state of play in the Gaza ceasefire, the recent scandal over the IDF military advocate general and the Sde Teiman abuse, the American Jewish community after the ceasefire, the NYC election and Jewish community reactions to it, remembering Yitzhak Rabin z”l, and more.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Dan Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel. They discuss the method and timing behind the Trump-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal, comparisons with the Biden administration’s diplomacy, whether senior U.S. officials are really coming to Israel to "Bibi-sit,” the prospects for Phase I of the deal holding, the challenges looming in Phase II, whether more regional normalization is really at hand, what’s next on the Iran front, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

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 how the Trump-brokered ceasefire came into being, the mood in Israel last week after the living hostages were finally released from Gaza, the state of play of the deal's first phase, the heavier diplomatic and security challenge awaiting in the second phase, the prospects for renewed conflict with Iran, a reflection on the past two years of war, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Note: This episode of Israel Policy Pod is an audio recording of a webinar Israel Policy Forum hosted today on Zoom. Yesterday, President Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a deal to end the war in Gaza, which will reportedly see all hostages freed in the coming days. In this Israel Policy Briefing, Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow, Washington Managing Director and Senior Policy Analyst Rachel Brandenburg, Israel Fellow Nimrod Novik, and Policy Advisor Neri Zilber shed light on the factors that contributed to this diplomatic breakthrough, the contours of the reported agreement, what we can expect to see in Gaza in the coming weeks, and the impact of the deal for both Israelis and Palestinians.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Note: This episode of Israel Policy Pod is an audio recording of a webinar Israel Policy Forum hosted today (9/30) on Zoom.Amid mounting international pressure on Israel and growing determination from the Trump administration to end the war in Gaza, a hostage-ceasefire deal appears to be within reach. As the impact of yesterday's White House visit by Prime Minister Netanyahu comes into focus, Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Washington Managing Director and Senior Policy Analyst Rachel Brandenburg join Policy Advisor and Israel Policy Pod host Neri Zilber to shed light on Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, Netanyahu’s current political calculus, the role of various regional players, and what to expect in Gaza in the coming weeks.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.