

Israel Policy Pod
Israel Policy Forum
A weekly podcast that goes beyond the headlines to bring you analysis from Israel Policy Forum experts and distinguished guests.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 17, 2020 • 21min
Three Elections, Zero Winners
After three Knesset elections, Israel's politicians are still locked in a stalemate. Add in coronavirus, and you have a recipe for real uncertainty. Hosts Evan Gottesman and Eli Kowaz discuss the different directions Israel could take after President Reuven Rivlin gave Benny Gantz the mandate to form a government over the weekend, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calculates his next move.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Mar 12, 2020 • 17min
Emergency Coronalition
With the Coronavirus crisis dominating the headlines, Netanyahu calls for an emergency unity government under his leadership while his court date looms and Labor-Meretz-Gesher's Orly Levy emerges as a potential ally.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Mar 10, 2020 • 23min
A Flashback From the 1980s: The Jordanian Option
Israel Policy Forum's new study, "In Search of a Viable Option," evaluates seven potential outcomes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this episode, hosts Evan Gottesman (who co-authored the study) and Margaux Nijkerk zoom in on one of those approaches, the Jordanian option, with Israel Fellow Nimrod Novik, who participated in secret talks between Israel and Jordan in the 1980s. What does the Jordanian option entail? How did a mainstream Israeli policy come to be seen as an existential threat to Jordan and its relationship with Israel? Who supports the Jordanian option today? Tune in to find out.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Feb 27, 2020 • 28min
Searching for a Viable Option
If not two states, then what? Host Margaux Nijkerk breaks down this question with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro, Dr. Shira Efron, and Evan Gottesman as they discuss a new report authored by Evan and Dr. Efron evaluating seven possible outcomes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.We appreciate your listenership and support of Israel Policy Pod, and value your thoughts and feedback on our programs. Please take a few minutes to complete our brief survey so that we can continue to improve the quality of the commentary and analysis we produce.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Feb 26, 2020 • 42min
The Election to End All Elections?
Is a Netanyahu right-wing majority within reach? Does Benny Gantz have a realistic path to form a coalition? Less than a week before Israelis head to the polls for a third consecutive time, host Eli Kowaz is joined by Independent Journalist Neri Zilber to break down the state-of-play in Israeli politics. Neri is an adjunct fellow of The Washington Institute and policy director at BICOM.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Feb 7, 2020 • 20min
Mapping the Trump Plan
Host Eli Kowaz speaks with Tel Aviv-based analyst Dan Rothem about the new borders set out in the Trump administration's Peace to Prosperity proposal and their ramifications for Israel's secure, Jewish, and democratic future.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jan 30, 2020 • 1h
The Real Deal? Understanding Trump's Israeli-Palestinian Plan
Amid Israel’s continuing political deadlock, the Trump administration has now unveiled its long-delayed Israeli-Palestinian plan. Upending decades of bipartisan policy, the proposal gives American endorsement to Israeli annexation of broad swaths of the West Bank and limits Palestinian territorial contiguity. What does the plan mean for Israel’s security and Jewish and democratic character? And how will this new American policy impact the future viability of a two-state solution? Listen in to Israel Policy Forum's video briefing unpacking these and other pressing questions, featuring Policy Advisor Shira Efron, Policy Director Michael Koplow, and Israel Fellow Nimrod Novik, in conversation with Executive Director David A. Halperin.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jan 24, 2020 • 17min
Wheeling and [Ultimate] Dealing
Over the past week, the Trump administration's perennially delayed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan has gone from the realm of fantasy to being just around the corner. Is this a serious proposal or a transparent political ploy to trap Benjamin Netanyahu's rival, Benny Gantz? What do the rumored elements of the plan mean for the future of the two-state solution? Hosts Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk discuss.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jan 16, 2020 • 24min
Deadline Drama
In this week's episode Evan Gottesman, Eli Kowaz, and Margaux Nijkerk discuss the deadline drama as Wednesday marked the final day for parties to register for March’s election.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jan 9, 2020 • 34min
Inside the Joint List: A Talk with MK Aida Touma-Sliman
Hosts Evan Gottesman and Margaux Nijkerk talk to Aida Touma-Sliman, a member of Knesset for the Joint List. Tune in for a discussion on MK Touma-Sliman's advocacy for women's rights and Arab citizens of Israel, West Bank annexation and threats to a two-state solution, Israel's unprecedented third election, and how a leftist member of Knesset can find common ground with right-wing politicians.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.


