

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

Jul 31, 2024 • 56min
Haniyeh, Hezbollah, and the Hostages
On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Senior Director of Policy Research Shira Efron. The trio discussed the targeted assassinations of Hamas political head Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and of top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon, possible Iranian and Hezbollah retaliations, the wider impact it could have on hostage talks, what role the Biden administration can play in avoiding a regional war, and more.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jul 17, 2024 • 46min
Between Washington and the War
On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Director of IPF Atid Shanie Reichman discuss the likely assassination of Mohammed Deif, the state of play in the renewed hostage negotiations, Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming trip to Washington, Israeli politics ahead of summer break, checking-in on the northern front with Lebanon, and more.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jul 10, 2024 • 51min
The State of Israel's Multi-Front War
In this episode, Ehud Yaari, a longtime Middle East commentator for Israel's Channel 12 and an international fellow at the Washington Institute, joins Neri Zilber for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of play in the Gaza war, the prospects for a hostage deal, myths surrounding the day after, the chances for de-escalation with Hizballah in Lebanon, fears for stability on the West Bank, and much more.Join Israel Policy Forum for our virtual Summer Learning Series on key issues and concepts related to Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, led by Israel Policy Forum experts and guest educators. Every session will be preceded by the distribution of recommended readings and resources to enhance the experience.Held on four Mondays over the course of the summer, beginning July 1, these one-hour sessions are offered at no cost. Recordings of past sessions are available for viewing. Learn more and register here.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jun 27, 2024 • 58min
Political Games and Ambiguous War Aims
Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Foundation of Policy Research Shira Efron to discuss developments in Israel’s political arena and across the various fronts of the ongoing war. They unpack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first Hebrew-language interview in over a year, his upcoming visit to Washington, and the Haredi military conscription saga threatening his coalition. With the chances of a hostage-for-ceasefire deal appearing increasingly slim, Neri, Shira, and Michael assess the future of the Gaza campaign and the possibility of a major escalation in Lebanon.--Join Israel Policy Forum for our virtual Summer Learning Series on key issues and concepts related to Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, led by Israel Policy Forum experts and guest educators. Every session will be preceded by the distribution of recommended readings and resources to enhance the experience.Held on four Mondays over the course of the summer, beginning July 1, these one-hour sessions are offered at no cost. Learn more and register here.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jun 20, 2024 • 48min
The Center Must Hold
On this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Neri Zilber hosts Yair Zivan, chief foreign policy advisor to former Israeli prime minister and current opposition leader Yair Lapid, and the author of the forthcoming anthology The Center Must Hold: Why Centrism Is the Answer to Extremism and Polarization. They discuss the meaning of centrism as a distinct political movement, its increasing importance worldwide, the experience of working in the Bennett-Lapid government, and the current moment in Israeli politics and the Gaza war. Finally, they delve into the question on everyone's mind: when will there be elections in Israel? --Join Israel Policy Forum for our virtual Summer Learning Series on key issues and concepts related to Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, led by Israel Policy Forum experts and guest educators. Every session will be preceded by the distribution of recommended readings and resources to enhance the experience.Held on four Mondays over the course of the summer, beginning July 1, these one-hour sessions are offered at no cost. Learn more and register here.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Jun 10, 2024 • 52min
Rescues, Resignations, Negotiations, and the North
On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman discuss Saturday's heroic hostage rescue operation, the landmark speech by President Biden laying out a Gaza hostage-and-ceasefire deal, the implications of Benny Gantz's resignation from the emergency wartime government, the prospects of war breaking out with Hizballah in Lebanon, and more. At this critical juncture in the war in Gaza, Israel Policy Forum experts are providing timely, clear-headed, and sober analysis on Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian affairs.In this Tuesday's Koplow Column, Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow unpacks the potential implications of Benny Gantz’s decision to quit the emergency wartime government with Netanyahu. Read here.Our Israel fellow and former advisor to Shimon Peres, Nimrod Novik, was interviewed on CBC News to discuss how Israel’s daring rescue of four hostages on June 8 could impact the Israeli political arena and the possibility of a ceasefire deal with Hamas. Watch here.Shira Efron, Jess Manville, and Alex Lederman recently published a policy report on how to advance a viable path forward for UNRWA given its essential role and deep, systemic flaws. Explore the report here.If you rely on Israel Policy Forum for credible and thoughtful analysis, please make a gift today so our work can continue to have an impact. Donate now.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

May 29, 2024 • 53min
UNRWA at a Crossroads: Charting a Course to Meaningful Reform
October 7 and the war in Gaza have cast a spotlight on UNRWA’s deep-seated and longstanding flaws. On this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Israel Policy Forum's Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Senior Director of Policy Research Dr. Shira Efron, Senior Policy and Communications Associate Alex Lederman, and Policy Advisor Jess Manville discuss their new policy report charting a path toward incremental and meaningful UNRWA reform to align the agency with realistic future outcomes to the conflict, guarantee dignified service provision for Palestinian refugees, and account for Israel’s legitimate security needs.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

May 23, 2024 • 54min
Inside Palestinian Politics and the Day After
On this episode of Israel Policy Pod, Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber hosts Samer Sinijlawi, a Palestinian activist from East Jerusalem and a member of the Fatah party 'shadow leadership,’ to discuss his unique story from rock-throwing youth to peace activist, the need for true reform in Palestinian politics, building bridges and empathy between Israelis and Palestinians in the wake of October 7, what the day after in Gaza could look like, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

May 16, 2024 • 56min
Remembrance and Independence Under the Specter of War
On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman discuss this year's Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut under the pall of October 7, the state of U.S.-Israel relations, the ongoing Rafah operation amid the wider war in Gaza, Israel's lack of a day-after strategy, growing dissent in the war cabinet, anti-Israel campus protests, and more.Read Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Sr. Director of Policy Research Shira Efron's recent op-ed in The New York Times here.Read this week's Koplow Column here.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

May 8, 2024 • 56min
Ceasefire Reports and Netanyahu's Retorts
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 the overall state of the Israel-Hamas war. They cover the limited Israeli ground incursion into Rafah, Hamas' response to the ceasefire-for-hostage deal proposal, the situation on the northern border with Lebanon, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.