State of Tel Aviv, Israel Podcast

On Monday afternoon I had the privilege to speak with the German Ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert. Since taking up his post in July, 2022, Seibert has distinguished himself as a different kind of diplomat. He interacts extensively with “regular” Israelis and has a sharp sense as to what matters. And among the key issues that has dominated the national zeitgeist in Israel since October 7 is the ongoing and brutal captivity of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Seibert recalls how he was contacted on October 8 by the family member of a German citizen taken hostage. Since then he has been engaged in doing all he can to highlight their plight. Continued attention from prominent diplomats ensures that the media—and the world—do not forget. In a wide-ranging conversation, Ambassador Seibert shares with us his hopes for dignity, security, and peace for Israelis and Palestinians. It may seem and feel impossible at this point in time, he suggests, but from this tragedy may come opportunity. Seibert has an easy manner about him, and his efforts to learn Hebrew—which he speaks very well—have made him something of a standout. As does his professional background. Seibert is not a professional diplomat; however he has been tutored by one of the best in the business—perhaps ever. For almost 12 years he served as the spokesman for the German government, working very closely with Chancellor Angela Merkel—a political and diplomatic titan, in my view. Few are more experienced, expert, and accomplished as is Ms. Merkel. And Steffen Seibert was at her side, as he tells it, and has seen it all. A fascinating chat—and even with some unplanned drama—the major missile attack on central Israel by the Houthis happened just as we were getting going. State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast NotesMap of missile targets of Houthi attack that occurred in the midst of the State of Tel Aviv interview with Ambassador Seibert.Steffen Seibert (@GerAmbTLV) / X This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

It all went down with lightning speed and took the world by surprise: the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime by a group of rebels united in their hatred of the brutal dictator. Abu Mohammed al Jolani, who has led this so-far successful rebellion, has been working to present to the world a pragmatic image. He has been associated since his youth with various jihadist groups but is suggesting that the new Syria will be a proper country where civilians may go about their lives peacefully. Olive branches have been sort of extended to the Kurds as well as Israel, but in very guarded language. After all, Turkish President Erdogan has been Jolani’s main benefactor and supplier of weapons, and he is not known to be a silent, benign actor. No. If Erdogan is in the mix, it is because he wants something. And we already know that he wants to bomb the Kurds into submission. Because that is what he has been doing for the past week or so. So—something’s gotta give. Syria is a complex pastiche of minorities—religious and ethnic—and many scores to settle. ISIS-aligned jihadists remain strong in sections of northern Syria, where thousands of former ISIS fighters and their families are imprisoned in primitive camps controlled by the Kurds. Russia has been driven from its Syrian bases. Iran has suddenly lost its land bridge through Syria to Lebanon, cutting off Hezballah supply routes. And the Biden administration just isn’t getting too fussed about Turkey these days. It will leave that mess for President-elect Trump. The Biden White House is doing its darnedest to negotiate a deal for the release of the remaining 100 hostages in Hamas captivity. The stuff of an emotional and enduring legacy. To untangle it all we speak with Turkish expert (and expatriate) Sinan Ciddi, whose biography is featured below.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Sinan Ciddi is an expert on Turkish politics and an associate professor of National Security Studies at Marine Corps University (MCU). Prior to joining MCU, Sinan was the Executive Director of the Institute of Turkish Studies, based at Georgetown University (2011-2020). He continues to serve as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.Sinan is the author of Kemalism in Turkish Politics: The Republican People’s Party: Secularism and Nationalism (Routledge, January 2009) a book which explains the electoral weakness of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party.He obtained his Ph.D. from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 2007 in the field of Political Science. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

A favorite State of Tel Aviv guest, Ya’akov Katz, returns today to dig deeply into the dramatic collapse of the al-Assad regime in Syria and what it all may mean going forward for Syria, Israel, the Middle East, and the world. Following more than 50 years of brutal rule, the despotic rulers were deposed with lightning speed and skill by a group of rebels led by Ha’yat Tahrir al Sham—or HTS for short—an Islamist army led by a former al Qaeda loyalist who is now poised to become the putative leader of Syria. Whereas the joy over the fall of Bashar al-Assad is clear, it may be premature. HTS is really a conglomeration of numerous jihadist groups in Syria that have united over their common goal to depose the Assad regime. In areas in the north of Syria that have been controlled by rebels for more than a week, there are reports that Sharia law has been imposed. Jubilation, in this situation, is better contained for a while until we see how things settle out. Ya’akov and I do what we do—and get into the various regional and global superpowers with strong stakes in this conflict—and, of course, what it may mean for Israel. It has been a very busy few days on the northern border with Syria, where Islamist rebels came disturbingly close to the border with Israel. For now, that risk factor seems to be under control. Finally, we get into quite dramatic developments regarding the possibility of a hostage deal being negotiated. It’s way too early to allow our hopes to be raised… but we can’t help ourselves. Always looking for that silver lining. Thanks for being here and listening.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast Notes* First broadcast by the Syrian rebels from the broadcasting center in Damascus.* Video footage of Syrian Prime Minister being taken to the Four Seasons Hotel, Damascus, by rebel forces* Article published in the Daily Telegraph about the personal background of HTS leader., Abu Mohammed Julani. (spelling varies)* Hamas video of hostage Matan Zangauker, released on Saturday, December 7, 2024.Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike - Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power,” “Weapon Wizards - How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower,” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Shadow Strike was recently adapted into a docudrama by Reshet Media and his books have been published in a number of languages including English, Hebrew, Czech, Polish, Japanese and Mandarin.His next book – tentatively titled “Precision Strike” – is scheduled for publication by St. Martin’s Press in the Spring of 2025.Yaakov served for close to a decade as the paper's military reporter and defense analyst and was a lecturer at Harvard University where he taught an advanced course in journalism. He also served as Israel correspondent for Jane’s Defence Weekly. Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs. In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

A favorite State of Tel Aviv podcast guest, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus joins us today. A former IDF spokesman with a knack for distilling the complexity of the Middle East, our discussion with Conricus today is longer than usual. That is because - even for this impossibly volatile region - these last few days have been exceptional. A massive insurgency against the rule of Syrian President Bashir Assad was launched in recent days, seemingly out of nowhere. Clearly backed by Turkey, the rebel forces are using American military equipment and advancing quickly on their final target—Damascus. Should the regime falter or fall, then the implications for Israel and the region are significant. We go deep into the weeds on this development before shifting to the West Bank. Always a center of unrest, Judea and Samara have been building to a furious boil, and Conricus worries that Israeli leadership is not paying adequate attention to this area. Jewish extremists have been engaged in unprovoked violence against Arabs, and the Shin Bet security service has been finding significant stashes of advanced weapons to be used by terrorist organizations. None of this bodes well for domestic stability and security. And, finally, of course, there is the Gaza Strip. Whereas hostilities on the northern front seem to be abating with the newly negotiated ceasefire with Lebanon, there is no sign of the conflict slowing in the Gaza Strip, in spite of the very significant degradation of Hamas’ fighting capabilities and weapons arsenal. Israelis are beginning to ask what, exactly, is going on there. Former IDF Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense, Moshe (Bogey) Ya’alon, made some very sharp comments on Sunday about the IDF’s conduct in the Gaza Strip, causing a kerfuffle in Israel and the international media. After more than a year of exceptionally long and grueling service, 25% of the reservists being called up for duty, often for the third time in a year, are refusing to show up. They are losing confidence in IDF leadership, and their lives are in turmoil. And all Israelis—including a majority of Likud supporters—are astonished and furious that 101 hostages remain in Hamas captivity. PM Netanyahu has run out of excuses to delay making their freedom a priority. The question is – will he? A deep and no-holds-barred dive. Have a listen…State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast Notes* This article gets into the controversial comments made on Sunday by Moshe Ya’alon, which are discussed in the podcast.Jonathan Conricus served in the IDF for 24 years, four of them as spokesman during the intense 11 days of the Guardian of the Walls Operation between Israel and Hamas. Now a reserve officer, he focuses on American media. He was born in Jerusalem to a Swedish father and an Israeli mother and spent his formative years in Sweden. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

First it was the International Court of Justice. South Africa brought a charge of genocide against Israel to be heard and decided in that august forum. That case has been in abeyance since the initial hearing on preliminary issues held in January, 2024. Soon after we began hearing about the International Criminal Court – which has the jurisdiction to hold individuals to account for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression. In May, ICC Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, K.C., appeared before a panel of ICC judges to ask that they issue arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and then Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, for having engaged in crimes against humanity by promoting conditions conducive to mass starvation - targeting the people living in the Gaza Strip. These alleged crimes were purported to have dated back to October 8, 2023, a day on which Hamas terrorists continued their mass slaughter of Israeli civilians in the southern part of the country where they had invaded. Israel was in the second day of an existential war. The suggestion that its leaders were plotting mass starvation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is beyond absurd. But apparently the ICC judges agreed with Mr. Khan and arrest warrants were issued on November 21. In this episode we speak with Israeli professor and international law expert, Yuval Shany. We get into all the issues and questions I expect many listeners have: Can the ICC do this? Why did it issue the warrants? And – what happens next? Within hours of the arrest warrants being issued there was a furious reaction from Israel as well as the United States – both on the part of President Biden and President-elect Trump. Whatever one’s criticism of Israel may be, this step by the ICC calls into question whether the institution is operating in the interest of the highest ideals of justice or at the behest of nefarious political interests. Professor Shany and I unpack it all.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Professor Yuval Shany is the Hersch Lauterpacht Chair in International Law and former Dean of the Law Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was a member of the UN Human Rights Committee from 2013 to 2020 (and served between 2018-2019 as Chair of the Committee). He currently teaches at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies at King’s College in London and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, and serves as a Senior Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and as an academic visitor in the Oxford Ethics in AI Institute.Podcast Notes:Link to NGO Monitor website, as mentioned in the closing remarks of the podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

It’s wonderful to have my podcast pal, Ya’akov Katz, back from all his busy travels and work and speaking to us about one of the hot issues today: Lebanon. In this “lame duck” period, President Biden’s special envoy for all matters Lebanon and Israel, Amos Hochstein, has been working hard to close a ceasefire deal between Lebanon and Israel. But he’s closer than ever now, and that is likely due to the Trump Effect (which I have elevated to being a proper noun) and how he is regarded in the Middle East. Trump is highly respected—by the good guys and the bad guys. And in this region, that means he is feared. He does what he says he will do. And he has been unequivocal in his hardline position on Iran: sanctions, sanctions, and more sanctions. No more carrots. All sticks. And his appointees named to date reinforce that approach. President-elect Trump has even put Israeli PM Netanyahu on notice and said that he expects all the wars involving Israel to be finished by the time he takes office. And Bibi is not taking that warning lightly. Nor is Iran. Or Lebanon. Word has been swirling for two weeks now that a deal is imminent. But as always, the devil is in the details. Ya’akov and I get deep into Lebanon to understand how Israel can get out of there. We finish up with a brief discussion of Israel’s new Minister of Defense, Yisrael Katz and, as always, the desperate plight of the 101 hostages—eight Thai nationals and 93 Israelis (with many holding dual citizenships) still in Hamas captivity.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Gadi Taub is a prominent Israeli public intellectual; a true Renaissance man who has distinguished himself in recent years as one of the strongest voices in support of the leadership of PM Benjamin Netanyahu. He has moved, politically, over two decades, from the center/center-left to the hard right of the spectrum. Taub was also hawkish on the judicial reform program that led to so much civic turmoil in Israel in the year leading up to October 7, and remains so. And hardline on the recent firing of Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, that went down on American E-Day. In fact, Gadi Taub thinks that the firings of military and security officials should have been done long ago. Why? Because as a group they are subverting the will of the democratically elected prime minister and coalition government. Taub calls it as he sees it. It’s a lively discussion and definitely to be continued.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Gadi Taub is a Senior Lecturer at the Federmann School of Public Policy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He holds a Ph.D. in American history from Rutgers University. His books include bestselling works of fiction and non-fiction the most recent of which is Global Elites and National Citizens in Israel, the US and the West (Bestseller, Hebrew). He hosts Israel's leading conservative Hebrew podcast Gatekeeper, as well as co-hosting (with Michael Doran) Tablet Magazine's Israel Update podcast. His column in Haaretz was canceled for his support of judicial reform. He now writes for Tablet and JNS.Follow us: @stateofTLV on “X” / @stateoftelaviv on Instagram. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Today we take a deep dive into the Amsterdam Jew Hunt that went down last Thursday night and into the early morning hours of Friday. That it happened in Amsterdam should surprise no one. That there will almost certainly be copycat Jew hunts in Europe and elsewhere should also surprise no one. That young Muslim men and perhaps slightly older taxi drivers planned and coordinated this pogrom on various chat platforms should also not surprise anyone. Although it did seem to catch the Amsterdam police off guard—in spite of several advance warnings from Israeli securityservices. In this special podcast State of Tel Aviv speaks in depth with three very different people, each bringing profound insight and knowledge to this critical historical moment. Pieter Dorsman is a Dutch-Canadian businessman and blogger who has lived in Vancouver for decades now but grew up in the Netherlands. He happened to be visiting family near Rotterdam when this attack occurred. We start with him and then speak with David De Bruijn, Professor of Philosophy at Auburn University in Alabama. A native son of The Hague, De Bruijn pulls no punches when discussing the “polite” antisemitism among the more traditional Dutch—and the very explicit, vulgar form of Jew hatred that prevails among Muslims in the country, many of whom are second, third, or fourth generation. These violent antisemites are not “new immigrants” as much of the media has erroneously portrayed them. Lastly, we speak with Eitam Zach, a young Israeli man who has lived in the Netherlands for almost six years now and is very spooked by how life has changed since October 7. And by this latest madness. Throughout this podcast we get into European sport culture, how the Holocaust is ever-present in the minds of Dutch Jews, and how the restrained, “tolerant” Dutch people have managed and mismanaged the integration of so many Muslim immigrants over the decades. Amsterdam today. And tomorrow?State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Timestamps:Intro: 00:00 to 13:21 Interview with Pieter Dorsman: 13:21 to 1:01:00 Interview with Prof. David De Bruijn: 1:01:00 to 1:37:00Interview with Eitam Zach: 1:37:00 to 1:55:32Podcast Notes:* Pieter Dorsman is a Vancouver-based venture capital advisor and investor. Prior to relocating to Vancouver, he held a number of senior positions in the project and corporate finance divisions of UBS in Hong Kong. Pieter started his career at Barclays Bank in London. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Pieter graduated from the Erasmus Universiteit. Pieter writes about international politics and markets on his Substack.* In March, 2024, Pieter wrote about how pro-Hamas/Islamist culture was taking root in the Netherlands.* Last January he published a piece with the prescient title: “Antisemitism, Football and History.”* His most recent – “Amsterdam Cries” – is from Nov. 10.X: @PieterDorsmanLinkedIn: pdorsmanBlog: pieterdorsman.substack.com* Dr. David De Bruijn is a professor teaching philosophy at the University of Auburn, Alabama, in the United States of America. He tweets at @dmdebruijn.De Bruijn’s article about the Amsterdam pogrom, published on Sunday, November 13, 2024 in The Free PressX: @dmdebruijn* Eitam Zach is a Tel Avivian living in Amsterdam. He has a BA in International Studies and an MSc in Political Communication. Passionate about people, politics, and whatever comes in between.X: @eitamzach Insta: @eitamzach* An interview with a Dutch Palestinian community leader, Wathek Alsadeh and an Egyptian television station is published here, with English subtitles. In this interview, Mr. Alsadeh alleges that the Jew Hunt was orchestrated by the Mossad in order to generate sympathy for Israel among Europeans.* Holocaust survivor gets Dutch train company to pay damages. This article reports on the lawsuit brought by Ajax Amsterdam’s physiotherapist,. Salo Muller, against the Dutch rail company. Muller’s parents were transported to concentration camps during WWII by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen train company, which both charged Dutch Jews for the journey and got paid by the Nazis; Muller decided to take on the company and force it to pay compensation to family of the victims it sent to their deaths. The case setttled in 2018. Muller passed away in 2023.* Just over a year ago I found myself writing a post reflecting on the explosion of antisemitic violence in the immediate aftermath of October 7. You can read it here.Remember the plane that landed in Dagestan (having arrived from Israel) and was met on the tarmac by local Muslim fanatics? They searched every crevice of the aircraft and inside the airport terminal. They were hunting Jews. That was several weeks after October 7, 2023.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

At 8pm on Wednesday night in Israel, PM Netanyahu stunned the country by announcing the immediate firing of Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defense who has steered Israel through a very difficult period, which is far from resolved. That Bibi and Gallant shared a mutual loathing was no secret. What was surprising was that Netanyahu did this now, in the. midst of a protracted period of conflict as Israel awaits another attack from Iran. This country is stretched to its limits. And we now are dealing with another layer of intense uncertainty. Ya’akov Katz and I discuss the ins, outs and whys. And why now? (I open this podcast with a greeting of “good morning”… reflecting my hopeless optimism to get this out just a little earlier than ended up happening. Next time… I’ll keep it simple. “Good day.” And on that note, I do hope you have a good one.)Follow us @stateofTLV on “X”.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast Notes:Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Tuesday, 5 November 2024) [translated from Hebrew] “As the Prime Minister of Israel, my chief obligation is to preserve the security of Israel and to achieve our total victory. In the midst of war, more than ever, complete trust is required between the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister.Unfortunately, even though such trust was present during the first months of the military campaign, and we had a very productive cooperation, during the past several months this trust between myself and the Defense Minister has begun to crack.Defense Minister Gallant and I had substantial disagreements on the management of the military campaign, disagreements which were accompanied by public statements and actions that contravened the decisions of the Government and the Security Cabinet. I have made multiple attempts to resolve these disagreements, but they became increasingly wider. They were also brought to the knowledge of the public in an inappropriate manner, and what is even worse, they have reached the knowledge of the enemy; our enemies have taken great delight in these disagreements and have derived much benefit from them.Different opinions in open debates, as anyone who knows me can attest to, are my way of holding discussions and consultations, and making decisions. Everyone knows that. However, the increasingly wide crisis of confidence between myself and the Defense Minister had become public knowledge, and that crisis is hindering the continued proper administration of the military campaign.I am not the only one with this opinion; in both the Government and the Security Cabinet, the majority of the members of which, virtually all members, share the feeling that this state of affairs cannot continue.In view of the above, I have decided today to remove the Defense Minister from his post. In his stead, I have decided to appoint Minister Israel Katz to this position. Israel Katz has proven his abilities and has made a contribution to national security as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Intelligence for five years, and equally important, as a long-standing member of the State Security Cabinet.Israel Katz brings to the table an impressive combination of rich experience and executive capabilities. He is known as a man of action who combines responsibility with reserved decisiveness, all important qualities for driving a military campaign.Also, I have spoken today with Minister Gideon Saar and proposed that he join the coalition along with his faction and serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a member of the Government and Security Cabinet for many years, Gideon Sa'ar will bring to the table much experience and consideration in the areas of policy and security, and will be a significant addition to our leadership team.Different opinions in open debates, as anyone who knows me can attest to, are my way of holding discussions and consultations, and making decisions. Everyone knows that. However, the increasingly wide crisis of confidence between myself and the Defense Minister had become public knowledge, and that crisis is hindering the continued proper administration of the military campaign.I am not the only one with this opinion; in both the Government and the Security Cabinet, the majority of the members of which, virtually all members, share the feeling that this state of affairs cannot continue.In view of the above, I have decided today to remove the Defense Minister from his post. In his stead, I have decided to appoint Minister Israel Katz to this position. Israel Katz has proven his abilities and has made a contribution to national security as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Intelligence for five years, and equally important, as a long-standing member of the State Security Cabinet.Israel Katz brings to the table an impressive combination of rich experience and executive capabilities. He is known as a man of action who combines responsibility with reserved decisiveness, all important qualities for driving a military campaign.Also, I have spoken today with Minister Gideon Saar and proposed that he join the coalition along with his faction and serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a member of the Government and Security Cabinet for many years, Gideon Sa'ar will bring to the table much experience and consideration in the areas of policy and security, and will be a significant addition to our leadership team.Gideon Saar's addition and the addition of his faction will increase the stability of the coalition and the government, important factors at any time, and especially important in time of war. I am convinced that these steps will reinforce the Government and the Security Cabinet, transforming them into bodies that work cooperatively and harmoniously for the security of the State of Israel, for the citizens of Israel, and for our victory". This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

We were lucky to catch Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus in the same time zone and standing still. Today he is an A-list speaker and commentator on the security situation in Israel and the middle east - as well as senior fellow with the FDD - Conricus pulled no punches when speaking with State of Tel Aviv. We discuss Iran’s threats to hit Israel and hard – possibly in the next two days. The likelihood – as we discuss – is that there will be a coordinated attack on multiple fronts by Iran and its proxies in the axis of terror it controls: Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in the Gaza Strip – to the degree they are still able to do much militarily. As this war grinds on, and on, Conricus expresses quite intense anger at the ultra-orthodox population and the “shameful” political maneuvering that has been the priority among our government leaders. As the death and injury tolls climb, the haredi exemption from military service is quickly becoming a major flashpoint. And the only solution, he says, is to uphold Israeli law and draft these tens of thousands of haredi men who refuse to serve. There is no way to sugar coat this. Israelis must find a way to work together. The threat environment is too intense, unrelenting, and existential. Conricus is on fire today.Follow us @stateofTLV on “X”.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe