Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas

Host Aviva Klompas is joined by Lt. Colonel (Res.) Jonathan Conricus to discuss the escalating pressure on Israel—from mounting international outrage over the humanitarian situation in Gaza to the breakdown of hostage negotiations.As accusations of starvation and civilian suffering dominate global headlines, Israel faces growing condemnation from foreign governments, the UN, and aid organizations. Meanwhile, with 50 hostages still in Hamas captivity and no deal in sight, tensions are rising at home.What’s Israel’s strategy now—militarily, diplomatically, and morally?Have thoughts on the episode? Email us at podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.Guest Bio:Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East. He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. He also served as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces. He has directed social media and public diplomacy efforts and has extensive on- and off-camera experience from his years as a spokesperson. 

We’re trying something new on Boundless Insights. Welcome to Unpublished Opinions—a mini-series where Aviva Klompas shares letters to the editor that didn’t make it to print, but still make an argument worth hearing.In this first episode, Aviva takes a closer look at Mahmoud Khalil—a leader of Columbia’s anti-Israel encampment who was recently released from federal detention. Homeland Security accused him of engaging in activity aligned with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Since his release, Khalil’s become a political and media darling—despite refusing to condemn the atrocities of October 7.Aviva asks: why are members of Congress celebrating a man who won’t denounce terrorists?Got thoughts? We want to hear them. Email us at podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X @avivaklompas.

For years, UNRWA positioned itself as the primary source of humanitarian aid in Gaza. But after October 7, its deep entanglement with Hamas became undeniable. A dozen UNRWA employees participated in the massacre. Up to 10% of its Gaza staff are linked to terror groups. And aid meant for civilians has been diverted, looted, and weaponized to fund Hamas’s war machine.So what’s the alternative?In this episode, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Rev. Johnnie Moore, Executive Chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—a new initiative led by global leaders determined to deliver food and aid directly to civilians, without empowering terrorists.They discuss what’s happening on the ground in Gaza, how Hamas is manipulating the aid system, and why legacy organizations like UNRWA are fiercely resisting new models of humanitarian relief.Guest Bio:Rev. Johnnie Moore, PhD is a human rights advocate and multifaith leader who serves as Executive Chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. He leads the foundation’s efforts to deliver emergency food aid to civilians in Gaza and to engage governments, media, and civil society.Rev. Moore has spent decades working at the intersection of faith, foreign policy, and humanitarian action, including advocacy for persecuted communities in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. He played a key role in the response to ISIS, genocide recognition, and the release of religious prisoners.A two-time appointee to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, he also helped lay the groundwork for initiatives like the Abraham Accords. He is the author of ten books and lives in Washington, D.C.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent visit to Washington made headlines and raised expectations. He met twice with President Trump, and both leaders suggested that a deal to release hostages was within reach. But on the ground, little has changed.The war in Gaza continues. IDF soldiers are still being killed. And 50 hostages remain in captivity. Despite talk of progress, the region remains stuck in a familiar deadlock.In this episode, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Dr. Michael Oren—former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, historian, and author—to take stock of where things stand.They unpack what actually came out of Netanyahu’s trip to Washington, how Israel’s recent strike on Iran fits into the larger strategic picture, and whether the shifting regional dynamics—from Riyadh to Doha—are opening the door to anything resembling an endgame.Read More:A Region Reordered – Perhaps by Dr. Michael Oren 

For more than seven decades, Israel and Syria have been in a formal state of war. Now, for the first time in years, there are murmurs of something different, but new tensions are threatening to unravel what little stability remains.In recent days, violence has erupted in southern Syria. A bloody assault on the country’s Druze community has reignited fears that Syria’s fragile postwar order could collapse. The unrest has drawn in Israel and raised new questions about the region’s trajectory.In this episode, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Dr. Michael Oren—historian, author, and former Israeli Ambassador to the United States—about whether peace between Israel and Syria is truly within reach or slipping further away.They explore Syria’s volatile history, the strategic importance of the Golan Heights, what’s changed under Syria’s new leadership, and whether there’s any real path toward ending hostilities.Read More: Is Peace Between Israel and Syria Really Possible? by Dr. Michael OrenNew Words from Dr. Oren: Vociferousness – the quality of being loud, forceful, and outspoken in expressing one's opinions or feelings.

In this episode, Dr. Rachel Fish talks with historian Dr. Jeffrey Herf, a leading expert on Nazism, the Holocaust, antisemitism, and the connections between Europe and the Middle East. Dr. Herf explains how antisemitism and anti-Zionism have become more accepted in universities and public debates, and why that’s so dangerous.They discuss Iran’s state-sponsored antisemitism, Hamas’s genocidal ideology, and how these views are being normalized in higher education and social justice circles. Dr. Herf also talks about how Western foreign policy often downplays threats to Israel, and how parts of the academic left have morally failed by ignoring or excusing hatred.He explains how groups with extreme right-wing, religious, and misogynistic views have been wrongly embraced by people who see themselves as progressive. Together, they explore what it will take to restore moral clarity, defend historical truth, and push back against hatred disguised as justice.Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/Guest Bio:Jeffrey Herf, a historian of modern European, especially German, history, is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland, College Park. His publications include The Jewish Enemy: Nazi Propaganda during World War II and the Holocaust (Harvard U.P., 2006), Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World (Yale U.P., 2009), Israel's Moment: International Support for and Opposition to Establishing the Jewish State, 1945-1949 (Cambridge UP, 2022), and Three Faces of Antisemitism: Right, Left and Islamist (Routledge, 2024). Before and since October 7, 2023, he has published essays on contemporary issues have appeared in the pages of The Free Press,, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Quillette, Persuasion/American Purpose, Sapir, and The Washington Post. Mentioned in this episode:Laurent Murawiec, The Mind of Jihad (Cambridge University Press, 2008)Hamas Charter7 October Parliamentary Commission ReportAnti-Israel Campus Groups: Online Networks and Narratives  Jeffery Herf's Articles:'Free Palestine' Terrorism, The Free Press, June 1, 2025Why it’s wrong to call Israel’s war in Gaza a ‘genocide’, The Washington Post, June 3, 2025 (with Norman J.W. Goda)From the River to the Sea, Persuasion, Nov 20, 2023 Jeffrey Herf’s Books:Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World (Yale University Press, 2010)Three Faces of Antisemitism: Right, Left and Islamist (Routledge, 2023)Israel's Moment: International Support for and Opposition to Establishing the Jewish State, 1945–1949 (Cambridge University Press, 2022)Undeclared Wars with Israel: East Germany and the West German Far Left, 1967–1989 (Cambridge University Press, 20

On October 7, Hamas terrorists stormed the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel. Among those taken hostage was Elkana Bohbot, who was working for the festival that morning. Before he was captured, Elkana called his wife Rebecca to tell her he was staying behind to help the wounded. He promised her he would come home. That was their last conversation.In this episode, Rebecca shares who Elkana is as a husband and father – a man of joy, bravery, and kindness who never left anyone behind. She describes the pain of raising their son, who was just three years old when his father was taken, and how she explains his absence to him now.Rebecca shares what she’s learned of Elkana’s condition in captivity and opens up about why she chose to start speaking out publicly, despite fears it might jeopardize his chances of release. This is a heartbreaking and deeply human conversation about the fight to bring Israel’s hostages home.

Tel Aviv – Israel’s cultural and commercial heart – was rocked by direct missile strikes from Iran. In this episode, Aviva sits down with Deputy Mayor Asaf Zamir to discuss how the city is recovering from the attacks.They explore what it felt like on the ground during the missile strikes, the challenges of rebuilding homes and lives, and whether Tel Aviv’s trademark confidence has been shaken. Asaf reflects on the emotional toll on residents, the scale of destruction, and Tel Aviv’s unique place in Israeli society – both as a symbol of defiance and as a hub of solidarity for the families of hostages still held in Gaza.Guest BioAsaf Zamir is the First Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo and former Consul General of Israel in New York. A longtime public servant, Zamir previously served as a Member of Knesset for the Blue and White party and as Israel’s Minister of Tourism.He began his political career in Tel Aviv, where he became the youngest Deputy Mayor in the city's history and has since led efforts on urban development, education, transportation, and LGBTQ+ rights.A graduate of Tel Aviv University and the Sorbonne, Zamir is known for his commitment to strengthening civic life in Israel and deepening ties with Jewish communities abroad. He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, actress Maya Wertheimer, and their two children.

Aviva Klompas sits down with Jonah Platt to unpack what Zohran Mamdani’s rise means for New York and the broader Jewish community.Mamdani, a 33-year-old socialist state legislator, is now the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor. His positions on Israel, refusal to condemn extremist slogans, and calls to arrest Israeli leaders have sparked alarm among many Jews.Jonah shares his reaction to Mamdani’s win, whether this signals a deeper shift within the Democratic Party, and what it says about the political climate in America’s largest Jewish city. They discuss how the Jewish community should respond, what it’s like being an outspoken Jewish voice in Hollywood today, and why these conversations have become personal – even within his own family.Guest Bio:Jonah Platt is a trusted voice in the modern conversation on Jewish identity, culture, and current events. A true entertainment multi-hyphenate, Jonah has acted in prestige projects from Hollywood to Broadway (Wicked), written for many TV comedies, and is currently producing his first feature film, The Mensch, in which he will co-star alongside Ginnifer Goodwin. He is also a singer, musician, vocal arranger, director of improv and theater, and is currently co-writing the musical adaptation of Lois Lowry’s best-selling novel, The Giver. Jonah has written for Variety, Times of Israel, and USA Today. He’s appeared as an expert on NewsNation, Fox News Digital, and more.

New research from Boundless shows that 40% of Americans don’t know that dozens of hostages are still being held by Hamas. And it’s clear from released hostages that those who remain are being starved, tortured, humiliated and denied medical care.In this episode, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Idit Ohel, whose son Alon was kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival on October 7. Alon arrived just half an hour before the massacre. Idit shares what life has been like since Alon’s abduction and how she is fighting to keep his name and humanity front and center. This conversation is a reminder that behind every hostage is a life, a family, and a story the world must not ignore.Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/