

Unpacking Israeli History
Unpacked
Join self-confessed history nerd Dr. Noam Weissman on a journey through the fascinating and sometimes controversial events and personalities that have shaped Israel’s past and present. Each week, Noam explores the layers of Israeli history, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the cultural forces at play—drawing on a variety of sources and perspectives. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply looking to better understand this complex region, you’ll find a nuanced, authentic, and thought-provoking take on Israel—free from oversimplification and political spin.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 1, 2020 • 26min
The assassination of Yitzchak Rabin
The assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin on November 4th, 1995 remains one of the most difficult moments in Israeli history and in modern Jewish history. Join Noam Weissman as he dives into Rabin’s life and legacy and unpacks how the assassination and its aftermath continues to affect Israeli society. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry Gill This episode is sponsored by Dr. Neil and Pam Weissman ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/the-life-and-assassination-of-yitzhak-rabin/ ~~~~ Sources https://www.biography.com/people/yitzhak-rabin-37246 http://www.itamarrabinovich.tau.ac.il/books/136-yitzhak-rabin-soldier-leader-statesman.html https://mosaicmagazine.com/observation/2017/07/benzion-netanyahu-the-altalena-and-me/ http://www.rabincenter.org.il/Items/02027/biography_eng.pdf https://www.destination-innovation.com/raid-entebbe-tale-two-leaders/ https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-searching-for-rabin-s-legacy-1.5415058 http://www.rabincenter.org.il/Items/01104/clinton.pdf http://www.rabincenter.org.il/Items/01105/hussein.pdf https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-legacy-of-yitzhak-rabin/ https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-searching-for-rabin-s-legacy-1.5415058 ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Nov 24, 2020 • 27min
Baruch Goldstein: Legacy of a Massacre
On the festival of Purim in 1994, Israeli-American doctor Baruch Goldstein opened fire in the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, killing 29 Muslim worshippers. Condemnation was swift and decisive, but among the voices of dismay and repulsion were those who supported Goldstein’s actions and honored him after his death. Noam Weissman explores the background of the massacre, the events that followed and asks important questions about Jewish terrorism. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry Gill ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/jewish-terrorism/ ~~~~ Sources https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/rabbi-meir-kahane https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/baruch-goldstein/ https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/199475-kahanes-legacy https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/26/world/west-bank-massacre-overview-least-40-slain-west-bank-israeli-fires-into-mosque.html https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/baruch-goldstein/&sa=D&ust=1593683350149000&usg=AFQjCNGzl-HI0aywtblTi6icFZ0By5_JBA https://www.jta.org/1994/02/28/archive/murders-at-hebron-mosque-prompt-violence-shame-shock-and-sorrow https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/01/nyregion/west-bank-massacre-reaction-sad-angry-fearful-voices-arab-americans-american.html https://content.jerusalemu.org/e/634291/nation-prime-minister-rabin-zl/5fnlm/53770816?h=V1aKbAjcIlbpBEEjDPSqsqHeAyL-joH3qU3A_wMf254 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZknF8rF7Wtw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZknF8rF7Wtw https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/the-mystery-of-baruch-goldstein ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Nov 17, 2020 • 20min
The First Intifada: A Grassroots Movement
The First Intifada, or uprising, differed greatly from the intense violence and bloodshed seen in the Second Intifada. Even without the same level of violence, the events from 1987-1993 completely altered Israeli history. Noam Weissman asks what caused the Intifada, how it shifted the Arab-Israeli relationship and why it changed Israel’s reputation on the global stage forever. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea & Larry Gill ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/what-was-the-first-intifada/ ~~~~ Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/09/world/arafat-guerrillas-forced-out-of-beirut.html?mtrref=www.google.com https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/the-death-of-arab-secularism-1.589937 http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_periods9.html https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-presbyterian-church-bds-and-that-largely-non-violent-first-intifada/ https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-first-intifada-a-watershed-moment-1.5272288 https://www.jpost.com/Magazine/IT-HAS-BEEN-30-YEARS-SINCE-THE-OUTBREAK-OF-THE-FIRST-INTIFADA-532851 https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-journey-back-to-the-first-intifada-1.5272270 https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4678530,00.html https://www.jpost.com/Magazine/IT-HAS-BEEN-30-YEARS-SINCE-THE-OUTBREAK-OF-THE-FIRST-INTIFADA-532851 https://www.jta.org/1989/11/07/archive/idf-furloughs-officer-for-beatings https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yasser-arafat#8 https://www.brookings.edu/on-the-record/is-yasser-arafat-a-credible-partner-for-peace/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Terrorist_attacks_against_Israelis_in_the_1970s https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-first-intifada-a-watershed-moment-1.5272288 https://www.knesset.gov.il/faction/eng/FactionPage_eng.asp?PG=21 https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-first-intifada-a-watershed-moment-1.5272288 https://www.haaretz.com/1.5192013 https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-journey-back-to-the-first-intifada-1.5272270 ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Nov 10, 2020 • 25min
The Yom Kippur War: A National Catastrophe
After the victory of the Six-Day War in 1967, it seemed like Israel was invincible. Less than a decade later, the country was taken by surprise by the outbreak of war on Yom Kippur 1973. Noam Weissman explores why — despite warnings — Israel’s leadership seemed so unprepared, why America urged Israel not to attack first and why this national catastrophe ultimately led to a strengthening of relationships with both the U.S. and Egypt. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry Gill ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/the-yom-kippur-war-when-israel-almost-fell/ https://unpacked.education/video/the-yom-kippur-war-how-israel-turned-the-tide/ ~~~~ Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/yom-kippur-war https://mwi.usma.edu/timeless-lessons-october-1973-arab-israeli-war/ https://books.google.com/books?id=n_9gIR6Fi3UC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Yom+Kippur&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjo2Mn7psPWAhWqhlQKHRX4C8kQ6AEIKDAA#v=snippet&q=We%E2%80%99ll%20have%20one%20hundred%20tanks%20against%20&f=false http://www.jewishagency.org/secret-service/content/25324 https://erenow.com/modern/israel-concise-history-nation-reborn/15.php https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24402464 https://www.google.com/url?q=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/151161087.pdf&sa=D&ust=1593682967472000&usg=AFQjCNEOS_bqDj5L9vZ_6wc1JdAAWuiH4g http://www.jewishagency.org/secret-service/content/25324 https://erenow.com/modern/israel-concise-history-nation-reborn/15.php https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/2018/09/the-yom-kippur-war-should-be-remembered-as-a-great-israeli-victory/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-yom-kippur-war-when-israels-arabs-didnt-rise-up/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Nov 3, 2020 • 23min
Munich Olympics: When Terrorism Won
The 1972 Munich Olympics was supposed to showcase the face of the new Germany. Instead, the horrific death of 11 Israeli athletes — slaughtered as the world watched — marked a watershed moment in the Palestinian struggle and raises important questions about the power and effectiveness of terrorism. Join Noam Weissman as he explains the details of that day and what followed, and why the massacre at Munich was not just another 1970’s terrorist attack. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry Gill This episode is sponsored by Jack and Ellen Kahan Zager in honor of Ala and Yoske (z”l) Brosh ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/1972-olympics-the-munich-massacre-does-terrorism-work/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Oct 27, 2020 • 20min
Eichmann: The Controversy of Justice
You would have thought that bringing Nazis to justice would have been something the world could agree on, but the Mossad’s capture of the infamous Nazi Adolf Eichmann prompted a fiery international debate that proved otherwise. Noam Weissman explores the truth about the stranger-than-fiction capture of one of the architects of the Final Solution and debates the ethical and moral questions raised by Eichmann’s trial and subsequent execution by the State of Israel. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry Gill This episode is sponsored by Liz and Moshe Naiman ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here https://unpacked.education/video/the-full-story-behind-operation-finale/ ~~~~ Sources:
http://www.archives.gov.il/en/chapter/behind-scenes-eichmann-trial/ https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/norman-podhoretz/hannah-arendt-on-eichmanna-study-in-the-perversity-of-brilliance/
https://www.haaretz.com/the-jew-who-tried-to-protect-eichmann-1.5305074?utm_campaign=Media%20Lab%20V2&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_hpJD794ZD7zoxMBNqC2qPcqNG-wNHy3ICQYmUAwQescZas-uuSHA1r61vtgvHFbvpOiM9 http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/biographies/eichmann-biography.htm https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/eichmann/operation_eichmann.asp http://time.com/5377670/operation-finale-adolf-eichmann-trial/ https://www.haaretz.com/the-jew-who-tried-to-protect-eichmann-1.5305074 https://www.haaretz.com/the-jew-who-tried-to-protect-eichmann-1.5305074 http://jcpa.org/article/the-eichmann-trial-and-american-jewry-a-reassessment/ https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/eichmann/awareness_of_the_holocaust.asp https://jewishstudies.washington.edu/jewish-history-and-thought/why-do-hannah-arendts-ideas-about-evil-and-the-holocaust-still-matter/ https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/2018/08/was-adolf-eichmann-a-mediocrity-or-a-monster/ https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2014/marchapril/feature/the-trial-hannah-arendt https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/hannah-arendt-on-eichmanna-study-in-the-perversity-of-brilliance/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Oct 20, 2020 • 22min
Hatikvah: The Story Behind the Anthem
Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, predates the establishment of the Jewish state by decades. Zionist leader Theodor Herzl hated it and many of Israel’s citizens refuse to sing it. So, how did this unlikely song take the national anthem top spot? What were the alternatives? And are there any plans to change it? Join Noam Weissman as he deconstructs the music, melody and meaning behind Hatikvah. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry GillThis episode is sponsored by Jack and Ellen Kahan Zager in honor of Ala and Yoske (z”l) Brosh ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/history-of-israels-national-anthem-does-hatikvah-mean-hope-for-all/ ~~~~ Sources: Song "Hatikva" version by Daniel Saadon - Instagram @daniel_saadon1995
https://israelforever.org/interact/blog/hatikvah_song_of_hope_time_of_despair/ https://www.neaman.org.il/EN/Files/Hatikva-The%20Real%20Story%20behind%20Israels%20anthem.pdf https://www.songfacts.com/facts/traditional/hatikvah https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/2405/jewish-tunes-similar-to-non-jewish-ones https://www.timesofisrael.com/rivlin-said-to-vow-he-will-sign-nation-state-law-in-arabic/ https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hatikvah/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-an-unwieldy-romantic-poem-and-a-romanian-folk-song-combined-to-produce-hatikva/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-an-unwieldy-romantic-poem-and-a-romanian-folk-song-combined-to-produce-hatikva/ https://www.haaretz.com/1.5028325 https://www.haaretz.com/1.4817521 http://www.jewishledger.com/2013/04/hatikvah-in-the-holocaust/ https://www.jta.org/1944/11/28/archive/jewish-flyer-who-fled-german-prison-camp-tells-of-mistreatment-of-jews http://www.thetower.org/article/hatikva-keeps-its-edge-despite-everything/ https://www.thetorah.com/article/tikvatenu-the-poem-that-inspired-israels-national-anthem-hatikva https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywq1wXU_HZs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtMhYQoEgCs https://www.timesofisrael.com/expert-confirms-jews-and-arabs-nearing-population-parity/ http://www.thetower.org/article/hatikva-keeps-its-edge-despite-everything/ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israels-anthem-and-a-row-about-harmony-7576841.html https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4397079,00.html https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/arabs-should-not-have-to-sing-hatikvah-say-israelis/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-blasts-hebrew-u-over-report-it-nixed-hatikvah-to-avoid-offending-arab-students/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Oct 13, 2020 • 24min
The Altalena: Israel’s (Almost) Civil War
Just a month after its establishment, the State of Israel was on the brink of civil war, with two of its greatest leaders — David Ben Gurion and Menachem Begin — facing off in the ultimate power struggle. Noam Weissman unpacks an event that continues to reverberate through Israeli society to this day. Join him as he asks how the Zionist dream nearly imploded and who deserves the credit for ending one of the biggest crises in Israeli history. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry GillThis episode is sponsored by Jack and Ellen Kahan Zager in honor of Ala and Yoske (z”l) Brosh ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/the-ship-that-almost-sank-israel/ ~~~~ Sources: Daniel Gordis, Menachem Begin, The Battle For Israel’s Soul Anita Shapira, Israel: A History Itamar Rabinovitch, Yitzchak Rabin Dan Ephron, Killing a King ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Oct 6, 2020 • 26min
Deir Yassin: The Battle for Truth
No incident in Israeli history has been more hotly contested than that of April 9, 1948, in the small Arab village of Deir Yassin. Noam Weissman tries to uncover what really happened on that fateful day and asks why, with so many battles, so much war and so many disputes, this event will haunt Israel forever. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry GillThis episode is sponsored by Maytal and David Shainberg~~~~Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/what-is-deir-yassin/~~~~Source Links
https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/history/pages/israels%20war%20of%20independence%20-%201947%20-%201949.aspx
https://erenow.net/modern/israel-concise-history-nation-reborn/8.php
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-capture-of-deir-yassin
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/MAGAZINE-testimonies-from-the-censored-massacre-at-deir-yassin-1.5494094
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/04/201249125656342960.html
https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/deir-yassin-nakba-war-crimes/
https://erenow.net/modern/israel-concise-history-nation-reborn/8.php
Nihad Zeitawi, edited by: Sharif Kana’a, Destroyed Palestinian villages, Series No. (4): Deir Yassin, Bir Zeit University – Documents and Research center, 1987, p.57
~~~~Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Sep 29, 2020 • 28min
Hebrew: A Dead Language Revived
If you’ve learned anything about the spread of Modern Hebrew, you probably heard that it’s all thanks to one man - Eliezer Ben Yehuda - that Israel’s national language is Hebrew and not Yiddish (or even German!). Not to spoil a good story with fact, but that’s not exactly how the rebirth of Hebrew went down. Far from being a crusade of one, it took an entire nation to revive a language that had been close to death for millennia. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry GillThis episode is sponsored by Jack and Ellen Kahan Zager in honor of Ala and Yoske (z”l) Brosh. ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Teaching about this topic? Check out our relevant educator resources here: https://unpacked.education/video/the-hebrew-language-revival/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media