

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

Jun 16, 2021 • 19min
Introducing: This Week Unpacked
Presenting: This Week Unpacked. Unpacking Israeli History is all about excavating the past, but my colleagues at Unpacked have been working on a new podcast, one that I think will really complement this one. Each week, my colleagues Sara and Avi will be diving deep into something going on in the contemporary Jewish and Israeli world (and in only 15 minutes!). In a world that is hyper polarized and partisan, we take a different approach, and frankly, I hope it’s refreshing. Have a listen to last week’s episode, which is all about understanding the coalition that Bennett and Lapid put together this week. And make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. ~~~~ 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 ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

May 24, 2021 • 5min
What The Heck Is Going On In Israel?
The news coming out of Israel is scaring and confusing all of us. Is Sheikh Jarrah a housing dispute, or something bigger? Who is responsible for the protests and riots all over the country? Why are thousands of rockets being launched, and what does it mean for the region? What is going on?? Here at Unpacking Israeli History, we’re here to make sense of the present by exploring the past. Our goal is always to explore the questions of Israeli history — to really get to know the stories, including the confusing grey areas, and to make meaning of the present. To be transparent, and give the real context to the complicated, messy world of Israel, which has a few warts perhaps, but is also full of wonders. Only with that nuanced approach will we really understand Israeli history, and only when we understand that history will we be able to understand the very textured Israeli present. ~~~~ 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 ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Dec 15, 2020 • 28min
Gaza Strip and Gush Katif: When Jews Expelled Jews
In the final episode of the season, Noam Weissman delves into one of the most divisive events in Israel’s history — the disengagement from the Gaza Strip. He looks at the historical context, the political and religious debate leading up to the pull-out, the trauma it caused for Israelis, the effect that the disengagement had on the peace process and whether the results were worth the suffering it caused. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry GillThis 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/israels-disengagement-from-gaza/ ~~~~Sources
https://www.haaretz.com/1.4682702
https://www.jewishhistory.org/sinai-again/
http://www.itamarrabinovich.tau.ac.il/publications/127-bold-decisions-three-israeli-prime-ministers-who-went-against-their-grain.html
https://www.haaretz.com/1.4682702
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/5347
https://www.jta.org/1978/09/27/archive/behind-the-headlines-the-fate-of-yamit
https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Former-chief-of-staff-Ariel-Sharon-designed-Gaza-disengagement-to-save-West-Bank-settlements-412213
https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Former-chief-of-staff-Ariel-Sharon-designed-Gaza-disengagement-to-save-West-Bank-settlements-412213
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/gaza-disengagement/
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gz.html
https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/18536/
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1993-2000/oslo
https://imeu.org/article/what-is-the-palestinian-authority
https://www.counterpunch.org/2005/07/09/the-war-of-the-colors-in-israel/
https://reason.com/archives/2005/07/08/israels-color-war
https://www.timesofisrael.com/housing-prices-continue-upward-climb-state-report-shows/
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/12/29/507377617/seven-things-to-know-about-israeli-settlements
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ariel-Sharon
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/220/378
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/dec/10/israel
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Peace/MFADocuments/Pages/Disengagement%20Plan%20-%20General%20Outline.aspx
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-gaza-disengagement-insight/shadow-of-israels-pullout-from-gaza-hangs-heavy-10-years-on-idUSKCN0QF1QQ20150810
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/a-decade-later-israelis-see-gaza-pullout-as-big-mistake/2015/08/14/21c06518-3480-11e5-b835-61ddaa99c73e_story.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ten-years-of-limbo-gush-katif-evacuees-still-in-trailers/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxqHStC9hMI
https://forward.com/news/israel/318228/gaza-withdrawal-10-years-later/
~~~~Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

Dec 8, 2020 • 26min
The Second Intifada: Trauma and Tragedy
To appreciate the current Israeli and Palestinian psyches, it’s vital to understand the first five years of the 21st century — the period of the Second Intifada. Noam Weissman gets to the heart of the issue and asks why this serious attempt at peace between Israel and the Palestinians ended in one of the bloodiest periods in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and how the effects of those defining years are still felt to this day. ~~~~ The Unpacking Israeli History Podcast series is sponsored by Andrea and Larry GillThis 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-second-intifada/ ~~~~ Sources: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/background-and-overview-of-al-aqsa-intifada https://web.archive.org/web/20050310043812/http://jewishweek.org/news/newscontent.php3?artid=3846 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb5fIP-MfAc https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Arafat-ordered-Hamas-attacks-against-Israel-in-2000-189574 https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Suha-Arafat-admits-husband-premeditated-Intifada https://www.timesofisrael.com/we-were-in-a-craze-to-see-blood/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150526210520/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4570672.html https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/background-and-overview-of-israel-s-security-fence https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-mohammed-al-dura-case http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3677206.stm https://2001-2009.state.gov/p/nea/rls/22698.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3677206.stm https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-middle-east-quartet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_map_for_peace http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3677206.stm https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-temple-mount#aksa ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

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