Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

Israeli journalist, Haviv Rettig Gur, provides real-time reporting and analysis on the war in Jerusalem, discussing the ongoing negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages, the potential conflict between eradicating Hamas and returning the hostages, the attention and debate surrounding al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the psychological games being played in negotiations, the unique movement of the families of the hostages in Israel, and the debate on whether to prioritize rescuing hostages or destroying Hamas.

Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland, co-hosts of the podcast UnHoly, join Dan Senor for a spirited discussion. They cover topics such as the US-Israel relationship, teen mental health crisis in the US, mounting criticism and Biden's support for Israel, Jewish solidarity, and a sense of solidarity and optimism amidst the conflict in Israel.

Anshel Pfeffer, a journalist with extensive experience in Israeli politics, discusses his recent trip to Gaza embedded with the IDF. He highlights the high-tech warfare tactics employed by the IDF and the contrasting scenes of destruction in Gaza City compared to media footage. The podcast also touches on the ongoing search for hostages in Gaza and military objectives in the IDF operation.

Haviv Rettig Gur, journalist and analyst, discusses the hostage crisis in Israel's war fighting and Israel's reaction to growing international pressure. They also highlight the challenges faced by young fathers in the war, the hypocrisy in global protests, the targeting of Jews, and Israel's vision for the future of Gaza.

Liel Leibovitz, editor-at-large for Tablet Magazine and host of several podcasts, dives deep into Israeli resilience following the October 7th incident. He explores societal dynamics, emphasizing the strong community spirit that fuels optimism. The significance of Shabbat emerges as a key ritual, uniting families in contrast to American traditions. Leibovitz also discusses evolving attitudes towards military service among Jews, advocating for a renewed commitment to national identity and solidarity amidst challenges, all while sprinkling humor through cultural anecdotes.

Today we release the new book by Saul Singer and me: "The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World", which you can order now at: www.amazon.com/Genius-Israel-Small-Nation-Teach/dp/1982115769/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LKV3ZLWLBOL1&keywords=dan+senor&qid=1694402205&sprefix=dan+senor%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1 OR www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-genius-of-israel-dan-senor/1143499668 Today's guest is Ruby Namdar, who was born and raised in Jerusalem to a family of Iranian-Jewish heritage. His first book, "Haviv" (2000), won the Israeli Ministry of Culture's Award for Best First Publication. His novel "The Ruined House", has won the Sapir Prize, Israel’s most prestigious literary award. He currently lives in New York City with his wife, he has two daughters, and teaches Jewish literature, focusing on Biblical and Talmudic narrative. Items discussed in this episode: Our piece in The Free Press, “Israel’s Blueprint for a Revival of the West”: https://www.thefp.com/p/israel-blueprint-for-a-revival-of-the-west Ruby Namdar's piece in The Atlantic, "For Israel, Another New Layer of Trauma": https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2023/10/israel-hamas-yom-kippur-war/675587/ Ruby Namdar's book, The Ruined House: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ruined-house-ruby-namdar/1125687349?ean=9780062467485 Bret Stephens's column in The New York Times, "For America's Jews, Every Day Must Be Oct 8: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/07/opinion/us-jewish-israel-sept-11.html

The podcast explores intense warfare in Mosul, Iraq, the challenges of transitioning back to normalcy after mourning, distress faced by hostage families, Israeli objectives and economic impact, Mansoor Abbas and coexistence in Israeli politics, and celebrating Dan's birthday amidst the conflict.

Dr. Matthew Levitt, expert on Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah, analyzes Nasrallah's recent speech, discussing the possibility of a multi-front and regional war, the differences between the 2006 war and the current situation, the explosion in Lebanon's port and concerns about Hezbollah, and the current situation in the Israel-Hezbollah-Iran conflict.

Next week we will release the new book by Saul Singer and me: "The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World", which you can order now at: www.amazon.com/Genius-Israel-Small-Nation-Teach/dp/1982115769/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LKV3ZLWLBOL1&keywords=dan+senor&qid=1694402205&sprefix=dan+senor%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1 OR www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-genius-of-israel-dan-senor/1143499668 The speech that I reference in today's episode -- in which I discuss the resilience of Israelis in this moment -- can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WygtNbwf-tk By the time you listen to this episode, we may be witnessing escalation on Israel’s Northern border. Certainly there’s a highly anticipated address by Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah. This will be his first major address since the October 7 War began. If there is major escalation, we will be dropping an emergency episode with Dr. Matthew Levitt, an expert on Hezbollah who was on this podcast last week. Today’s guest is Dr. Fred Kagan, an expert in understanding war theaters – as he tries to help us understand the various battlefields in which Israel is currently fighting or might be fighting in the future. Fred is a former professor of military history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He spent meaningful time in the Middle East informally advising US military commanders. You can find more of Fred’s work at: The Critical Threats Project – https://www.criticalthreats.org/ Institute for the Study of War – https://understandingwar.org/

Topics: Rise of anti-Semitism; Origins of anti-Semitism; Difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism; Jewish philanthropy; Antisemitism on college campuses; Building Jewish institutions; Reevaluating investments; Two-state solution in Israel