For Heaven's Sake

Today, Thursday, February 20, Hamas is returning to Israel the bodies of Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, and her young children Kfir and Ariel, all slain in captivity. A fresh outcry of rage is expected from the Israeli public, not just over Hamas’s brutality, but against the government’s failure to gain release of these and other hostages sooner.In a conversation recorded yesterday, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi express their nation’s deep anguish, and ask what a second stage of the ceasefire deal might look like when Netanyahu’s two stated goals—full hostage return and removal of Hamas—stand directly at odds. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEASSponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

It seems that every country around the world has condemned Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, and understandably so. The permanent relocation of Gazans would amount to an act of ethnic cleansing. Why, then, is Israel the only nation other than the U.S. to take Trump’s morally questionable proposal seriously? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi consider the fact that eight in ten Israelis are polling in favor of the Trump plan and how the Holocaust, the promise of Zionism, and the images of the three recently released hostages, have shaped current Israeli public opinion. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEASSponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

Voters were aghast, world leaders were outraged, and Netanyahu seemed jubilant, when President Trump recently doubled down on a plan that seems totally detached from reality:a U.S. take-over, clean-out, and transformation of Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Though the White House has since clarified that Palestinian relocation would only be temporary, the shockwaves it caused in the region, and the reaction of the Israeli public, are telling. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi talk messianism, morality, and thisstrange new chapter of U.S. relations, as they assess Israeli attitudes towards the proposal and the precarious fate of the hostage deal. This episode is sponsored by Nancy Cahners. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEASSponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

Many Israelis are grateful to the Trump administration for pushing forward the hostage deal, but an unsettling reality seems to be taking hold. Has Netanyahu become subservient to the returning US President, even at the expense of his own coalition? As newspapers across Israel are abuzz with the “Trump Plan” for Palestinians in Gaza, some question whether Israel has relinquished its sovereignty and moral fortitude to the whims of America’s new leader. In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi react to the President Trump’s callto purportedly “empty out Gaza” and discuss the moral and political discourse in Israel—or lack thereof—that has allowed him to call the shots. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEASSponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

Three hostages have been safely returned to Israel, with more to be returned each week. But while Israelis share the relief of this long-awaited moment, Hamas is emerging from the shadows with victory cheers and a deep ambivalence over the ceasefire deal is brewing in Israel. Who has won this war, and can Israelis come to terms with the price they must pay to bring all the hostages home?In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the divide in Israeli opinion,the country’s unmet military goals, and whether a return to war could be on the horizon. This episode is sponsored by Nancy Cahners. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEASSponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

A ceasefire deal has just been reached. In the past, Israelis have been united in elation and relief about the return of hostages, even at a high cost to national security. But not this time. Far-right MKs and ultranationalists had vigorously decried the deal, protesting any concession that would allow Hamas to hold on to power, no matter how small. What is behind their bitter dissent, and will this deepen rifts in Israeli society? In this episode, recorded as the deal was still being finalized, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi consider closure, family loyalty, and the basic value of derech eretz (common decency) in negotiating the return of the hostages, and why the lens for ultranationalists in Israel is so starkly different. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEASSponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

The podcast dives into the tension between morality and survival within Israeli society post-conflict with Hamas. It discusses the silence surrounding moral discourse, contrasting it with previous vigorous debates. The hosts analyze the complexities of criticism towards military actions amid intense scrutiny. They also unpack the moral dilemmas of the Gaza conflict, highlighting the impacts of victimhood narratives. Finally, they explore the urgent need to reassess military strategies and ethical considerations in light of recent events.

Most Israelis want a comprehensive hostage deal but seem unwilling to call out actions by Netanyahu which have sabotaged negotiation efforts with Hamas. Have Israel’s citizens become complacent? This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi diagnose Israelis’ passivity in the face of deeply unpopular government decisions and their reluctance to consider the future of Gazans or of Palestinians in general. This episode is sponsored by Lois Kohn-Claar and Gary Claar. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEASThoughtful debate elevates us all. Partner with us to continue these important conversations. Make a gift now.