For years, Israel's international standing has been measured by military strength, diplomatic alliances, and peace agreements. Today, a different challenge has come to the forefront: a growing crisis of legitimacy. Host Aviva Klompas sits down with diplomat, legal scholar, and former Israeli Foreign Ministry Legal Adviser Tal Becker to explore why support for Israel has eroded in many parts of the world, and whether the roots of that shift lie in Israeli policy, broader cultural and politica...
Aug 12
32 min
For decades, the U.S.-Israel relationship has been one of the defining features of American foreign policy. But as both political parties undergo change, many of the assumptions that have sustained the alliance for generations are being tested. Host Aviva Klompas is joined by journalist and political commentator Eli Lake to examine the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship in an era of political realignment. They discuss whether support for Israel is undergoing a temporary backlash or a mo...
Aug 5
20 min
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] Israel will head to the polls on October 27 in what promises to be one of the most consequential elections in its history. It will be the first Israeli government to complete a full term in more than five decades. Host Aviva Klompas is joined by former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Dr. Michael Oren to examine what this election is really about. While much of the international media will frame the...
Jul 29
23 min
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] The rise of democratic socialism is no longer confined to a handful of high-profile politicians. Across the country, insurgent candidates are defeating establishment Democrats, building sophisticated political organizations, and reshaping the future of the Democratic Party. Host Aviva Klompas is joined by political strategist and former congressional candidate Brianna Wu to examine what is driving this move...
Jul 22
22 min
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel used a major speech in Israel to lay out what many see as the foreign policy vision of a potential 2028 presidential campaign and his message was blunt: the U.S.-Israel relationship is at a crossroads. In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Dr. Michael Oren to examine Emanuel's diagnosis of Israel's strategic position and the future of the alliance be...
Jul 15
21 min
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Just when it seemed the conflict between the United States and Iran might be settling into an uneasy stalemate, the region lurched back toward escalation. In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Ambassador Dan Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, to make sense of a fast-moving and often contradictory si...
Jul 8
22 min
For generations, American Jews were among the Democratic Party's most loyal supporters, seeing liberal politics as a natural extension of Jewish values. Today, that relationship is under increasing strain. Host Aviva Klompas sits down with columnist, television host, and author Batya Ungar-Sargon to discuss her new book, The Jews and the Left. Together, they examine how a century-long political alliance evolved—and why so many Jews now feel politically and culturally homeless. They explore ...
Jul 1
22 min
Empathy is usually considered one of humanity's greatest virtues. But what happens when empathy becomes untethered from reality? In this episode, host Aviva Klompas sits down with Dr. Gad Saad to discuss his new book, Suicidal Empathy. Drawing on evolutionary psychology, cultural analysis, and his own experiences growing up Jewish in Lebanon before fleeing civil war, Saad argues that many Western societies have become reluctant to judge ideas, behaviors, and ideologies on their merits—even w...
Jun 24
37 min
What does a 14th-century stained glass window in a Brussels cathedral have to do with a "Jew hunt" in the streets of Amsterdam in 2024 or the slogans appearing on American campuses after October 7? Professor Flora Cassen joins Dr. Rachel Fish to discuss her new book, Stained Glass: A Reflective History of Antisemitism, and to explore how antisemitism has taken shape across different places and historical periods. Drawing on both her scholarly work on European Jewish history and her pers...
Jun 22
43 min
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to [email protected] or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Qatar is one of the smallest countries in the world. Yet according to a new report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, it has invested more than $400 billion in the United States over the past fifteen years. Where has that money gone? And what does Qatar hope to gain in return? In this episode, Aviva Klompas speaks with Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Direct...
Jun 17
24 min
Load more