Podcasts

Although extensive attention is devoted to the military aspects of the war between Israel and Hamas, much less focus is given to one of the most burning issues on the agenda: the well-being of Israeli society after the horrific massacre of October 7 on Israeli soil. This massacre is cast as Israel’s deadliest and most traumatic attack, particularly given its large scale: this was the deadliest event the Jewish world has ever experienced since the Holocaust. What can be said about the resilience of Israelis today, three months into the war? Are there already signs of recovery after this trauma, or it is still too soon to tell? What is needed for a society in trauma to recover and return somehow to what is known in the research as “functional continuity”? What does it really mean to ‘”function” after an event of this sort, and is it even possible? In today’s podcast, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Brig. Gen. (ret.) Dr. Meir Elran, a senior researcher at INSS and head of the research cluster on domestic issues at the Institute, and with Anat Shapira, Neubauer Research Associate in the Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict Program at INSS and a PhD candidate in the Philosophy Department at Tel Aviv University. Together they discuss the issue of national resilience, taking Israeli society as a case study.

INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with former MK and journalist Ofer Shelah, who served as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid from 2013 until 2020 and today is a senior researcher at INSS, and with INSS researcher Noa Shusterman, coordinator of the INSS Israel-Palestinian Research Program. Together they analyze the latest events in Israel in light of the judicial overhaul crisis, focusing on the main threats presented in the INSS Strategic Alert. They try to assess where Israel is headed now, in view of Netanyahu’s suspension of the proposed overhaul; what are the implications of the crisis on the security level; how it affects the IDF; how it is seen from Palestinian eyes? and how will the special relations between Israel and the US be affected by the current events. 2023, the year in which Israel marks its 75th year of independence, will also be remembered as the year in which the country’s democratic and liberal DNA was severely threatened as never before

On January 23rd 2023, researchers of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) submitte the Strategic Analysis for Israel 2023 to the President of Israel. This document serves as a comprehensive analysis of Israel’s strategic environment from the perspective of national security, focusing on the main current threats as well as potential opportunities and includes a series of policy recommendations for decision makers. On part two of this special program, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Major General (res.) Tamir Hayman, the Managing Director of the Institute, to discuss current challenges and opportunities regarding Israel’s internal and regional arenas focusing on three main issues: The legislative crisis in Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israel and the region. Israel of 2023 is a country in a deep crisis, experiencing one of its most critical social and political disputes. What is at stake for Israel’s national security balance sheet in the upcoming year regarding these crucial issues? Adi Kantor and Tamir Hayman discuss INSS views and recommendations. Read the full Strategic Analysis for Israel 2023 https://www.inss.org.il/publication/strategic-analysis-israel-2023/

INSS Deputy Director Itai Brun hosts a special podcast following the update of the Institute’s strategic assessment for 2020, in the wake of both the coronavirus pandemic and the establishment of Israel’s new government after more than a year of political deadlock. INSS Managing Director Udi Dekel, together with INSS researchers Sima Shine, Assaf Orion, Orna Mizrahi, Meir Elran, Sarah Feuer, and Carmit Valensi provide a comprehensive review on the international system and the Middle East, which have been rocked by the virus, and will offer their recommendations to the new government.

INSS Research Fellow Dr. Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky and INSS Senior Research Fellow Dr. Yehuda Ben Meir discuss the coronavirus and Israel: What is the strategy that has guided Israel in dealing with the pandemic, and how does it play into the political system’s instability at this time? Has Israel’s democracy been affected? And finally, in an attempt to look for the silver lining: three positive elements that have emerged from the current difficult situation.

One day after Israelis went to the polls in Knesset elections for the third time in one year, INSS senior research fellows Dr. Yehuda Ben Meir (formerly deputy Foreign Minister) and Amb. Dr. Oded Eran analyze the results of the elections. What are the chances that Israel will go to the polls for a fourth time to form a new government? Will the Supreme Court rule against a Prime Minister serving if he has been indicted on charges of bribery? Will Netanyahu try to pass the so-called “French law” to secure his immunity? What are the chances that a new coalition will approve the annexation of West Bank territory, and how might the US presidential campaign influence this process?

Two weeks before Israelis are going to the polls for the third time in a year, Attila Somfalvi, a visiting fellow at INSS, spoke to Yehuda Ben Meir, a senior research fellow and the former Israeli foreign minister deputy. Will the severe crisis in the political system come to an end? Does the “Deal of the Century” influence the voters and can Benjamin Netanyahu still present himself as “Mr. Security?”

Adv. Gilead Sher, head of the Center for Applied Negotiations (CAN), and former MK Dr. Yehuda Ben Meir analyze current issues in Israel-US relations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a few weeks before before the Israeli general elections. What might be the “surprise” that President Trump could offer PM Netanyahu right before the elections? After almost three years of preparations, will the “ultimate deal” be presented after the elections? Is there an understanding between Netanyahu and Trump about a US acceptance of Israel’s annexation of the West Bank or parts of it? What obstacles would a right wing and narrow Israeli government face trying to approve annexation?

In this podcast, Dr. Rob Geist Pinfold talks with Dr. Yehuda Ben Meir, who sketches the background to the main issues facing Israeli voters in this year’s election. As Israel goes to the polls on April 9, voters are faced with a fractious political atmosphere and a plethora of election issues – spanning social justice, the economy, and the ever-present security dilemmas that continue to dominate Israeli political discourse. As he seeks re-election, incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must also contend with a cloud of corruption allegations and the entry into politics of former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. INSS senior researcher and former MK Ben Meir highlights the main electoral concerns of the Israeli public, the problems of accurate opinion polling, and the issues dividing Israel’s political parties. Are Netanyahu’s legal troubles unprecedented? What are the implications for Israeli democracy? These and other questions are discussed in the latest INSS English podcast.