Podcasts

On January 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered its ruling on South Africa’s charges against the State of Israel regarding ”genocidal acts” in Gaza after the events of October 7. Even though the Court did not order an immediate ceasefire, its ruling did provide support for other international calls for trade sanctions and arms boycotts against Israel. At a time in which truth and facts are undermined and disregarded, how can Israel maintain a positive image in the international arena? What are the effects of the ICJ decision on the ground? What exactly are the provisional measures against Israel that were ordered, and how do they influence the continuation of the war? What is expected in the following months, and what can Israel do to contain the damage? In today’s podcast, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Amb. Arthur Lenk, formerly Israeli ambassador to South Africa (2013–2017), ambassador to Azerbaijan (2005-2009), and director of the Department of International Law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2010-2013), and Col. (res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, senior researcher and head of the Law and National Security Program at INSS. Together they discuss the current legal campaign against Israel in the international community.

On 6:30 AM on October 7, 2023, Israel woke up to the nightmare of an extensive horrific attack by thousands of Hamas terrorists. On the 18th day of the war, Israeli authorities report that 1,400 Israelis were murdered and over 5,431 wounded. 222 Israeli hostages were officially reported held by Hamas in Gaza, among them 30 children under the age of 18. The number of hostages is expected to rise even higher, as over 100 Israelis are still reported missing. There are over 125,000 internally displaced Israelis, and to date more than 7500 rockets were fired by Hamas toward Israel. As Israel continues to reel from the horrors of October 7, the IDF is reportedly completing preparations for a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. In this podcast, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Col. (res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, senior researcher and head of the INSS Law and National Security Program. Together they discuss the rules that govern Israel’s combat in the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian aid in Gaza, the Israeli hostages, the connection between antisemitism and support for Hamas, and the role of the international community in the context of the unfolding events.

INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with senior researcher Col. (res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, who heads the program on Law and National Security at INSS, to discuss her special publication (co-authored with Dr. Bell Yosef from Tel Aviv University) on the independence of Israeli courts and the connection to Israel’s national security. The new legislative reform, introduced to the public by Justice Minister Yariv Levin on January 4, 2023, is apparently one of the most burning issues on the Israeli agenda at the moment, as it is seen by many sectors in Israeli society as an attempt at a legislative coup that threatens to change the very basic democratic and liberal principles on which Israel was established. The purpose of the podcast is to understand what is meant by the term “liberal democracy” in the Israeli context; how is it connected to national security; what are the dangers in this proposed reform to the judicial system; what are the implications on social, legal, economic, and security levels (both domestic and international); and what should be the recommendations for decision makers based on the following analysis.

INSS Managing Director Udi Dekel, joined by INSS senior researchers Pnina Sharvit Baruch and former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, speaks about the application of Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated is planned for the coming month. What would the map of Israel look like after this move? What would be the legal status of the Jewish population and the Palestinian population in the annexed area? Would this move ignite the region? What is the expected reaction in the international arena? Will US President Donald Trump accept any Israeli decision on the matter? What will be US policy if Joe Biden enters the White House in January 2021?

On the heels of the UN General Assembly, where U.S. President Trump asserted in his speech that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has “no jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no authority”, Dr. Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky and Col. (Res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch discuss changing perceptions with respect to international organizations and global governance – and how this affects Israel. What is a preliminary examination in the ICC and how does the examination against Israel affect it? Why is the U.S. concerned with the ICC – and does Israel share these concerns? And how is an advisory opinion issued by a different body: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) related to the BDS campaign against Israel? Michal and Pnina discuss these and other related questions – and their relevance to Israel’s current standing in the global arena