Podcasts

Hostage negotiations in Gaza have hit a deadlock after phase 1 of the ceasefire deal ended on March 2. Israel wants an extension, but Hamas insists on moving to phase 2, demanding an Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war. With Hamas refusing to disarm and Israel unwilling to leave, what’s next? Professor Kobi Michael joins Nicole Zedeck on The National Security Podcast to discuss the uncertain path forward.

Six months ago, on the morning of October 7th, Israel and the Jewish world faced the most tragic and monstrous attack against Israelis and Jews since the Holocaust. In a special program, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Senior Researchers Prof. Chuck Freilich from the Israel–US Relations program, Prof. Kobi Michael from the Israeli–Palestinian Relations program, Dr. Yoel Guzansky from the Regional System—Peace Accords program, and Research Fellow Danny Citrinowicz from the Iran program to discuss their assessments in their fields of research regarding the current situation and its future implications. Is Israel about to face a total war? What plans are in place for “the day after” in Gaza, and can the war’s objectives still be achieved?

At the end of January 2024, four months into the Israel–Hamas war, an Israeli official report was published accusing more than a dozen employees of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) for allegedly participating in the Hamas massacre against Israelis on October 7, with some actively involved in the kidnappings into Gaza as well. What exactly is the nature of relations between UNRWA and Hamas? How has it been characterized in the last years? How antisemitic are its educational programs? Does Israel need UNRWA in Gaza on “the day after” the war, or can it be dismantled? In this case, which other organization could be relevant to replace it? In this show, INSS Researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Arik Agassi, COO and head of Global Partnerships at the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) and an expert in the field of global policy and education, and with Prof. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at INSS and a visiting professor at the International Center for Policing and Security, University of South Wales. Together they discuss UNRWA’s active role in Hamas’s murder of Israelis, its incitement, and its antisemitism over the years as well as opportunities for “the day after’ in Gaza and the option of dismantling the organization.

“Swords of Iron,” the war that began with the Hamas surprise attack that took the lives of hundreds, injured thousands, and led to the abduction of dozens, caught Israel unawares. In this podcast, INSS researchers Prof. Kobi Michael and Yohanan Tzoreff from the INSS research program on the Palestinian arena, and Orna Mizrahi, formerly deputy head of the National Security Council and now part of the INSS research program on the northern arena, analyze the important issues on the agenda.

In this podcast, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Prof. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at INSS who served as the Deputy Director General and Head of the Palestinian Desk at the Ministry for Strategic Affairs. Together they discuss the alarming rise in violence in the West Bank. What are the principal reasons for the current escalation – and why now? What are the main new developments on the ground regarding terror activity? Are we witnessing a qualitative change regarding capabilities? What is the “Hamas strategy” with regard to the events? What is the role of Iran and Hezbollah? In addition, who are the extremists among the Jewish settlement population who are behind the increasing violent attacks against the Palestinian population? How do they gain access to ammunition? Who supports them? What can the IDF do to prevent further escalation of violence from both sides, when in the background some in the Israeli government are calling for even more radical moves?

INSS Managing Director Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman speaks with INSS senior researchers Prof. Kobi Michael, Dr. Anat Kurz, Brig. Gen. (res.) Assaf Orion, and Yohanan Tzoreff about the operation that began with the targeted killing of three Islamic Jihad commanders. Was the Israeli action, which focused on Islamic Jihad rather than on Hamas targets, correct? What are its implications? Will Hamas join the campaign, despite the focus on Islamic Jihad, and if so, how? In addition, what are the chances that this time as well we will see a convergence of arenas, with escalation along Israel’s other borders?

Prof. Kobi Michael and Yohanan Tzoreff, researchers in the INSS program on the Palestinian issue, discuss the escalation that began following the death of a Palestinian security prisoner who was on a hunger strike (and according to his wife, “wanted to die”). The escalation continued over the course of a day with rocket fire at Israel’s southern towns and cities and IDF strikes on targets in Gaza, and ended with a ceasefire. Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced a victory for the resistance, and declared that while the round was over, the campaign would continue. Why is Hamas allowed to set the rules of the game while Israel remains without creativity and initiative? Does this represent the lack of a strategic plan by the government, or are there other elements at work not plainly visible?

Following the dozens of rockets fired at towns and cities in the Western Galilee, and Israel’s response in Gaza and Lebanon, INSS experts assess the situation in this special podcast. Participating in the podcast: Lt. Col. (res.) Orna Mizrahi and Prof. Kobi Michael.

Nearly ten days into Operation Guardian of the Walls, Dr. Sarah Feuer sat down with INSS colleagues Dr. Kobi Michael, Col. (ret.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, and Dr. Meir Elran to discuss the current state of affairs – from Hamas’s aims and Israel’s achievements in Gaza, to Israel’s battle for legitimacy in the international arena, to the causes and potential consequences of unrest between Israeli Jews and Arabs.