Basic Law

Former British military officer and Middle East specialist Andrew Fox joins the show this week to uncover the real story behind the viral “It’s a Killing Field” article. They explore how misleading media coverage, amplified by outlets like Haaretz and CNN, is fueling war-crimes accusations against Israel and threatening to distort legal proceedings in international courts. The conversation gives a thorough explanation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a joint U.S.-Israeli initiative working to deliver aid in a warzone while avoiding Hamas control. Fox, a former British paratrooper with firsthand experience inside Gaza and Lebanon during the war, shares what he saw in Rafah, the Netzarim Corridor and Hezbollah’s tunnel networks, offering rare insight into IDF tactics and conditions on the ground.

What happens when the rules of war no longer match the reality of the battlefield? In this episode of Basic Law, host Aylana Meisel, Executive Director of the Israel Law and Liberty Forum, sits down with Professor Jeremy Rabkin, Professor Emeritus of Law at George Mason University, to tackle one of the most urgent legal and moral dilemmas of our time: Should why a nation fights change how it fights?

Is Israel’s war with Iran legal under international law—or is it a war of aggression? In this episode of “Basic Law,” international law expert Professor Avi Bell joins host Aylana Meisel to unpack the legal justification behind Israel’s historic preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear program. Together, they dive deep into the laws of armed conflict, the principle of self-defense, proportionality and how international legal frameworks apply to the war currently shaking the Middle East.

How can legal strategies, both in the U.S. and abroad, be deployed to confront the dangerous rise of antisemitic radicalism and terror-linked activism in the West? Anne Herzberg, Legal Counsel at NGO Monitor and the organization’s UN Representative, joins host Aylana Meisel to shed light on how the legal system is becoming a critical battlefield in the fight to protect Jewish communities and uphold Israel’s legitimacy.

How can legal strategies, both in the U.S. and abroad, be deployed to confront the dangerous rise of antisemitic radicalism and terror-linked activism in the West? Anne Herzberg, Legal Counsel at NGO Monitor and the organization’s UN Representative, joins host Aylana Meisel to shed light on how the legal system is becoming a critical battlefield in the fight to protect Jewish communities and uphold Israel’s legitimacy.

Has Israel’s Democracy Been Hijacked? Aylana Meisel, Executive Director of the Israel Law and Liberty Forum, is joined by Yonatan Green, Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for the Constitution and author of a forthcoming book on the Israeli legal system. Green is here to discuss two landmark judicial decisions that have intensified the high-stakes power struggle between Israel’s judiciary and elected officials.

Is Israel’s legal system prepared to deliver justice after the horrors of October 7, or is it paralyzed by outdated frameworks and political hesitation? On this episode of “Basic Law,” Aylana Meisel sits down with Col. (Res.) Adv. Maurice Hirsch, former senior IDF prosecutor and Director of Legal Strategies at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs, to unpack the urgent need for a new legal response to the October 7 massacre. If you liked this video, you’re going to love @JNS_TV - don’t forget to hit the subscribe button!Catch every story from Israel and the Jewish World: Latest news: https://bit.ly/jewish_news_service Subscribe to our free newsletter: https://bit.ly/subscribe_to_JNS You can also join the fight against media bias! Donate here: https://bit.ly/Support-JNS #BasicLaw #October7 #MauriceHirsch #Israel #Justice #Hamas #InternationalLaw #Nuremberg #IsraeliLaw #Terrorism #MemoryAndJustice The Israel Law & Liberty Forum is proud to partner with JNS to offer a platform for conservative and classical liberal legal thought from within Israel. Any opinions stated are those of the speaker and not meant to represent the positions of the Forum or JNS. The Forum is an organization which fosters thoughtful conversation and debate on key issues in Israel law and democracy. The Forum takes no official positions regarding any specific policy issues nor does it advance specific policies. Chapters 00:00 The Quest for Justice Post-October 7 10:56 Understanding Israel's Legal Framework for Terrorism 20:02 The Unique Challenges of October 7 30:29 Proposed Legal Framework for Prosecution 37:01 Debating the Death Penalty and Sentencing 41:01 Current State of Legal Proceedings

Is the United Nations broken beyond repair? Aylana Meisel, Executive Director of the Israel Law and Liberty Forum, sits down with renowned international law expert Professor Eugene Kontorovich to explore how international institutions like the UN, ICC, UNRWA and WHO have become politicized and weaponized against Israel and the West.

Israel’s democracy, judicial power and national identity take center stage in this episode of Basic Law, hosted by Aylana Meisel, Executive Director of the Israel Law and Liberty Forum. This week, Meisel sits down with leading Israeli thought-leader and podcaster Dr. Gadi Taub for a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred conversation filmed live at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem.In this special episode, Dr. Taub—one of the most compelling conservative voices in Israeli academia—traces the historical roots of Zionism and explains why Israel’s current constitutional crisis is about much more than legal reform. Together, Meisel and Taub unpack the rise of Israel’s “judicial aristocracy,” the political capture of unelected bodies like the Attorney General and Supreme Court and why Israel’s left has shifted power from the ballot box to the bench.

Host Aylana Meisel, Executive Director of the Israel Law and Liberty Forum, sits down with leading international law expert Professor Avi Bell (University of San Diego, Bar-Ilan University, Kohelet Policy Forum and board member at NGO Monitor) for a powerful exposé on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its deeply controversial role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.