Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas

Pamela Nadell, a leading historian of American Jewish history and author of Antisemitism, an American Tradition, traces antisemitism from 1654 New Amsterdam to today. She outlines how medieval Christian tropes traveled to colonial America. The conversation covers the shift from religious anti‑Judaism to racial antisemitism, immigration restrictions, postwar changes, and how anti‑Zionism can become modern Jew‑hatred.

Dennis Ross, former U.S. diplomat and Middle East negotiator now at The Washington Institute, breaks down whether current strikes on Iran yield real strategic change. He discusses degraded Iranian strike capacity, risks of reconstitution and nuclear material, the leverage of the Strait of Hormuz, and the dangers of mission creep and regional escalation.

Jonathan Conricus, retired Israeli lieutenant colonel and Middle East analyst, gives a clear-eyed military and strategic perspective. He contrasts tactical gains with long-term outcomes. He discusses strikes on energy infrastructure, risks of raids on enriched uranium, covert operations, and the Lebanon-Hezbollah front. The conversation probes escalation risks and regional resilience.

Natan Sharansky, Soviet-born Israeli human rights activist and former political prisoner, reflects on lessons from nine years behind the Iron Curtain. He discusses why democracies hesitate to name evil, how appeasement repeats past mistakes, the role of fear and moral equivalence in free societies, and what sustained support for dissidents looks like.

Elliott Abrams, a longtime U.S. foreign-policy official and CFR Middle East fellow, gives a concise account of the Iran conflict. He assesses early military progress and limits, debates goals like degrading Iran’s military and nuclear program, weighs risks to oil transit and the Strait of Hormuz, and considers how U.S. action may signal rivals such as China and Russia.

Michael Oren, historian and former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., offers concise perspective on the current Middle East war. He traces the chain of miscalculations since October 7. He analyzes Iran’s role, partisan divides in American opinion, and the spread of conspiracies and antisemitic tropes. He assesses the resilience of Israel’s security ties and the case for diversifying its diplomatic partnerships.

Dr. Einat Wilf, former Israeli Knesset member, IDF intelligence officer and political scientist. She unpacks the clash between military gains and hostile public narratives. Short takes on why media frames the conflict negatively. Contrasts Israeli and American threat perceptions. Discusses regime change, Iranian protests, shifting U.S. politics, and the need to treat narrative control as a strategic priority.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.Following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, accusations that the operation was “illegal” and a violation of international law spread rapidly from social media to Congress to global institutions, often with great certainty and little explanation.In this episode of Boundless Insights, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Natasha Hausdorff to cut through the noise and examine what international law actually says about the use of force. They explore when military action is lawful, how imminence is assessed in an age of missiles and proxy warfare, whether UN approval is required, how proportionality works in practice, and how states are held responsible for terror groups they fund and direct.Guest Bio:Natasha Hausdorff is a Barrister and expert commentator on international law, including the law of armed conflict, foreign affairs and national security policy. She is a sought-after keynote speaker on lawfare and the weaponization of international law against Israel. She regularly briefs politicians and international organisations and has spoken at Parliaments across Europe and at the United Nations. Natasha is a frequent contributor on legal matters for international media, including the BBC, Sky News, CNN, GB News, Talk TV and Fox and has written for publications including the Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Mail and Law Society Gazette. She holds law degrees from Oxford and Tel Aviv Universities and was a Fellow in the National Security Law Programme at Columbia Law School in New York. Natasha previously worked for American law firm Skadden Arps, in London and Brussels, and clerked for the President of the Israeli Supreme Court, Chief Justice Miriam Naor, in Jerusalem. She serves as director of the Centre for International Rule of Law and legal director of UK Lawyers for Israel Charitable Trust.

The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran, signaling a decisive escalation after years of mounting confrontation. The operation appears aimed not only at degrading Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, but at fundamentally altering the regime’s trajectory, with President Trump openly calling on the Iranian people to challenge their rulers.As strikes hit senior regime and military targets inside Iran, Tehran has responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. positions across the region. In Israel, sirens have sounded throughout the day as civilians shelter and daily life is once again disrupted. Many Israelis, however, see this moment as a necessary reckoning with a regime that has spent decades pursuing Israel’s destruction and destabilizing the region through violence and proxies.In this emergency episode, Aviva Klompas speaks with retired Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus to assess what is unfolding in real time. They explore the scale and intent of the operation, how it differs from earlier strikes, Iran’s capacity for retaliation, the risk of regional escalation through proxies like Hezbollah, and what success would actually mean for Israel, the United States, and the Middle East if this campaign reshapes the balance of power after forty years of conflict.Guest Bio:Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East. He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. He also served as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces. He has directed social media and public diplomacy efforts and has extensive on- and off-camera experience from his years as a spokesperson. 

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.As U.S. forces surge into the Middle East and diplomacy with Iran appears increasingly strained, questions are mounting about whether Washington is headed toward military action or using force to extract last-ditch concessions.Host Aviva Klompas is joined by Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to assess what the current U.S. posture actually signals. They examine whether diplomacy still offers a real off-ramp, what a strike on Iran could target, and how exposed Israel and U.S. regional allies may be in a prolonged conflict.Guest Bio:Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is Executive Director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he oversees the organization’s research and policy work. A former terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Treasury, Jonathan has tracked and disrupted funding networks for groups like Hamas and al-Qaeda. He’s authored several books on the Middle East, including Gaza Conflict 2021, State of Failure, and Hamas vs. Fatah. A frequent congressional witness and media commentator, his analysis appears regularly in major outlets including CNN, Fox News, and the BBC.