Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.Global attention is focused on the war with Iran, but another issue is unfolding that raises urgent moral and political questions – the spike in attacks by Jewish extremists against Palestinians in the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria.In this episode of Boundless Insights, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Yossi Klein Halevi about settler violence - how widespread it is and why it’s surging. The conversation also examines how these attacks affect Israel’s moral standing and where responsibility lies when it comes to enforcing the rule of law.Guest BioYossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. His 2013 book, Like Dreamers, won the Jewish Book Council's Everett Book of the Year Award and his latest book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, is a New York Times bestseller. Yossi writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including the Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic.

Daniel Shapiro, experienced U.S. diplomat and former ambassador to Israel, breaks down where the Iran conflict stands. He discusses whether the campaign scored early wins, why objectives grew, and who in Tehran holds real sway. He also weighs if U.S. goals can be met without ground forces and what a realistic end state might look like.

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.