Danube Institute Podcast

Historian, theologian and ethicist Nigel Biggar CBE, emeritus Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford and Danube Institute Visiting Fellow David Oldroyd-Bolt discusses Professor Biggar's bestselling book 'Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning', which his original publisher tried to cancel before it had even been published, as well as the explosion of public antisemitism across the West since Hamas invaded Israel on 7 October last year and the moral nature of the war in Ukraine.

In this special episode of Reflections from Budapest, we continued our discussion with Amir Avivi, a brigadier general retired from the Israel Defence Forces and founder and chairman of the Israeli Defence and Security Forum (IDSF). We asked General Avivi about his command experiences in Gaza operations and how the 2005 Gaza withdrawal of Israeli troops contributed to the October 7th massacre. General Avivi also gave his insight into the future of Israel in the aftermath of October 7th and the war in Gaza. To conclude, General Avivi elaborated on how the war could spill over to the West and the importance of Hungary’s strong support of Israel.

In this special episode of Reflections from Budapest, we had a discussion with Amir Avivi, a brigadier general retired from the Israel Defence Forces and founder and chairman of the Israeli Defence and Security Forum (IDSF). We asked General Avivi about his background, upbringing, and his first-hand military career experiences. General Avivi also gave insights into how and why IDSF was founded and the deep influence the organization has on the Israeli government, society and military policy. To conclude, General Avivi highlighted the importance of understanding the core values of Zionism, which are deeply intertwined with Israeli identity and security.

The Orthodox Christian churches are ancient, yet they are embroiled in twenty-first-century geopolitics. Two Orthodox-majority states, Russia and Ukraine, are locked in a devastating conflict that seems to be reshaping the world order. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Samuel Noble, a historian of Orthodox Christianity. We ask him: Are we seeing the emergence of NATO and non-NATO strands of Orthodoxy? And have recent events proved that Samuel Huntington’s idea of an “Orthodox heartland” was prescient - or not?

In this special episode of Reflections from Budapest, we had a discussion with His Excellency Yacov Hadas-Handelsman, Israeli Ambassador to Hungary. We asked Mr Hadas-Handelsman about his diplomatic career and the relationship between Hungary and Israel. Mr Hadas-Handelsman detailed Hamas’s brutality on the October 7th massacre and the implications of the war in Gaza. He also shared his insights on the future of the process of Israel establishing relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states and the failure of Palestinian governance. We concluded by discussing the prospects for rescuing the hostages and the future of the Middle East in the aftermath of October 7th and the war in Gaza.

In this episode of Reflections from Budapest, we continued our discussion with Professor Yaakov Ariel, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Professor Ariel specializes in the study of Christian-Jewish relations. We asked Professor Ariel about whether incidents of violence in Israel by radical Jewish groups against Christian communities have increased considerably since the formation of the current government. We also talked about whether the Israel-Hamas war changed the traditional American support of Israel. To conclude, Professor Ariel shared his insight on the emergence of anti-Semitism and lack of empathy toward Jewish people in US universities.

In this episode of Reflections from Budapest, we asked Professor Yaakov Ariel, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Professor Ariel specializes in the study of Christian-Jewish relations. We asked Professor Ariel about the Christian-Jewish relationship in the US as well as in Israel. We also discussed Christian Zionism and American Christians' support of Israel. To conclude, we asked Professor Ariel whether the notion that the assimilation of American Jews is the greatest threat to the Jewish people in the US is true.

In this episode of Reflections from Budapest, we continued our discussion with Dr. Jürgen Bühler, the President of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ). In our conversation, Dr. Bühler explained the importance of Christian Zionism and the Biblical approach of Israel and shared his insights on Messianic Judaism. To conclude, Dr. Bühler shared the ICEJ’s plans to continue supporting Israeli communities in need, building bomb shelters, providing aid, and organizing pro-Israel marches in 50 other countries to show support for the Jewish state.

Inthis episode of Reflections from Budapest, we asked Dr. Jürgen Bühler, the President of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ). In our conversation, Dr. Bühler walked us through his fascinating family story and the history and work of ICEJ. Dr. Bühler shared his insights on the importance of the Christian-Jewish relationship in Israel. He also detailed how Israeli Christian communities were affected by attacks they faced from radical Jewish groups, with a particular emphasis on the possible historical causes of this hostility. To conclude, Dr. Bühler shared the importance of their Feast of Tabernacles celebration, which attracts several thousand Christians from more than 80 nations annually.

In this episode of Reflections from Budapest, we continued our discussion with Or Yissachar, the Head of Research Department at the Israel Defence and Security Forum. We asked Mr Yissachar about the future of Gaza, how the infrastructure would be rebuilt and who would fill the vacuum if Israel eliminates Hamas. We also talked about the refugee question of Palestinians. To conclude, we discussed the war's effect on Europe, the motivation of pro-Hamas demonstrations, the upsurge in anti-Semitism and how Israel will recover from the war.