The Promised Podcast

Noah Efron and Times of Israel Ops & Blogs impresario Miriam Herschlag discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Rock of Our Salvation?— Why do so many people think that giving the head of a homophobic party control over school enrichment programs might be the worst thing Benjamin Netanyahu has ever done? —The Jewish War— Israel's new government to American Jews: F*ck you? —That Kid Who Yelled That Thing at That Protester— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: That kid who yelled that thing at that protester, and whether he ought to spend a week in jail for it. All that and the outpouring of love in Israel for Morocco's great World Cup team, good and bad neighborhoods, the Palestinian head of one of the country's most important environmental organizations, and how cassette tapes changed Israeli music forever. All that and music by Jenny Penkin!

Noah Efron and journalist-extraordinaire Linda Gradstein discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Can't Spell "Minister Ben Gvir" Without "Bite Me"— Minister Ben Gvir?!? —This Time, It's Personal— Anything wrong with tidying up a 'Basic Law' so Aryeh Deri can become a minister just four years after admitting to tax evasion? —Good Wine Can't Possibly Be Bad for Me!— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: With such good Israeli wine, why ever get sober? All that and a remembrance of Amnon De Hartog, plus Tom Schneid, the "first queer rapper" since the Torah was given at Sinai!

Noah Efron and Professor, Environmental Activist and outgoing Member of Knesset Alon Tal discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Is a Dream a Lie?— Did Israel's outgoing government prove that right-center-left-Arab-Jewish politics is possible? Or did it prove that it's impossible? —White Knight?— Should Benny Gantz break his promise, join Netanyahu's government, and save us from the Kahanists and the homophobes? —Good COP Bad COP?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Good COP bad COP? All that and a website that handicaps the World Cup according to how good each country has been to the Jews. Plus, the R&B and hip hop of Ariella Baruh!

Don Futterman, Noah Efron and journalist-extraordinaire Linda Gradstein discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Yes, Virginia, There is an Override Clause— All the parties in Netanyahu's presumptive coalition agree to pass a law letting the Knesset to overrule the Supreme Court's striking down laws passed by the Knesset. What happens now? —Ungrandfathering the Grandchild Clause— Why do the religious parties all want to change the Law of Return so it applies to fewer people? —Nom Nom Nom— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Places we like to eat and drink. All that and Huberman's Stradivarius, Mossi Raz's mission and Rosa and the Salmons!

Miriam Herschlag, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon Earth's Promise שבועת האדמה Donation: https://bit.ly/Earthsgive Website: https://www.earthspromise.org.il/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/earthspromise —Murder on the Election Express— Who's to blame for the loss of the center left? —Not That Kind of a Jewish State— Are the very religious parties that will make up half of Netanyahu's coalition hoping to turn Israel into a Halakhic State? —Keep Your Politics to Your… Students?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: A college president we've got affection for gets himself into hot water by trashing the newly elected government in a letter he sent to all the students at his school. Should academics stay silent when they think the country is going in a dangerous direction? All that and Tula Ben Ari!

As the very last votes are still being counted, Miriam, Don and Noah try to make sense of the election results that will bring Benjamin Netanyahu back to the Prime Minister's office, and what they say about the heart and soul of the country, and what they do to our own hearts and souls. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —As the Dust Settles— What just happened? —The ״Battle for Israel״— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: After the votes are counted, Haaretz prints an editorial enlisting us in the "Battle for Israel." But is that really what it's come to? All this and songs for pondering elections!

Sally Abed, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —It Just Doesn't Matter?— Why do some people wake up on election morning with the feeling that it just doesn't matter who they vote for, or if they vote at all? —So Goes the Nation!— We got no secrets. Here's how we're voting. —״Blood: A Strong Occupation for Israel״— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: The anti-Occupation NGO Breaking the Silence runs a faux election campaign for a faux party whose faux slogan is, "A Strong Occupation for Israel." What do you do with that? All this and Moom Nadir, good ol' punk!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —The Stakes— Just what happens if Benjamin Netanyahu is elected Prime Minister? —A Line in the Sea— Israel negotiates an historic treaty with Lebanon, but Prime Minister Yair Lapid doesn't bring it to the Knesset to ratify, on the grounds that, if he did, it wouldn't. Did he make the right call? —Oh, Donald!— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Like with last week's tweet by Kanye, we wonder why didn't Donald's tweet bug Israeli Jews. All this and Odeya, a 21 year old cooler-than-cool rising star!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Ad Hominem, Ad Absurdum, Ad Victorium & Ad Nauseum— We watched hundreds of election ads, so you don't have to. What do they tell us about that the parties are trying to tell voters? —Thesis – Antithesis – Screw You!— Maybe nothing makes people as mad as beloved celebrity changing political camps. How come? —After the Holidays— For a month, during the holidays, it's almost impossible to do anything. Then the world comes crashing back. —Oh, Kanye!— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Why didn't Kanye's tweet bug Israeli Jews (who, one imagines, Kanye's also gone to Death Con 3 on). All this and Meshi Kleinstein, the daughter of two of the most popular singers in Israel's history, now singing on her own (and also with her folks)!

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Yair in Dag Hammarskjöld Square— A month before elections, caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid tells the UN he supports the creation of a Palestinian state. How come? —We Are All Grammy Hall— Global thought leaders think Israel is the 2nd most religious country on earth? Why on earth do they think that?!? —The Weird Magic of Yom Kippur— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Allison and Noah talk about the weird magic of Yom Kippur on Israeli streets. All this and a preview of the throaty shoo bop goodness of Ella Raphael's soon-to-be-released first record!