The Promised Podcast

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and and returning prodigal son, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —"A Mandate" Anagrams to "A Tad Mean"— Israel's Corona Czar says the time has come to consider a "vaccine mandate." Is this why the word "omicron" anagrams to "moronic"? —Whose Violence is it, Anyway?— Why do folks on the left and the right see such very different things when they look at violence on the roads and in the fields of the West Bank? —Et Tu, Walden? (Or, Autarky Malarkey!)— Would we all be better off if more of us lived off the grid, Henry David Thoreau style? —Reacting to the Latest Scandal-de-Jour— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we discuss the scandal-de-jour, in which former director of the Mossad, and a presumptive heir to Benjamin Netanyahu, Yossi Cohen, is found to have braggadociously shared state secrets with his flight-attendant consort and her cuckold (and kinda pissed) husband. We'll try to sortout what to make of this sordid affair. All this and songs by Solomon Ibn Gvirol, to celebrate his 1,000th birthday! (Because, you only turn 1,000 once!)

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. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —F*ck'm!— Former US President Donald Trump says that former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu never wanted to make peace, and doesn't know the meaning of loyalty. But aren't the two men BFFs? —Unit 8200, Down on Route 60— The IDF pledges to move its crack intelligence units from the center of the country two hours south, and lots of career soldiers weigh leaving the army for the private sector. What should the generals do? —Torched— Every year, twelve exemplary Israelis are chosen to light torches at the main Independence Day Celebrations, because they represent the best of us. The call for nominations just went out, and the Promised Podcast answers that call, picking our own dazzling dozen. —Shop 'Til You Drop— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we try to understand the newest Government corona edict, which says that you can only shop in malls if you've been double vaxxed and boosted, or had COVID in the past six months, save for grocery stores, pharmacies and clinics in malls, and everyone entering the mall will get either a green wristband indicating double vax and booster or a red wristband indicating anything less than that, which edict has mall proprietors apoplectic and preparing a petition to the supreme court arguing that making people wear their vax status on their wrist in malls is a violation of their privacy. Oy! All that and the amazing live-from-the-streets music of Coral Bismuth*!

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. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Leading the Witness— Police investigators strong-arm Benjamin Netanyahu's one-time spokesman and media consultant to testify against his former boss, saying that if he doesn't they'll destroy his family and his life. Is the whole trial tainted? —We Beat the Syrian Army, Surely We can Beat Climate Change— The IDF gears up to take the lead in Israel's response to climate change. Is that a good thing? —Holding the Line— By changing regulations, the government plans to make it harder for ultra-Orthodox leaders to make sure their followers use only "kosher phones." Are Haredi rabbis and politicians right to be upset? —Be Best, Israeli Style?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we try to understand President Yitzhak Herzog's new campaign to be nice on the internet, so as to "shine our inner light" on others. Is this anything more than presidential pablum? All that and Ella Shik Blum!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and journalist-extraordinaire Dina Kraft discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Hanukkah with Zealots, Oh My!— President Yitzhak Herzog lights candles with settlers in Hebron, causing protestors on the left to cry, "He's not my president." —Whose Country Is It Anyway?— By closing its borders, is Israel turning diaspora Jews into "second-class Jews"? —(Some) People's Army— Is the IDF still a "People's army"? —Here's Why Ultra-Orthodox Aliyah to Israel Is Breaking Records— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about a socko new essay in Haaretz by FoPP Judy Maltz, entitled, "Ultra-Orthodox Aliyah to Israel is Breaking Records. Here's Why." All that and Kiki Malinky!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. —No Prize— Israel's Education Minister decides not to give the country's biggest prize to a genius computer theorist because he petitioned the EU to boycott an Israeli university in the territories. —If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem, Let My Office Chair Creak— If Jerusalem is Israel's capital, does that mean that all the government needs to be there? —Israel's Next Top Model— New models say in 2050, one in four Israelis will be ultra-Orthodox, but does that maybe tell us more about the models than it does about the ultra-Orthodox? —The Rise of "Holocaust Distortion"— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about a disturbing new essay by Allison about COVID and the rise of "Holocaust distortion." All that and the enchanting harp of Renana Ne'eman!

Sally Abed and Noah Efron discuss three two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Limited— Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel's new proposed term-limit law is the sort of law you'd see in Iran, Syria and North Korea. Does he have a point? —Tradition, Tradition!— Can "traditionalism" (mesoratiut) reshape Israeli politics as we know it? —Israelis and Israeliness Abroad— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about what it's like, when we travel, to be Israelis abroad. All that and a boy named Neta Weiner!

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 —What Now?— Now that Israel has a budget (after several years of not having a budget), is it smooth sailing from now on? —Some of the Best Standards are Double Standards— A supermarket chain charges ultra-Orthodox shoppers a lot less than the rest of us. Is this discrimination, or just market forces doing what they do? —The Strange Death & Curious Rebirth of the Israeli Left?—Who killed Israel's Left? —The Airport Gates Are (Wide) Open— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, after a week of vigorous reporting by Allison about how reopening the airport to tourists has been pretty worryingly botched, we talk about how we feel about the gates of the country finally being thrown wide to let in curious well-wishers with handsome disposable incomes, from all around the world. All that and Cohen!

Allison Kaplan Sommer and Noah Efron discuss three two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —You Say "Corruption" Like It Was a Bad Thing!— Should coalition members get to earmark millions for their favorite causes? —Death, Taxes & Traffic— The Knesset's new "pigovian" congestion tax will make half a million people pay handsomely every time they drive into Tel Aviv. Isn't it time that someone made Allison pay? —A Likud So Powerful That Even It Can't Form a Government?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we try to make sense of a new poll finding that if elections were held today, the Likud would grow stronger – to 36 seats – but that neither today's coalition nor today's opposition would be able to form a government. What's it augur? All that and the enchanting sounds of Tandu*! *With eternal gratitude to Reena Berenberg!

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. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Burdens of Proof— Defense Minister Benny Gantz says we can trust him that he wouldn't outlaw Palestinian human rights organizations without a really good reason. —A Great Deal of New Green— A 100 point action plan to slow climate change? Is that maybe too many points? —Breathing Easy— When a COVID patient needs a new lung, should the vaxxed have priority over the unvaxxed? —"Whose Promised Land? A Journey Into a Divided Israel"— The new New York Times Bureau Chief in Jerusalem takes a ten-day tour of Israel, and finds that it's filled with bitter, disaffected malcontents. Did he maybe miss something? All that and drummer-singer-songwriter Noa Segal!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Miriam Herschlag and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Listen to the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Nullifying Netanyahu?— Former Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein challenges Benjamin Netanyahu for leadership of the Likud. Are Netanyahu's days numbered? —Him Too?— "He suddenly pinned me to the door and tried to kiss me." What do we make of Shimon Peres, now that we know? —Rabin's Square is Closed for Renovation— Rabin Square is about to be closed for years of renovation. Is that a blow to civic culture, and maybe even democracy? —The Israeli Foods We're Nostalgic For— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, with the start of Krembo season (the happiest season of the year), we talk about the Israeli foods we're nostalgic for. All that and OBD!