The Promised Podcast

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and 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 Pre-Election Reflection— This election campaign was maybe the weirdest in Israel's history. What the hell just happened? —Red Ties, Blue Ties— Netanyahu has one. Saar has one. Bennett has one. Lapid has one. Lieberman has one. And Gantz has one. How to all the American political consultants running our election campaigns affect Israeli politics? —On the Road and Off the Derekh— If you're born a religious Zionist in Israel, there's a one in three chance you'll be secular when you grow up. Is that a fact that matters?? —Taking Two for the Team— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we discuss the many (and growing) calls for Meretz and Blue&White to withdraw from the election, essentially self-immolating on the Mr.-Spockian grounds that "logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Should two center-left parties euthanize themselves, for the sake of the rest of us? All that and Mayco, celebrating the release of her socko first EP!

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 —Lion in Winter— The number of Israelis who think Benjamin Netanyahu is most fit to be Prime Minister has tumbled over the past few weeks. Why and what's it mean about the upcoming elections? —Us & Them— A study finds Israeli teens don't trust teens who are different than they are. Why? What can be done? —Raffish Women— Is there maybe a special, nuclear-grade misogyny reserved for tough, brash, in-your-face, Mizrahi women, who are among our most successful (and most disparaged) leaders today? —Whoa, This Is Terrible! (Or, Yay This Is Great?)— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra segment, we talk about some spectacular new investigative reporting by Allison and Judy Maltz: "How Christian Evangelical Money and Biblical Prophecy Are Driving Immigration to Israel." All that and the inspiring Shai Meshulam Project!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida 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 —Right Thinking Men— Gideon is on the outs with Bibi, Naftali says he won't hang with Yair, Avigdor says Arye, Moshe & Yaakov can f*ck off, Bibi says Bezalel's great, but Itamar is only o.k. The dynamics of the leaders of Israel's right-wing parties have the subtle complexity of a middle school pool party. What does this augur for Israel's future? —Courting Change— The Supreme Courts decides that the state must recognize as Jews (for the arcane purposes of the Law of Return) folks converted by Reform and Conservative rabbis in Israel, and it's like the whole country just stepped on the 3rd rail. Why is this controversial and what's it all mean? —The People of the Dynamic Meeting Space— Is there a place for books in Israeli libraries in 2021? —Two Shots Plus a Week— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra segment, we take out our "Green Passports" and discuss what life is like for those of us who have two shots plus a week. All that and Yael Mess, who you're gonna be hearing a lot of pretty soon!

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 —Idol in the Sanctuary— Are ultra-Orthodox attacks on Labor Party candidate, Reform Rabbi Gilad Kariv, legitimate political scrabbling, or some weird sort of herem, or religious excommunication? —Blue is the New Red?— Has Israel's right just embraced the labor movement? —Woke— What is so infuriating about political correctness? —WTF SNL?!— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about the fufera over a six-second gag on last week's episode of Saturday Night Live implying that Israel's vaccine policy may give preference to Jews. Oy! All that and a celebration of Borito, on the occasion of their first record!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida, Sally Abed 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 —Likud, 2021: What's Left of the Right?— Some longtime Likudniks lament that the party ain't what it used to be. If that's true, then what is it now? —Carrots & Sticks— Is there a fair way to cajole people to vaccinate? Fining 'em? Keeping 'em from working? Banning them from basketball arenas? Public shaming? —Green, Yes. New, Sure. But Is It a Deal?— Is this the time for a "New Green Deal for Israel"? —The Weirdest Political Ads of the Week (Part 2)— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we once again discuss new and notable election videos that told us something we didn't know about the parties and candidates running in next month's elections. All that and Irit Dekel!

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 —Lapidary Matters— So maybe Yair Lapid is more than a pretty-boy empty suit? —Day in Court— The International Criminal Court says that Palestine is a state and Israelis must stand trial for war crimes. "Pure anti-semitism," as PM Netanyahu says? Or something else? —The Revolution Is in the Mail— New political magazines, printed on paper and sent in the mail, hope to foment revolution in Israeli politics. Do they have a chance of influencing people, in an age of Twitter? —The Weirdest Political Ads of the Week (Part 1)— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we watch some of the weirdest political ads of the week, and try to understand what they're trying to tell us. All that and the beautiful disrespectful covers of old songs by one of Israel's greatest songwriters, Yankele Rotblit!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Standing Together's Sally Abed 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 —Failure to Launch— Why did so many men starting so many center-left parties end up with electile disfunction? —Anyone But Them— The biggest issue in Israel's March elections won't be COVID, won't be an economy in free fall, and won't be Iran going nuclear. Nah, the biggest issue is ultra-Orthodox Jews. Why oh why? —But They Have Lady Pacman, Don't They?— Ten parties will probably be elected to the next Knesset. One will be headed by a woman. Why? —Why Do So Many Israeli Journalists Find Their Way Into Israeli Politics?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we talk about a question Allison raised beautifully in a socko essay in Haaretz: Why do so many Israeli journalists find their way into Israeli politics? All that and the neo-new wave of Or Litman!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida 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 —New Labor, Again?— Did we eulogize the Labor Party too soon? —Acting Big?— PM Netanyahu unveils a plan to give most Israelis a pile of free cash, just weeks before elections. Is that necessarily a bad thing? —How Will We Come Out of This?— With one in three Israelis vaccinated, maybe it's time to figure out what life will be like when this is all over. —Is One Day Commemorating the Holocaust Just Not Enough?— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, after marking this week's "International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust," we wonder what it means to have two Holocaust days, one for the world (and not for us), and one for us (and not for the world). Would we be better off if the two were combined? All that and the music of Yakir Hillel!

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida 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 —Helsinki, Helsinki— Israel's top bioethics board says that PM Netanyahu's deal to give Pfizer data on everyone who got the vaccinated is illegal, because it amounts to a massive human experiment that was never approved by, well, Israel's top bioethics board. Should the deal be vacated? —Jenin, Jenin— A judge orders confiscation of the 2002 movie "Jenin, Jenin" – a record of Palestinian accounts of the IDFs 2002 incursion into that city – while still letting the movie stream on Youtube. Is there any sense to that verdict? —What's in a Name?— What do the names Israelis give our babies say about our society and our souls? —I Got My COVID Vaccine and I Feel Miserable About It— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, following a terrific, viral essay by Allison in Haaretz headlined, "I Just Got My COVID-19 Vaccination – Here's Why I Feel Miserable About It," we discuss how we're feeling about getting vaccinated (or not getting vaccinated yet), which turns out to be surprisingly complicated. Their guilt, jubilation, worry, relief, and so many other feelings. All that and the music of the odd and fascinating EOK Project!

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 —Bezalel and Naftali Love You Very Much— Is there no room anymore for "religious Zionist" parties in the Knesset? —Lift My Eyes Unto the Hills— Idealists? Dropouts? True-Believers? Anarchists? Pioneers? Thugs?: What should we make of "Hilltop Youth"? —The Medium Is the Message?— Why will Israelis never ever delete Whatsapp from our phones, no matter how much private information they fork over to Facebook? —The Man of Grand Generosity Who Also Made Israel Less Democratic, Less Welcoming and Less Decent— For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion, we try to figure out what (and how) to think about Sheldon Adelson, a man of grand generosity who also used his vast wealth to make two countries we love less democratic, less welcoming, and less decent. (With appreciation to Seffi Kogan and Allie Lipner Rosenblum.) All that and the ayahuasca-inspired musical and emotional genius of Gon Ben Ari and the Zulat Choir!