The Promised Podcast

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. The Kids are All Right It's accepted wisdom that Israeli young people are more right-wing than their older sisters and brothers, parents and grandparents. But are they really? And if they are, why? What We Learned at the Polls Peter Beinart writes that the lesson of the last election is that the time has come to make Israelis suffer for our sins. That so? "And You Shall Tell Your Child" On Passover, we're supposed to tell our kids the story of the Exodus and what it means to us today. But what does it mean to us today? Enjoying Others' Misfortune Cookie For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment the dark pleasures of political schadenfreude. Why was the best thing about our recent elections the misfortunes they brought to some of our most stalwart politicians? Music The very happy sounds of Miki G & Tzemer: Sababa Kadima Yom Ehad Lo Levad

For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment a remarkable new Brookings Institute Policy Brief called "Is Israel in Democratic Decline?" by Tamara Cofman Wittes and Yael Mizrahi-Arnaud. In a moment of I-happen-to-have-Marshall-Mcluhan-right-here, Mizrahi-Arnaud joins us to say, "You understand nothing of our work, how you ever got a podcast is beyond me!"

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. What Just Happened?!? The votes are counted. What the hell just happened? The Via Media Given the alternative, is a coalition of the center and the Likud really such a bad idea after all? Getting Out of Bed in the Morning The Likud has led Israel for 30 of the past 42 years, and more are ahead. What reason does an Israeli leftist have to get out of bed? Is Israel Experiencing a Decline in the Quality of Its Democracy? For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment a remarkable new Brookings Institute Policy Brief called "Is Israel in Democratic Decline?" by Tamara Cofman Wittes and Yael Mizrahi-Arnaud. In a moment of I-happen-to-have-Marshall-Mcluhan-right-here, Mizrahi-Arnaud joins us to say, "You understand nothing of our work, how you ever got a podcast is beyond me!" Music The viral positivity of Tazazo: Kuli Ahava, with Mazzal Damsia Mona Lisa, with Tzemer Insomnia Halivai Ani

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Don Futterman 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 segment. The War that Wasn't We almost stumbled into war with Gaza last week, just ahead of crucial elections. Why didn't we? Election Reflection After three intensive months of campaign, we look back and wonder, what the f*ck was that? Shame! Why does Israel's Right hold the patent on pride, and our Left on shame? The Israeli Campaign Ads We Loved, Hated, or Were Mystified By For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment the election ads that captured our attention over the past weeks, and why we loved, hated, or were mystified by them. Music Ron Cohen: Yehefim Yehiye Besder Stam Yom Mehapeset

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Looking for the extra segment? Heights and Rights U.S. President Donald Trump declares that the Golan belongs to Israel, after three decades of Israel trying to negotiate it back into Syrian hands. Will history remember this as something that matters, like PM Netanyahu says, or is it destined to be a forgotten footnote? Scorched by the Bern Bernie Sanders speaks out against "apartheid-like conditions in Palestine." Just after we got used to millennial democrats harshly criticizing Israel, do we need also to get used to nearly octogenarian democrats harshly criticizing Israel? The Feynman-Levy Conjecture A feminist, social-democratic party with no position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may emerge from upcoming elections as king-makers. Is that a good thing? Can AIPAC Save America From Itself? For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment the big AIPAC cotillion, paying special attention to three remarkable essays about it, one in the Times, one in the Forward, and the third in Haaretz (by our own Allison Kaplan-Sommer). Music Post-punk, power pop by The Driers: Porchlight Contagious Delayed Sad Party

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Wunderkind Haaretz book reviewer (and so much more) Ohad Zeltzer-Zubida discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Leftier than Thou Instead of attacking Netanyahu, the Labor Party decides to attack his centrist opponent, Benny Gantz, as knock-off Netanyahu and right-wing stooges. Has the center-left gone Hobbesian? Not Not-Religious A scholar argues that religion has osmotically entered so much of Israeli society, that it is no longer secular. Are we entering a "post-secular" age? Diverticality A proposed Jerusalem Cable Car will allow tourists and residents to go from Jewish West Jerusalem to the Wailing Wall without seeing a Moslem or Christian, except from an air conditioned cabin many meters above. Can transportation technology be politics by other means? FASCISM. By Shaked For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment a new election ad that has new-right minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked misting herself with perfume labeled "fascism." Provocative, yes, but to what end? Music The great Brazilian-Israeli drummer, composer and singer, Joca Perpignan: Arrancada A Vida Que a Gente Levar, with Rotem Cohen Jogo do Viver Los Van Van, with Amir Gwirtzman

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Times of Israel Ops & Blogs Editor Miriam Herschlag discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Looking for the extra segment? Banned on the Run Should parties that spew rage and hate be banned from running in democratic elections? Here in Israel, the question ain't academic. The Feiglin Effect The hottest thing in these elections is a radically libertarian, pro-weed-legalization, separation of Church and State party that also wants to annex the occupied territories tomorrow. WTF? Feel the Burn Midburn is Israel's Burning Man, and its growing by leaps and bounds. Why is it so popular? Ilhan Who? For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment Allison's picque that no one in Israel seems to care one way or another about Ilhan Omar and the soul of America's Democratic Party. But should the question of whether or not a newly elected congresswoman's criticism of Israel are tinged with anti-Semitism matter in the cafes of Tel Aviv? Music Yuval Dayan, who won our hearts on the first season of the Voice, and whom we've loved ever since: Mi Ani Mulam Derekh ha-Eynayim Shelkha, Yoav Mitarahat ba-Olam Ha-Sof ha-Tov ha-Zeh

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. The Bombshell was a Dud A week after the Attorney General announced he'd be indicted for bribery and breach of trust, PM Netanyahu is more popular than before. Why? أعتقد أن الأطفال هم مستقبلنا (I Believe Our Children are the Future) More and more Israelis are sending their kids to Arabic-Hebrew bilingual schools. Are parents pursuing peace with their tots? Long Ago, in the Cowshed An American-Israeli posts on Facebook that Benny Gantz, who is challenging Netanyahu for Israelis premiership, exposed himself to her 42 years ago, when they were both in high school. Now what? Extra Patron Segment For our most generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment a recent essay in Haaretz by Anschel Pfeffer, on-the-nosedly headlined, "After Replacing Netanyahu, Gantz's Party Will Self-destruct. And That's OK." But is it really OK? Music By child reality star turned teenage internet star turned just normal-old-23-year-old-pop-star, Shira Margalit! Hey, Niv Imma Tzodeket Tamid Od Lo Ba ve-Holekh

Noah Efron, Don Futterman, and Time of Israel Ops & Blogs editor Miriam Herschlag discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. The Coalition Prohibition Supposition No Palestinian-Israeli party has ever joined the country's ruling coalition. Has the time come to break that taboo? Judaeo-Scriptio Continua Israel's "New Right" Party launches a campaign proposing that Judaism, Israeli identity and right-wing politics fit together hand-in-glove. Is it gonna get them votes? Moving Advice Your friend asks for help moving into a new apartment in a West-Bank settlement. Should you do it? Extra Patron Segment For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment a remarkable essay in Tablet Magazine by former editor at Wired and the Times and plutonium-grade mensch Mark Horowitz called, "Michael Sfard Can't Win," about how very nearly impossible it is to say anything about Israel and be heard. Music Shira Gavrielov (and her Dad, Miki, and friends): Noten Li Koach Kshehaolam Yaatzor, with E-Z Ani Ve'ata (with Miki Gavrielov) The Pain

Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. They'd Like to Teach the World to Sing Can a single political party long endure with some members who are Two-State Solution types and others who are Never-Palestinian-State sorts, and some members who see the ultra-Orthodox as partners and others who see them as anathema? The new centrist mega-party "Blue & White" does just that: Is it a civil war in the making? The Prime Minister Israel Never Had Tzipi Livni was almost Prime Minister and, as Foreign Minister, she almost signed a peace accord with the Palestinians. Why, then, do only one in a hundred Israelis support her, bringing her brilliant career to an ignoble end? You'll Weld 'til we Tell You to Stop Welding Are market forces making it impossible for welders, metalsmiths, carpenters, upholsterers, cobblers, tailors, and mechanics to do what they do in Tel Aviv? Is every meter of real estate in the city destined to be fancy housing for rich folks? Extra Patron Segment For our most intemperately generous Patreon supporters, we will discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment the Forward's primer, "How To Speak About The Israel Lobby In A Non-Anti-Semitic Way," the latest salvo in Opinion Editor Batya Ungar-Sargon's copiously ambitious program to renovate the whole damn American Left, as a first step towards renovating American Jewish politics. Music Afor Gashum, who's celebrating 30 years of their hugely influential samizdat 1989 cassette, February. Pashut ve-Tiv'i Shir Pop '67 Hinei Ba ha-Geshem Tinshemet