The Promised Podcast

Hamas-Fatah reconciliation: Just suck it up? How the hell should we react to the reunification of Hamas and Fatah in the Palestinian Authority? The right to remain unremembered Do Israelis need “the right to be forgotten” on the internet? Where did evolution go? Why did it take 66 years for evolution to make it into Israeli schools? Music: All songs by the awe-inspiring Balkan Beat Box Move It War Again Balcasio Part of the Glory

Allison, Don, Noah and special guest star, author Ayelet Waldman discuss: The thinnest of lines — between 'Jewish' and 'Democratic' How do Jews around the world think Israel ought to balance its “democratic” and “Jewish” values? The Jewish People Policy Institute's new report, “Jewish and Democratic: Perspectives from World Jewry,” shows that diaspora Jews view Jewish values as essentially democratic ones. But what about the rights of non-Jewish minorities in Israel? Romanticizing the Draft? A Knesset member put forth a proposal to end the draft in favor of an all-volunteer army. This would appease ultra-Orthodox Israelis and other who are against the draft, but most Israelis are against replacing conscription with a volunteer professional army. Apart from the more practical considerations, canceling the draft would undermine Israeli society's romantic and nationalistic image of the army as a melting pot and expression of citizenship. 'You Can't Go Home Again' After spending her salad days in Israel, author Ayelet Waldman emigrated to the U.S. and didn't return for twenty years. Now she's back for a visit and has come to the TLV1 studio to tell us whether, as Thomas Wolfe wrote, you can't go home again.

Allison, Eilon, and Noah discuss: Why one MK has complained that “we have become a country of idiots that does not respect the Torah,” in response to the wild celebrations following Maccabi Tel Aviv's victory in the European basketball championship; why a famous Hebrew University historian asserts that the victory is “the biggest proof that Zionism has failed when it comes to sports;”Whether the minimum wage should be boosted by 30%, as advocated by 61 Members of Knesset and by basically no economists;The state of poetry in Israel, including soulful readings of translations of our favorite Hebrew poems.All this and new political music by the redoubtable David Broza! Music: All songs by David Broza, from his latest album East Jersualem –West Jerusalem. East Jerusalem (with Wyclef Jean) What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding Peace (Ain’t Nothing but a Word) Jerusalem

Allison, Don, and Noah discuss: “iNakba,” an iPhone app that aims to put the dispossession of Palestinian homes and villages into your pocket; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to “legally define the Talmud as the basis of the Israeli legal system” and to make the Jewish calendar the official calendar of the state; and whether Israel, like the rest of the west, is experiencing a “crisis of authority” that makes it impossible to govern Music: All songs by indie mainstay Kob, from his new record 'Tugat ha-Mafsidim' Pitom AtLiat Shel Yom ShishiTugat ha-MafsidimAl Kol Ele

Allison, Don and Noah discuss (1) Why the Conference of Presidents decided to keep J-Street out of their nifty club, and what’ll happen as a result, and (2) Why the proliferating “alternative” ceremonies for Memorial Day and Independence day piss off so many. Plus (3) OurFirst Annual Promised Podcast State of the State Addresses (or, for you commonwealth times, our First Annual Speech from the Throne). All this and rocking with Noam Navo! Music: All songs by Noam Navo Kol Yom Ani Me’abedet – cover of Chava AlbersteinPirurimHamabulMashehu nofel

Show Summary – Allison, Don, Eilon and Noah discuss (1) Whether we are cheapening the memory of the Holocaust by applying it to our present-day politics, (2) Whether the amateur Abbasologists filing newspaper opinion columns have a clue about what motivates Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and (3) Whether or not the remodeling of Israeli schools into cubical habitats to prepare kids for office life should make us want to barf. All this, and the music of Dafna ve-ha Oogiot! Music: All songs by Dafna ve-ha-Oogiot (with special thanks to the brilliant and charming NYU PhD candidate Sandy Fox for the tip)Dafna PikWhat a manThe future looks promisingPoor thing

Allison, Don and Noah discuss: Mahmoud Abbas’ two “Hail Mary” plays, either dismantling the Palestinian Authority or joining up with HamasThe new 83 year-old head of the Council of Torah Sages, who gave a crowd-pleasin’ inaugural address calling all those who are not ultra-orthodox “ignoramuses” who “pursue nonsense”The mind-blowing new report of the OECD that finds that Israel is “the land of low taxes” Music: All Songs by Uzi Ramirez, in honor of his new album that just came out last week, Cheese in My Pocket I know its mine Cheese in my Pocket Surrender The elevator goes up and down

Don, Eilon, and Noah discuss: the growing trend in the army to rely on donations by well-wishers for basic supplies like boots and sockswhy the peace process seems to be gasping its last gaspwhether or not it should bug us that the average CEO in Israel makes 76 times what the average rest-of-us make Music: All Songs by The Hazelnuts (האחיות לוז) Single Ladies (with a tip of the hat to Beyonce) Crazy People Shout Sister Should Letting in Song

Don, Noah, and Miriam Herschlag (Ops & Blogs editor of the Times of Israel) discuss: a new report finding that almost a million Israelis go to bed hungrywhether Israeli leaders ain’t what they used to be, and whywhether or not stores in Jewish neighborhoods should sell leavened bread on Passover. Music: All Songs by “(Amit Erez and) The Secret Sea”AfterlifeNot About UsSlow Burning LightKilling Light

Allison, Don and Noah discuss (1) whether Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s proposal to exchange blocs of population is sincere or mere smartassery, (2) How do we solve a problem like corruption? (With apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein), and (3) Why Israeli parents let their kids play with fire and rusty nails, and take candy from strangers? All this, and the music of Vitarti on the week of their valedictory concert! Music: All Songs by Vitarti, in honor of their final concert this week (http://vitarti.bandcamp.com) בעתיד, אנשים לא בהווהמאז שעשיתי אסיד אני לא מבחין בין אמא לאבאטיפשה אחתאני דתי אבל בגלל שאני הומו אני מרגיש רגשות אשם אז גזמתי לעצמי את הפין