A shadow lingers over Passover this year: 59 hostages still languish in Hamas captivity, Netanyahu continues his efforts to mold Israel into an authoritarian state, and Gazans once again live with the dangers of war. How can we celebrate freedom when so many in and around Israel are figuratively—and literally—not free?
This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the Pesach seder as they explore how our oldest holiday can liberate us from despair and inspire us in this precarious moment.
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Announcement: Thursday Release
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Israel at War – Believe it or Not
The Shin Bet, IDF, and Israel’s judiciary should serve the nation regardless of the government’s political leanings. But Prime Minister Netanyahu seems determined to bend these institutions to serve his will and that of his right-wing coalition. Despite his visibly corrupt behavior, he may already be succeeding at instilling autocracy into Israel’s highest public institutions.
This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack the unbelievable recent absurdities and tragedies—from Netanyahu’s whiplash dismissal of his new Shin Bet chief and his response to Qatargate, to IDF arrests in the West Bank village of Jinba—and the choice Israelis face in allowing the current leadership to remain in power.
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Israel at War — “We Will Die and Not Enlist”
With the return to war in Gaza, a wave of fresh recruits would relieve the intense pressure on Israel’s fatigued fighting force and struggling economy. But those potential new recruits—Ultra-Orthodox young men—are refusing or ignoring their conscription orders, often at the behest of their rabbis and leaders.
This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi untangle the enigma of Haredi draft refusal. Why has this community—whose livelihoods rely so heavily on Israel’s taxpayer funds—acculturated such disdain against national service amidst a war of survival, and what can the country do about it?
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Thoughtful debate elevates us all. In For Heaven’s Sake, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi revive the Jewish art of constructive discussion on topics related to political and social trends in Israel, Israel-Diaspora relations, and the future of Zionism.
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