Israel Policy Pod

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow for a wide-ranging conversation on upcoming Israeli elections, the status of Hamas disarmament in Gaza, Israel's role in U.S. domestic politics, challenges facing the American Jewish community, and more.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber speaks with Col. (ret.) Dr. Michael Milshtein, former head of the Department for Palestinian Affairs in Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, about the deadly incident in the West Bank village of Tell and the broader escalation of violence in the territory. They examine the Israeli government's role in shaping current dynamics, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's grand vision for the West Bank and the Palestinians, the realities of the settlement movement that many Israelis have yet to confront, the prospects for a future Israeli government to change course, and more.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Dan Rothem (Senior Policy Analyst, Israel Policy Forum) and Shira Efron (Distinguished Israel Policy Chair, RAND) join Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to discuss the start of Israel’s election campaign: Gadi Eisenkot’s rise in the polls, how Bibi Netanyahu has tried to fight back against yet another retired general, and the resurrection of the Israeli left. They then turn to the regional arena, including this week's U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal and what it means for Israel, the state of play in Gaza, and much more.Note: This episode was recorded before President Trump's Truth Social post asserting that the Saudi nuclear deal is contingent on normalization with Israel.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week's episode, Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at International Crisis Group, joins Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to discuss the renewed military escalation between the United States and Iran, why the Strait of Hormuz has once again become the central flashpoint, the Iranian regime's continued hardline posture, President Donald Trump's strategy of brinkmanship, the likelihood of further escalation or a return to full-scale conflict, whether Israel could become directly involved, the broader regional implications, and more.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Shanie Reichman discuss the Netanyahu government's push to pass a slew of controversial bills before the Knesset's term likely ends next week, the looming constitutional crisis after the government refused to recognize a Supreme Court decision, the state of the anti-Netanyahu opposition ahead of the October election, limbo on the different war fronts in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, what the recent wins by far-left candidates in New York mean for U.S. politics, the growing focus on Israel in American life, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts David Daoud, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. They discuss the recent U.S.-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon, the chances of the deal actually leading to Hezbollah's disarmament and Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon, the ability of the Lebanese army to fulfill its obligations, the reaction inside Lebanon to the agreement, why Netanyahu touted it as a "historic achievement," whether peace can be achieved between the two countries, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Dan Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel. They discuss why the recent U.S.-Israel war with Iran was a strategic mistake, what this week's memorandum of understanding reached between the U.S. and Iran actually includes, what the deal says about Trump's priorities and leverage in the negotiations, the slim prospects of actually getting a final agreement on Iran's nuclear program, the state of relations between Trump and Netanyahu, where Israel goes from here, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Washington Managing Director and Senior Policy Analyst Rachel Brandenburg. They discuss this week's major escalation between Israel and Iran, what it signals regarding the Islamic Republic's thinking two months after the original ceasefire, why President Trump put an end to the exchanges of fire and his chances of securing a deal, the implications for Israel and Netanyahu, and why Lebanon will likely prove critical in what comes next. In the second half of the episode, they analyze the ongoing negotiations over a new U.S.-Israel security assistance deal and the politics of Israel in America right now, drawing on Israel Policy Forum’s recent report Partnership Recalibrated: The Next Era of U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Dahlia Scheindlin, a political analyst and pollster, to discuss the current state of Israeli politics, what the polls are saying (and not saying) about the upcoming election, the mixed fortunes so far of the Bennett-Lapid merger, the rising Gadi Eisenkot, the role the Arab-Israeli political parties could play in the election, why voters are still drawn to Netanyahu's Likud party, what the future holds for Bezalel Smotrich, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Distinguished RAND Israel Policy Chair Shira Efron. The trio discuss the looming deal between the U.S. and Iran over an end to the war, what the agreement likely includes and critically omits, who won the war if it ends this way, how Netanyahu may try to spin the ensuing deal, what impact it could have on the ongoing fighting in Lebanon, the dangerous state of play in Gaza, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Shanie Reichman discuss President Trump's impasse with Iran and the prospects for renewed escalation, Israel-Lebanon peace talks and the grinding military front with Hezbollah, Prime Minister Netanyahu's recent CBS interview and what it means about his current mindset, Israeli politics gearing up for an election, the state of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts IDF Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, international fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and senior researcher at INSS. They discuss the latest developments at sea and the negotiating table between the U.S. and Iran, before turning to Israel's ongoing military front in Lebanon. They analyzed this latest offensive against Hezbollah, how it differs from the previous war in 2023-2024, what objectives Israel hopes to accomplish, the dangers of a renewed IDF "security zone" in southern Lebanon, the impact of the Trump-imposed ceasefire last month, a practical path forward to disarm Hezbollah, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Distinguished RAND Israel Policy Chair Shira Efron. The trio discuss the merger between former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, the motivations behind the dramatic alliance, whether it changes the chances of the opposition toppling Netanyahu in this year's election, the continuing non-war and non-deal between the U.S. and Iran, Israel deploying an Iron Dome battery to the UAE during the recent war, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. They discuss the latest in the fragile ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran, what a deal could actually look like, what happens if negotiations collapse and fighting resumes, which side may benefit more from not concluding a deal, the role of the Strait of Hormuz, the current political and economic state of the Islamic Republic, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Haaretz Military Correspondent Amos Harel to discuss the results so far of the Iran war and whether the U.S. and Israel actually "won," the prospects of a ceasefire deal emerging from the talks in Pakistan, what happens if diplomacy fails, the growing focus on the Lebanon front and the risks to Israel of a prolonged campaign against Hezbollah, this week's talks in Washington between the Israeli and Lebanese governments, how national security decisions are actually made in Israel, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Distinguished RAND Israel Policy Chair Shira Efron. The trio discuss the chances of a U.S.-Iran deal to end the war, the joint Israeli and U.S. military campaign after four weeks, Iran's ability to fight back, the impact of the conflict on the wider Middle East, the differing public perspectives on the war in the U.S. and Israel, the secondary front with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and more.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Policy Fellow Garrett Nada. They discuss who is actually running the Islamic Republic of Iran after a spate of high-profile assassinations, the fate of the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the regime's durability in the face of the intensive U.S.-Israeli offensive, why Iran thinks it's winning the war, the looming prospects for further escalation, how the conflict could end, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts military affairs analyst Yaakov Lappin. They discuss the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran now in its second week, the campaign's military goals and achievements, Iran's rational 'madman' strategy, the current mood in Israel, the escalating front against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the three variables that will dictate how long the war will last, possibilities for how this war will end, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

Note: This episode is an audio recording of a webinar Israel Policy Forum hosted yesterday, Monday, March 2.  In this timely discussion on the implications of the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, Rachel Brandenburg (Washington Managing Director, Israel Policy Forum), Michael Koplow (Chief Policy Officer, Israel Policy Forum), Shira Efron (distinguished chair for Israel policy at RAND), and Garrett Nada (Policy Fellow, Israel Policy Forum) analyze the current moment in the Middle East, U.S.-Israel coordination, strikes from Hezbollah in the north, the prospects that other countries might join the war, and more. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Washington Managing Director and Senior Policy Analyst Rachel Brandenburg and Senior Policy Analyst Dan Rothem. They discuss the inaugural meeting last week in Washington of Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza, the highs and lows of the event and the key themes that were raised, the chances of the board's ambitious financial and economic plans being enacted in Gaza, the major challenge of security and how to disarm Hamas, what post-war Gaza actually needs now and Israel's role in all of it, the state of play in the U.S.-Iran standoff, and more. Read our report by Dan Rothem and Celine Touboul on disarming Hamas here.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.