Haaretz.com Editor-in-Chief Avi Scharf and Senior Columnist Anshel Pfeffer join Allison Kaplan Sommer to say goodbye and good riddance to 2020 - and ring in 2021 a year that will be bringing Israel into an unprecedented fourth round of elections.  

We discuss: How Netanyahu will have to face elections in which, for the first time,  his challenge comes from the right, in a new party led by Likud refugees. We ask whether by the time Israelis go to the polls on March 23, Netanyahu will be blamed for government failure to manage the coronavirus pandemic or if he’ll be seen as the conquering hero who got Israelis vaccinated quickly and efficiently. 

We also talk about how tracking planes has led to Haaretz scoops, and look back on the most memorable moments - and stories of 2020, the year that no one is sorry to leave behind.  

Recommended related reading:

https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium.HIGHLIGHT-the-israeli-left-should-take-a-time-out-in-the-upcoming-election-1.9399894

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.HIGHLIGHT-gantz-s-political-party-was-last-year-s-largest-now-it-s-the-walking-dead-1.9390642

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/.premium-israel-businessman-uae-spy-planes-iran-saudi-arabia-1.769671

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-azeri-defense-ministry-plane-landed-twice-in-israel-this-month-1.5436544

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-and-the-coronavirus-how-we-are-reporting-the-news-and-staying-safe-1.8698987

Haaretz.com Editor-in-Chief Avi Scharf and Senior Columnist Anshel Pfeffer join Allison Kaplan Sommer to say goodbye and good riddance to 2020 - and ring in 2021 a year that will be bringing Israel into an unprecedented fourth round of elections.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We discuss: How Netanyahu will have to face elections in which, for the first time,&nbsp; his challenge comes from the right, in a new party led by Likud refugees. We ask whether by the time Israelis go to the polls on March 23, Netanyahu will be blamed for government failure to manage the coronavirus pandemic or if he&rsquo;ll be seen as the conquering hero who got Israelis vaccinated quickly and efficiently.&nbsp;
We also talk about how tracking planes has led to Haaretz scoops, and look back on the most memorable moments - and stories of 2020, the year that no one is sorry to leave behind.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Recommended related reading:
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From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

How Bibi pushed a 4th election and 3rd lockdown, and how we exposed his secret flights. LISTEN

Under the shadow of the Gaza war, even before the current conflict with Iran, Israeli filmmaker Hilla Medalia found it “very surprising” that her short film “Children No More: Were and Are Gone” was nominated for an Academy Award – but she was thrilled. 

Despite the atmosphere in Hollywood even before the U.S.-Israel military attack in Iran, with petitions to boycott Israeli filmmakers circulated, two Israelis are nominated to take home golden statues at the March 16 ceremony: Medalia's film, in the category of Best Documentary Short, along with Meyer Levinson-Blount’s “Butcher’s Stain,” which is nominated for Best Live Action Short Film. 

The nominations are “an incredible achievement of course for both Meyer and I, but also for the entire Israeli film community,” she said, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast. 

Medalia’s film follows a group of Israeli activists who in March 2025, after the second cease-fire between Israel and Hamas collapsed, learned that 139 Palestinian children had been killed in a single day by IDF attacks in Gaza. 

The small group decided to print out photographs of the children, and stand holding the images silently as an accompaniment to the raucous demonstrations taking place in Tel Aviv calling for a cease-fire that would bring back the Israeli hostages. 

Over time their action, Medalia explained, “slowly grew into this bigger vigil that had more than 1,000 people. On each poster there is a picture of a child, their name, their age, where they're from, the day that they were killed. That's it. No political slogans. And they stood in silence.”

She was inspired and impressed by the group’s commitment to remaining silent – even as passersby insulted and cursed them. 

Unlike the other films Medalia is competing against, “Children No More” did not make the rounds of the prestigious film festivals to increase its Oscar chances – its path from conception to filming to release was unusually rapid.  

“We felt that we could not wait to share with the local Israeli audience and the world.”

 

Read more: 

Oscar-nominated Israeli Filmmaker on Gaza: 'Focusing on Dead Children Does Not Diminish Our Pain'

Why Israel Fears the Faces of Dead Palestinian Children on Its Streets


It Looks Like a Memorial Day Ceremony: The Israelis Protesting With Photos of Dead Gazan Children
Student Oscar-winning Film 'Mirrors the Experiences of Palestinians in Israel'

Under the shadow of the Gaza war, even before the current conflict with Iran, Israeli filmmaker Hilla Medalia found it &ldquo;very surprising&rdquo; that her short film &ldquo;Children No More: Were and Are Gone&rdquo; was nominated for an Academy Award &ndash; but she was thrilled.&nbsp;
Despite the atmosphere in Hollywood even before the U.S.-Israel military attack in Iran, with petitions to boycott Israeli filmmakers circulated, two Israelis are nominated to take home golden statues at the March 16 ceremony: Medalia's film, in the category of Best Documentary Short, along with Meyer Levinson-Blount&rsquo;s &ldquo;Butcher&rsquo;s Stain,&rdquo; which is nominated for Best Live Action Short Film.&nbsp;
The nominations are &ldquo;an incredible achievement of course for both Meyer and I, but also for the entire Israeli film community,&rdquo; she said, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast.&nbsp;
Medalia&rsquo;s film follows a group of Israeli activists who in March 2025, after the second cease-fire between Israel and Hamas collapsed, learned that 139 Palestinian children had been killed in a single day by IDF attacks in Gaza.&nbsp;
The small group decided to print out photographs of the children, and stand holding the images silently as an accompaniment to the raucous demonstrations taking place in Tel Aviv calling for a cease-fire that would bring back the Israeli hostages.&nbsp;
Over time their action, Medalia explained, &ldquo;slowly grew into this bigger vigil that had more than 1,000 people. On each poster there is a picture of a child, their name, their age, where they're from, the day that they were killed. That's it. No political slogans. And they stood in silence.&rdquo;
She was inspired and impressed by the group&rsquo;s commitment to remaining silent &ndash; even as passersby insulted and cursed them.&nbsp;
Unlike the other films Medalia is competing against, &ldquo;Children No More&rdquo; did not make the rounds of the prestigious film festivals to increase its Oscar chances &ndash; its path from conception to filming to release was unusually rapid.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;We felt that we could not wait to share with the local Israeli audience and the world.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Read more: 
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/life/2026-02-28/ty-article-magazine/oscar-nominated-israeli-filmmaker-defends-focus-on-children-killed-in-gaza/0000019c-99b5-d26c-a79d-bfbdafd50000">Oscar-nominated Israeli Filmmaker on Gaza: 'Focusing on Dead Children Does Not Diminish Our Pain'</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2025-04-21/ty-article/.highlight/why-israel-fears-the-faces-of-dead-palestinian-children-on-its-streets/00000196-5985-d99b-a5ff-d9d7fa560000">Why Israel Fears the Faces of Dead Palestinian Children on Its Streets</a>
 <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-09/ty-article-magazine/.premium/like-a-memorial-day-ceremony-the-israelis-protesting-with-photos-of-dead-gazan-children/00000197-5575-ddae-a1ff-5f77290c0000">It Looks Like a Memorial Day Ceremony: The Israelis Protesting With Photos of Dead Gazan Children</a> <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/life/2025-09-01/ty-article-magazine/.premium/oscar-winning-student-film-mirrors-the-experiences-of-palestinians-in-israel/00000198-8412-d9db-a9be-871b5a2e0000">Student Oscar-winning Film 'Mirrors the Experiences of Palestinians in Israel'</a>

'Silence is louder than any scream': How a film about Israelis protesting the Gaza war made it to the Oscars

Reports of U.S. anger with Israel for targeting Iran’s oil fields in the intensifying conflict have been “massively exaggerated,” said Haaretz senior defense analyst Amos Harel on the Haaretz Podcast.

While the American president “probably felt that Israel took this a step too far,” Harel said, “the truth of the matter is that the Israelis and the U.S. military are deeply coordinated.”

Regarding the entrance of Hezbollah into the expanding war, Harel said that the Lebanese group is “still quite capable of creating damage” to Israel, which is why the IDF has deployed large-scale force against them with airstrikes across Lebanon. Still, he said, “most of the effort and most of the focus remains on Iran.”

Despite the disruption to life in Israel, he pointed out that in the first 12 days of this war, there has been far less actual damage and loss of life in Israel during the two weeks of war last June.

Also on the podcast, Haaretz Jewish World Editor Judy Maltz visits an underground parking lot tent city populated by Tel Aviv residents without adequate overnight protection from missiles - many of whom were second-time refugees.

“Most of the people I met had been there in June” she said. “When Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran, they just packed their bags and came back. They knew the drill already.” 

 

Read more:

Israel Focuses on Hitting Iran's Regime After Exceeding Military Target Expectations

Trump Signals Iran War Nearing End Amid Oil Fears as Hezbollah Surprises Israel

'Priciest Real Estate in Town': Tel Avivians Ride Out the War Deep Underground

Sleepless in Tel Aviv: Iranian Missile Barrages Trigger All-night Sirens in Central Israel

Reports of U.S. anger with Israel for targeting Iran&rsquo;s oil fields in the intensifying conflict have been &ldquo;massively exaggerated,&rdquo; said Haaretz senior defense analyst Amos Harel on the Haaretz Podcast.
While the American president &ldquo;probably felt that Israel took this a step too far,&rdquo; Harel said, &ldquo;the truth of the matter is that the Israelis and the U.S. military are deeply coordinated.&rdquo;
Regarding the entrance of Hezbollah into the expanding war, Harel said that the Lebanese group is &ldquo;still quite capable of creating damage&rdquo; to Israel, which is why the IDF has deployed large-scale force against them with airstrikes across Lebanon. Still, he said, &ldquo;most of the effort and most of the focus remains on Iran.&rdquo;
Despite the disruption to life in Israel, he pointed out that in the first 12 days of this war, there has been far less actual damage and loss of life in Israel during the two weeks of war last June.
Also on the podcast, Haaretz Jewish World Editor Judy Maltz visits an underground parking lot tent city populated by Tel Aviv residents without adequate overnight protection from missiles - many of whom were second-time refugees.
&ldquo;Most of the people I met had been there in June&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;When Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran, they just packed their bags and came back. They knew the drill already.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-03-11/ty-article/.premium/israel-pleased-by-scale-and-pace-of-attacks-on-iran-focuses-on-regime-targets/0000019c-d9be-d9b7-a5fd-dffe5e7d0000">Israel Focuses on Hitting Iran's Regime After Exceeding Military Target Expectations</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-03-10/ty-article/.premium/wary-of-an-oil-crisis-trump-tells-americans-that-the-iran-war-is-nearly-over/0000019c-d4a0-d3be-a7fd-fff0d3a80000">Trump Signals Iran War Nearing End Amid Oil Fears as Hezbollah Surprises Israel</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-03-11/ty-article-magazine/.premium/priciest-real-estate-in-town-tel-avivians-ride-out-the-war-deep-underground/0000019c-dc7f-d3be-a7fd-ffffc2d40000">'Priciest Real Estate in Town': Tel Avivians Ride Out the War&nbsp;Deep Underground</a> <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-03-11/ty-article/sleepless-in-tel-aviv-iranian-missiles-trigger-consecutive-overnight-sirens/0000019c-dbb3-d3be-a7fd-fff339a00000">Sleepless in Tel Aviv: Iranian Missile Barrages Trigger All-night Sirens in Central Israel</a>

Iran war update: Amos Harel on Hezbollah entering the fray, Judy Maltz on Tel Aviv’s underground bomb shelters

Recalling the first day of the war with Iran is still traumatic for journalist and activist Anat Saragusti, whose apartment building in central Tel Aviv began to shake as she ran to seek shelter from Iranian missiles targeting the city following the U.S.-Israel attack that morning. 

"I didn't believe my eyes," she says of what awaited her when she returned. "The whole living room was covered with broken glass - the carpets, the sofa, the chairs - all over. It was really so scary."

Matching the shattering of the glass in her home, said Saragusti, who monitors press freedom at the Union of Journalists in Israel, is the ongoing shattering of her trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government as the war continues, and her dissatisfaction with what she views as an overly-compliant media. 

Most Israelis, Saragusti said on the Haaretz Podcast, are "glued to television screens" where retired IDF generals spout military facts and statistics. "There is no room for alternative voices, questions or doubts" regarding the war and "what the end game will be."

"They promised us in the last war in Iran in June that we destroyed the majority of the infrastructure for the ballistic missiles and the nuclear plan of Iran. Then in nine months, [Iran rebuilt] everything from scratch? I don't understand that. I feel that they are lying to us."

Read more:

Op-ed by Anat Sargusti: Israeli Broadcasters Don Uniforms as the Media Becomes an Arm of the Military

Follow the latest updates from Haaretz on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran

One Killed, Two Wounded in Central Israel Following Iranian Missile Barrage, Emergency Services Say

'You Can't Live by the Sword': Israeli TV's Tel Aviv Street Interview Backfires

Iran's Cluster Missiles: What You Need to Know About the Controversial Weapon Targeting Israel

Recalling the first day of the war with Iran is still traumatic for journalist and activist&nbsp;Anat Saragusti, whose apartment building in central Tel Aviv began to shake as she ran to seek shelter from Iranian missiles targeting the city following the U.S.-Israel attack that morning.&nbsp;
"I didn't believe my eyes," she says of what awaited her when she returned. "The whole living room was covered with broken glass - the carpets, the sofa, the chairs - all over. It was really so scary."
Matching the shattering of the glass in her home, said Saragusti, who monitors press freedom at the Union of Journalists in Israel, is the ongoing shattering of her trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government as the war continues, and her dissatisfaction with what she views as an overly-compliant media.&nbsp;
Most Israelis, Saragusti said on the Haaretz Podcast, are "glued to television screens" where retired IDF generals spout military facts and statistics. "There is no room for alternative voices, questions or doubts" regarding the war and "what the end game will be."
"They promised us in the last war in Iran in June that we destroyed the majority of the infrastructure for the ballistic missiles and the nuclear plan of Iran. Then in nine months, [Iran rebuilt] everything from scratch? I don't understand that. I feel that they are lying to us."
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-03-09/ty-article/.premium/news-studios-have-become-a-war-room-and-its-broadcasters-don-uniforms/0000019c-cece-d8f8-a9de-ffdf66460000">Op-ed by Anat Sargusti: Israeli Broadcasters Don Uniforms as the Media Becomes an Arm of the Military</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/ty-tag/2026-israel-iran-war-0000019c-a52b-d3e2-af9f-efbbc44f0000">Follow the latest updates from Haaretz on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-03-09/ty-article/.premium/one-killed-two-wounded-in-central-israel-following-iranian-missile-barrage/0000019c-d23e-d3f0-afbc-de7fba840000">One Killed, Two Wounded in Central Israel Following Iranian Missile Barrage, Emergency Services Say</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/leisure/2026-03-09/ty-article/.premium/you-cant-live-by-the-sword-israeli-tvs-tel-aviv-street-interview-backfires/0000019c-cc88-dbba-ad9c-cdfa92190000">'You Can't Live by the Sword': Israeli TV's Tel Aviv Street Interview Backfires</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-explains/2026-03-03/ty-article-magazine/.premium/what-are-cluster-missiles-irans-controversial-weapon-in-war-with-israel/0000019c-b409-db60-a7dd-f6399a620000">Iran's Cluster Missiles:&nbsp;What You Need to Know About the Controversial Weapon Targeting Israel</a>

How Bibi pushed a 4th election and 3rd lockdown, and how we exposed his secret flights. LISTEN

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