At a time when most Israelis, across the political spectrum, have expressed appreciation and gratitude towards the Trump White House for pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to implement the Gaza cease-fire and hostage release agreement, Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), says the "vast majority" of U.S. Jews strongly oppose President Donald Trump's policies.

Spitalnick, who spoke to Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer while on a visit to Israel for the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem this weekend, said "American Jews are still overwhelmingly a liberal community who believe in democracy, inclusivity and pluralism," and as such they are alarmed by Trump's policies and radical transformation of the government.

At a time when most Israelis, across the political spectrum, have expressed appreciation and gratitude towards the Trump White House for pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-02-15/ty-article/.premium/the-hostage-deal-survived-another-week-but-its-future-relies-on-trump/00000195-098c-d00a-adfd-69dfbb6a0000">to implement the Gaza cease-fire and hostage release</a> agreement, Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), says the "vast majority" of U.S. Jews strongly oppose President Donald Trump's policies.
Spitalnick, who spoke to Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer while on a visit to Israel for the <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-02-16/ty-article/.premium/israeli-minister-tells-american-jewish-leaders-hell-vote-against-future-hostage-releases/00000195-0f30-d0af-a197-cfb525000000">Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem</a> this weekend, said "American Jews are still overwhelmingly a liberal community who believe in democracy, inclusivity and pluralism," and as such they are alarmed by Trump's policies and radical transformation of the government.

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.

'It's not only Musk and Kanye, there's a broad normalization of antisemitism in the U.S.'

Ruth Patir had been, in her own words, an “artist without art” over the past year. Until this week. 

Patir’s inventive feminist video installation "(M)otherland" was set to debut in the Israel Pavilion at the Venice Biennale last April - under the shadow of protests against the Gaza War and efforts to oust her from the festival. 

Ultimately, she made a controversial decision to keep the exhibit intact but shuttered behind closed doors, with a note on the door saying: “The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a cease-fire and hostage release agreement is reached.” That never happened throughout the seven months of the Biennale, and, as a result, her work was never seen. 

As (M)otherland finally meets the public at the Tel Aviv Museum this week, Patir joined Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer to talk about the firestorm in Venice, the challenges for Israeli artists creating during war, and innovative use of motion capture technology and Judean fertility figurines to tell a deeply personal story.

Ruth Patir&nbsp;had been, in her own words, an &ldquo;artist without art&rdquo; over the past year. Until this week.&nbsp;
Patir&rsquo;s inventive feminist video installation "(M)otherland" was set to debut in the Israel Pavilion at the Venice Biennale last April - under the shadow of protests against the Gaza War and efforts to oust her from the festival.&nbsp;
Ultimately, she made a controversial decision to keep the exhibit intact but shuttered behind closed doors, with a note on the door saying: &ldquo;The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a cease-fire and hostage release agreement is reached.&rdquo; That never happened throughout the seven months of the Biennale, and, as a result, her work was never seen.&nbsp;
As (M)otherland finally meets the public at the Tel Aviv Museum this week, Patir joined Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer to talk about the firestorm in Venice, the challenges for Israeli artists creating during war, and innovative use of motion capture technology and Judean fertility figurines to tell a deeply personal story.

From Tel Aviv to the Venice Biennale and back: How an Israeli artist took a stand on Gaza

What if former U.S. President Joe Biden’s envoys had negotiated directly with Hamas behind Israel’s back? Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would surely have cried betrayal and called it de facto recognition of a terrorist group.

But it was President Donald Trump’s White House that made such a move, and therefore no criticism or condemnation was uttered from Jerusalem after it was revealed that the direct talks were taking place. 

The fact that the U.S. president took that step, Harel noted, points to the fact that “Trump is quite frustrated” with the “never-ending” talks to move the hostage release and cease-fire deal into its second stage, which is why “the Trump administration took matters into its own hands and decided to push forward through a back channel with Hamas.” 

As both Israel and Hamas prepare for a possible return to war, Harel told podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, it appears that Trump’s “instinct is to reach for a deal and not another war.” 

On the podcast, Harel also discussed the resignation last week of IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari, probably the most popular high-ranking officer among Israelis, but not so much among Netanyahu’s government ministers; the findings of the official IDF probe into the failures of October 7, and the growing fury of hostage families.

What if former U.S. President Joe Biden&rsquo;s envoys had negotiated directly with Hamas behind Israel&rsquo;s back? Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would surely have cried betrayal and called it de facto recognition of a terrorist group.
But it was President Donald Trump&rsquo;s White House that made such a move, and therefore no criticism or condemnation was uttered from Jerusalem after it was revealed that the direct talks were taking place.&nbsp;
The fact that the U.S. president took that step, Harel noted, points to the fact that &ldquo;Trump is quite frustrated&rdquo; with the &ldquo;never-ending&rdquo; talks to move the hostage release and cease-fire deal into its second stage, which is why &ldquo;the Trump administration took matters into its own hands and decided to push forward through a back channel with Hamas.&rdquo;&nbsp;
As both Israel and Hamas prepare for a possible return to war, Harel told podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, it appears that Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;instinct is to reach for a deal and not another war.&rdquo;&nbsp;
On the podcast, Harel also discussed the resignation last week of IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari, probably the most popular high-ranking officer among Israelis, but not so much among Netanyahu&rsquo;s government ministers; the findings of the official IDF probe into the failures of October 7, and the growing fury of hostage families.

'Trump is frustrated with Netanyahu so he pushed through a back channel with Hamas'

Peter Beinart’s new book, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning” confronts his “horror” - even as a long-time harsh critic of Israeli policies - at the devastation that has taken place over the past 15 months. 

“In 2023, I wrote about my concerns about the possibility of ethnic cleansing on a large scale, as opposed to the small scale ethnic cleansing that has been going on for years,” Beinart said, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast. “But I really could not imagine what we've seen in Gaza - which is basically the destruction of an entire society, most of the buildings destroyed, most of the hospitals, schools, universities, agriculture, the necessities of life.” 

But even worse, he explained, was the “widespread embrace of mass expulsion, not just by people on the Israeli and American right, but by people who were considered moderate, centrist, reasonable, and thoughtful. That's the catastrophe, the horror - and I would even say the evil - that I could not imagine.”

Peter Beinart&rsquo;s new book, &ldquo;Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning&rdquo; confronts his &ldquo;horror&rdquo; - even as a long-time harsh critic of Israeli policies - at the devastation that has taken place over the past 15 months.&nbsp;
&ldquo;In 2023, I wrote about my concerns about the possibility of ethnic cleansing on a large scale, as opposed to the small scale ethnic cleansing that has been going on for years,&rdquo; Beinart said, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast. &ldquo;But I really could not imagine what we've seen in Gaza - which is basically the destruction of an entire society, most of the buildings destroyed, most of the hospitals, schools, universities, agriculture, the necessities of life.&rdquo;&nbsp;
But even worse, he explained, was the &ldquo;widespread embrace of mass expulsion, not just by people on the Israeli and American right, but by people who were considered moderate, centrist, reasonable, and thoughtful. That's the catastrophe, the horror - and I would even say the evil - that I could not imagine.&rdquo;

'It's not only Musk and Kanye, there's a broad normalization of antisemitism in the U.S.'

Haaretz Podcast

In 1 playlist(s)

Haaretz Podcast

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips