Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer welcomes Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, to discuss the challenges of leading progressive American Jews during Israel's Gaza war and ahead of a second Trump presidency. Rabbi Jacobs opens up about generational divides, love for Israel despite government policies, and the urgency of Jewish unity in the face of rising antisemitism. From engaging young members of the community to addressing political polarization, this candid conversation explores how Jewish values endure in complex times.

Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer welcomes Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, to discuss the challenges of leading progressive American Jews during Israel's Gaza war and ahead of a second Trump presidency. Rabbi Jacobs opens up about generational divides, love for Israel despite government policies, and the urgency of Jewish unity in the face of rising antisemitism. From engaging young members of the community to addressing political polarization, this candid conversation explores how Jewish values endure in complex times.

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.

'We show up in places that some of the Jewish community has abandoned'

Haaretz senior columnist and former diplomat Alon Pinkas says that for years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tacitly supported the continuation of the brutal dictatorship of Bashar Assad in Syria, and it is absurd for him to claim credit for helping to topple Assad’s rule by weakening the mainstays of Iranian power in the region.

“He might as well claim credit for the invasion of Normandy or the fall of the Berlin Wall or the surrender of Japan,” said Pinkas on the Haaretz Podcast. “He had nothing to do with those things. That he decimated Hamas and decapitated or degraded Hezbollah? Absolutely, but the Israeli military did that. That’s the same military he maligned and that he foul-mouthed in the days and weeks following the October 7, 2023 calamity.” 

According to Pinkas, Netanyahu is suffering from “delusions of grandeur” in his attempts to convince Israelis and the wider world that he is somehow remaking the Middle East by “cherry-picking successes, ignoring failures and presenting a false narrative.”

 

Haaretz senior columnist and former diplomat&nbsp;Alon Pinkas says that for years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tacitly supported the continuation of the brutal dictatorship of Bashar Assad in Syria, and it is absurd for him to claim credit for helping to topple Assad&rsquo;s rule by weakening the mainstays of Iranian power in the region.
&ldquo;He might as well claim credit for the invasion of Normandy or the fall of the Berlin Wall or the surrender of Japan,&rdquo; said Pinkas on the Haaretz Podcast. &ldquo;He had nothing to do with those things. That he decimated Hamas and decapitated or degraded Hezbollah? Absolutely, but the Israeli military did that. That&rsquo;s the same military he maligned and that he foul-mouthed in the days and weeks following the October 7, 2023 calamity.&rdquo;&nbsp;
According to Pinkas, Netanyahu is suffering from &ldquo;delusions of grandeur&rdquo; in his attempts to convince Israelis and the wider world that he is somehow remaking the Middle East by &ldquo;cherry-picking successes, ignoring failures and presenting a false narrative.&rdquo;
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Alon Pinkas on challenging the idea of Netanyahu as a master strategist of the Middle East

Israel, the United States, and European leaders are all missing a unique opportunity in their policy stance and behavior toward the new post-Assad regime in Syria, veteran Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom said on the Haaretz Podcast.

Carlstrom, a journalist for The Economist currently based in Dubai, said that the leader of the Islamist faction that led the toppling of Bashar Assad’s regime has made it clear that he has no hostile intentions towards Israel. And yet, Israel has attacked hundreds of targets in the country, targeting weapons depots and air defense systems. Israel's decision to deploy troops on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights and seize control of a buffer zone between the two countries is, according to Carlstrom, worrying and alienating the Syrian population. "For Syrians, that looks like exploitation, not security," he explained. 

Also on the podcast, German journalist Vera Weidenbach discussed how the collapse of Assad’s regime has reignited debates about Syrian refugees in Europe. With asylum applications frozen in Germany, and with other countries considering similar steps, she said refugees face mounting uncertainty as “deeply polarizing” rhetoric intensifies. "You see the far-right dominating the discourse in Germany, celebrating Assad’s fall as a reason for refugees to ‘finally go home,’ creating a toxic atmosphere."

 

 

Israel, the United States, and European leaders are all missing a unique opportunity in their policy stance and behavior toward the new post-Assad regime in Syria, veteran Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom said on the Haaretz Podcast.
Carlstrom, a journalist for The Economist currently based in Dubai, said that the leader of the Islamist faction that led the toppling of Bashar Assad&rsquo;s regime has made it clear that he has no hostile intentions towards Israel. And yet, Israel has attacked hundreds of targets in the country, targeting weapons depots and air defense systems. Israel's decision to deploy troops on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights and seize control of a buffer zone between the two countries is, according to Carlstrom, worrying and alienating the Syrian population. "For Syrians, that looks like exploitation, not security," he explained.&nbsp;
Also on the podcast, German journalist Vera Weidenbach discussed how the collapse of Assad&rsquo;s regime has reignited debates about Syrian refugees in Europe. With asylum applications frozen in Germany, and with other countries considering similar steps, she said refugees face mounting uncertainty as &ldquo;deeply polarizing&rdquo; rhetoric intensifies.&nbsp;"You see the far-right dominating the discourse in Germany, celebrating Assad&rsquo;s fall as a reason for refugees to &lsquo;finally go home,&rsquo; creating a toxic atmosphere."
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Is Israel squandering a rare chance in Syria?

In this episode of the Haaretz Podcast, host Allison Kaplan Sommer and Haaretz columnist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin delve into the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges while continuing to lead the country at wartime. From the demonstrations outside the courtroom where Netanyahu took the stand this week, to the calculated strategies inside, they unpack the layers of drama, history, and legal maneuvering on display. 

This trial isn’t just about one man - it’s about the integrity of Israel’s judiciary and the resilience of its democracy. With tensions running high and public opinion deeply divided, what’s at stake for Israel’s future?

In this episode of the Haaretz Podcast, host Allison Kaplan Sommer and Haaretz columnist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin delve into the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges while continuing to lead the country at wartime. From the demonstrations outside the courtroom where Netanyahu took the stand this week, to the calculated strategies inside, they unpack the layers of drama, history, and legal maneuvering on display.&nbsp;
This trial isn&rsquo;t just about one man - it&rsquo;s about the integrity of Israel&rsquo;s judiciary and the resilience of its democracy. With tensions running high and public opinion deeply divided, what&rsquo;s at stake for Israel&rsquo;s future?

'We show up in places that some of the Jewish community has abandoned'

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