Host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz diplomatic correspondent Noa Landau and Anshel Pfeffer to discuss the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates over the normalization of relations between the two countries – in exchange for suspending plans to annex parts of the West Bank. We ask: Who are the winners and losers in a deal that will have little practical impact? Are the Palestinians justified to feel abandoned? Has Benjamin Netanyahu now cleared his debt to President Donald Trump? And what does the deal mean for regional and domestic politics?

Host Simon Spungin is joined by Haaretz diplomatic correspondent Noa Landau and Anshel Pfeffer to discuss the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates over the normalization of relations between the two countries &ndash; in exchange for suspending plans to annex parts of the West Bank. We ask: Who are the winners and losers in a deal that will have little practical impact? Are the Palestinians justified to feel abandoned? Has Benjamin Netanyahu now cleared his debt to President Donald Trump? And what does the deal mean for regional and domestic politics?

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.

Inside Israel’s no-change, no-cost peace deal with the UAE

The far-right religious Netanyahu government is doing its best to “push away” liberal non-Orthodox American Jews from Israel, said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, leader of the U.S. Reform movement, on the Haaretz Podcast.

“We’re not going away. We’re actually leaning in,” he said. “You can’t trade in non‑Orthodox Jews for evangelical Christians. We’re stuck, you’re stuck with us, we’re stuck with you – we’re the Jewish people.” 

During the era of negotiations over the 2016 historic compromise between non-Orthodox movements and the Israeli government over an egalitarian plaza at the Western Wall for mixed-gender prayer, Jacobs said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – and the premier’s close advisers – were in regular contact.

Today, he said, “it has been years” since there has been a phone call – let alone a meeting – between the leader of the largest American Jewish membership organization and the Israeli leader – and, nearly a decade after the collapse of the compromise effort, the government is moving legislation through the Knesset that would not only forbid but criminalize egalitarian prayer, as well as women reading Torah and wearing traditionally masculine ritual garments, at the Western Wall. 

“It’s not just that you’re going to get hassled: You could literally spend seven years in jail,” said Jacobs, noting that additional proposed laws regarding the Law of Return and conversion, together with the Western Wall bill, “reflects a demonization – not just a difference, but a demonization – of non-Orthodox Jewry.”

On the podcast, Jacobs confronted the deep political challenges facing liberal and progressive American Jews regarding the “shockwaves” in the U.S.-Israel relationship, the spike in antisemitism since October 7 and Israel’s reaction to it.

“There's this notion I hear it all the time, particularly from officials of the Israeli government, which is: ‘They all hate us … Everybody hates Israel. Everybody hates the Jews. So it doesn't matter what we do here, [with] settler violence in the West Bank – if we eradicate that, they'd still hate us. And issues around pluralism and democracy don’t matter, because they'll always hate us.’ 

“I just would like to bring the view that says actually, it does matter.”

Read more:

Bill Banning Egalitarian Prayer at Western Wall Bound to Face Serious Legal Challenges, Warns Gov't Lawyer

Op-ed by Women of the Wall's Anat Hoffman: Israeli MKs Mull an Evil and Absurd Bill That Promises More Jail Time for Worshippers Than Rapists

Rahm Emanuel's Tough Love Wins Warm Welcome in Tel Aviv

30 Percent of Jewish American Adults Say Israel Committed Genocide in Gaza

Israel's U.S. Envoy Says Minister's Verbal Attack on Reform MK in Knesset Was 'Disgusting'

The Raucous and Roundabout History of Reform Judaism

The far-right religious Netanyahu government is doing its best to &ldquo;push away&rdquo; liberal non-Orthodox American Jews from Israel, said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, leader of the U.S. Reform movement, on the Haaretz Podcast.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going away. We&rsquo;re actually leaning in,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t trade in non‑Orthodox Jews for evangelical Christians. We&rsquo;re stuck, you&rsquo;re stuck with us, we&rsquo;re stuck with you &ndash; we&rsquo;re the Jewish people.&rdquo;&nbsp;
During the era of negotiations over the 2016 historic compromise between non-Orthodox movements and the Israeli government over an egalitarian plaza at the Western Wall for mixed-gender prayer, Jacobs said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu &ndash; and the premier&rsquo;s close advisers &ndash; were in regular contact.
Today, he said, &ldquo;it has been years&rdquo; since there has been a phone call &ndash; let alone a meeting &ndash; between the leader of the largest American Jewish membership organization and the Israeli leader &ndash; and, nearly a decade after the collapse of the compromise effort, the government is moving legislation through the Knesset that would not only forbid but criminalize egalitarian prayer, as well as women reading Torah and wearing traditionally masculine ritual garments, at the Western Wall.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just that you&rsquo;re going to get hassled: You could literally spend seven years in jail,&rdquo; said Jacobs, noting that additional proposed laws regarding the Law of Return and conversion, together with the Western Wall bill, &ldquo;reflects a demonization &ndash; not just a difference, but a demonization &ndash; of non-Orthodox Jewry.&rdquo;
On the podcast, Jacobs confronted the deep political challenges facing liberal and progressive American Jews regarding the &ldquo;shockwaves&rdquo; in the U.S.-Israel relationship, the spike in antisemitism since October 7 and Israel&rsquo;s reaction to it.
&ldquo;There's this notion I hear it all the time, particularly from officials of the Israeli government, which is: &lsquo;They all hate us &hellip; Everybody hates Israel. Everybody hates the Jews. So it doesn't matter what we do here, [with] settler violence in the West Bank &ndash; if we eradicate that, they'd still hate us. And issues around pluralism and democracy don&rsquo;t matter, because they'll always hate us.&rsquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I just would like to bring the view that says actually, it does matter.&rdquo;
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-05-20/ty-article/.premium/bill-banning-egalitarian-prayer-at-western-wall-to-face-serious-legal-challenges/0000019e-4590-dab3-adfe-ddf4952e0000">Bill Banning Egalitarian Prayer at Western Wall Bound to Face Serious Legal Challenges, Warns Gov't Lawyer</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-05-28/ty-article-opinion/.premium/more-jail-time-for-worshippers-than-rapists-israel-mulls-an-evil-absurd-bill/0000019e-6aa6-d3a6-addf-efe661f50000">Op-ed by Women of the Wall's Anat Hoffman: Israeli MKs Mull an Evil and Absurd Bill That Promises More Jail Time for Worshippers Than Rapists</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-07-08/ty-article/.premium/rahm-emanuels-tough-love-wins-warm-welcome-in-tel-aviv/0000019f-4325-df3a-afbf-6f3dfdb70000">Rahm Emanuel's Tough Love Wins Warm Welcome in Tel Aviv</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-07-07/ty-article/30-of-jewish-american-adults-say-israel-committed-genocide-in-gaza/0000019f-3cc8-d913-abff-bdf87b060000">30 Percent of Jewish American Adults Say Israel Committed Genocide in Gaza</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2026-05-21/ty-article/.premium/israels-u-s-envoy-ministers-verbal-attack-on-reform-mk-was-disgusting/0000019e-4b1d-d0ca-addf-7ffd98800000">Israel's U.S. Envoy Says Minister's Verbal Attack on Reform MK in Knesset Was 'Disgusting'</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2026-05-22/ty-article/.premium/the-raucous-and-roundabout-story-of-reform-judaism/0000019e-4494-d0ff-afbe-46d4f11c0000">The Raucous and Roundabout History of Reform Judaism</a>

'We need allies, not just more security cameras': Reform movement head Rick Jacobs on the growing ‘isolation’ of U.S. Jews

Unless something dramatic changes, the upcoming Israeli election will either end in a deadlock or a bold move to “get rid of the foolish self‑imposed arbitrary constraint of not forming coalitions with Arab parties,” political strategist and Haaretz columnist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin said on the Haaretz Podcast.

With neither the pro-Netanyahu bloc nor the opposition parties coming close to the 61 Knesset seats they would need to take power, Scheindlin said that the Jewish Zionist Israeli parties – likely in the opposition – will be pushed to do what she believes is the right thing.

"Of course, there should be Arab parties in a governing coalition. They are 20 percent of the population. There should be no ban on parties that represent citizens of this country," Scheindlin said.

In the roundtable discussion with Haaretz correspondent Linda Dayan and host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Scheindlin discussed the new iterations of veteran parties on the center right and the left, vying for the voters who would like to see Netanyahu replaced – including those who previously voted for the prime minister and hold center-right views

These parties, Dayan said, are branding themselves as the “sane right” or the “non-schmuck right.” Their main differences with Netanyahu and his ruling coalition come down to drafting ultra-Orthodox young men to the army – and the government’s refusal to create a commission of inquiry on the events of October 7. 

Dayan also discussed the phenomenon of family members of former hostages throwing their hats in the ring on “every side of the political spectrum.”

Read more: 

How Israel's Soft Right Could Undo the anti-Netanyahu Opposition

Analysis by Dahlia Scheindlin: Can the Most Right-wing Government in Israel's History Lose an Election Over Security?

Analysis by Dahlia Scheindlin: In His Own Words: Naftali Bennett Is Committed to Annexing the West Bank

Arab Israelis Aren't Looking for Token MKs. They're Looking for Genuine Change

In Haifa, the 'Putin Aliyah' and Despairing Arab Citizens Warn of A Dire Future

Unless something dramatic changes, the upcoming Israeli election will either end in a deadlock or a bold move to &ldquo;get rid of the foolish self‑imposed arbitrary constraint of not forming coalitions with Arab parties,&rdquo; political strategist and Haaretz columnist Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin said on the Haaretz Podcast.
With neither the pro-Netanyahu bloc nor the opposition parties coming close to the 61 Knesset seats they would need to take power, Scheindlin said that the Jewish Zionist Israeli parties &ndash; likely in the opposition &ndash; will be pushed to do what she believes is the right thing.
"Of course, there should be Arab parties in a governing coalition. They are 20 percent of the population. There should be no ban on parties that represent citizens of this country," Scheindlin said.
In the roundtable discussion with Haaretz correspondent Linda Dayan and host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Scheindlin discussed the new iterations of veteran parties on the center right and the left, vying for the voters who would like to see Netanyahu replaced &ndash; including those who previously voted for the prime minister and hold center-right views
These parties, Dayan said, are branding themselves as the &ldquo;sane right&rdquo; or the &ldquo;non-schmuck right.&rdquo; Their main differences with Netanyahu and his ruling coalition come down to drafting ultra-Orthodox young men to the army &ndash; and the government&rsquo;s refusal to create a commission of inquiry on the events of October 7.&nbsp;
Dayan also discussed the phenomenon of family members of former hostages throwing their hats in the ring on &ldquo;every side of the political spectrum.&rdquo;
Read more:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2026-07-01/ty-article/.highlight/how-israels-soft-right-could-undo-the-anti-netanyahu-opposition/0000019f-1da6-d9aa-afbf-5dbffcce0000">How Israel's Soft Right Could Undo the anti-Netanyahu Opposition</a>
Analysis by Dahlia Scheindlin:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-07-02/ty-article-magazine/.premium/can-israels-most-right-wing-govt-ever-lose-an-election-because-of-security/0000019f-22c4-d4c2-abbf-36ee82370000">Can the Most Right-wing Government in Israel's History Lose an Election Over Security?</a>
Analysis by Dahlia Scheindlin: <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-06-30/ty-article-magazine/.premium/in-his-own-words-naftali-bennett-is-committed-to-annexing-the-west-bank/0000019f-1896-d222-a9ff-9e9779530000">In His Own Words: Naftali Bennett Is Committed to Annexing the West Bank</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-07-06/ty-article-opinion/.premium/arab-israelis-arent-looking-for-token-mks-theyre-looking-for-genuine-change/0000019f-3159-ddc7-a99f-39dbd8700000">Arab Israelis Aren't Looking for Token MKs. They're Looking for Genuine Change</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-06-30/ty-article-magazine/.premium/in-haifa-the-putin-aliyah-and-despairing-arab-citizens-warn-of-a-dire-future/0000019e-ee93-d514-a9bf-fefb2fab0000">In Haifa, the 'Putin Aliyah' and Despairing Arab Citizens Warn of A Dire Future</a>

'Israel’s opposition must join with Arab parties to beat Netanyahu. It's the right thing to do'

Brad Lander said on the Haaretz Podcast that his resounding victory in the race for the Democratic nomination for Congress in a New York City district reflected a desire for a "reset in the U.S. relationship with Israel in the Democratic Party voting base – including in one of the most Jewish districts in the country."

Lander won by more than 30 points in New York's 10th District, covering downtown Manhattan and western Brooklyn. His win over AIPAC-endorsed incumbent Dan Goldman was part of the primaries sweep by candidates backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Like the other Mamdani-backed candidates, Lander campaigned on a platform opposing additional U.S. military aid to Israel and condemning AIPAC as being "dangerous." Lander said on the podcast that, once he is in Congress, he will support "steps I think will help shift away from what I see as a catastrophic 'hug Bibi' policy, which both Joe Biden and Donald Trump essentially adopted."

At the same time, he told podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer that he still considers himself a "liberal Zionist" with ties to Israeli peace groups, and that he opposes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The former NYC comptroller differentiated himself from Mamdani and other members of his progressive camp who do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state and oppose nearly all 'normalized' contact with Israeli representatives.

"When people hear I will sign on to the Block the Bombs Act, and that I won't vote in favor of additional U.S. military aid to Israel while it is violating Palestinian human rights and international law, people think that's someone who has joined the 'Israel haters.' But I promise you I haven't.

"What I want is a path toward rebuilding Gaza under Palestinian leadership, an end to settler violence and meaningful negotiations toward mutual recognition," he said. "I'm very clear about my politics. You can check my mentions – I get called a 'Zionist baby killer' in my mentions as often as I get called a 'kapo.' So people know who I am."

Read more:

Why Israelis Should Stop Being Afraid of Mamdani-backed Brad Lander

Mamdani-backed Candidates Sweep New York Democratic Primary, With Israel as Fault Line

New York's Primaries Send a Clear Message: Democrats Must Reckon With Israel and AIPAC

Dan Goldman Says Support for Israel Cost Him New York Democratic Primary

Israel Critic Scores Major Democratic Primary Upset as Progressive Wave Reaches Colorado

Brad Lander said on the Haaretz Podcast that his resounding victory in the race for the Democratic nomination for Congress in a New York City district reflected a desire for a "reset in the U.S. relationship with Israel in the Democratic Party voting base &ndash; including in one of the most Jewish districts in the country."
Lander won by more than 30 points in New York's 10th District, covering downtown Manhattan and western Brooklyn. His win over AIPAC-endorsed incumbent Dan Goldman was part of the primaries sweep by candidates backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Like the other Mamdani-backed candidates, Lander campaigned on a platform opposing additional U.S. military aid to Israel and condemning AIPAC as being "dangerous." Lander said on the podcast that, once he is in Congress, he will support "steps I think will help shift away from what I see as a catastrophic 'hug Bibi' policy, which both Joe Biden and Donald Trump essentially adopted."
At the same time, he told podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer that he still considers himself a "liberal Zionist" with ties to Israeli peace groups, and that he opposes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The former NYC comptroller differentiated himself from Mamdani and other members of his progressive camp who do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state and oppose nearly all 'normalized' contact with Israeli representatives.
"When people hear I will sign on to the Block the Bombs Act, and that I won't vote in favor of additional U.S. military aid to Israel while it is violating Palestinian human rights and international law, people think that's someone who has joined the 'Israel haters.' But I promise you I haven't.
"What I want is a path toward rebuilding Gaza under Palestinian leadership, an end to settler violence and meaningful negotiations toward mutual recognition," he said. "I'm very clear about my politics. You can check my mentions &ndash; I get called a 'Zionist baby killer' in my mentions as often as I get called a 'kapo.' So people know who I am."
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-06-26/ty-article-magazine/.premium/why-israelis-should-stop-being-afraid-of-mamdani-backed-brad-lander/0000019e-ff9a-d803-abdf-ffbaf9030000">Why Israelis Should Stop Being Afraid of Mamdani-backed Brad Lander</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-06-24/ty-article/.premium/mamdani-backed-brad-lander-defeats-dan-goldman-in-ny-10-democratic-primary/0000019e-f730-d58e-afbf-f77baaa70001">Mamdani-backed Candidates Sweep New York Democratic Primary, With Israel as Fault Line</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-06-24/ty-article/.premium/ny-primaries-send-a-clear-message-democrats-must-reckon-with-israel-aipac/0000019e-f9f1-d58e-afbf-fdfbcb610000">New York's Primaries Send a Clear Message: Democrats Must Reckon With Israel and AIPAC</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-07-02/ty-article/.premium/goldman-says-support-for-israel-cost-him-new-york-democratic-primary/0000019f-227c-d4dc-a3bf-2efca6130000">Dan Goldman Says Support for Israel Cost Him New York Democratic Primary</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-07-01/ty-article/.premium/democrats-progressive-wave-hits-colorado-with-win-for-29-year-old-israel-critic/0000019f-1b86-def9-a9ff-bbcecc0a0000">Israel Critic Scores Major Democratic Primary Upset as Progressive Wave Reaches Colorado</a>

Inside Israel’s no-change, no-cost peace deal with the UAE

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