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

For the Australian Jewish community, the date of December 14 carries as much gut-wrenching trauma as October 7 and September 11 does for Israelis and Americans, Daniel Hochberg, co-chair of the Union for Progressive Judaism's board, told the Haaretz Podcast.

On the six-month anniversary of the terrorist shooting attack on 1,000 Jews celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach that killed 15 members of the tight-knit community, Hochberg and Haaretz editor Noa Levin reviewed the aftermath of the second most deadly attack in Australian history and its ongoing effect on the country’s politics and daily life for Australian Jews. 

“We don't feel safe as we did before,” Hochberg said, describing an increased “closing of spaces” to Jews who once felt part of progressive circles. “It has affected our sense of self-worth, our belief in our contribution to Australia is in question, and we are struggling with that. Our walls are being built higher and higher, so there's this feeling that the Jewish community, by almost default, is being isolated from the rest of Australian society.”

On the podcast, Hochberg and Levin discussed the controversial formation and the ongoing testimony of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, the national inquiry of the Bondi attacks which is focusing on growing antisemitic discourse in Australia, and the political impact of the attack inside and outside the Jewish community.  

The “totally unimaginable” violent attack and the Jewish community’s reaction, Levin noted, has sparked a conversation among young Jews regarding “who gets to speak for us at a national and international level, and what recommendations would all kinds of Jews like to see to ensure their safety in Australia,” while “touching on the intersection between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.”

The Bondi attack, she said “has made the community incredibly sensitive to anything that looked, felt or smelt like something that could harm us, and that they have a right to do that, but I think it created something quite challenging in terms of discourse about Israel.”

Read more: 

'Reckoning Without Consequence Is Performance': Australian Jews Cautiously Welcome Antisemitism Inquiry Findings

Australia's Historic National Inquiry Into Antisemitism, Explained

How a Portrait of an Australian Jewish Leader Humanizes an Anguished Community

The Australian Film About Jewish Fear and Unease Shot in Bondi Before the Massacre

Despite a Moderate Downturn, Antisemitic Incidents in Australia Remained High for Second Year Running

For the Australian Jewish community, the date of December 14 carries as much gut-wrenching trauma as October 7 and September 11 does for Israelis and Americans, Daniel Hochberg, co-chair of the Union for Progressive Judaism's board, told the Haaretz Podcast.
On the six-month anniversary of the terrorist shooting attack on 1,000 Jews celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach that killed 15 members of the tight-knit community, Hochberg and Haaretz editor Noa Levin reviewed the aftermath of the second most deadly attack in Australian history and its ongoing effect on the country&rsquo;s politics and daily life for Australian Jews.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We don't feel safe as we did before,&rdquo; Hochberg said, describing an increased &ldquo;closing of spaces&rdquo; to Jews who once felt part of progressive circles. &ldquo;It has affected our sense of self-worth, our belief in our contribution to Australia is in question, and we are struggling with that. Our walls are being built higher and higher, so there's this feeling that the Jewish community, by almost default, is being isolated from the rest of Australian society.&rdquo;
On the podcast, Hochberg and Levin discussed the controversial formation and the ongoing testimony of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, the national inquiry of the Bondi attacks which is focusing on growing antisemitic discourse in Australia, and the political impact of the attack inside and outside the Jewish community. &nbsp;
The &ldquo;totally unimaginable&rdquo; violent attack and the Jewish community&rsquo;s reaction, Levin noted, has sparked a conversation among young Jews regarding &ldquo;who gets to speak for us at a national and international level, and what recommendations would all kinds of Jews like to see to ensure their safety in Australia,&rdquo; while &ldquo;touching on the intersection between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.&rdquo;
The Bondi attack, she said &ldquo;has made the community incredibly sensitive to anything that looked, felt or smelt like something that could harm us, and that they have a right to do that, but I think it created something quite challenging in terms of discourse about Israel.&rdquo;
Read more:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2026-05-03/ty-article-magazine/.premium/australian-jews-cautiously-welcome-antisemitism-inquiry-interim-findings/0000019d-ed36-dd9a-a79d-edff155d0000">'Reckoning Without Consequence Is Performance':&nbsp;Australian Jews Cautiously Welcome Antisemitism Inquiry Findings</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-explains/2026-04-23/ty-article-magazine/.premium/why-australias-national-inquiry-into-antisemitism-should-get-global-attention/0000019d-a9fc-d31c-a1df-afff8dc50000">Australia's Historic National Inquiry Into Antisemitism, Explained</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2026-05-26/ty-article-magazine/.premium/how-a-portrait-of-an-australian-jewish-leader-humanizes-an-anguished-community/0000019e-5e54-dde7-a1df-fe7c272a0000">How a Portrait of an Australian Jewish Leader Humanizes an Anguished Community</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2026-03-16/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-australian-film-about-jewish-unease-shot-in-bondi-before-the-massacre/0000019c-f123-df50-a9de-f3bbe7840000">The Australian Film About Jewish Fear and Unease&nbsp;Shot in Bondi Before the Massacre</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/asia-and-australia/2025-12-03/ty-article/.premium/despite-downturn-antisemitic-incidents-in-australia-remain-high-for-second-year-running/0000019a-e355-db4d-a99b-f3ddfcd90000">Despite a Moderate Downturn, Antisemitic Incidents in Australia Remained High for Second Year Running</a>

'December 14 was our October 7': How the Bondi massacre destroyed the Australian safe haven for Jews

In a special investigation on a "revolution" that has taken place over the past three years, Haaretz reporters Yarden Michaeli, Matan Golan and Yaniv Kubovich detailed the push to restore and drastically expand Israeli presence in the northern West Bank that was part of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza disengagement plan in 2005.

On the Haaretz Podcast, Michaeli discusses how the settler movement and far-right politicians have spent the 20 years since the disengagement took place planning how to execute their "return" to four West Bank settlements located in the largest contiguous area of Palestinian population in the area.

With the ascent of the most far-right government in history in 2022, members of the movement have used their power and influence in what is essentially "the settlers' government" to "return big time," Michaeli said.

In the newly published Haaretz investigation, "Undoing History," Michaeli and his team reveal how 18 new settlements and eight new army bases are cutting through the largest contiguous Palestinian population in the West Bank.

The comprehensive effort includes military deployments, new bases and checkpoints, road construction, land expropriations, the displacement of more than 32,000 residents from three refugee camps and the terrorizing of daily Palestinian life in what senior military officials warn could destabilize an already volatile region.

Every aspect of the plan, Michaeli warned, is "bad news" and "harmful" to the Palestinians living there, and that the infrastructure in place "will be very hard to remove" – undermining the Oslo Accords and the possibility of a two-state solution.

Read more: 

Undoing History: As the World Watched Gaza, Settlers Charged Ahead in the West Bank. A Clash Is Imminent

Foreign Ministry Rejects Smotrich's Claim He Axed 1997 Hebron Accord With PA, as Israel Takes Municipal Powers From Palestinians

How Israel Is Using Archaeology to Advance West Bank Annexation

Former PM Ehud Olmert: Israel Is Conducting a Systematic Campaign of Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity in the West Bank

'Nobody's Born a Soldier': The Israeli Teens Refusing the Military Draft Say They Can Take the Backlash

In a special investigation on a "revolution" that has taken place over the past three years, Haaretz reporters Yarden Michaeli, Matan Golan and Yaniv Kubovich detailed the push to restore and drastically expand Israeli presence in the northern West Bank that was part of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza disengagement plan in 2005.
On the Haaretz Podcast, Michaeli discusses how the settler movement and far-right politicians have spent the 20 years since the disengagement took place planning how to execute their "return" to four West Bank settlements located in the largest contiguous area of Palestinian population in the area.
With the ascent of the most far-right government in history in 2022, members of the movement have used their power and influence in what is essentially "the settlers' government" to "return big time," Michaeli said.
In the newly published Haaretz investigation, "Undoing History," Michaeli and his team reveal how 18 new settlements and eight new army bases are cutting through the largest contiguous Palestinian population in the West Bank.
The comprehensive effort includes military deployments, new bases and checkpoints, road construction, land expropriations, the displacement of more than 32,000 residents from three refugee camps and the terrorizing of daily Palestinian life in what senior military officials warn could destabilize an already volatile region.
Every aspect of the plan, Michaeli warned, is "bad news" and "harmful" to the Palestinians living there, and that the infrastructure in place "will be very hard to remove" &ndash; undermining the Oslo Accords and the possibility of a two-state solution.
Read more:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2026-06-23/ty-article-static/.premium/as-the-world-watched-gaza-israeli-settlers-charged-ahead-in-the-west-bank-a-clash-is-imminent/0000019e-b6d1-d7bd-a3bf-befd20750000">Undoing History:&nbsp;As the World Watched Gaza, Settlers Charged Ahead in the West Bank.&nbsp;A Clash Is Imminent</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-06-16/ty-article/.premium/foreign-ministry-refutes-smotrichs-canceling-hebron-agreement-statement/0000019e-d06c-de6a-a79f-fd6de3640000">Foreign Ministry Rejects Smotrich's Claim He Axed 1997 Hebron Accord With PA, as Israel Takes Municipal Powers From Palestinians</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-06-11/ty-article-magazine/is-israel-using-archaeology-to-advance-west-bank-annexation/0000019e-930f-d552-a7be-9f8ff6100000">How Israel Is Using Archaeology to Advance West Bank Annexation</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-06-18/ty-article-opinion/.premium/israel-is-conducting-a-systematic-campaign-of-ethnic-cleansing-in-the-west-bank/0000019e-db02-d7a4-a99f-dfce00a20000">Former PM Ehud Olmert: Israel Is Conducting a Systematic Campaign of Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity in the West Bank</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-06-19/ty-article-magazine/.premium/nobodys-born-a-soldier-the-israeli-teens-who-say-the-draft-is-a-choice/0000019e-daaa-deca-ab9e-defb61770000">'Nobody's Born a Soldier':&nbsp;The Israeli Teens Refusing the Military Draft Say They Can Take the Backlash</a>

Haaretz investigation: The Israeli far-right’s West Bank land grab and why it's a ticking time bomb

As Israelis focused on the life-and-death issues around conflicts with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, the Netanyahu government has slowly but steadily progressed in its campaign to eliminate the gatekeepers of liberal democracy in order to consolidate the power of elected politicians, constitutional law expert Prof. Adam Shinar told the Haaretz Podcast. 

The steps it has taken were “not exactly the package” of radical reforms it proposed in 2023 that brought hundreds of thousands of Israelis into the streets, Shinar said, but they are firmly marching Israel in the direction of a weakened judiciary, civil service and media, by putting more power in the hands of the ruling parties. 

Initially, after October 7, the push for a judicial coup ground to a halt. But as the war continued, explained Shinar, a professor at Reichman University, changes were still made – if not directly through legislation, then by the appointment of Netanyahu loyalists in key positions. 

"The government saw an opening. It said, 'Hey, we can do many, many things. The public is distracted, the public is concerned about other things, and we can do a lot.”

If Netanyahu remains in power after the fall elections, Shinar predicted, the push for a total judicial overhaul will return “on steroids.”

To succeed in moving Israel further from the democracy he emphasized, "You don't have to dismantle everything, it's enough that you dismantle several key components – limiting judicial review and changing the way the attorney general is appointed. … That's 60 to 70 percent of the way.”   

Read more:

Haaretz Explainer: What Are the Judicial Overhaul Bills About, and Can the High Court Strike Them Down?

With the Election Clock Ticking, Netanyahu's Coalition Is Pushing Contentious Judicial Overhaul Bills

Anti-government Protests Take Place Across Israel, Five Arrested

Knesset Grants Likud Lawmaker Immunity After She Exposed Identity of Shin Bet Agent

When Roman Gofman Came to Israel, He Was a 'Stinking Russian.' Now He's Set to Head the Mossad

As Israelis focused on the life-and-death issues around conflicts with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, the Netanyahu government has slowly but steadily progressed in its campaign to eliminate the gatekeepers of liberal democracy in order to consolidate the power of elected politicians, constitutional law expert Prof. Adam Shinar told the Haaretz Podcast.&nbsp;
The steps it has taken were &ldquo;not exactly the package&rdquo; of radical reforms it proposed in 2023 that brought hundreds of thousands of Israelis into the streets, Shinar said, but they are firmly marching Israel in the direction of a weakened judiciary, civil service and media, by putting more power in the hands of the ruling parties.&nbsp;
Initially, after October 7, the push for a judicial coup ground to a halt. But as the war continued, explained Shinar, a professor at Reichman University, changes were still made &ndash; if not directly through legislation, then by the appointment of Netanyahu loyalists in key positions.&nbsp;
"The government saw an opening. It said, 'Hey, we can do many, many things. The public is distracted, the public is concerned about other things, and we can do a lot.&rdquo;
If Netanyahu remains in power after the fall elections, Shinar predicted, the push for a total judicial overhaul will return &ldquo;on steroids.&rdquo;
To succeed in moving Israel further from the democracy he emphasized, "You don't have to dismantle everything, it's enough that you dismantle several key components &ndash; limiting judicial review and changing the way the attorney general is appointed. &hellip; That's 60 to 70 percent of the way.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-02-14/ty-article/.premium/what-are-the-judicial-overhaul-bills-about-and-can-the-high-court-strike-them-down/00000186-4f7d-d603-a7bf-cfff22e40000">Haaretz Explainer:&nbsp;What Are the Judicial Overhaul Bills About, and Can the High Court Strike Them Down?</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-05-31/ty-article/.premium/netanyahus-coalition-pushes-judicial-overhaul-expecting-imminent-dissolution/0000019e-7cf8-d7e1-abdf-fffe5b3f0000">With the Election Clock Ticking, Netanyahu's Coalition Is Pushing Contentious Judicial Overhaul Bills</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-06-13/ty-article/.premium/anti-government-protests-take-place-across-israel/0000019e-c1cb-d86d-adde-fdff07470000">Anti-government Protests Take Place Across Israel, Five Arrested</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-06-17/ty-article/.premium/knesset-grants-likud-mk-immunity-after-she-exposed-identity-of-shin-bet-agent/0000019e-d5ab-d2be-abbf-ffef7a130000">Knesset Grants Likud Lawmaker Immunity After She Exposed Identity of Shin Bet Agent</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-04-21/ty-article-magazine/.premium/when-he-came-to-israel-he-was-a-stinking-russian-now-hes-set-to-head-mossad/0000019d-b06b-dbb2-a19d-b77f607e0000">When Roman Gofman Came to Israel, He Was a 'Stinking Russian.'&nbsp;Now He's Set to Head the Mossad</a>

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

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