Host Simon Spungin is joined by Alan Leveritt, the publisher and owner of the Arkansas Times, who finds himself inadvertently on the frontlines of the battle against Israeli-sponsored legislation against the BDS movement. PLUS: Gideon Levy on his dinner with Benjamin Netanyahu and the furious responses it provoked among the Israeli left.

Host Simon Spungin is joined by <a href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2021/11/22/arkansas-times-publisher-explains-our-stance-on-israel-boycott-law-to-readers-of-new-york-times">Alan Leveritt</a>, the publisher and owner of the <a href="https://arktimes.com/">Arkansas Times</a>, who finds himself inadvertently on the frontlines of the battle against Israeli-sponsored legislation against the <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/misc/tags/TAG-bds-movement-1.5599202">BDS movement</a>. PLUS: Gideon Levy on his <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.HIGHLIGHT-why-do-they-hate-him-so-much-my-evening-with-the-netanyahus-1.10373124">dinner with Benjamin Netanyahu</a> and the <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-the-israeli-left-s-hatred-for-netanyahu-has-driven-it-mad-1.10381935">furious responses it provoked among the Israeli left</a>.

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 never occurred to me to boycott Israel. Until Arkansas told me I couldn’t”

Over the course of two days last week, two major assassinations shook the Middle East. The first was of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, for which the Israeli military took credit, in Beirut. The second was a much more daring operation – the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, right under the nose of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran and other sources have blamed Israel for the strike, and are vowing retaliation – and Israel is gearing up for an attack. For the Haaretz Podcast, correspondent Linda Dayan spoke to Dr. Raz Zimmt, a senior researcher and expert on Iran from the Institute of National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University about this threat.

After April's Iranian attack on Israel, Zimmt explained, "Iran has come up with this so-called 'new equation,' according to which every Israeli attack on Iranian interests – personalities or facilities, either inside Iran or outside Iran – would be considered a major blow, which deserves a direct attack by Iran."

Compared to previous incidents, "Iran and Hezbollah are more willing today to take the risk of escalation," Zimmt said, "even if it means dragging themselves into a full-scale confrontation."

Over the course of two days last week, two major assassinations shook the Middle East. The first was of senior Hezbollah commander <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/2024-07-30/ty-article/israel-strikes-hezbollah-commander-in-beirut-in-retaliation-for-deadly-majdal-shams-attack/00000191-04c6-d130-a5bf-b4cee3320000">Fuad Shukr,</a> for which the Israeli military took credit, in Beirut. The second was a much more daring operation – the <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-08-03/ty-article/report-israels-mossad-hired-iranian-agents-to-plant-explosives-in-hamas-chiefs-room/00000191-16fa-db7e-a99d-1efa23980000">killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh</a> in Tehran, right under the nose of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran and other sources have blamed Israel for the strike, and <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-08-05/ty-article/.premium/western-diplomats-say-iranian-response-expected-within-24-48-hours/00000191-2206-da8c-a393-a2f7ad270000">are vowing retaliation</a> – and Israel is gearing up for an attack. For the Haaretz Podcast, correspondent Linda Dayan spoke to Dr. Raz Zimmt, a senior researcher and expert on Iran from the Institute of National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University about this threat.
After <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2024-04-14/ty-article/.premium/suicide-drones-cruise-and-ballistic-missiles-a-breakdown-of-irans-attack-on-israel/0000018e-dd82-d203-a7cf-ffdee42a0000">April's Iranian attack on Israel</a>, Zimmt explained, "Iran has come up with this so-called 'new equation,' according to which every Israeli attack on Iranian interests – personalities or facilities, either inside Iran or outside Iran – would be considered a major blow, which deserves a direct attack by Iran."
Compared to previous incidents, "Iran and Hezbollah are more willing today to take the risk of escalation," Zimmt said, "even if it means dragging themselves into a full-scale confrontation."

What is really going on in Iran while Israel braces for retaliation?

It was a scene of "complete chaos" in the town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights following the devastating Hezbollah strike that killed 12 Druze children playing soccer on Saturday, Haaretz correspondent Sheren Falah Saab, who was at the scene just an hour after the attack, recounted emotionally on Haaretz Podcast.

"There were ambulances everywhere and hundreds of people surrounding the wounded children and the bodies of the children," said Falah Saab, who is a member of the Druze community, and has spent the days since the tragedy in the hospital at the bedside of her own relatives wounded in most deadly attack on civilians in Israeli territory since October 7.

Falah Saab recalled that "one of most painful sights was the blood-stained bicycles of the children" who were playing on the soccer field and who had no time to run for safety when the siren sounded.

The disaster struck a community already hit hard by the Gaza war, she noted. Ten Druze soldiers have been killed in fighting since the start of the war in Gaza. There has also been damage to agriculture and property. But the greatest economic blow is the near-cessation of tourism by both Israelis and foreign visitors in northern Israel, on which much of the Druze population relies to make a living.

In the midst of calls for massive retaliation by Israeli leaders, including some Druze, Falah Saab maintained that a majority of Druze "say they don't want war, and they don't want this tragedy to cause more tragedy and more killing of children."

Also on the podcast, Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America discusses the excitement among Jewish Democrats about the candidacy of Kamala Harris for president, following President Joe Biden's decision to bow out of the race.

Soifer said that there will "continue to be no daylight" between the policies of Harris and Biden regarding Israel and the Gaza war.

"She came into this White House with a deep commitment to Israel and in this White House she has been in lockstep with the president on every key issue related to Israel in the lead up to – and now in the aftermath of – the horrific attacks of October 7," Soifer said, dismissing the "vitriol, hate and lies" of GOP nominee Donald Trump who recently charged Democrats with "hating Israel."

Given that three-quarters of US Jews vote for the Democrats, she said, Trump is essentially saying that nearly all of them "are uninformed and disloyal, that we hate Israel, that we hate our religion." His charge that "Kamala Harris doesn't stand with Israel is patently false and yet another iteration of his toxic vitriol, and it's targeting Jewish voters. We should call it out for what it is. It is hate, and we reject it."

According to Soifer, the Jewish vote will be unusually significant in this election, given the presence of Jewish population in key battleground states, in which Harris and GOP nominee Donald Trump are deadlocked.

"This election is going to be close, just like the last one was, and it will be decided by probably about 6 percent of voters in six states: Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. We're not talking about a lot of voters who are going to decide the outcome of this election, which is why the Jewish vote is so important."

It was a scene of "complete chaos" in the town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights following the devastating Hezbollah strike that killed 12 Druze children playing soccer on Saturday, Haaretz correspondent <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da59-d249-ab7f-fbf9ad1c0000">Sheren Falah Saab</a>, who was at the scene just an hour after the attack, recounted emotionally on Haaretz Podcast.
"There were ambulances everywhere and hundreds of people surrounding the wounded children and the bodies of the children," said Falah Saab, who is a member of <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-explains/2024-07-28/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-druze-community-in-israel-explained/00000188-8c42-d3c4-afec-9ed397020000">the Druze community</a>, and has spent the days since <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-07-27/ty-article/11-children-teens-killed-and-dozens-wounded-in-rocket-strike-on-majdal-shams/00000190-f54a-d298-a592-fd7bffe80000">the tragedy</a> in the hospital at the bedside of her own relatives wounded in most deadly attack on civilians in Israeli territory since October 7.
Falah Saab recalled that "one of most painful sights was the blood-stained bicycles of the children" who were playing on the soccer field and who had no time to run for safety when the siren sounded.
The disaster struck a community already hit hard by the Gaza war, she noted. Ten <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-01-03/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israel-is-our-country-too-the-arab-minority-serving-in-gaza-while-facing-inequality/0000018c-cb4c-d6c4-ab8d-ebfc204b0000">Druze soldiers</a> have been killed in fighting since the start of the war in Gaza. There has also been damage to agriculture and property. But the greatest economic blow is the near-cessation of tourism by both Israelis and foreign visitors in northern Israel, on which much of the Druze population relies to make a living.
In the midst of calls for massive retaliation by Israeli leaders, including some Druze, Falah Saab maintained that a majority of Druze "say they don't want war, and they don't want this tragedy to cause more tragedy and more killing of children."
Also on the podcast, <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/00000180-5ae3-d97e-a7fb-7af700410000">Halie Soifer</a>, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America discusses the excitement among <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2024-07-23/ty-article/.highlight/american-jews-see-hope-in-harris-shapiro-ticket-while-bracing-for-an-antisemitic-storm/00000190-e04f-d2bf-a7f9-f0ff63e40000">Jewish Democrats</a> about the candidacy of Kamala Harris for president, following President Joe Biden's decision to bow out of the race.
Soifer said that there will "continue to be no daylight" between the <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2024-07-21/ty-article/.premium/after-bidens-endorsement-kamala-harris-record-on-israel-to-gain-increased-scrutiny/00000190-d69f-d98e-a996-d7bfa7100000">policies </a>of Harris and Biden regarding Israel and the Gaza war.
"She came into this White House with a deep commitment to Israel and in this White House she has been in lockstep with the president on every key issue related to Israel in the lead up to – and now in the aftermath of – the horrific attacks of October 7," Soifer said, dismissing the "vitriol, hate and lies" of GOP nominee Donald Trump who recently charged Democrats with "hating Israel."
Given that three-quarters of US Jews vote for the Democrats, she said, Trump is essentially saying that nearly all of them "are uninformed and disloyal, that we hate Israel, that we hate our religion." His charge that "Kamala Harris doesn't stand with Israel is patently false and yet another iteration of his toxic vitriol, and it's targeting Jewish voters. We should call it out for what it is. It is hate, and we reject it."
According to Soifer, the Jewish vote will be unusually significant in this election, given the presence of Jewish population in key battleground states, in which Harris and GOP nominee Donald Trump are deadlocked.
"This election is going to be close, just like the last one was, and it will be decided by probably about 6 percent of voters in six states: Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. We're not talking about a lot of voters who are going to decide the outcome of this election, which is why the Jewish vote is so important."

'War never saved children. Most Druze say they don't want their tragedy to cause more killing'

It's a time of goodbyes: As Joe Biden says goodbye to the U.S. presidency, Netanyahu said goodbye to Israel while the Gaza war is raging, while hostages are both suffering and dying, so that he could speak to the U.S. Congress and hold a few high-level meetings. It may not have been ideal timing, but Netanyahu got what he wanted: too many standing ovations to count.

Did Israelis get anything out of the speech? Did Netanyahu lay out a vision for the future or a path to get there? One (or two) might even ask: What was Netanyahu even thinking?

In a final revival-farewell, Election Overdose podcast hosts Anshel Pfeffer and Dahlia Scheindlin do their utmost to answer it in a special episode of the Haaretz Podcast. Come for the banter, stay for the breakdown. And there's one more farewell at the end of it all.

It's a time of goodbyes: As Joe Biden says goodbye to the U.S. presidency, Netanyahu said goodbye to Israel while the Gaza war is raging, while hostages are <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-07-17/ty-article/hostage-families-want-answers-after-pm-reportedly-says-theyre-suffering-not-dying/00000190-c05e-d211-a5da-ed5fd8350000">both suffering and dying</a>, so that he could speak to the U.S. Congress and hold a few high-level meetings. It may not have been ideal timing, but Netanyahu got what he wanted: too many standing ovations to count.
Did Israelis get anything out of the speech? Did Netanyahu lay out a vision for the future or a path to get there? One (or two) might even ask: What was Netanyahu even thinking?
In a final revival-farewell, Election Overdose podcast hosts <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da25-d249-ab7f-fbe5a2c40000">Anshel Pfeffer</a> and <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da25-d494-a17f-de27a1400000">Dahlia Scheindlin</a> do their utmost to answer it in a special episode of the Haaretz Podcast. Come for the banter, stay for the breakdown. And there's one more farewell at the end of it all.

“It never occurred to me to boycott Israel. Until Arkansas told me I couldn’t”

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