President Joe Biden's stunning decision to step aside and forgo a second term, throwing his support behind the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris is unlikely to dramatically change U.S. policy towards Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza, according to former diplomat and senior Haaretz columnist Alon Pinkas, who reacted to the bombshell news from Washington on the Haaretz Podcast this week.

Biden is planning to remain president until his successor takes office in January 2025, so presumably till then, says Pinkas, all policy regarding Israel and the war - in Gaza and beyond - will be coordinated "vis a vis Joe Biden, not Kamala Harris. In fact, Harris is probably not going to deal with foreign policy because she will be preoccupied and very hectically busy running for president in Michigan and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and other places. And so she's not going to want to deal with foreign policy, certainly not thorny issues like the Middle East."

To U.S. supporters of Israel - and Israelis - whose concerns about Harris might lead them to consider backing Republican nominee Donald Trump, Pinkas warns against what he views as "plain idiocy."

Pinkas assesses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Washington this week as "a Seinfeld visit about nothing that wasn't meant to be about anything except a vanity tour that Mr. Netanyahu thought he would sell to his electoral base." With war raging in Israel and hostages in Gaza, Pinkas calls the decision to travel to Washington "recklessness of the highest order."

Also on the podcast, family members of hostages, who traveled to Washington, explain why they felt the need to make their voices heard during Netanyahu's visit, and pressure U.S. leaders to push Netanyahu in the direction of a deal that would end the war and free their loved ones from Hamas captivity.

"We're here send a message that (Netanyahu) cannot just go to America and get a standing ovation in Congress as if he won this war and freed the hostages," says Zahiro Shachar Mor, the nephew of 79-year-old hostage Avraham Mundar. "We are here to show the world that… the voice of Netanyahu is not the voice of Israel."

President Joe Biden's stunning decision to step aside and forgo a second term, throwing his support behind the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris is unlikely to dramatically change U.S. policy towards Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza, according to former diplomat and senior Haaretz columnist Alon Pinkas, who reacted to the bombshell news from Washington on the Haaretz Podcast this week.
Biden is planning to remain president until his successor takes office in January 2025, so presumably till then, says Pinkas, all policy regarding Israel and the war - in Gaza and beyond - will be coordinated "vis a vis Joe Biden, not Kamala Harris. In fact, Harris is probably not going to deal with foreign policy because she will be preoccupied and very hectically busy running for president in Michigan and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and other places. And so she's not going to want to deal with foreign policy, certainly not thorny issues like the Middle East."
To U.S. supporters of Israel - and Israelis - whose concerns about Harris might lead them to consider backing Republican nominee Donald Trump, Pinkas warns against what he views as "plain idiocy."
Pinkas assesses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Washington this week as "a Seinfeld visit about nothing that wasn't meant to be about anything except a vanity tour that Mr. Netanyahu thought he would sell to his electoral base." With war raging in Israel and hostages in Gaza, Pinkas calls the decision to travel to Washington "recklessness of the highest order."
Also on the podcast, family members of hostages, who traveled to Washington, explain why they felt the need to make their voices heard during Netanyahu's visit, and pressure U.S. leaders to push Netanyahu in the direction of a deal that would end the war and free their loved ones from Hamas captivity.
"We're here send a message that (Netanyahu) cannot just go to America and get a standing ovation in Congress as if he won this war and freed the hostages," says Zahiro Shachar Mor, the nephew of 79-year-old hostage Avraham Mundar. "We are here to show the world that… the voice of Netanyahu is not the voice of Israel."

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.

Israelis supporting Trump? 'Plain idiocy. He couldn't care less about the Middle East'

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.

Was there anything authentic about the speech? Well, it was authentically Netanyahu

If indeed Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif was killed when IDF forces targeted him on Saturday, "it would be a very important achievement for Israel but it's not the end of the world for Hamas or the end of the war" according to Haaretz senior security analyst Amos Harel, speaking to host Allison Kaplan Sommer on this week's Haaretz Podcast about the events that rocked the past weekend - the targeting of Deif and the attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump.

Although many Israeli security officials believe Deif was eliminated in the air assault in Gaza's Khan Yunis, Harel was cautious in his assessment, given that the head of Hamas's military wing has escaped multiple attempts on his life in the past.

As one of the "two major planners involved every inch of the way" when it came to the horrific massacres of October 7, Harel said it was "very important from an Israeli perspective to settle the score."

Also on the podcast, Haaretz Washington correspondent Ben Samuels discusses the effects of the Trump assassination attempt on the Republican National Convention, which is set to showcase campus antisemitism as one of it's "top tier issues."

Samuels, speaking from Milwaukee where he is covering the convention says the reason, is "because it hits at so many issues that Republicans in America these days really care about - it touches on immigration, foreign policy, and national security. So it makes sense that Republicans will really try to seize upon this as a key theme over the next few days" and point to it as a negative development that happened on Joe Biden's watch.

If indeed Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif was killed when IDF forces targeted him on Saturday, "it would be a very important achievement for Israel but it's not the end of the world for Hamas or the end of the war" according to Haaretz senior security analyst Amos Harel, speaking to host Allison Kaplan Sommer on this week's Haaretz Podcast about the events that rocked the past weekend - the targeting of Deif and the attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump.
Although many Israeli security officials believe Deif was eliminated <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-07-13/ty-article/.premium/assassinating-deif-signals-hamas-leaders-but-its-impact-on-gaza-talks-remains-unclear/00000190-ace4-df48-afba-bdfe816e0000">in the air assault in Gaza's Khan Yunis</a>, Harel was cautious in his assessment, given that the head of Hamas's military wing has escaped multiple attempts on his life in the past.
As one of the "two <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-07-13/ty-article/.premium/dozens-of-palestinians-killed-in-israeli-strike-targeting-top-hamas-commander-deif-in-gaza/00000190-ab7e-d7ee-af9c-ff7e7e730000">major planners involved</a> every inch of the way" when it came to the horrific massacres of October 7, Harel said it was "very important from an Israeli perspective to settle the score."
Also on the podcast, Haaretz Washington correspondent Ben Samuels discusses the effects of the Trump assassination attempt on the Republican National Convention, which is set to <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2024-07-14/ty-article-magazine/.premium/jewish-republicans-rally-behind-trump-as-campus-antisemitism-set-to-star-at-gop-convention/00000190-b1e4-d9c3-ad99-bde6f3a00000">showcase campus antisemitism</a> as one of it's "top tier issues."
Samuels, speaking <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2024-07-14/ty-article/.premium/security-measures-heightened-ahead-of-gop-convention-following-trump-assassination-attempt/00000190-b229-df08-a9fe-f3f9de600000">from Milwaukee where he is covering the convention</a> says the reason, is "because it hits at so many issues that Republicans in America these days really care about - it touches on immigration, foreign policy, and national security. So it makes sense that Republicans will really try to seize upon this as a key theme over the next few days" and point to it as a negative development that happened on Joe Biden's watch.

Amos Harel: 'Netanyahu is using the Trump shooting to vilify Israel's protest movement'

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledges to keep up the fighting in Gaza, thousands of Israelis joined together at a conference on Monday to deliver a message to his government and the world: It's time to reach a deal, to stop the war, to make peace.

One of the many groups behind the peace conference was Women Wage Peace, whose co-founder Yael Admi told Haaretz reporter and special host of Haaretz Podcast Linda Dayan that within the peace camp, "We have to unite our voices, and that's what we did."

Discussing how the event came about, how to keep the momentum and the role of women in ending the conflict, Admi said, "We have one common target: To bring back the hostages, to make this terrible war end and to begin a process of diplomatic agreements to give a horizon of solutions for these awful days."

Dayan also interviewed activists Ibrahim Abu Ahmad and Josh Drill, bereaved mother Elana Kaminka and Standing Together co-director Alon-Lee Green, who said "After nine months of war... It's not enough to point out what we hate," adding, "we must put forward a vision of which kind of reality we are demanding."

As Israelis dream of a better future, in Europe, France is gearing up for a far-right government after the National Rally party emerged victorious in the first round of voting on Sunday. Haaretz correspondent and France 24 journalist Shirli Sitbon joined the podcast to explain where France and its Jewish citizens, who have become a political football, go from here.

The Jewish community "is very divided" on the results, she said. "At the same time, they feel that [it's] a strong party that will be tough on anyone who attacks Jews – that's what the National Rally promises, to defend Jews – but at the same time, a lot of Jews know very well what this party is made of, its history, its program, and they see it as extremely dangerous."

Still, some French Jews are willing to live with antisemitism in parliament "if it means, they believe, more security on a daily basis," she said.

Until now, she added, French Jews have never had official contact with the far right beyond condemning them. But suddenly, with a high likelihood of a far-right total majority, "some Jewish officials are already officially starting to talk to the National Rally, because they want to know what's going to happen, to see what's next."

But, "with Jews in a situation we've never known before," she said, "we don't really know what's going to happen tomorrow when they're in power."

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledges to keep up the fighting in Gaza, thousands of Israelis joined together at a conference on Monday to deliver a message to his government and the world: It's time to reach a deal, to stop the war, to make peace.
One of the many groups behind <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-07-02/ty-article-magazine/.premium/its-time-to-give-peace-another-chance-thousands-gather-at-peace-conference-in-tel-aviv/00000190-73b5-d705-a7f5-fbff44db0000">the peace conference</a> was Women Wage Peace, whose co-founder Yael Admi told Haaretz reporter and special host of Haaretz Podcast Linda Dayan that within the peace camp, "We have to unite our voices, and that's what we did."
Discussing how the event came about, how to keep the momentum and the role of women in ending the conflict, Admi said, "We have one common target: To bring back the hostages, to make this terrible war end and to begin a process of diplomatic agreements to give a horizon of solutions for these awful days."
Dayan also interviewed activists <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-04-11/ty-article-magazine/.premium/how-october-7-jolted-these-palestinian-israeli-peace-activists-into-action/0000018e-c7a7-dc93-adce-eff74d5a0000">Ibrahim Abu Ahmad</a> and Josh Drill, bereaved mother Elana Kaminka and <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-01-05/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/a-jewish-arab-partnership-is-building-a-young-new-peace-camp-in-israel/0000018c-daa9-d751-ad8d-ffadd6e00000">Standing Together</a> co-director Alon-Lee Green, who said "After nine months of war... It's not enough to point out what we hate," adding, "we must put forward a vision of which kind of reality we are demanding."
As Israelis dream of a better future, in Europe, France is gearing up for a far-right government after the National Rally party emerged victorious in the <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2024-06-30/ty-article/le-pens-far-right-party-leads-french-election-but-final-result-remains-uncertain/00000190-6a4f-d407-aff0-6f5ffc1a0000">first round of voting</a> on Sunday. Haaretz correspondent and France 24 journalist Shirli Sitbon joined the podcast to explain where France and its Jewish citizens, who have become a political football, go from here.
The Jewish community "is very divided" on the results, she said. "At the same time, they feel that [it's] a strong party that will be tough on anyone who attacks Jews – that's <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2024-06-27/ty-article-magazine/.premium/will-french-jews-be-tempted-to-vote-for-frances-pro-israel-far-right/00000190-59d1-d63a-a7b2-5ddfbe8b0000">what the National Rally promises</a>, to defend Jews – but at the same time, a lot of Jews know very well what this party is made of, its history, its program, and they see it as extremely dangerous."
Still, some French Jews are willing to live with antisemitism in parliament "if it means, they believe, more security on a daily basis," she said.
Until now, she added, French Jews have never had official contact with the far right beyond condemning them. But suddenly, with a high likelihood of a far-right total majority, "some Jewish officials are already officially starting to talk to the National Rally, because they want to know what's going to happen, to see what's next."
But, "with Jews in a situation we've never known before," she said, "we don't really know what's going to happen tomorrow when they're in power."

Israelis supporting Trump? 'Plain idiocy. He couldn't care less about the Middle East'

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