Tel Aviv Diary Podcast

From Budapest: Israel’s Strategic Shock After the Iran Deal

In this urgent episode of Tel Aviv Diary, Marc Schulman speaks from Budapest after news that four more Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon. What began as a planned discussion on Hasbara and Jewish identity became, by necessity, a hard look at Israel’s worsening strategic position after the U.S.–Iran agreement. Marc argues that the deal was less a nuclear agreement than a bargain to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—one that gave Iran money, legitimacy, and time while leaving Israel exposed. He examines the growing rupture with Washington, J.D. Vance’s troubling remarks on Israel, the danger of believing Israel can “go it alone,” and the failures of leadership that have left the country without a clear strategy in Lebanon, Iran, or Gaza. The episode closes with a look at Israel’s political future, the rise of Gadi Eisenkot in recent polling, and the immense task awaiting any new government: rebuilding the IDF, repairing relations with America and world Jewry, and restoring strategic clarity after years of drift. #Israel #Iran #Lebanon #Trump #Netanyahu #Eisenkot #Hezbollah #Budapest #TelAvivDiary #Podcast #MiddleEast #Security #Politics #IDF This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe [https://marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Rabbi Uri Regev on Israel’s Battle for Religious Freedom, Civil Marriage, and Equality

In this episode of the Tel Aviv Diary Podcast, Marc Schulman speaks with Rabbi Uri Regev, President of Hiddush — Freedom of Religion for Israel — about one of the most important internal battles shaping the future of the Jewish state: the struggle over religion and state. Rabbi Regev, a Reform rabbi, attorney, and longtime legal advocate, discusses his journey from Tel Aviv to the leadership of Israel’s religious freedom movement, the continuing fight for civil marriage, civil burial, gender equality, and the right of Israelis to live free from religious coercion. The conversation also examines the growing power of the ultra-Orthodox parties, state funding for schools that do not teach core curriculum, the draft crisis, and the impact of October 7th and the war on Israeli attitudes toward faith, politics, and democracy. At its heart, this is a discussion about whether Israel can still fulfill the promise of its Declaration of Independence: liberty, justice, equality, and freedom of religion and conscience for all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe [https://marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Inbar Harush on Israel’s Service Crisis, the Haredi Challenge, and Why She Believes Gadi Eisenkot Can Repair the Country

n this episode of Tel Aviv Diary, Marc Schulman speaks with Inbar Harush, one of the leading voices behind the movement for “Service for All” in Israel and a key figure in shaping Yashar’s policy platform under Gadi Eisenkot. Harush, a former CEO of Aharai and former adviser to Defense Minister Benny Gantz, lays out one of Israel’s most urgent structural crises: the erosion of the “people’s army.” She explains how, even before October 7, only a shrinking share of Israel’s 18-year-olds were serving in the IDF, and why the current demographic trajectory threatens the very foundation of mandatory service. The discussion moves from Ben-Gurion’s original vision of a national army to the present reality in which large parts of Israeli society—especially the Haredi community—stand outside the service framework. The conversation then turns to the Haredi draft crisis. Harush describes the autonomy built over decades between the state and ultra-Orthodox institutions, the vast public funding that sustains it, and the way the system has allowed communities to avoid military or civil service while remaining largely outside the reach of the state. She argues that the only serious answer is a new national authority responsible for mandatory service for all Israelis—military service where possible, and meaningful civil service where not. Harush also discusses why October 7 changed the debate, why partial solutions have failed, and why she believes integration into the IDF can be done without erasing Haredi identity. Drawing on successful pilot programs, including intelligence tracks and Haredi hesder-style yeshivas, she argues that with the right structure, budgets, and political will, real change is possible. Finally, Marc and Inbar discuss her decision to join Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party. Harush explains why she sees Eisenkot as a leader capable of restoring trust, rebuilding state institutions, and moving Israel back from tribal fragmentation toward a shared civic identity. It is a conversation about military service, education, political leadership, and the future of the Israeli state. #Israel #TelAvivDiary #IDF #Haredim #GadiEisenkot #Yashar #InbarHarush #October7 #IsraeliPolitics #ServiceForAll #BenGurion #NationalService #IsraeliSociety #Podcast This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe [https://marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Pain, Healing, and the Search for Human Dignity: A Conversation with Avi Shahaf

In this episode of Tel Aviv Diary, Marc Schulman speaks with author Avi Shahaf about his new book, Pain and Healing: Testimonies from the Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum [https://amzn.to/3PTwgYN]. Shahaf, a former organizational consultant who has spent years studying narrative research and human dignity, interviewed Israeli and Palestinian members of the Bereaved Families Forum—people who lost loved ones in the conflict yet chose reconciliation over revenge. The conversation moves from the deeply personal stories in the book to broader questions facing Israeli society today: whether people-to-people encounters can still matter in an age of separation, whether dignity can be restored in Israeli schools and public life, and why some Israelis have chosen to leave the country since October 7. At the center of the discussion is a difficult but vital question: in a society marked by pain, fear, and anger, where can hope still be found? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe [https://marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Gaylen Ross on Sapiro v. Ford: The Jewish Lawyer Who Took on Henry Ford — Plus Israel’s Political and Strategic Crossroads

In today’s hybrid episode of Tel Aviv Diary, Marc Schulman opens from Tel Aviv on Friday, June 5, with a wide-ranging assessment of Israel’s current political and strategic moment. He discusses the rising political momentum behind former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, the shifting opposition landscape, Netanyahu’s continued hold on power, and the growing concern over Israel’s standing in the United States. Marc also examines the ongoing war in Lebanon, the strain on the IDF after prolonged combat and reserve duty, the uncertain U.S.-Iran track, and the growing challenge posed by violent ultra-Orthodox protests against state institutions. In the second half of the episode, Marc speaks with filmmaker Gaylen Ross, director of Sapiro v. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford. Ross discusses the remarkable and largely forgotten story of Aaron Sapiro, the Jewish lawyer who took on Henry Ford after Ford’s newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, made him a central target of its antisemitic campaign. The conversation explores Ford’s obsession with Jews, Sapiro’s role in the American cooperative farm movement, the risks of bringing a libel suit against one of the most powerful men in America, and the historical importance of the apology and the closing of Ford’s antisemitic publishing operation. Ross also reflects on documentary filmmaking, forgotten figures in Jewish history, and how stories like Sapiro’s can bring the past vividly into the present. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe [https://marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]