18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers

Hamas has isolated Israel diplomatically. Fleur Hassan-Nahoum is scared that, in 20 years, it might be completely isolated. Fleur is a British-born Israeli politician who served as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem from 2018 until 2024, and she recently joined the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy as a senior fellow and sits on the international advisory council.  A seasoned politician still involved in Jerusalem affairs today, Fleur studied law at Kings College nearly three decades ago, and worked as a lawyer and nonprofit official before joining politics. Now, she joins us to answer 18 question on Israel, including Hasbara, Israel's international isolation, and how the Jewish state will survive this media firestorm. This interview was held on May 26.

While we await next week's new episode, we invite you to revisit our (third) 18Forty Podcast conversation with Malka Simkovich, originally aired on November 19, 2024.  18Forty is celebrating its fifth year LIVE in NYC on June 9. Reserve your seats [https://18forty.org/fiveyears/] today! In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Malka Simkovich—a scholar of Jewish history, the editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society, and a three-time 18Forty guest—about previous Jewish diasporas. We tend to think of “Israel-diaspora relations” as a modern phenomenon. But, as Dr. Simkovich reminds us, that situation existed well over 2,000 years ago, when some Jews returned to the Land of Israel following the Babylonian exile while others remained abroad. In this episode we discuss: * What are the differences between the notions of golah, diaspora, and galut? * Did ancient diaspora Jews have a political equivalent to “supporting Israel”? * How should Jews live when in a partial state of exile? Tune in to hear a conversation about the “proto-messianic mindset” throughout Jewish history and today. Interview begins at 8:58. Dr. Malka Simkovich is the director and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society and previously served as the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and Director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She earned a doctoral degree in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism from Brandeis University and a Master’s degree in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria [https://18forty.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e5fe6ac24e4238308a750e693&id=dac5e80ac1&e=fcdb67fc0f] (2016), Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism [https://18forty.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e5fe6ac24e4238308a750e693&id=d1ec36585e&e=fcdb67fc0f] (2018), and Letters From Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity [https://18forty.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e5fe6ac24e4238308a750e693&id=7312b6f37a&e=fcdb67fc0f], (2024). This is her third time speaking on 18Forty.

The Torah wants Israel to be a religious state, Rabbi Elli Fischer says. Just, maybe, not right now.  A historian, writer, translator, and educator, Elli Fischer extensively explores the relationship between Jewish law and the Jewish state, in the past, present, and future. Elli was a previous guest on 18Forty's Zionism series and a 3-Month Book Journey Leader.  A founding editor of The Lehrhaus, Elli was ordained by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and is working toward a doctorate in Jewish History at Tel Aviv University; his work has appeared far and wide. Now, he joins Sruli Fruchter to answer 18 questions on Israel, including messianism, democracy, and the future of religion in the Jewish state. This interview was held on May 14.

Twice in its history, Jewish sovereignty collapsed in the last quarter of its first century. Yoav Heller believes Israel must heed this warning. Chairman of the Wingate Institute and a Holocaust historian, Yoav Heller is also chairman of the Fourth Quarter movement—a grassroots movement seeking to repair Israel's civil divides and secure the Jewish state's future. Yoav has been immersed in Israeli society, previously CEO of the Maoz Network and a founder of the Ynet website. Yoav has also served as an officer in reserves in the Strategic Planning Division. Now, he joins Sruli Fruchter to answer 18 questions on Israel, including ending the war, bringing the hostages home, and securing Israel's future. This interview was held on May 4.

Wishing Arabs would disappear from Israel, Mikhael Manekin says, is a dangerous fantasy. One of the leaders of Israel's Hasmol Haemuni (Faithful Left) movement, Mikhael is a vocal religious activist for equality and peace. He is the director of the Alliance Fellowship program, an Arab-Jewish political network in Israel, and has authored two books, End of Days Ethics, Tradition, and Power in Israel and Sermons from the Abyss. Mikhael was previously the executive director of Breaking the Silence, an Israeli military veterans’ group that seeks "to expose the public to the reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories."  Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including peace, the IDF, and ending the war in Gaza. This interview was held on April 28.  Here are our 18 questions: 1. As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history? 2. What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas? 3. How have your religious views changed since Oct. 7? 4.  What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for? 5. Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy? 6. Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism? 7. Is opposing Zionism ever antisemitic? 8. Should Israel be a religious state? 9. If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin? 10. Should all Israelis serve in the army? 11. Is the IDF the world’s most moral army? 12. Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism? 13. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today? 14. Do you think the State of Israel is part of the final redemption? 15. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime? 16. What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war? 17. Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”? 18. Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?