Haaretz Podcast

U.S. Jews and Israel 'are no longer exceptional': Dahlia Lithwick and Joshua Leifer on being 'Trump's chess pieces'

When it comes to liberal American Jews and President Donald Trump, the “cognitive dissonance is real,” said award-winning journalist Dahlia Lithwick on the Haaretz Podcast.  While Lithwick “doesn’t dispute for a minute" the fact that the U.S. president and his envoys “did yeoman’s work” negotiating a cease-fire deal, it is not enough for her to soften her perception of the level of danger that Trump represents.  With democracy and rule of law being challenged, “You have to ask yourself, am I transactional enough to say that I will subordinate all of that to parochial interests?” she said in her conversation with Haaretz columnist Joshua Leifer and podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer.  “If you say you can pick and choose which authoritarian you want to align yourself with, cross your fingers and hope you know this time, being a court Jew is going to work out – history suggests otherwise.” In their in-depth discussion, Lithwick and Leifer also consider the trends in U.S. politics on the right and left, which are upending the long-held assumptions of American Jewish life and the urgent need to confront the new “transactional” reality and abandon “magical thinking.” “American Jewish organizations sold the idea to American Jews that they were more powerful than they were. And I think Israel sold to American Jews – and also Israelis – that Israel is more powerful than it is,” Leifer said.  For U.S. Jews to effectively fight for their interests, including the battle against antisemitism, he said, they must leave behind “the old rhetoric and strategies – because no one cares anymore.” Read more from Haaretz columnist Joshua Leifer: In Blood-soaked Israel-Palestine, the Dangerous Status Quo of Before October 7 Has Returned [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-12-05/ty-article/.premium/in-blood-soaked-israel-palestine-a-dangerous-status-quo-has-returned/0000019a-e9c5-d0ea-afff-fbcf35b40000] It's Clear What Defendant Netanyahu Gets Out of a Pardon. But What's in It for Trump? [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-11-30/ty-article/.premium/its-clear-what-defendant-netanyahu-gets-out-of-a-pardon-but-whats-in-it-for-trump/0000019a-d5a6-d824-ad9e-ffff79320000] The Ultra-hawkish Right and anti-Zionist Left Have Drowned the American Jewish Majority [https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025-11-21/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-ultra-hawkish-right-and-anti-zionist-left-have-drowned-the-american-jewish-middle/0000019a-a618-dd6e-a5fa-fffc74910000] Why Netanyahu Is Sharing Leftist Conspiracy Theories About a Mossad Sex Cabal [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2025-11-23/ty-article/.highlight/why-netanyahu-is-sharing-leftist-conspiracy-theories-about-a-mossad-sex-cabal/0000019a-b137-dd6e-a5fa-fbf7689f0002] Israel's Right Wing Bet the Country's Future on American Christian Nationalists. That Has Backfired [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-11-05/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israels-right-bet-the-countrys-future-on-american-christians-that-has-backfired/0000019a-550a-d22e-a39b-7dfa5cb40000] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Freed hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov: 'I survived months of torture in Iraq – I won't be silenced in Israel'

After Russian-Israeli academic Elizabeth Tsurkov was freed from captivity in Iraq in September following two and a half years of imprisonment and torture, she returned to a very different Israel, she said in a wide-ranging interview on the Haaretz Podcast.  Israelis “have changed in very fundamental ways,” she said. “After October 7, the circle of people towards whom Israelis feel compassion shrunk very significantly.” As she returns to public life as a researcher and commentator on Middle East affairs, while undergoing physical rehabilitation from injuries she suffered as the prisoner of Kata’ib Hezbollah, she has already been attacked by the Israeli right for social media posts in support of human rights and critical of Israel’s policies in Gaza.  Despite being held in captivity, she said, her political views “have not substantially changed: I still see Arabs as human beings, which is an unpopular opinion, it seems.”  In her conversation with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Tsurkov discusses the politics of Iraq – the country where she was kidnapped and held – following their recent elections, calling it a “failed oil state” driven by the behavior of Iranian-backed militias with “no clear path for reform and change.”  She also analyzes the impact of the new regime in Syria, praising the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump towards the year-old government.  She also credits the president with her release. “Trump is the reason I'm free. This is not an interpretation, this is a fact. I know exactly how I came to be released: It was because of threats that were made on his behalf.” Read more: Right-wing Pundit Amit Segal: Tsurkov 'Should Do Some Soul-searching About the Price Her Stupid Adventures Cost Israel' [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-12-01/ty-article/.premium/right-wing-journalist-amit-segal-accuses-released-iraq-captive-of-hating-israel/0000019a-da10-db00-adba-df3511920000] 'Strung Up and Tortured': Elizabeth Tsurkov Recounts Over Two Years of Captivity in Iraq [http://haaretz.com/middle-east-news/2025-11-05/ty-article/strung-up-and-tortured-elizabeth-tsurkov-recounts-over-two-years-of-captivity-in-iraq/0000019a-53ae-d22e-a39b-7ffe80da0000] 'Things Weren't Easy': After Iraq Captivity, Elizabeth Tsurkov Tells Netanyahu She Was Tortured [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-09-13/ty-article/.premium/after-iraq-captivity-elizabeth-tsurkov-tells-netanyahu-she-was-tortured/00000199-447c-d6a4-a7bd-7dfcc2e90000] What Is Kata'ib Hezbollah? [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-07-07/ty-article/.premium/inside-the-pro-iran-militia-holding-israeli-academic-elizabeth-tsurkov-hostage-in-iraq/00000189-2f56-da0e-a59b-af7713310000] Opinion | Through My Friend Elizabeth Tsurkov, I Learned That Syrians and Israelis Desire the Same Thing [https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-03-12/ty-article-opinion/.premium/through-my-friend-elizabeth-tsurkov-i-learned-syrians-and-israelis-want-the-same-thing/00000195-8640-d012-aff7-e6d1a7c70000] Elizabeth Tsurkov's past writing for Haaretz [https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da25-d42c-afff-dff7f32e0000] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

'Neutrality is not a sexy choice to make': Israel Red Cross chief regrets 'unsuccessful' attempts to assist hostages

In his first interview since his release, former hostage Alon Ohel called the International Committee of the Red Cross a “disgraceful organization.” His anger reflects a general bitterness among Israelis who believe ICRC failed to ensure the Israeli hostages’ received humanitarian treatment in captivity and their silence in the face of Hamas’ refusal to grant them access.  On the Haaretz Podcast, the head of ICRC’s Israel sub-delegation, Yuval Arie Nevo, admitted in an interview that the hostility on the part of the Israeli public was “totally understandable” given the group’s persistent but ultimately “unsuccessful” efforts to gain access to the hostages to assess their condition and offer medical and humanitarian assistance.  While acknowledging the failures, “we are very proud of our work,” said Nevo, referring to the implementation of the transfer of the hostages from Hamas to Israel under the cease-fire agreement in October, coordinated with the release and exchange of Palestinian prisoners – and ICRC’s role in returning the remains of slain hostages as well.  The “reputation crisis” the ICRC is suffering in Israel, he said, is due in large part to the constraints of the organization’s commitment to “impartiality” and the use of “bilateral confidential dialogue,” or refraining from taking sides in public statements. Without such a policy, he argued, ICRC would not be able to effectively conduct humanitarian operations and return prisoners and hostages anywhere in the world. Still, “I know it is a source of great frustration in the Israeli public,” he said. “Neutrality is not a sexy choice to make.” Read more: Sexual Assault, Starvation, Stitches Without Anesthesia: Alon Ohel Details Hamas Captivity [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-12-02/ty-article/sexual-assault-starvation-stitches-without-anesthesia-alon-ohel-details-hamas-captivity/0000019a-de26-df00-afba-deaefe9c0000] Opinion | For the Hostages in Gaza, the Red Cross Is Neutral. But We Are Not Bystanders [https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-03-09/ty-article-opinion/.premium/for-the-hostages-in-gaza-the-red-cross-is-neutral-but-we-are-not-bystanders/00000195-7b90-d46d-a3f7-fbfdf5880000] Far-right MKs Cite Classified Report on Red Cross Visits to Israeli Prisons, Refuse to Share It With Arab Lawmaker [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-11-25/ty-article/.premium/far-right-mks-cite-classified-report-on-red-cross-visits-to-prisons-refuse-to-share-it/0000019a-ba4b-d824-ad9e-fb7fab2a0000] Israeli Defense Ministry Renews Its Ban on Red Cross Visits to Palestinian Security Prisoners Before High Court [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-10-29/ty-article/.premium/defense-minister-signs-order-to-continue-ban-on-red-cross-visits-to-palestinian-prisoners/0000019a-2fac-d856-a9ff-6faf5cf50000] Israel Allows Hamas to Join Red Cross in IDF-held Gaza Areas to Recover Hostage Bodies [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-10-26/ty-article/.premium/israel-allows-red-cross-egyptian-teams-in-idf-held-gaza-areas-to-recover-hostage-bodies/0000019a-2101-dd96-af9b-391d08fc0000] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Trump ‘emboldened’ Netanyahu to seek a pardon: Dahlia Scheindlin on Israel’s latest political bombshell

There was a clear “threat” delivered in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s formal letter to the President Isaac Herzog requesting a pardon in his corruption case, senior Haaretz columnist Dahlia Scheindlin said on the Haaretz Podcast.  Netanyahu’s government continues to conduct a “campaign of vicious political incitement against the Israeli judiciary,” Scheindlin noted. “And what he's basically saying in the request is: ‘You see how bad I can make things. This is what will happen and continue to happen if you don't end this.’ It’s a very severe statement.’’ On Sunday, Netanyahu formally submitted a pardon request to the Israeli president. He has been on trial for three separate criminal cases – charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust – since 2020 and is currently being cross-examined by prosecutors in court.  On the podcast, Scheindlin discusses the impact a pardon would have on a future election and the U.S.-led efforts to pursue the goals laid out in the Gaza cease-fire agreement, as well as what she believes Israel’s opposition needs to do to seize this moment ahead of next October’s election in order to formulate a “winning strategy” to defeat Netanyahu.  Read more from Dahlia Scheindlin: The Visionary Palestinian Peace Plan for Israel and Gaza That You've Never Heard Of [https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/2025-11-26/ty-article/.premium/the-visionary-palestinian-peace-plan-for-israel-and-gaza-that-youve-never-heard-of/0000019a-c18d-db2f-afdf-f7bdaa2f0000] Nobody Wants This? Netanyahu Is Gaslighting Israelis Over October 7 Investigation [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-11-12/ty-article/.premium/nobody-wants-this-netanyahu-is-gaslighting-israelis-over-october-7-investigation/0000019a-78fc-d1ab-a3fa-7cfe27420000] What Israel's Opposition Should Learn From Mamdani [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-11-06/ty-article/.premium/what-israels-opposition-should-learn-from-mamdani/0000019a-5899-d2eb-afda-de99fab90000] Read more on Netanyahu's pardon request: What You Need to Know About Netanyahu's Bid for a Presidential Pardon in His Corruption Trial [https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-explains/2025-12-01/ty-article/.premium/what-was-the-legal-basis-for-netanyahus-pardon-request-how-will-the-top-court-rule/0000019a-d588-db2f-afdf-f7b8400c0000] 43 Percent of Israelis Oppose Pardoning Netanyahu in Corruption Trials, Polls Show [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-12-01/ty-article/.premium/over-one-third-of-israelis-support-pardoning-netanyahu-in-corruption-trials-polls-show/0000019a-d97d-d824-ad9e-fb7f01300000] It's Clear What Defendant Netanyahu Gets Out of a Pardon. But What's in It for Trump? [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-11-30/ty-article/.premium/its-clear-what-defendant-netanyahu-gets-out-of-a-pardon-but-whats-in-it-for-trump/0000019a-d5a6-d824-ad9e-ffff79320000] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

From Gaza to Epstein: Why Israel is losing MAGA and the evangelicals

The feud between U.S. President Donald Trump and MAGA congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene may not be exclusively about Israel, “but Israel is one of the pillars of the narrative” that fueled Greene’s decision to resign earlier this week, Haaretz’s Washington correspondent Ben Samuels told the Haaretz Podcast.  Until recently, the right was viewed as an unshakeable mainstay of American support for Israel. Schisms within the Republican Party have ruptured over Israel’s compatibility with MAGA-style isolationism, critiques of Israel’s wartime conduct and commentator Tucker Carlson’s embrace of Nick Fuentes. Greene’s departure, which also comes amid a swirl of conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein and the Mossad, is a red flag regarding the “deep realignment” taking place in the GOP and among evangelical Christians, Samuels said – and Israeli leaders are worried.  Omer Benjakob, Haaretz’s cyber and disinformation correspondent, joined the podcast to discuss his recent investigation into a major multi-platform online campaign by the Israeli government that seeks to rehabilitate its image among the American Christian right.  Benjakob said the multimillion-dollar campaign  seems to be “less about pro- or anti- Israel arguments and more about trying to quell a growing wave of antisemitism.” He noted that the “rapid decline of this ‘unshakable bond’ points to a dependency on a population that progressive voices have warned Israel for years against getting in bed with.” Read more: Losing the Republican Base, Israel Pours Millions to Target Evangelicals and Churchgoers [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2025-11-09/ty-article-magazine/.premium/losing-the-republican-base-israel-pours-millions-to-target-evangelicals-and-churchgoers/0000019a-540e-db4c-a5fb-dfafea590000] Between Mamdani and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Netanyahu's Allies in Washington Have Cause to Be Alarmed [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2025-11-24/ty-article/.highlight/under-trumps-watchful-eye-mamdani-and-mtg-usher-israel-into-a-new-era-of-u-s-politics/0000019a-b6d8-dcd7-a3be-bef9d14b0000] Why Netanyahu Is Sharing Leftist Conspiracy Theories About a Mossad Sex Cabal [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2025-11-23/ty-article/.highlight/why-netanyahu-is-sharing-leftist-conspiracy-theories-about-a-mossad-sex-cabal/0000019a-b137-dd6e-a5fa-fbf7689f0002] Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Resigns From Office, After Trump's Support Withdrawal Last Week [https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025-11-22/ty-article/marjorie-taylor-greene-resigns-from-office-after-trumps-support-withdrawal-last-week/0000019a-aa26-dd6e-a5fa-fbe6565d0000] Israel's Right Wing Bet the Country's Future on American Christian Nationalists. That Has Backfired [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-11-05/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israels-right-bet-the-countrys-future-on-american-christians-that-has-backfired/0000019a-550a-d22e-a39b-7dfa5cb40000] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.