Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

The Making of the Kristof Column — with Matti Friedman

45 min · 14. mai 2026
episode The Making of the Kristof Column — with Matti Friedman cover

Beskrivelse

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back [https://inside.arkmedia.org/?sc_promo=spring60&utm_source=shownotes]. ____ Subscribe to Ark News Daily [https://lnk.to/AgKi7D] ____ Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual violence How do unverified claims become a New York Times column? On Monday, the New York Times published an opinion column by Nicholas Kristof titled "The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians" [https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000010886586/the-horror-of-sexual-assault-in-israeli-prisons.html] — an explicit attempt to draw a moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel by alleging that both equally engage in systematic sexual violence. The piece, based on interviews with 14 unnamed Palestinians, cited a Geneva-based NGO calling Israeli sexual abuse a "standard operating procedure" and described, among other things, trained dogs used to sexually assault prisoners. Kristof quoted former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appearing to validate the charges - but Olmert subsequently issued a statement clarifying that he did not, in fact, confirm the column's most serious claims, including that Israeli authorities directed the rape of children or that systematic sexual torture is state policy. The morning after Kristof's column appeared, an Israeli civil commission released a 300-page report - built on more than 10,000 photographs, thousands of hours of video, and over 400 testimonies - concluding that Hamas's sexual violence on October 7th was systematic, widespread, and deliberate. The New York Times, which had been told the report was coming months in advance, published it nearly 24 hours after running Kristof's op-ed.  Reporters who spent the day going through Kristof's column claim by claim found it largely unverifiable - no dates, no locations, no names - recycled from dubious sources and in many cases almost certainly false. The deeper question this episode asks is not simply whether the column is fair, but how something like it gets published in the paper of record at all: what is the pipeline, from NGO to press release to Pulitzer Prize winner's byline, that turns unverified claims into fact? And why does that pipeline flow so reliably in one direction?  To answer that, Dan is joined by Matti Friedman, a former AP reporter and editor in Jerusalem, and author of the 2014 Atlantic essay "What the Media Gets Wrong About Israel" [https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/how-the-media-makes-the-israel-story/383262/] - who has spent years documenting the specific mechanisms by which NGOs hostile to Israel have shaped, and in some cases dictated, Western coverage of this conflict. In this episode: 02:12 - What Kristof’s column alleged 09:39 - Which claims are documented, unverifiable, or implausible 14:21 - How NGO claims become mainstream coverage 17:21 - Euro-Med, activist sourcing, and the New York Times 23:47 - Matti Friedman’s warning about Western media 27:21 - The October 7th sexual violence report and the timing problem This episode was sponsored by Birthright: Invest in the Jewish future today at onetripchangeseverything.com [http://onetripchangeseverything.com/]. More Ark Media: * Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings [https://arkmedia.org/careers/]. * Explore Israel Votes [https://arkmedia.org/votes/] * Listen to For Heaven's Sake [https://lnk.to/rfGlrA] * Listen to What’s Your Number? [https://lnk.to/rbGlvM] * Watch Call me Back on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast] * Newsletters | Ark Media [https://mailchi.mp/arkmedia/subscribe-to-our-newsletter] | Amit Segal [https://arkmedia.org/amitsegal/] | Nadav Eyal [https://nadave.substack.com/] * Instagram | Ark Media [https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg] | Dan [https://www.instagram.com/dansenor] * X | Dan [https://x.com/dansenor] * Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel [https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn] * Get in touch [https://arkmedia.org/get-in-touch/] Credits: Ilan Benatar, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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513 Episoder

episode Sneak Peek: Tal on what happens behind closed doors in negotiations cover

Sneak Peek: Tal on what happens behind closed doors in negotiations

For the full episode, subscribe here to Inside Call me Back [https://inside.arkmedia.org/?sc_promo=spring60&utm_source=shownotes]. ____ Subscribe to Ark News Daily [https://lnk.to/AgKi7D] ____ This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call me Back. Tal Becker, who has negotiated on behalf of Israel in the past, details the lesser known levers which are used in negotiations behind closed doors.  ____ You can access the full episode here [https://inside.arkmedia.org/?sc_promo=spring60&utm_source=shownotes], where Dan takes on listener questions about: - Is Israel on the Right Side of History, but the Wrong Strategy? - Aliyah, Yeridah, and How Jews Should Frame their Futures - What Would It Take to Expand the Abraham Accords? - How Israel Can Counter Drones and Emerge Stronger  - Was Leaving the Iran Nuclear Deal a Mistake? More Ark Media: * Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings [https://arkmedia.org/careers/]. * Explore Israel Votes [https://arkmedia.org/votes/] * Listen to For Heaven's Sake [https://lnk.to/rfGlrA] * Listen to What’s Your Number? [https://lnk.to/rbGlvM] * Watch Call me Back on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast] * Newsletters | Ark Media [https://mailchi.mp/arkmedia/subscribe-to-our-newsletter] | Amit Segal [https://arkmedia.org/amitsegal/] | Nadav Eyal [https://nadave.substack.com/] * Instagram | Ark Media [https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg] | Dan [https://www.instagram.com/dansenor] * X | Dan [https://x.com/dansenor] * Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel [https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn] * Get in touch [https://arkmedia.org/get-in-touch/] Credits: Ilan Benatar, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

6. juni 202611 min
episode The Lebanon Trap - with Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal cover

The Lebanon Trap - with Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back [https://inside.arkmedia.org/]. ____ Subscribe to Ark News Daily [https://lnk.to/AgKi7D] ____ Is President Trump saving Israel from a war it can’t win, or forcing it into a deal that leaves Hezbollah intact and Israeli soldiers and citizens vulnerable? President Trump announced a ceasefire in Lebanon. Hezbollah agreed to stop firing rockets into Israel. Israel agreed to not strike Beirut. Yet the fighting in southern Lebanon continues, IDF soldiers are being killed and injured by Hezbollah rockets and drones, and the strategic problem remains unsolved. Dan is joined by Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal to discuss Trump’s explosive phone call and pressures on Netanyahu, the link between Lebanon and the Iran negotiations, and whether this moment represents an off-ramp from an unwinnable conflict or a pause that leaves Israel’s hands tied and facing the same dangerous dilemma in southern Lebanon. In this episode: 04:48 - Trump's expletive-laced confrontation with Netanyahu over Lebanon 06:42 - What the new Lebanon "ceasefire" actually means 10:09 - Why Hezbollah's drone campaign is hurting Netanyahu politically 13:21 - Is the “Lebanon Trap” also possibly an off-ramp for Israel? 21:09 - What is really driving Netanyahu's decision-making? 23:30 - How Lebanon became part of the Iran negotiations 26:39 - Does Hezbollah's fate ultimately depend on Iran? 28:36 - Is Hezbollah weaker today, or stronger by adapting for the next war? More Ark Media: * Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings [https://arkmedia.org/careers/]. * Explore Israel Votes [https://arkmedia.org/votes/] * Listen to For Heaven's Sake [https://lnk.to/rfGlrA] * Listen to What’s Your Number? [https://lnk.to/rbGlvM] * Watch Call me Back on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast] * Newsletters | Ark Media [https://mailchi.mp/arkmedia/subscribe-to-our-newsletter] | Amit Segal [https://arkmedia.org/amitsegal/] | Nadav Eyal [https://nadave.substack.com/] * Instagram | Ark Media [https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg] | Dan [https://www.instagram.com/dansenor] * X | Dan [https://x.com/dansenor] * Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel [https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn] * Get in touch [https://arkmedia.org/get-in-touch/] Credits: Ilan Benatar, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

4. juni 202633 min
episode ISRAEL VOTES: How Israel’s Elections Work - with Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal cover

ISRAEL VOTES: How Israel’s Elections Work - with Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back [https://inside.arkmedia.org/]. ____ Subscribe to Ark News Daily [https://lnk.to/AgKi7D] ____ In a few months elections will be held in Israel, the first since Oct. 7th, and arguably one of the most consequential in Israel’s history. But how do the elections actually work in Israel? As part of our Israel Votes series, Dan is joined by Amit Segal and Nadav Eyal for a practical guide to the mechanics behind Israeli democracy: the Knesset, coalition-building, electoral thresholds, and the structural realities that will shape the next election long before a single vote is counted. In this episode: 03:33 - Why Israel Chose a Parliamentary System 07:06 - The Knesset, the Government, and the Courts 12:36 - How Votes Become Knesset Seats 14:57 - How Israel Actually Chooses a Prime Minister 18:45 - Coalition Negotiations and the Fight Over Ministries 22:09 - What Caused Israel's Five-Election Deadlock? 24:54 - What Election Night Looks Like in Israel 27:45 - Does Israel End Election Night With a Governing Majority? More Ark Media: * Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings [https://arkmedia.org/careers/]. * Explore Israel Votes [https://arkmedia.org/votes/] * Listen to For Heaven's Sake [https://lnk.to/rfGlrA] * Listen to What’s Your Number? [https://lnk.to/rbGlvM] * Watch Call me Back on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast] * Newsletters | Ark Media [https://mailchi.mp/arkmedia/subscribe-to-our-newsletter] | Amit Segal [https://arkmedia.org/amitsegal/] | Nadav Eyal [https://nadave.substack.com/] * Instagram | Ark Media [https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg] | Dan [https://www.instagram.com/dansenor] * X | Dan [https://x.com/dansenor] * Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel [https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn] * Get in touch [https://arkmedia.org/get-in-touch/] Credits: Ilan Benatar, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

1. juni 202631 min
episode Bonus Episode: Is Zionism for Everyone? – with Alana Newhouse cover

Bonus Episode: Is Zionism for Everyone? – with Alana Newhouse

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back [https://inside.arkmedia.org/?sc_promo=spring60&utm_source=shownotes]. ____ Subscribe to Ark News Daily [https://lnk.to/AgKi7D] ____ Why has the world become so fixated on Zionism, and what does that obsession actually reveal about the West? Alana Newhouse joins Dan Senor to unpack her widely debated essay Zionism for Everyone. They explore how rapid technological change and cultural disorientation are colliding with an ancient idea of peoplehood and why that tension is showing up in the global conversation about Israel. Newhouse argues that the fixation on Zionism is not really about Israel at its core, but about something missing in modern societies: identity, purpose, and self-determination. She lays out a provocative framework for what makes societies resilient, why some nations are struggling, and whether the model behind Zionism can be applied far beyond Israel. Read Alana’s essay in The Free Press, Zionism for Everyone here [https://www.thefp.com/p/zionism-is-for-everyone?publication_id=260347&isFreemail=false&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_campaign=dsa&utm_adgroup=all&utm_term=&utm_matchtype=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23366241107&gbraid=0AAAAApHxamHLEUDLBlTYeFQc8Pa2RmcOg&gclid=CjwKCAjwwdbPBhBgEiwAxBRA4Rg-1lSihcHhNm8RqQhBw0TlEWS_Ynw6ausxx0yasN5tYqXsykOVfhoCSnMQAvD_BwE].  In this episode: - The collision between rapid technological change and ancient identity debates - Why Zionism has become a global fixation right now - What “ethnos” really means and why it’s being misunderstood - Zionism as a model: identity, vision, and hard work - What went wrong in the West and the limits of globalization - Is anti-Zionism driven by envy or a loss of self-determination? - The four traits of resilient societies - Can this model be applied beyond Israel, and by whom? - The erosion of peoplehood in the modern West More Ark Media: * Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings [https://arkmedia.org/careers/]. * Explore Israel Votes [https://arkmedia.org/votes/] * Listen to For Heaven's Sake [https://lnk.to/rfGlrA] * Listen to What’s Your Number? [https://lnk.to/rbGlvM] * Watch Call me Back on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast] * Newsletters | Ark Media [https://mailchi.mp/arkmedia/subscribe-to-our-newsletter] | Amit Segal [https://arkmedia.org/amitsegal/] | Nadav Eyal [https://nadave.substack.com/] * Instagram | Ark Media [https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg] | Dan [https://www.instagram.com/dansenor] * X | Dan [https://x.com/dansenor] * Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel [https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn] * Get in touch [https://arkmedia.org/get-in-touch/] Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

31. mai 202645 min
episode Sneak Peek: Dan on what diaspora Jews want from Israel’s leader - and what Israelis want cover

Sneak Peek: Dan on what diaspora Jews want from Israel’s leader - and what Israelis want

For the full episode, subscribe here to Inside Call me Back [https://inside.arkmedia.org/?sc_promo=spring60&utm_source=shownotes]. ____ Subscribe to Ark News Daily [https://lnk.to/AgKi7D] ____ This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call me Back. Dan addresses a listener's question about Gadi Eisenkot's political appeal and whether the qualities Israelis look for in a prime minister are the same ones valued by Diaspora Jews.  You can access the full episode here [https://inside.arkmedia.org/?sc_promo=spring60&utm_source=shownotes], where Dan takes on listener questions about: - What should Trump do next on Iran? - Will Rachel Goldberg-Polin return for another holiday episode? - Is there still hope for Arab and Haredi integration in Israel? - Why the Haredi draft exemption is reaching a breaking point - Could Arab or Haredi parties decide Israel’s next government? More Ark Media: * Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings [https://arkmedia.org/careers/]. * Explore Israel Votes [https://arkmedia.org/votes/] * Listen to For Heaven's Sake [https://lnk.to/rfGlrA] * Listen to What’s Your Number? [https://lnk.to/rbGlvM] * Watch Call me Back on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast] * Newsletters | Ark Media [https://mailchi.mp/arkmedia/subscribe-to-our-newsletter] | Amit Segal [https://arkmedia.org/amitsegal/] | Nadav Eyal [https://nadave.substack.com/] * Instagram | Ark Media [https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg] | Dan [https://www.instagram.com/dansenor] * X | Dan [https://x.com/dansenor] * Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel [https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn] * Get in touch [https://arkmedia.org/get-in-touch/] Credits: Ilan Benatar, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

30. mai 202611 min