We discuss 1) whether Labor leader Amir Peretz is right that two leftist parties are better than one 2) whether the leaders of Israel’s new right-wing-consortium are right that one party to the right of the Likud is better than two 3) a new district court ruling finding that a man can be sued for not divulging to his fiancé-cum-wife that he prefers sex with men

We discuss 1) Labor Party’s decision to merge with the center-right Gesher party 2) the foreign ministry’s decision to retool its diplomats into economic ambassadors, rather than political ones 3) an advertisement that has half the country wailing and gnashing its teeth about selling out Israeli culture for filthy lucre

We discuss 1) signs of a new openness to cooperation between Jews & Arabs on the Left 2) a new book the purpose of which is “reclaiming Judaism from Zionism” in America 3) the legacy of the “Bund” in Israel, on the occasion of the closing of Tel Aviv’s “Bund House”

We discuss 1) Ayelet Shaked’s aspirations to lead Israel’s religious right, even though she’s as secular as can be 2) the woes of southern resort city Eilat 3) a week after we buried another Ethiopian kid killed by a police officer, what accounts for our omnipresent racism?

We discuss 1) the recombobulation of the Left, with reconditioned leaders: Labor’s Amir Peretz, Meretz’s Nitzan Horowitz and Ehud Barak of the no-name-party 2) is anything left of the right-wing Two-State-Solution? 3) whether hummus has a role to play in finding regional peace, following a new book that asserts that it might!

We discuss 1) Blue & White party’s dilemma: Should they attack the ultra-Orthodox, whom they may want as coalition partners after the election? 2) the Trump “Deal of the Century” economic plan unveiled this week 3) the news that the second to last movie theater in Tel Aviv may soon close

We discuss 1) the announcement by Avigdor Lieberman that he’ll force Likud and Blue & White to form a centrist, secular govt. 2) the plea bargain that put an end to Sara Netanyahu’s 4 year long trial for ordering expensive take-out food in contravention of govt. rules 3) on its 100th anniversary, what role does Ha’aretz play in Israeli politics and public life

We discuss 1) who should replace Labor Party head Avi Gabbay 2) new tricked-out hi-tech checkpoints that dramatically reduce the time it takes for Palestinians to enter Israel to work 3) newly appointed Likud Minister of Justice, Amir Ohana, the first out minister in Israel’s history, who was jeered and hounded from the Jerusalem Pride Parade

We discuss 1) the complaint that our do-over elections are costing us a ton of money 2) what accounts for the rise of Milton Friedman style capital-C Conservatism 3) whether or not non-Orthodox Judaism has something to offer Israeli politics

We discuss 1) what the hell happened that set us on the path to new elections (again!) 2) whether the huge demonstration this week set the Center-Left on a new path 3) what we ought to make of the counter-protest that set Jerusalem ultra-Orthodox Jews scurrying, eyes covered, as women took off their tops