Poison
The Hebrew word רעל means poison. Its root provides us with interesting words related to the military and to bosses, some of whom make our work environments toxic.
The “Cessation’s Cessation” Edition
We discuss: 1) Israel’s return to active fighting in Gaza, and what it may mean for the hostages, for Gazans and for the rest of us 2) PM Netanyahu’s decision to sack Ronen Bar, the head of the General Security Services, and what it says about the state of Israel’s government and the state of Israeli democracy
On Censorship
Adam Shinar, Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, at Reichman University, discusses the recent return of Israel's Film and Theatre Review Board from oblivion, to serve the government's political goals. How did Israel's censorship laws evolve over the years?
The “Horror Vacui” Edition
We discuss: 1) the many diplomatic proposals for what-comes-next-in-Gaza, including one hatched in direct negotiations with Hamas 2) the fact that we are living in a moment of “peak-Amalek,” especially as we celebrate Purim
I’m Getting Into the Game
The Hebrew word אירוע means an event, most often a happy event, like a wedding or bar/bat mitzvah. But its usage has changed lately.
The “Out of Phase” Edition
We discuss: 1) The stalled ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the emergence of the mysterious "Witkoff Plan" 2) The controversy surrounding Netanyahu’s proposed "Egalitarian State Commission of Inquiry" into the October 7 attack
Chronicles of Destruction
How did a Byzantine historian come to meticulously collect evidence about the atrocities of the current war, still ongoing?
The “Unsettling Findings” Edition
We discuss: 1) The results of the long IDF investigation of itself and what it did and did not do on Oct. 7 2) What to make of the Palestinian-Israeli movie “No Other Land” up for an Oscar next week for best documentary feature
Your Israeli Soundtrack for February 2025
DJ Antithesis kicks off the year with music making the airwaves here in our little corner of the Middle East
The “Synagogues & Stadiums” Edition
We discuss: 1) Why religious-Zionists opposed the hostage and prisoner release and ceasefire agreement more than any other sector of society 2) The simpatico between sports clubs, athletes and fans, on the one hand, and the hostages and their families on the other
The “Not a Citadel, a Sanhedrin” Edition
A hundred years ago this week, a Hebrew University was founded in Jerusalem