Recent Episodes
Bridging the Gulf
Dr. Moran Zaga explains the historic and political background to a series of unlikely diplomatic deals between Israel and certain Arab states, what's in it for them, and why the UAE seeks to position itself as the moderate actor between competing extremist forces throughout the Middle East
The Middle East Through Russian-Israeli Eyes
Ksenia Svetlova's story is gripping: she moved to Israel as a teen, grew up to become a journalist, and eventually served as MK. In her new book, Ksenia brings her story to her beat, giving readers an over-her-shoulder view of Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and the Palestinians areas closer to home.
About the Hosts
Gilad Halpern
Gilad is a journalist, broadcaster and media historian. He is also a founding co-editor of the Tel Aviv Review of Books magazine, an English-language online quarterly, and an Idit Fellow at the University of Haifa, researching the history of the Jewish press in Mandatory Palestine. Previously he was Managing Editor for Ynetnews and Assignments Editor for Haaretz English Edition. His work appeared on the BBC, Al Jazeera, Al Monitor, Time Out magazine, the Jewish Quarterly and the Jewish Chronicle.
Dr. Yael Berda
Dr. Yael Berda is Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Hebrew University, and a fellow at Middle East initiative at Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She received her PhD from Princeton University; her MA from Tel Aviv University, and her LLB from Hebrew University faculty of Law. Previously a practicing Human Rights lawyer, representing clients in Military, District and Supreme courts in Israel, her most recent books are Living Emergency: Israel's Permit Regime in the West Bank and Colonial Bureaucracy and Contemporary Citizenship: Legacies of Race and Emergencies in the Former British Empire.
Who Poisoned My News?
Has social media corrupted the truth, spawned fake news and contributed to the collapse of polite political norms? Harvard University's Yochai Benkler explains his surprising findings