Advertise on podcast: Israel Policy Pod

In this episode, Neri Zilber, Israel Policy Forum policy advisor and host of Israel Policy Pod, is joined by Amir Tibon, Haaretz journalist and author of The Gates of Gaza, to discuss his family’s survival of the October 7 attack and their difficult decision to return home to Kibbutz Nahal Oz. They discuss what life is like in Israel’s Gaza border communities three years after October 7, the lasting impact of the attack on Israeli society and politics, and how these dynamics are shaping the upcoming Knesset election. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

In this episode, Neri Zilber is joined by Amos Harel, Haaretz military correspondent and author of the recent Hebrew-language book 06:29: Anatomy of a Failure, to examine what we know about the October 7 attack nearly three years later. They discuss reports that Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received warnings from Arab officials before the attack, the conspiracy theories that have emerged in Israel and abroad, and how Israel’s military and intelligence failures can be explained. They also assess the state of Israel’s multi-front conflicts, how October 7 has reshaped Israel’s security doctrine, and what could change under a new Israeli government following the upcoming Knesset election. Listen to our new podcast Disputed Territory with Shanie Reichman here. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

In this episode, Amb. Michael Ratney, Distinguished Policy Fellow at Israel Policy Forum, joins host Neri Zilber, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist, to discuss the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen, the prospects for U.S. military involvement under President Donald Trump, and the implications for Saudi Arabia and regional stability. They also break down the history of Saudi-Israel normalization, how close the sides came to a U.S.-brokered deal before October 7, the prospects for a future agreement, and what Saudi Arabia would demand in return. Listen to our new podcast Disputed Territory with Shanie Reichman here. Read Amb. Ratney's recent op-ed on Lindsey Graham and Israel-Saudi normalization in The Times of Israel here. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

In this episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Israel Policy Pod Host Neri Zilber, RAND’s Distinguished Chair for Israel Policy Shira Efron, and Israel Policy Forum Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow discuss the latest developments in the Israeli election, now less than 50 days away, including the party registration deadline, the emerging electoral map, the consolidated opposition, and what the polls are telling us. They also unpack the crisis in UK-Israel relations over British sanctions targeting West Bank settlements and the Israeli government’s response, before closing with a listener question ahead of the Jewish New Year. Send questions and feedback to [email protected]. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Israeli political analyst and pollster Dahlia Scheindlin. They discuss the current state of play in Israel’s election campaign, the main takeaways from recent polling, Yoav Segalovich’s alliance with the Islamist Ra’am party and the broader role of Arab parties in the election, Gadi Eisenkot’s bid for prime minister, Netanyahu’s efforts to manage multiple far-right parties threatening separate campaign runs, and more. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Director Shanie Reichman hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow for a wide-ranging conversation on upcoming Israeli elections, the status of Hamas disarmament in Gaza, Israel's role in U.S. domestic politics, challenges facing the American Jewish community, and more. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber speaks with Col. (ret.) Dr. Michael Milshtein, former head of the Department for Palestinian Affairs in Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, about the deadly incident in the West Bank village of Tell and the broader escalation of violence in the territory. They examine the Israeli government's role in shaping current dynamics, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's grand vision for the West Bank and the Palestinians, the realities of the settlement movement that many Israelis have yet to confront, the prospects for a future Israeli government to change course, and more. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Dan Rothem (Senior Policy Analyst, Israel Policy Forum) and Shira Efron (Distinguished Israel Policy Chair, RAND) join Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to discuss the start of Israel’s election campaign: Gadi Eisenkot’s rise in the polls, how Bibi Netanyahu has tried to fight back against yet another retired general, and the resurrection of the Israeli left. They then turn to the regional arena, including this week's U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal and what it means for Israel, the state of play in Gaza, and much more. Note: This episode was recorded before President Trump's Truth Social post asserting that the Saudi nuclear deal is contingent on normalization with Israel. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week's episode, Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at International Crisis Group, joins Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to discuss the renewed military escalation between the United States and Iran, why the Strait of Hormuz has once again become the central flashpoint, the Iranian regime's continued hardline posture, President Donald Trump's strategy of brinkmanship, the likelihood of further escalation or a return to full-scale conflict, whether Israel could become directly involved, the broader regional implications, and more. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber and Israel Policy Forum Director of Strategic Initiatives and IPF Atid Shanie Reichman discuss the Netanyahu government's push to pass a slew of controversial bills before the Knesset's term likely ends next week, the looming constitutional crisis after the government refused to recognize a Supreme Court decision, the state of the anti-Netanyahu opposition ahead of the October election, limbo on the different war fronts in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, what the recent wins by far-left candidates in New York mean for U.S. politics, the growing focus on Israel in American life, and more.  Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts David Daoud, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. They discuss the recent U.S.-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon, the chances of the deal actually leading to Hezbollah's disarmament and Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon, the ability of the Lebanese army to fulfill its obligations, the reaction inside Lebanon to the agreement, why Netanyahu touted it as a "historic achievement," whether peace can be achieved between the two countries, and more.  Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Dan Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel. They discuss why the recent U.S.-Israel war with Iran was a strategic mistake, what this week's memorandum of understanding reached between the U.S. and Iran actually includes, what the deal says about Trump's priorities and leverage in the negotiations, the slim prospects of actually getting a final agreement on Iran's nuclear program, the state of relations between Trump and Netanyahu, where Israel goes from here, and more.  Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Washington Managing Director and Senior Policy Analyst Rachel Brandenburg. They discuss this week's major escalation between Israel and Iran, what it signals regarding the Islamic Republic's thinking two months after the original ceasefire, why President Trump put an end to the exchanges of fire and his chances of securing a deal, the implications for Israel and Netanyahu, and why Lebanon will likely prove critical in what comes next. In the second half of the episode, they analyze the ongoing negotiations over a new U.S.-Israel security assistance deal and the politics of Israel in America right now, drawing on Israel Policy Forum’s recent report Partnership Recalibrated: The Next Era of U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation.  Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Dahlia Scheindlin, a political analyst and pollster, to discuss the current state of Israeli politics, what the polls are saying (and not saying) about the upcoming election, the mixed fortunes so far of the Bennett-Lapid merger, the rising Gadi Eisenkot, the role the Arab-Israeli political parties could play in the election, why voters are still drawn to Netanyahu's Likud party, what the future holds for Bezalel Smotrich, and more.  Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow and Distinguished RAND Israel Policy Chair Shira Efron. The trio discuss the looming deal between the U.S. and Iran over an end to the war, what the agreement likely includes and critically omits, who won the war if it ends this way, how Netanyahu may try to spin the ensuing deal, what impact it could have on the ongoing fighting in Lebanon, the dangerous state of play in Gaza, and more.  Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Bluesky, and subscribe to our email list here.