State of Tel Aviv, Israel Podcast

On the night before the US midterm elections earlier this week, President Trump announced that 2026 is the last year that Israel will receive funding from America for weapons, abrogating an agreement that runs through to the end of 2028. It was a “Hail Mary” by Trump; a desperate attempt to demonstrate to voters that he was not controlled by Israel, as many prominent Democrats - and Republicans - alleged. At that point there was nothing to slow the vote hemorrhage predicted by polls and what came to pass - a Republican trouncing.Candidates like Michigan’s Abdul Al-Sayed commanded significant attention in the run-up to E-Day. The primary issue of many campaigns? Israel. Israel, many candidates argued, had committed war crimes. Israel had dragged America into a war with Iran that had directly led to price hikes in gasoline, groceries, everything. Al Sayed (in a television ad) even suggested that Israel’s state-run health care system was funded by American taxpayers. This deeply skewed perception was reinforced on the morning after the results came in by none other than Vice President J.D. Vance. In a long X post, set out below, he blamed Israel for the blue tsunami. He blamed - the Jews. Jonathan Conricus joins me to discuss this critical moment in U.S.-Israel relations, which have tanked in the last decade. But now? We are in a crisis. In a flash, various anti-Zionist political players - on the left and the right - have converged in their tendency to demonize Israel. Whether this leads to Israel being isolated globally - wtih the possibility of economic sanctions being imposed as well - or marks the beginning of a new era of Israeli self-sufficiency and diversifying alliances and partnerships remains to be seem. Conricus and I explore the possibilities. Things look grim, indeed. But we have agency in Israel. And that counts for so much. A no-holds-barred look at where we’re at and where we might go from here.Show your support for STLV at buymeacoffee.com/stateoftelavivPodcast Timestamps0:00 Intro2:02 Support the Show2:47 Israel’s Election and the US Midterms4:53 The Midterms as a Report Card for Trump6:11 Putting US Aid to Israel in Perspective6:38 Israel as America’s Best Weapons Marketer8:57 “Amateur Hour”: How the Aid Cut Was Handled10:41 Was Netanyahu Caught by Surprise?12:52 Conricus: A Leapfrog Moment for the Muslim Brotherhood16:56 From Fringe to Mainstream: The Grocery Store Ad18:53 The “Blueprint”: Islamists and the Western Left21:19 JD Vance’s Notorious Tweet23:33 Israel Needs to “Wake Up and Smell the Hummus”25:34 Trump’s Legacy and the Iran Question29:06 Why Iran Shouldn’t Celebrate Yet30:07 The EU Sanctions Threat32:22 Could Israel Become Sparta?34:02 Are Sanctions Inevitable?35:19 Netanyahu’s Crypto Economy Idea36:47 Taking the Initiative in Gaza38:31 Why Sanctions Aren’t a Done Deal41:27 Europe Burning42:35 Schumer and the Senate’s New Insurgents43:27 Final Thoughts: “We Have Agency”44:47 ConclusionPodcast NotesJonathan Conricus is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. He served in the IDF for 24 years, four of them as spokesman during the intense 11 days of the Guardian of the Walls Operation between Israel and Hamas. Now a reserve officer with the rank of Lt. Col., he is a sought-after speaker internationally and is frequently seen on major television news shows. Jonathan was born in Jerusalem to a Swedish father and an Israeli mother and spent his formative years in Sweden.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

I spoke today with Einat Wilf, scholar, prominent thought leader on Zionism and antisemitism. She is also a former MK who came within a whisker of returning to the Israeli parliament. In large part due to the extraordinarily high voter turnout in Israel her party fell short. But Wilf is a warrior and remains hopeful that the party leaders in the “change” coalition will put aside their longstanding inter-personal grievances and come together for the good of the country.But before we get into the Israeli political scene we focus on the dramatic results of the US midterm elections and how prominently Israel was featured in the campaigns of so many candidates. In the tweet below, posted a few hours ago by J.D. Vance, the Vice President clearly blames the way in which America handled its relationship with Israel as the primary reason for the Republican wipeout. It is worth reading the full post.On both sides of the aisle, Israel has become a flashpoint. Michigan Senator Abdul El-Sayed openly states that American support of Israel is the root cause of economic hardship and, well, pretty much every contentious issue that was on the ballot.Antizionism, Wilf notes, is the modern iteration of antisemitism. And attributing the most malevolent conduct to Israel is, well, normalized. As “normal” as a scene portrayed in an El Sayed election ad - showing a couple in a Michigan grocery store deciding that eggs are unaffordable because America is throwing money at Israel to feed its war and genocide machine. We include that notorious ad in the podcast, and discuss these deeply disturbing trends.Episode Timestamps0:00 Intro1:36 Support the Show2:36 What the US Midterms Mean for Israel4:08 Anti-Zionism Goes Mainstream in Both Parties6:57 How Russia Built Modern Anti-Zionism8:22 The Two-Step Playbook Against Jews10:45 Vivian’s Experience of Antisemitism in Canada11:45 The al-Sayed Campaign “Egg Ad”13:51 “Because of Israel, We Can’t Have Nice Things”16:20 Scapegoating and the Ring of Power17:49 Will America’s Can-Do Culture Win Out?19:53 Why Are Jews Voting for Anti-Zionists?21:43 Is America Exceptional?23:12 Back to Israel: Einat Wilf’s Party in the Election24:20 Universal Conscription and “Hostile Autonomies”27:52 Election Day: Just Short of the Threshold30:53 From Post-Oct. 7 Clarity to “Bibi, No Bibi”34:02 “Di”: Why Neither Bloc Can Govern36:55 The Case for a Centrist Zionist Government38:59 The March of Folly40:19 Eisenkot, Herzog and the First Mandate42:38 Postscript: JD Vance’s Post-Election Statement44:45 Excerpts from al-Sayed’s Victory Speech46:40 ConclusionPodcast Notes:Dr. Einat Wilf is Chair of Oz Party and a leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy and education. She was a member of the Israeli Parliament from 2010 to 2013, where she served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Wilf served as an Intelligence Officer in the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company. Dr. Wilf has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. She was the Goldman Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. Dr. Wilf is the author of seven books that explore key issues in Israeli society. “We Should All Be Zionists”, published in 2022, brings together her essays from the past four years on Israel, Zionism and the path to peace; the co-authored “The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace”, was published in 2020.Show your support for STLV at buymeacoffee.com/stateoftelavivState of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

I caught up with Ya’akov Katz on Wednesday afternoon, Israel time, to discuss the election results and try to make sense of it all. There is so much attention being placed on the “right wing bloc” - which really is not a bloc at all. It was a marriage of convenience, but the ultra orthodox partners of Likud have expressed their anger at Prime Minister Netanyahu for what they consider to be his betrayal. They supported him in return for him making good on his promise to bring in a law exempting ultra-orthodox men from serving in the IDF. That never came to pass and they are furious. They are also free agents, but there are few takers looking to capitulate to their terms. The Arab parties had an exceptionally strong turnout and at this point command 19 seats. Unprecedented. And both the change bloc and Netanyahu have made it clear that they believe they should be invited by President Herzog to form a coalition. Oh. And we are still waiting for approximately 400,000 votes to be counted - another unprecedented situation.We explore the possible scenarios and hope that you feel more informed once you’ve listened to us.Show your support for STLV at buymeacoffee.com/stateoftelavivYaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X.“Crisply written... draws on excellent sources within Israel’s military and intelligence services.” —The Wall Street JournalA powerful indictment of the political and military decisions that led to October 7While Israel Slept tells the gripping inside story of how Hamas, Israel’s weakest enemy, succeeded in launching a surprise attack on one of the world’s most powerful militaries. Through a detailed examination of the events leading up to October 7, 2023, the book exposes the intelligence and strategic failures that enabled this devastating invasion. It takes readers back in time, showing how years of complacency, mistaken intelligence analysis, and a misguided policy of containment enabled Hamas to prepare for an assault that Israel did not believe was possible and that would change the Middle East.The book unveils the dramatic events of the night before the attack, highlighting the cracks in Israel’s military and political leadership. It provides unprecedented details on how key warnings were missed, and how Israel ignored the growing threat from Hamas, believing that the group was weak and deterred. By exposing these failures, While Israel Slept offers a stark, sobering account of how overconfidence and complacency paved the way for disaster, while underscoring the critical lessons Israel must embrace to safeguard its future.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

A few days ago, PM Benjamin Netanyahu invited Moti Leitner to his office for a chat. It did not go well - for Netanyahu.In July, Moti Leitner established a new political party - The Haredi Public - to represent the many ultra-orthodox Israelis who he said were not represented by legacy parties. Leitner believes that ultra-orthodox men should serve in the IDF, work to support their families and become full participants in Israeli society. Two of the top four candidates in his party are women, a groundbreaking development in the haredi world. I spoke earlier this week with Ziva Glantz, number four on the list of the Haredi Public party. Polls show them not reaching the threshold to enter the Knesset. But polls have been wrong before. And what we do know is that Leitner and his colleagues have caused significant concern for PM Benjamin Netanyahu as well as the two legacy haredi political parties. Ziva Glantz explains the radical platform and policy of the party in this truly eye-opening conversation. I was surprised by how open the party is to full and meaningful integration into all aspects of Israeli society. Should they make it into the Knesset their influence will be huge.Show your support for STLV at buymeacoffee.com/stateoftelavivPodcast NotesBelow - link to the Haredi Public party policy platform:hatzibur-haharedi.org/en/platformZiva Glanz is a resident of Mevaseret Zion, and mother of five. She is also the CEO of the Sha’ar Group and founder of LaShuv, a network for the absorption of immigrants from Western countries. She is originally from Passaic, New Jersey, and made aliyah in 2005.She began her management career at the age of twenty as an associate director for the Hebron Fund, managing relations with international donors and foundations. She then directed Jerusalem 5800, a private master plan for the greater Jerusalem metropolitan region covering tourism, transportation, and the regional economy. Since 2019 she has been CEO of the Sha’ar Group, which leads public-private partnerships in regional infrastructure projects requiring statutory planning approval. In 2020 she founded Rainmaker and Associates, which advises NGOs and international development initiatives on housing, retirement communities, and urban master plans.In 2014 she organized donations and meals for soldiers and supplied essential equipment during Operation Protective Edge. On October 7, 2023, within hours of the attack, she issued purchase orders around the world for tactical equipment, rallied major donors to the war effort, and supplied equipment to soldiers on behalf of international organizations. She was subsequently appointed co-director of the Discretionary Fund of Israel, and directed the coordination of major donations from the civilian war room of the Ministry of Defense.As founder of LaShuv, she built an umbrella network to unite organizations working in immigrant absorption and coordinate and streamline the long-term absorption of immigrants from Western countries. Through this network she assists groups seeking to make aliyah together and represents their housing, education, and community needs in government ministries.She has been involved with The Next Step, the Israeli association for amputees, since its first day. She also co-founded an international support group for bereaved Jewish mothers and worked with state authorities to change how bereaved parents are treated and how registration and burial of infants are handled. She holds a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on government administration, and a bachelor’s in biology.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

We are down to the wire and the pace of electioneering in Israel is suddenly off the charts. In the midst of all the speculation about who will pass the electoral threshold and who will join a government with this one or that one……I sat down yesterday with B’Yachad candidate and campaign worker, Mati Gill. Naftali Bennett leads the party, with Yair Lapid in the second chair. When the veteran politicians announced their union last spring, they enjoyed a brief surge inthe polls followed by dip and a long lull. They have picked up momentum recently and Bennett, in particular, seems to be everywhere. Mati Gil is a Bennett insider. We had a long conversation on Monday on the two issues that I see as being the most important in this election: the IDF draft and a State Commission of Inquiry into October 7. Like may B’Yachad candidates and supporters, Gill has significant private sector experience in addition to having worked in the public sector. Bennett and Lapid are ready to overhaul pretty much all the key institutions and state functions with a running start. A political team that has deep experience in government and business is rare and desperately needed in Israel. And one of their priorities? Develop a sophisticated state approach to public diplomacy to begin to tackle the badly damaged image and reputation of Israel internationally. It’s a fascinating discussion and an opportunity to understand what the Bennett-Lapid team plans, should they form the government.Show your support for STLV at buymeacoffee.com/stateoftelavivMati Gill is a B’Yachad candidate for Knesset and a biotech executive and entrepreneur. He is the founding CEO of AION Labs, a venture studio with a first-of-its-kind company creation model for new start-ups utilizing AI for drug discovery and development. Prior to founding AION Labs, Mati was a senior executive at Teva Pharmaceuticals and served as Chief of Staff for Israel’s Minister of Public Security. He is an IDF veteran (Maj. res.)`and currently serves on the boards of the Israel Advanced Technology Industries Association (IATI) and the Israel America Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe