Israel Next Podcast

-   This month will see the preliminary climax of the power struggle between the government and the Supreme Court in Israel. Will the court lead the nation towards a breakdown of the entire democratic system, or will its judges use the sense of their predecessors and open up for an orderly way to solve the crisis?-    PA-leader Mahmoud Abbas has once again made outrageous comments on the Holocaust.-    As the holidays approach, the terror level in Israel increases, this year more than normal.-    A former Mossad Chief calls Israel an apartheid regime.-    This week’s Torah portion is about the closeness of God

Israel is experiencing the worst year in terms of terror attacks since 2005. Why is this happening and what can be done?In these days, we mark thirty years since the signing of the Oslo Accords. We offer a brief evaluation of what must be considered a huge failure.A new report reveals shocking material on how the Palestinian Authority erases Jews and Israel from their schoolbooks.In this weeks Torah portion we will talk about the extreme importance of remembering.

Following a short update from our work, these are issues discussed:- September is going to be busy in Israel: Important deliberations will be held by the Supreme Court, demonstrations are likely to continue, and the Jewish holidays with focus on repentance and reconciliation will frame the daily routines from the middle of the month.- With this relatively religious government many ask whether Israel is on the way to become a halacha state – governed by religious law.- Meanwhile Iran is trying a new way to hurt Israel; enlisting Arab Israelis.- In this week’s Torah portion Rabbis deal with the question of whether we are only responsible for our own individual sins.

A brief but important update on the development on the judicial reform in Israel and the internal divisions it has created. The coming days are crucial - I encourage you to pray!

This episode deal with the following topics:1. The Israeli army’s operation in Jenin has been criticized in our media. But it was an extraordinary example of just and moral warfare.2. The anti-government demonstrations in Israel seem to lose direction – and have lost some of the popularity3. Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to strengthen the Palestinian Authority – But is the PA part of the solution or the problem?4. Hamas manipulates Europeans under cover of human rights activism.5. Archaeology: The theory that is slowly collapsing

Hamas is slowly turning Judea and Samaria into a powerful base of terror – but Israel has the power to stop them. The question is if they can allow themselves to do so. In the court cases against Prime Minister Netanyahu, the bribery accusation seems less and less credible. In area after area in Israel law and order is not upheld as it should. Netanyahu needs to prove he can handle this challenge before it get out of control. Finally, and update from my month-long stay in Israel with focus on the importance of visiting Israel.

Tens of thousands of Israelis rejoice over the unification of Jerusalem – but not everyone is happy with the Jerusalem march. Netanyahu struggles with his coalition in budget issues, but is likely to come through this time as well. Mahmoud Abbas gets more extreme as more and more nations are pushed off by his rhetoric. And an inscribed curse found on Mount Ebal causes controversy among archaeologists. This week’s Torah portion deals with the significance of the silence of the desert – and with numbers.

Israel is once again forced to defend its citizens against rocket terror. Operation Shield and Arrow is targeting Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and has delivered a serious blow to that organization. We talk about why it started, how it develops, and where it is likely to lead. We also talk about the lack of interest in Arabs dying in PA prisons, and we have a few words on the unrest in Israel’s governing coalition. We end with the weekly Torah-portion and speak this time of personal responsibility and the power of standing together.

1. A soothing unity resurfaced on Memorial and Independence Day among Israelis. 2. Yesterday, maybe the largest ever right-wing demonstration took place in support of the judicial reform. 3. Netanyahu might be looking for a plea deal in the court cases against him. 4. After news in short, this week’s Torah portion deals with what it is to be holy, why we need to confess sins, and what it means to love one’s neighbor.

Following a short update of Israel Next activities these first four months of 2023, we give an update on the status of the reform of the justice system. We also talk about the fact that more and more Israelis are pushing for a compromise. Then we mark the fact that Israel celebrates its 25th anniversary on Wednesday. Finally, our news in short and the weekly Torah portion rounds off this episode.

As Israel is preparing for the celebration of Passover, the tension within society has been put on hold. Following an extremely dramatic week, opposition and coalition are now finally talking to each other. Hopefully, it will lead to results. In a related comment, I reflect on the way modern persons gather information, in Israel as well as here in Europe. The conclusion is that truth does not automatically come to us – we must search for it. In this weeks parasha, we will look at a paradox between the Torah text and the accompanying text from the prophetic books, the haftara.

As the demonstrations against the law reform continue into the third month, and the division among the people only deepen, Prime Minister Netanyahu finally took the reins of the process on Thursday. But still, there is no obvious solution to the situation. Meanwhile, the Knesset approved a law that annulled part of the Disengagement plan from 2005; Jews will now be allowed to visit northern Samaria again. This week’s Torah Portion speaks of vocation and sacrifices.

The controversy surrounding the law reform continues, but there are also small signs of a softening of positions. Meanwhile, foreign states interfere in Israeli politics by flooding the Supreme Court with hundreds of cases annually. In Nablus/Shechem, Israeli soldiers were confronted by a terror-army and a fierce street battle killing at least ten Palestinian Arabs took place. The terrorists threaten with revenge. And it turns out that Barcelona may not be as anti-Semitic as its Mayor. This weeks Torah portion is called Trumah and has to do with giving.

As preparations for the law reform are continuing, those who oppose it use increasingly  dubious methods. The terrorism in Jerusalem causes the National security minister to overreact while the government provides the traditional answer to terror; strengthening Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. At the same time the Defense Minister orders the border police to destroy a Jewish-owned olive grove outside Shilo is also destroyed causing internal divisions in the coalition. The Torah Portion this week is called Mishpatim and lists a number of laws.

•    A proposed juridical reform that would give more power to the ruling coalition is causing strong divisions inside Israel. Is the reform needed and should it be done differently?•    Israel has sent 450 persons to help victims of the earthquake in Turkey – It is the decidedly largest and most professional of all aid-groups, but the demand and the suffering is beyond description.•    Barcelona cuts all institutional ties with Israel – a lesson in hypocrisy.•    Even this government asks for extension for removing illegal Bedouin settlement of Chan al-Ahmar – an almost surreal request.•    This week’s Torah portion is called Yitro and deals, interestingly, with the justice system in Moses’ days.

Benjamin Netanyahu er i sluttfasen av å danne sin regjering, men den blir allerede kritisert av opposisjonen for å utgjøre en trussel mot demokratiet. En meningsmåling i Det palestinske selvstyret viser en bekymringsfull økning i støtten til terror, og døden til en 16 år gammel jente, mest sannsynlig skutt ved en feiltakelse av en israelsk soldat under en skuddveksling, kaster ved på ilden. I arkeologiens verden vil vi snakke om en romersk vei, en halvshekel preget av opprørere, og om det mye diskuterte spørsmålet om hvor eksakt Jesus ble født.

Benjamin Netanyahu is in the final stages of forming his government, but it is already criticized for constituting a threat to democracy by the opposition. A poll in the Palestinian Authority shows a worrying increase in support for terror, and a the death of a 16-year old girl, most likely shot by mistake by an Israeli soldier during a firefight, fans the flames. In the world of archaeology, we will speak about a Roman road, a half-shekel minted by rebels, and about the much discussed question of whether Jesus was born in a stable or an inn.

Benjamin Netanyahu has no easy task in putting together his coalition, but he may be struggling even more to keep it together once it has been formed. After the elections, terror attacks have increased and at the same time Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Focus have been on IDF soldiers the last week as some of them have crossed limits they should not have crossed. Hamas continues to use schools for weapon storage and the UN continues to turn morality on its head. And finally, in this week’s Torah portion, Jacob gets an encounter with God at Bet El.

Benjamin Netanyahu har ingen enkel oppgave med å sette sammen koalisjonen sin, men han vil kanskje slite enda mer for å holde den sammen når den først er dannet. Etter valget har terrorangrepene økt og samtidig blir lederen av den palestinske selvstyremyndigheten Mahmoud Abbas stadig mer irrelevant. Fokus har vært på IDF-soldater den siste uken ettersom noen av dem har krysset grenser de ikke burde ha krysset. Hamas fortsetter å bruke skoler for våpenlagring og FN fortsetter å snu moral på hodet. Og til slutt, i denne ukens Toralesing, får Jakob et møte med Gud i Bet El.

Benjamin Netanyahu jobber intenst med å danne en regjering, men møter harde krav fra koalisjonspartnerne. I mellomtiden, i og utenfor Israel, pisker dommedagsprofeter opp trusselscenarier om en ekstremistisk regjering. Og en nybygger som i selvforsvar drepte en palestinsk araber går fri. Denne ukens Toralesing handler om Abraham som vår far.