David Ze'ev In Israel: Recent Episodes
David Ze'ev In Israel
David Ze'ev in Israel - hearing from the newsmakers, those in the know, and the regular people who make this country so special.
David Ze'ev asks Ambassador Danny Ayalon, formerly Israel's deputy foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, and now the head of The Truth About Israel, about the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the reasons for Israel's demonization at the UN and what can be done to improve the situation. David also talks with Jeremy Saltan of the Bayit Yehudi party about the secret Trump peace plan, Isaac Herzog's new position as the chairman of the Jewish Agency, and how Bayit Yehudi head and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett will work together with former Labor leader Herzog on joint initiatives.
Recent news reports have emphasized the security issues on Israel's border with Gaza, but most analysts view the threat from Hezbollah on the northern border as the greater long-term threat. David Ze'ev speaks to Dr. Erez Carmon, manager of emergency preparedness at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, which has used the lessons of the 2006 conflict with Hezbollah to create the world's largest hospital designed to be functional in wartime conditions. David also discusses the benefits of aliya to Southern Israel, and the advantages of moving there rather than to Central Israel, with Donna Horwitz of the Nefesh B'Nefesh Go South initiative.
There is a new form of attack against Israel that has been barely noticed, but is causing real damage in the communities near the Gaza Strip: flaming kites flown from Gaza into local Israeli communities. These kites have started numerous fires, and sometimes have deadly explosives attached, as well. This week, David Zeev talks with Adele Raemer of Kibbutz Nirim, who began an intiative using Google Maps to help spread the word about what is taking place in the Gaza Envelope. David also talks to Likud Central Committee member Mordechai Taub about Prime Minister Netanyahu's reelection prospects, and with Erica Lyons of the Jewish community in Hong Kong about the challenges and opportunities of Jewish life in the Far East.
While Israel has most recently been in the news because of its ongoing conflicts with Gaza and Iran, the infighting between the religious and secular populations in Israel is never far from the surface. David Ze'ev talks with Rabbi Dr. Daniel Tropper, founder and president of the Gesher Foundation, about the religious-secular divide, and what can be done to bridge it. David also has a fascinating conversation with Rabbi Chuck Davidson who, despite being an Orthodox rabbi, does everything in his power to undermine the Israeli Chief Rabbinate in matters of marriage and divorce - even if it means that he may eventually be arrested and sent to prison.
In the immediate aftermath of the move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and the riots in Gaza, David Ze'ev speaks with Malcolm Hoenlein, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, about the embassy move, the Iran deal, and their attendant consequences and ramifications for the region. David also talks with Professor Adam Ferziger, Director Designate of the Impact Center for Research on Judaism in Israel and North America, about the various divisions between Jews in Israel and the diaspora, as well as between different denominations of Jews, and what can be done to bridge the gaps.
As President Trump prepares to announce the future of the Iran nuclear accords, David Ze'ev speaks with Aaron David Miller, Vice President for New Initiatives at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a former member of the U.S. Middle East negotiating team, about what we can expect in today's announcement, as well as what is likely to happen as a consequence of the current Israel-Iran tensions. In addition, David Ze'ev also talks with Jerusalem city council member Laura Wharton from the Meretz party about the impending move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and with Michael Freund of Shavei Israel, who is working to help hidden Jews around the world discover their heritage.
Music: "Energy" by Bensound.com
Welcome to the first episode of David Ze'ev In Israel - hearing from the newsmakers, those in the know, and the regular people who make this country so special. In our premiere episode, David speaks with Likud Knesset member Yehudah Glick about the upcoming Knesset session; Jewish National Fund Israel communications officer Eric Narrow about the recent disaster in Nachal Tzafit, and what is being done to prevent such tragedies in the future; and Orthodox Union educational director Phil Chernofsky, who turns 70 three days before the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel.
Music: "Energy" by Bensound.com