Avsnitt
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In this engaging episode of IsraelCast, Steven Shalowitz sits down with Judge Roy K. Altman to discuss his new book, Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law. Drawing on history, archaeology, and international law, Altman addresses some of the most common accusations leveled against Israel, including claims of colonialism, apartheid, occupation, and genocide. He also shares insights from leading educational delegations to Israel and discusses how firsthand experience can challenge widely held misconceptions. The conversation explores Jewish indigeneity, the power of historical evidence, the rise of misinformation in the post–October 7 landscape, and the importance of defending truth in an age of growing polarization. Thoughtful and timely, this episode offers listeners a deeper understanding of the narratives shaping the conversation around Israel today.
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In this episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz welcomes independent writer and researcher Melissa Brodsky, author of The Lioness Writes on Substack. Known for her meticulous use of primary sources and documented evidence, Melissa explores the historical blind spots, propaganda networks, and modern-day narratives shaping how Israel and the Jewish people are discussed today.
This episode dives into lesser-known chapters of Jewish and Israeli history, including the displacement of Jews from Arab lands, Soviet influence on Palestinian nationalism, and the selective moral outrage often directed at Israel by countries such as Ireland and Spain. They also discuss the dangers of historical ignorance, the rise of antisemitic rhetoric online and on campuses, and the importance of confronting misinformation with facts.
The conversation also turns personal, as Melissa reflects on losing friends after October 7, navigating online hate, and building communities of truth-seekers and allies. From Jewish pirates in Jamaica to the enduring lessons of history, this episode is a powerful reminder that knowing the past is essential to understanding the present.
Melissa Brodsky is an independent writer and researcher who has made it her mission to document what many would rather ignore. She publishes long-form investigative research and commentary on her Substack, The Lioness Writes, where she has built a readership of more than 4,600 subscribers and reaches an audience of approximately 50,000 followers on Facebook. Her work has also appeared in the Jewish News Syndicate and The Jewish Star. -
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In this deeply moving episode of IsraelCast, Steven Shalowitz sits down with Sarri Singer to discuss survival, trauma, and the lifelong journey of healing after terror. Sarri recounts the events of June 11, 2003, when she survived the bombing of Jerusalem's No. 14 bus, sharing the split-second decisions that saved her life and the emotional aftermath that followed. She reflects on the impact of both 9/11 and the Jerusalem attack, the resilience she witnessed in Israeli society, and how those experiences ultimately led her to found Strength to Strength.
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In this episode of IsraelCast, Yaakov Katz joins Steven Shalowitz for an in-depth conversation about the intelligence failures, political assumptions, and regional dynamics that shaped the October 7 attacks and continue to impact Israel today. Drawing from his bestselling book While Israel Slept, Katz explains how Israel underestimated Hamas, the breakdowns within the intelligence community, and the lessons the country must learn to prevent another national tragedy. The conversation also explores Israel's ongoing challenges in Gaza, the evolving threat from Iran and Hezbollah, the fragile state of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and the growing importance of public diplomacy in an increasingly polarized world. Katz offers candid insight into Israel's internal divisions, the emotional toll of prolonged war, and why true national healing remains elusive. Thoughtful, urgent, and deeply informative, this episode provides listeners with a clearer understanding of the forces shaping Israel's present and the difficult choices that will define its future.
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Speaking with host Steven Shalowitz, Shahar Azani returns to IsraelCast for a timely conversation on Israel at 78, the resilience of Israeli society, and the global challenges facing the Jewish people. Azani reflects on Israel's enduring optimism after October 7, the strength of Jewish identity on college campuses, and the importance of educating others amid rising misinformation and antisemitism. The conversation also explores the broader Middle East, including Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Turkey, Qatar's influence on American universities, and Europe's shifting relationship with Israel. Through personal stories and analysis, Azani offers a hopeful perspective on Israel's future, the strength of Jewish unity, and the responsibility each person has to speak up, stay informed, and remain optimistic in uncertain times.
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In this episode of IsraelCast, Steven Shalowitz welcomes back Hussain Abdul-Hussain to discuss his new book, The Arab Case for Israel. Drawing on history, geopolitics, and his own personal journey from Iraq and Lebanon to Washington, D.C., Hussain argues that normalization with Israel is not only possible, but in the strategic interest of Arab states and societies. He explores how Iran's aggression has reshaped Gulf thinking, why Egypt and Jordan's "cold peace" has fallen short of its potential, and how the Abraham Accords offer a far more promising people-to-people model. The conversation also examines Lebanon's future, Saudi Arabia's calculations, Qatar's double game, and the roots of anti-Israel narratives in both Arab nationalism and political Islam. Along the way, Hussain reflects on culture, identity, and what it means to challenge deeply entrenched orthodoxies from within the Arab world. This is a candid, provocative, and deeply informed conversation about peace, modernity, and the changing Middle East.
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IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz speaks with Elie Klein, North American Director of Advancement and JNF-USA liaison for ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, a groundbreaking rehabilitation village in Israel's South. Located near the Gaza border, this one-of-a-kind community provides residential care, education, and advanced medical rehabilitation for individuals with severe disabilities while fostering a model of true inclusion.
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In this episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with journalist and commentator Rolene Marks for a wide-ranging and timely conversation on Israel, South Africa, media, and modern antisemitism. Drawing on her background as a South African-born Israeli journalist, Marks offers sharp insight into the deteriorating relationship between South Africa and Israel, the political motivations behind Pretoria's hostility, and the broader international forces shaping anti-Israel narratives.
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In this timely episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz speaks with Iran expert Beni Sabti for a timely and deeply personal conversation recorded from near Tel Aviv in the midst of missile sirens and shelter runs. Sabti, born in Iran and now a leading researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, brings a rare lens shaped by lived experience under the Islamic Revolution and decades of work analyzing Iranian culture, propaganda, and regime behavior.
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IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz welcomes Amit Meir, CEO & Founder of Adam V'Adama, a Jewish National Fund-USA high school network launched with Hashomer HaChadash, another of the organization's affiliates, to strengthen Israeli agriculture and deepen young Israelis' connection to the land. Speaking from one of their campuses in Israel's South, Meir traces his journey from a farming family and an elite Israel Defense Forces Search & Rescue unit to building a bold alternative to traditional schooling—one rooted in responsibility, leadership, and Zionist purpose.
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IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz speaks with Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, about what FDD calls the "axis of aggressors" — China, Russia, and Iran — and how Iran's internal turmoil could reshape the Middle East. Schanzer describes Iran's long-running protest cycle, severe economic collapse, and the regime's vulnerability after major Israeli and U.S. strikes, then outlines three possible U.S. paths: renewed diplomacy, degrading Iran's military capabilities, or pursuing full regime decapitation. They discuss whether Iran's military will fire on its own people, and the regime's reliance on proxy forces. Schanzer explains Iran's global networks, including links through Venezuela and Hezbollah's illicit finance routes, and argues Iran's "axis of resistance" is unusually weakened. The conversation also covers shifting regional power dynamics, Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords (including Indonesia), concerns about Egypt and Jordan, and confusion over President Trump's "Board of Peace." They close on the value of history, anti-Semitism's recurring patterns, and Schanzer's book on Gaza as a warning sign.
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Author Izabella Tabarovsky—a scholar of Soviet antizionism and contemporary antisemitism, writer, journalist, and the author of Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student's Survival Guide—joins host Steven Shalowitz from her home in Jerusalem to explore the Soviet origins of modern anti-Zionism and why those ideas echo so loudly on campuses today. Born in 1970 and raised in the USSR, Tabarovsky recounts what it meant to live with state-sponsored "anti-Zionism" that functioned as a sophisticated system of discrimination against Jews, from schoolyard humiliation to university and career barriers.
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In this episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with acclaimed author and historian Uri Kaufman to unpack the ideas behind his powerful new book, American Intifada: Israel, the Gaza War and the New Antisemitism. Kaufman, whose previous work on the Yom Kippur War was named one of the Financial Times' best history books of the year, offers a sharp and thought-provoking analysis of why so much mainstream discourse about Israel has become detached from historical fact.
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In this must listen episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Pastor Dumisani Washington—founder of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel—for a wide-ranging and deeply thoughtful conversation about faith, history, and moral clarity in turbulent times. Drawing on his personal journey, scholarship, and leadership, Pastor Washington explores the enduring bonds between the Black and Jewish communities, rooted in shared biblical narratives, lived struggle, and a profound connection to the land and people of Israel.
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In this powerful episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Dr. Naya Lekht, a leading scholar, educator, and writer who is reshaping how we understand Zionism, Jewish identity, and today's wave of antizionism. Drawing on her background as a Soviet-born Jew and her PhD research on how the USSR erased Holocaust memory and reshaped Jewish identity, Naya explains why antizionism is not "just politics" but the newest form of Jew hatred—and how the slogans shouted on campuses and streets today were carefully engineered in Moscow decades ago.
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In this powerful IsraelCast episode, host Steven Shalowitz speaks with Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi live from the Jewish National Fund-USA Conference in Hollywood, Florida. Davidi paints a vivid picture of Sderot—a resilient, diverse community just 700 meters from the Gaza border, long celebrated for its music and warmth but also burdened by decades of rocket fire. He shares the personal toll of life under constant threat, recalling how his own seven children have sprinted to shelters thousands of times with only seconds to spare.
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At the Jewish National Fund-USA 2025 Global Conference, IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz interviewed Australian journalist Erin Molan, who shared her transformation from sports anchor to global advocate for Israel and Western values. Deeply influenced by her late father, Major General Andrew Molan, Erin described how the reaction to Hamas's October 7 attacks compelled her to speak out against terrorism, despite severe backlash and death threats. She warned that the conflict extends beyond Israel, reflecting a broader struggle for democracy and moral clarity across the West. Molan condemned biased media coverage and rising antisemitism in Australia, calling for everyday people to speak truth and challenge misinformation. Reflecting on her visits to Israel, she praised Israelis' resilience and compassion, sharing moving encounters that reaffirmed her mission. Now hosting The Erin Molan Show on the Salem Network, she continues to champion Israel and the values her father taught her: "Even if it's hard, always do what's right."
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Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with journalist and author Yaakov Katz to unpack While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East. Katz argues that October 7 wasn't a "mystery failure," but the result of a long-running "policy of containment" (the concepcia): believing Hamas could be deterred, managed economically, and fenced in with tech like Iron Dome and border sensors. He walks us through the tense night of Oct. 6–7—alarms, contradictory intel, and warnings from female surveillance soldiers that were brushed aside—and explains why a visible show of force might have changed the next morning.
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Host Steven Shalowitz speaks with veteran Israeli diplomat Shahar Azani in a special IsraelCast episode recorded on October 13, 2025—just hours after the final 20 hostages were released from Hamas captivity. Framing the moment as a "miracle" and the start of a long national healing, Azani underscores the medical, emotional, and spiritual recovery ahead for the freed hostages and for Israelis still processing the trauma of October 7.
Azani credits the release to relentless IDF pressure combined with President Trump's hard-edged diplomacy, which he says aligned the U.S., Israel, and key Arab states to isolate Hamas and weaken Iran. Looking forward, he argues that Gaza must be demilitarized and undergo sustained deradicalization, with reform of incitement-laden curricula—particularly in UNRWA schools—placed at the top of the diplomatic agenda. He and Steven also survey the resilience of the Abraham Accords, citing durable ties through the war and hinting at future breakthroughs with countries like Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and even Lebanon. -
Host Steven Shalowitz speaks with former hostage Tal Shoham, who was abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7 and held in Gaza for 505 days. Tal recalls the terrifying moments of barricading with his family and ultimately surrendering to prevent a deadly attack—an instinct he later learned likely saved their lives. After an initial period of solitary confinement and transfers between apartments, he was moved underground, where he spent over eight months in tunnels.
- Visa fler
