18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers

• Jonathan Dekel-Chen: My Son was a Hostage in Gaza for 43 Million Seconds. He Felt Every One.

  Sagui Dekel-Chen was held hostage in Gaza for 498 days—or 43 million seconds. He came home on Feb. 15.An American-Israeli citizen who was living in Kibbutz Nir Oz, Sagui left behind a pregnant wife and two daughters when Hamas took him captive in Gaza. Sagui had no idea of their fate—until two days before his release.Jonathan Dekel-Chen, Sagui's father, joins us to speak about his tireless advocacy to bring Sagui home, his family's experiences over the last 500 days, and where they go from here.This interview was held on March 10.For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: [email protected]: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_forty

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• Yossi Klein Halevi: What’s Next: The Future of Liberal Zionism (18Forty Podcast Re-Release)

  We don't have a new episode this week, but we invite you to revisit our 18Forty Podcast conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi, originally aired on Dec. 26, 2023. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, about what it means to be a Zionist and a Jew post-October 7.Since Simchas Torah, we’ve spent lots of time airing our political differences with others. What might be harder, though, is asking the uncomfortable questions about our own beliefs. Our guest today has decades of experience with this kind of soul-searching. In this episode we discuss:What is our relationship to the State of Israel, and how seriously must we take our participation in the building and rebuilding of the nation we envision?How might we maintain a sense of empathy for and kinship with the Muslim world and the Palestinian people?Why is it so important that we continue to have a Jewish state?Tune in to hear a conversation about the tensions that come with trying to uphold the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians. Interview begins at 6:54.Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Together with Imam Abdullah Antepli of Duke University, he co-directs the Institute's Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity and Israel. Halevi’s 2013 book, Like Dreamers, won the Jewish Book Council's Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, is a New York Times bestseller. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including the Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic.References:“What Israelis Fear the World Does Not Understand” with Ezra Klein and Yossi Klein HaleviLetters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation by Yossi Klein HaleviArab Strategies and Israel's Response by Yehoshafat Harkabi

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• Yishai Fleisher: ‘Israel is not meant to be equal for all — it’s a nation-state’

  Israel should prioritize its Jewish citizens, Yishai Fleisher says, because that's what a nation-state does.Yishai is the international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, a flashpoint in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and a councilman for the Efrat community. His words reach audiences across the world via CNN, Piers Morgan's Uncensored, the New York Times, his own YouTube and podcasts, and more.A lawyer and rabbi, Yishai served as a paratrooper in the IDF and served in reservist duty during the Israel-Hamas War. Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including Jewish rights, the Land of Israel, and whether Israel should be a democracy.This interview was held on Feb. 17.Here are our 18 questions:As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?How have your religious views changed since Oct. 7? What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?Should Israel be a religious state?If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?Should all Israelis serve in the army?Do you think the State of Israel is part of the final redemption?Is Messianism helpful or harmful to Israel?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?

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• Nitsana Darshan-Leitner: 'Before Trump, I believed that Gaza had to be controlled by Israel'

  Gaza can be leveled down or built up, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner says, and she wants Trump's plan to do the latter.An Israeli international lawyer and activist who has represented hundreds of terror victims in legal actions against terror organizations and their supporters, Nitsana is the head of Shurat HaDin—Israel Law Center, which combats terrorism, promotes civil rights, and actively pursues pro-Israel lawfare. Nitsana was ranked among the 50 most influential Jews in the world by the Jerusalem Post, and one of the 50 most influential Israeli women by the Israeli Forbes magazine. Now, she joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including international law, Gaza's future, and Trump's plan.This interview was held on Feb. 10.Here are our 18 questions:As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?How do you think Hamas views the outcome and aftermath of October 7—was it a success, in their eyes? What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the war?Is Israel properly handling the Iranian threat?Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People? 

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• Shani Taragin: 'The ideal is for the Jewish People to live in the Land of Israel'

  Israel is opening a Pandora's box by releasing Palestinian prisoners and terrorists, Shani Taragin says — but she still has not given up hope.A prominent religious leader and educator in Israel, Rabbanit Shani Taragin is impassioned by the State of Israel's future as the homeland for the Jewish People, despite what she sees as its pitfalls. She is sought out for her convictions, faith, and inspired guidance.Shani directs and teaches in Israel and worldwide, and currently serves on the advisory committee for the Mizrachi Olami Shalhevet program; as Rosh Beit Medrash for the women in Yeshiva University’s new academic program in Israel; and together with her husband, Reuven, as Educational Director for Mizrachi Olami. Now, she joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including the hostage deal, messianism, and the prophetic lessons for the Jewish state.This interview was held on Jan. 31.Here are our 18 questions:As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?How have your religious views changed since Oct. 7? What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?Should Israel be a religious state?If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?Should all Israelis serve in the army?Do you think the State of Israel is part of the final redemption?Is Messianism helpful or harmful to Israel?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?

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Over 18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers