What began on Oct. 7, Yossi Klein Halevi says, is not the Israel-Hamas War but the Israel-Iran War.
A senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, the journalist and author has been intimately invested in Israel since he was a boy. Two of his books in particular—Like Dreamers and Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor—capture the tensions he embraces in Israel, and his own dedication to the Zionist dream.
At Hartman, Yossi co-directs the Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative and is a long-time teacher, writer, and thinker on Israel, Zionism, and Judaism.
Now, he sits down with us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including whether anti-Zionism is antisemitism, how Western media covers the Israel-Hamas War, the threat of Iran, and so much more.
This interview was held on Aug. 28.
Intro: 0:00
0:14 1. As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?
6:18 2. What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?
11:37 3. Do you think Western media covers the Israel-Hamas War fairly?
16:46 4. What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?
20:51 5. Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?
23:14 6. What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?
27:34 7. Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?
37:08 8. Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?
39:31 9. Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
42:30 10. Is the IDF the world’s most moral army?
46:59 11. If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?
49:20 12. Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — such as in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?
50:44 13. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
59:33 14. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
1:02:36 15. What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war?
1:04:56 16. Where do you read news about Israel?
1:05:45 17. Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?
1:08:52 18. Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?
