For Heaven's Sake Podcast

Today is day 616 of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, and day 1 of a new era for Israel. For Israelis who were jolted out of bed by sirens and Jews around the world who have been glued to the headlines, the first 24 hours of the war with Iran have been surreal, and leave us asking what happens now?

In this emergency episode of For Heavens Sake recorded today, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack how we got here, the experience in Israel over the last 24 hours, and the ways Israel and the region will be changed forever by the events of June 13, 2025.

Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org. For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org, or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST. Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heavens Sake. Click here to learn more.

As the war in Gaza drags on, Netanyahu has dramatically lost popular support yet until now he has managed to retain his government coalition. But with the Ultra-Orthodox, the IDF, world Jewry, and foreign leaders all pulling in different directions, the Prime Minister may be facing defeat in the imminent emergency election.

This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the widening cracks in Israels unity and the moral abyss opening below, as Netanyahu races against many clocks to retain his seat of power.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heavens Sake. Click here to learn more.

After violent attacks in Washington, D.C. and Boulder, CO, America’s Jewish community is on edge. Public displays of Jewishness or Zionism now seem to carry a risk in liberal bastions of the country, as a frightening wave of antisemitism emerges not from the far-right, but from the left.

This week, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi discuss the evolution of left-wing discourse since October 7 and discern where and how anti-Zionism crosses the threshold to antisemitism.

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.

One of the goals of Zionism is to reintegrate the Jewish people into the “community of nations,” recognizing Israel’s sovereignty and forging global partnerships built on mutual respect and shared values. But as the war in Gaza takes a new turn, France, the UK, and even Germany have amplified their criticism, and President Trump is considering ending continued military support. Israel may soon find itself, politically and economically, “a nation that dwells alone”.

In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi explore this theological axis in Judaism that is too often abused by the Israeli far-right. Is it a blessing? A curse? Or is it a call to action for Israelis and Jews around the world to rise to this moment?

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.