What happens when a country has to ask its citizens the unthinkable: What are you willing to die for? It’s a question that feels so outside the current American experience. When was the last time you asked yourself, What would I do if I had to fight for my home, my family, my nation?
I just finished listening. A very emotional episode. The only thing missing was showing the other side. There were just as many demonstrators for the government than those opposing the government. Netanyahu’s attempts to move Israel from a socialist country to a fully democratic one is not an easy task. He describes in his book how he had a lot of people against him when he moved israel into a capitalist economy. The country is full of startups and innovators because of this. It’s put Israel on the map as one of the richest and successful countries. The Abrams Accords probably wouldn’t have happened if Israel didn’t have all this to offer. Unfortunately Bibi’s attempt to democratize the judges wasn’t taken well. He offered to negotiate but no one would give him the time of day. He became a pariah. Nothing he said was worth listening to. I was in israel during these rally’s. I walked on Dizengoff Street while they marched. It became a social activity every Saturday night. I didn’t see any violence just a lot of traffic and public transportation disruptions. My expectation after October 7 would be that everyone would be against the present government as I was for letting something like this happen. According to Caroline Glick it’s actually the opposite. The polls show that the majority of people are with Natanyahu. It would be nice if you spoke to people who actually supported the government. A lot of these people died fighting in this war. Unfortunately. They should have a voice as well.
Thanks for the knowledgeable commentary, Karine. I love everything Bari does and proudly support the FP. This podcast was fascinating and informative, but it seemed so oddly lopsided regarding the government. Are Netanyahu supporters just irredeemably evil?
Thanks. Saved me the need to post similarly (as one who merely listens and reads widely stateside -- I can't pretend to on-the-ground witness in Israel). It seems to me obvious that the attempt at judicial reform went too far, too fast, but the problem with it is better termed a surfeit of democracy, rather than an attack upon it. And conservatives, surely, ran toward the fire as well, did they not? Bari usually does a better job of balancing than she does here (though her voice is always appreciated).
Wow. It's as if you gave a portrait of America by interviewing a couple of Ivy-League professors, Ezra Klein, Thomas Friedman and a member of The Squad. All that was missing was the word "deplorables". For an organization that prides itself on telling the "untold" story and showing multiple sides of an issue, you're failing abysmally when it comes to Israel.
That said, your support of Israel and your retelling of these stories, as well as things like the interview with Lucy Aharish, are appreciated.
I just posted something similar. She interviews a disgraced, leftist politician, and two western GenZ types. One of whom was clearly a western immigrant.
She let them spew about their destabilizing hyperbole against the government, but makes no effort to ask if that theater contributed to the circumstances for 10/7.
I'm half way in, and find myself very frustrated, thinking the same. Where's the balance or point/counter point? Normally Bari is far more prepared to present multiple sides to issues.
I would like to also hear from the other side when it comes to the Israel court reform protests. All I hear is how evil it was and how they are trying to “kill democracy” but nothing in the way of specifics. What was Netanyahu actually trying to do and why?
I read in a WSJ editorial that they were trying to get rid of the “reasonableness” test that the court can use to throw out laws. As one of the interviewees here points out, Israel doesn’t have a constitution against which courts evaluate laws like in the US. “Reasonableness” isn’t defined by any objective standard, so this gives Israel’s judiciary enormous power to overturn laws based on vibes.
Also, aren’t courts inherently an UNdemocratic institution? They serve as a check on the democratically elected Knesset. So if the reforms would have reduced the power of the court, wouldn’t that technically make Israel MORE democratic? You can argue that the reforms were a bad idea, but to say it was “killing democracy” seems like catastrophizing and also factually incorrect.
Lastly, it’s ironic that here in the US, the left claims we must reduce the power of the judiciary to “save democracy”, while supporting lefties in Israel saying they need to PRESERVE the power of the judiciary to “save democracy.” Which is it, guys? It seems to me like people just want to get their way and if anyone disagrees well then they are a big meanie who hates democracy. The “saving democracy” shtick seems like a rhetorical flourish that has lost all meaning.
What does it mean to say you will not serve and then to say "there was no question I was going in" when there is a security emergency? What was the real meaning of this threat? What did those reservists think they meant when they said it?
Thank you for doing this, taking us "inside" with you and hearing from those who were impacted. I'm sure it was difficult for all involved. The production was beautiful, particularly the music. Bari did mention the artist (I wrote down "Pauline Fradkin" and "Yiddish Jazz Duo," as well as Blue Dot Sessions), but when I tried to search I came up empty. I came online to see if there are actual credits. So far, no luck. I don't suppose someone could provide this information?
I would most certainly fight for my home. Its why I support Israel because thats what they are doing. Remember when the war in Ukraine broke out and you guys ran an article by a dude boasting about how Ukrainian he was except…. He went running for the border ASAP and had no intention of risking his safety for his country. That behavior is deplorable.
Sometimes as a man you have to realize its your job to be one of the faceless masses in the meat grinder holding back something evil. Think D-Day.
Theres one quote I like:
“Everyone wants to be a warrior until its time to do warrior shit.”
Ideally that would be a lot less true. We need to making men out of boys like we used to do.
This first episode was really disappointing. Barri’s decision to only interview leftists and or westerners presents fairly sad one-sided tale.
She asks the young woman, whether it was paradoxical to protest the government, threaten to refuse reserved duty, but then unhesitatingly show up when war occurs. But she never stops to ask if these people regret their hyperbole and escalation, and whether their destabilization of the body politic contributed to the circumstances of 10/7.
The young man recounted that his closest approximation to a real world invasion was a zombie apocalypse movie. Here was someone who was not really mentally prepared for the duty that he voluntarily assumed. Yet he had also considered, threatening his reserve duty, and had been protesting the government using hyperbolic language.
Clearly, actions speak louder than words. These protesters were never going to ignore their duty to the security and safety of Israel. So why did they engage such a damaging game of brinksmanship?
if only there was a reporter who interviewed these people who could’ve asked!
I just finished listening. A very emotional episode. The only thing missing was showing the other side. There were just as many demonstrators for the government than those opposing the government. Netanyahu’s attempts to move Israel from a socialist country to a fully democratic one is not an easy task. He describes in his book how he had a lot of people against him when he moved israel into a capitalist economy. The country is full of startups and innovators because of this. It’s put Israel on the map as one of the richest and successful countries. The Abrams Accords probably wouldn’t have happened if Israel didn’t have all this to offer. Unfortunately Bibi’s attempt to democratize the judges wasn’t taken well. He offered to negotiate but no one would give him the time of day. He became a pariah. Nothing he said was worth listening to. I was in israel during these rally’s. I walked on Dizengoff Street while they marched. It became a social activity every Saturday night. I didn’t see any violence just a lot of traffic and public transportation disruptions. My expectation after October 7 would be that everyone would be against the present government as I was for letting something like this happen. According to Caroline Glick it’s actually the opposite. The polls show that the majority of people are with Natanyahu. It would be nice if you spoke to people who actually supported the government. A lot of these people died fighting in this war. Unfortunately. They should have a voice as well.
Thanks for the knowledgeable commentary, Karine. I love everything Bari does and proudly support the FP. This podcast was fascinating and informative, but it seemed so oddly lopsided regarding the government. Are Netanyahu supporters just irredeemably evil?
See my comment here for a reframing of this piece into an American context.
Thanks. Saved me the need to post similarly (as one who merely listens and reads widely stateside -- I can't pretend to on-the-ground witness in Israel). It seems to me obvious that the attempt at judicial reform went too far, too fast, but the problem with it is better termed a surfeit of democracy, rather than an attack upon it. And conservatives, surely, ran toward the fire as well, did they not? Bari usually does a better job of balancing than she does here (though her voice is always appreciated).
Wow. It's as if you gave a portrait of America by interviewing a couple of Ivy-League professors, Ezra Klein, Thomas Friedman and a member of The Squad. All that was missing was the word "deplorables". For an organization that prides itself on telling the "untold" story and showing multiple sides of an issue, you're failing abysmally when it comes to Israel.
That said, your support of Israel and your retelling of these stories, as well as things like the interview with Lucy Aharish, are appreciated.
I just posted something similar. She interviews a disgraced, leftist politician, and two western GenZ types. One of whom was clearly a western immigrant.
She let them spew about their destabilizing hyperbole against the government, but makes no effort to ask if that theater contributed to the circumstances for 10/7.
I fundamentally prefer a more reserved style, but I can't say you're wrong.
I'm half way in, and find myself very frustrated, thinking the same. Where's the balance or point/counter point? Normally Bari is far more prepared to present multiple sides to issues.
I would like to also hear from the other side when it comes to the Israel court reform protests. All I hear is how evil it was and how they are trying to “kill democracy” but nothing in the way of specifics. What was Netanyahu actually trying to do and why?
I read in a WSJ editorial that they were trying to get rid of the “reasonableness” test that the court can use to throw out laws. As one of the interviewees here points out, Israel doesn’t have a constitution against which courts evaluate laws like in the US. “Reasonableness” isn’t defined by any objective standard, so this gives Israel’s judiciary enormous power to overturn laws based on vibes.
Also, aren’t courts inherently an UNdemocratic institution? They serve as a check on the democratically elected Knesset. So if the reforms would have reduced the power of the court, wouldn’t that technically make Israel MORE democratic? You can argue that the reforms were a bad idea, but to say it was “killing democracy” seems like catastrophizing and also factually incorrect.
Lastly, it’s ironic that here in the US, the left claims we must reduce the power of the judiciary to “save democracy”, while supporting lefties in Israel saying they need to PRESERVE the power of the judiciary to “save democracy.” Which is it, guys? It seems to me like people just want to get their way and if anyone disagrees well then they are a big meanie who hates democracy. The “saving democracy” shtick seems like a rhetorical flourish that has lost all meaning.
What does it mean to say you will not serve and then to say "there was no question I was going in" when there is a security emergency? What was the real meaning of this threat? What did those reservists think they meant when they said it?
Thank you for doing this, taking us "inside" with you and hearing from those who were impacted. I'm sure it was difficult for all involved. The production was beautiful, particularly the music. Bari did mention the artist (I wrote down "Pauline Fradkin" and "Yiddish Jazz Duo," as well as Blue Dot Sessions), but when I tried to search I came up empty. I came online to see if there are actual credits. So far, no luck. I don't suppose someone could provide this information?
I would most certainly fight for my home. Its why I support Israel because thats what they are doing. Remember when the war in Ukraine broke out and you guys ran an article by a dude boasting about how Ukrainian he was except…. He went running for the border ASAP and had no intention of risking his safety for his country. That behavior is deplorable.
Sometimes as a man you have to realize its your job to be one of the faceless masses in the meat grinder holding back something evil. Think D-Day.
Theres one quote I like:
“Everyone wants to be a warrior until its time to do warrior shit.”
Ideally that would be a lot less true. We need to making men out of boys like we used to do.
As a woman I’d do the same.
This first episode was really disappointing. Barri’s decision to only interview leftists and or westerners presents fairly sad one-sided tale.
She asks the young woman, whether it was paradoxical to protest the government, threaten to refuse reserved duty, but then unhesitatingly show up when war occurs. But she never stops to ask if these people regret their hyperbole and escalation, and whether their destabilization of the body politic contributed to the circumstances of 10/7.
The young man recounted that his closest approximation to a real world invasion was a zombie apocalypse movie. Here was someone who was not really mentally prepared for the duty that he voluntarily assumed. Yet he had also considered, threatening his reserve duty, and had been protesting the government using hyperbolic language.
Clearly, actions speak louder than words. These protesters were never going to ignore their duty to the security and safety of Israel. So why did they engage such a damaging game of brinksmanship?
if only there was a reporter who interviewed these people who could’ve asked!
Is there a video to go with this?