State of Tel Aviv, Israel Podcast Vivian Bercovici

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The elite commando operation on Saturday that rescued four Israeli hostages who had been held by Hamas for eight months rocked the world…and gave Israelis a jolt of joy that was desperately needed. The country has been pummeled by this long war, tensions in the north and relentless diplomatic attacks. That more than 100 civilians remain in captivity alm…

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It has been a very intense week in northern Israel with a deeply concerning escalation of conflict with Hizballah. We spoke yesterday, Thursday, with Sarit Zehavi, Lt. Col. (Res.) who spent 15 years working in Military Intelligence and is among Israel’s foremost experts on security in the north. Founder and president of the Alma Center, which focuses on…

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Rachel Goldberg-Polin, ever profound in her agony, stated in recent days that it is “an embarrassment to the human race that we haven’t been able to save” the hostages held by Hamas. Her 23-year-old son, Hersh, is among the 125 people still in Hamas Hell, having survived a grenade attack in which his left arm was blown off and his best friend murdered. …

It has been a grim two weeks in Israel, with an onslaught from the International Courts in The Hague, serious hostilities on three fronts – the north, West Bank and, of course, the Gaza Strip – with the added bonus of Egypt being less than friendly…. and the continued torture of what we now believe to be 128 hostages in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad captivity. How many remain alive is unknown. Israelis are fatigued with this very long war effort and there is no end in sight. Also in recent weeks, as the Rafah operation intensifies, more information dribbles out about the massive tunnel network between Egypt and the Gaza Strip that has been the main supply route for all manner of weapons and supplies since 2007 for Hamas and others. Egypt knows. Israel knows. And yet, they are still there. How can that be? For almost eight months now, the Israeli hostages have been in the hands of terrorists and Israel has been unable to rescue them. How can that be? I spoke late Thursday evening with Jonathan Conricus…..to take on these very difficult topics and more, discussing the tragic events of last Sunday night in the Gaza Strip, in which dozens of Palestinian civilians were killed in a massive fire. The world leaped to blame Israel. By the time the IDF shared information as to what had actually transpired, minds were closed and made up. We cover it all. The north. West Bank. The south. We even chat about the Imperial War Museum in London. Have a listen.


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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com

Karim Khan, K.C., is the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and in the last week he has become a household name, globally. Mr. Khan made a lengthy statement one week ago, announcing his intention to seek judicial approval to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defence Yo…

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Back from a short trip to the U.S., Ya’akov Katz is fired up. Since October 7, Israelis have been pretty obliging regarding commands from leaders in government and the IDF to come together as a united front, but almost eight months later the rage is spilling out. And Ya’akov is no exception. Last week was surreal, even by Israeli standards. But what dom…