Future of Israel: The Battle for Tradition (Shahar Azani)

The Hebrew word for “tradition” comes from the same root as the English word: derived from the verb “to transmit,” it means to pass something down through time. When it comes to the deep map, tradition is everything – it’s the place where religion, culture, history, and memory converge. Once you start peeling back the layers of any social or political conflict, you’re almost certain to find a hidden battle over some intangible heritage, with defenders of that heritage on one side, opponents on the other, or, quite often, rival heirs of the same tradition locked in a fight to the finish.

As it turns out, the conflict within Israel’s political system is no different. In this episode, the last of the series, Robert sits down with Shahar Azani. Azani is a passionate advocate for Israel, Senior Vice President at JBS, Jewish Broadcasting Service, former Executive Director for StandWithUs in New York and a former Israeli diplomat at Israel’s Foreign Ministry for over 16 years - including Israel’s consulates in Los Angeles and New York. Before embarking on this career path, he practiced Law at Haim Zadok and Company, based in Tel Aviv, focusing on litigation. He has a law degree (LLB) as well as a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).