#israel
362 episodes · Page 7 of 16
#2968: The Government That Existed Before the State
How the Yishuv built a fully functioning state within a state decades before 1948.
#2957: The Fourth Ring of Jerusalem
How a 1,700-year-old community in Jerusalem is fighting for survival — and what the Cow Garden land dispute reveals.
#2951: Herzl's Unbuilt Utopia: The Man Behind the Dream
The secular dandy who founded modern Zionism — and the state he imagined vs. what got built.
#2946: How a Kahanist Teen Became Israel's Police Chief
The story of Itamar Ben-Gvir's rise from Kach activist to National Security Minister.
#2933: How 400 Yeshiva Students Became 66,000 Exemptions
How a 1947 letter to 400 students grew into the political backbone of Israel's governing coalitions.
#2932: Who Actually Owns Your Home? The Wild World of Nested Leases
How four layers of leases can leave homeowners legally owning nothing when the top lease expires.
#2931: David Ben-Gurion: The Man Behind the Myth
The neurotic insomniac who read Plato at dawn, built a state, and shaped Israel's DNA.
#2929: The Radical Economics of the Sabbatical Year
How an ancient biblical debt reset is playing out in real time in Israel today.
#2926: Barley to Wheat: The Original Shavuot Grain Cycle
Before cheesecake and all-night study, Shavuot was a wheat harvest festival built on a barley-counting calendar.
#2922: The Milk That Never Touched a Cow
Precision-fermented dairy is on shelves. But is it milk? And is it kosher? Three rabbinic positions, one yeast strain.
#2921: The Man Behind the Politics: Netanyahu's Personality
What drives Benjamin Netanyahu? Former aides reveal the man behind the political force.
#2907: How Medieval Queens Shaped Jewish Policy Before 1306
How four French queens used dower lands and household budgets to protect—or restrict—Jewish communities before the 1306 expulsion.
#2899: Can We Trust Palestinian Polls in Wartime?
How one man's surveys became the world's only window into Palestinian opinion—and whether the data is real.
#2898: The Bean That Built the Ancient Levant
How the fava bean went from ancient staple to menu afterthought — and why its revival is failing.
#2888: Partitioning Israeli Rentals Without Losing Your Deposit
How to carve out workspaces and nurseries in weird Jerusalem apartment layouts without drilling.
#2873: Why Israel's Negev Desert Stays Empty Despite Being 60% of the Land
60% of Israel's land is empty Negev desert. Why can't they just build there to solve the housing crisis?
#2866: What Happens to Jerusalem's Unsorted Trash?
Jerusalem doesn't ask you to sort your trash. The machines do it instead — with hyperspectral cameras and air jets.
#2862: How a $3 Paint Marker Reveals Israel's Import Maze
Why does a $3 German marker cost $6 in Tel Aviv? The answer reveals how Israel's import system really works.
#2857: What Renters in Israel Can Actually Renovate
What you can fix, paint, and upgrade in a Jerusalem rental — and how to negotiate with your landlord.
#2852: How Desalination Made Israel a Water Superpower
How Israel turned a catastrophic drought into a water surplus and used it to reshape regional diplomacy.
#2849: Fixing Israel's Broken Link Between Voters and Government
How Israel's party-list voting crowds out local issues — and what Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland do differently.
#2837: Israel's Rental Trap: Why "Just Buy" No Longer Works
How did Israel build a rental market where tenants have almost no rights and buying costs 15x your salary?
#2833: What Police Actually Do All Day
Most officers make one arrest every two weeks. Here's what fills the other 90% of their time.
#2813: How Jerusalem Day Went From Thanksgiving to Sovereignty Display
The holiday began as a rabbinic day of thanks. Now 70,000 people march through the Muslim Quarter. How did it shift?