Koby Benmeleh - Podcast Details

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Youristics51. Grisha YakubovichGrisha Yakubovich served over 30 years in the Israeli army, including time leading the strategy and coordination of infrastructure projects in the Palestinian Territories. He was the last Israeli mayor of Gaza during the civil administration in Gaza in 1994. He runs Grisha Consulting which provides strategic consulting about projects in the West Bank to private companies, governments, and NGOs. 00:00 The State of Affairs: War and Stagnation 05:39 Cultural Roots of Conflict: Education and Ideology 11:28 Identity and Belonging: The Israeli Perspective 17:27 The Cycle of Revenge: Historical Context and Future Implications 23:38 Corruption and Power: The Financial Underpinnings of Conflict 32:10 Understanding the Complexity of...2024-11-271h 54

Youristics50. Mustafa AkyolMustafa Akyol is a senior fellow on Islam and modernity at The Cato Institute. He is the author of several books, such as Islam Without Extremes and Reopening Muslim Minds. His latest book is called The Islamic Moses: https://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Moses-... Follow him on X: @AkyolinEnglish 00:00 Introduction to Mustafa Akyol's Work 01:42 The Role of Islamic Modernism 04:53 Theological Perspectives: Asharism vs. Mutazilism 07:41 Reform in Islamic Thought 10:51 The Euthyphro Dilemma and Moral Philosophy 13:44 Apostasy and Human Rights in Islam 16:37 The Impact of Hadith on Islamic Law 19:43 The Tension Between Islam and the West 22:33 Personal Experiences and Challenges 25:29 The Future...2024-10-101h 50

Youristics48. Nati DinnarNati Dinnar is the co-founder and CEO of IZZY - streamisrael.tv, the premier platform dedicated to showcasing Israeli television and movies to international audiences. 2024-07-081h 30

Youristics47. Rawan Gabrielle OsmanRawan Gabrielle Osman is the founder of Arabs Ask, which advocates online for the normalization between Arab countries and Israel. Follow Rawan on Instagram: rawanosman2024 X: @RawaneOsmane 2024-06-172h 02

Youristics46. Derek PenslarDerek Penslar is the William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History. He is the director of undergraduate studies within the department and directs Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies. 00:00 Introduction and Personal Background 00:20 Teaching History and Jewish Studies at Harvard 02:37 The Role of Military History in Understanding Israel 07:37 Challenges Faced by Jewish Students in Progressive Spaces 10:34 Exploring Jewish History and Identity 13:25 Personal Experiences during Times of Conflict 24:00 The Need for Open and Respectful Dialogue 29:07 Challenges Faced by Jewish Students 37:37 The Impact of Social Media and Antisemitism 50:23 Motivations Behind Pro-Palestinian Activism 56:09 The Role of Universities in Addressing Challenges 01:00:2 Resilience and Un...2024-05-291h 01

Youristics45. Eylon LevyEylon Levy is the host of the Israel: State of a Nation podcast. Before that he was an Israeli government spokesman and the international media advisor to the President of Israel. Support Eylon's work: bit.ly/NID2024 Follow Eylon on X: @EylonALevy 2024-05-1347 min

Youristics44. Menachem BombachMenachem Bombach is the president and CEO of Netzach Educational Network, which seeks to educate Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews in math, English, science, civics and arts alongside high quality Torah studies. Check out Netzach here: https://netzach.org.il/en/home/2024-03-211h 17

Youristics43. Aziz AlghashianAziz Alghashian is a SEPAD and CARPO Fellow, whose main topic of research is Saudi policy towards Israel. He has a PhD from the University of Essex where he taught International Relations, and Politics and Middle Eastern Studies. Follow Aziz on X: @AzizAlghashian 00:00 Introduction and Background03:00 Misconceptions about Saudi Arabia06:13 Saudi Arabia's Experience with Terrorism08:58 Life in Saudi Arabia11:57 Cultural Differences in the UK21:57 Purpose of Sending Overseas Cadets to Sandhurst28:57 Leadership and Values at Sandhurst33:07 Continuing Education and Focus on Saudi Foreign Policy33:47 Understanding Saudi Foreign Policy39:31 The Tendency...2024-03-071h 54

Youristics42. Naomi KahnNaomi Kahn is the director of the International Division of Regavim, an Israeli NGO that monitors and pursues legal action against illegal construction in Israel and in the West Bank. 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:00 Regavim: Impacting Israel's Land Use Policy 10:00 Challenges in Israel's Land Use Policy 20:00 Outdated Laws in Judea and Samaria 25:00 Illegal Construction and Annexation 30:00 Contiguity and Security Concerns 31:46 The Complexity of Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 36:09 The Right Wing Perspective on Jewish Sovereignty 38:44 The Two-State Solution and the Eradication of Jordan 41:14 The Palestinian Refugee Population 44:01 The Black-and-White Presentation of the Conflict 45:14 The Need for Clear Borders and Protection 49:13 The...2024-02-291h 59

Youristics41. Ahmed Fouad AlkhatibAhmed Fouad Alkhatib is a Middle East political analyst. He lives in the US but he has a large family in Gaza, where he spent parts of his youth. He has a master’s degree in intelligence studies from American Military University. He has written and contributed extensively to publications on Gaza’s affairs in U.S., Israeli, Jewish and Arab outlets. 00:00 Introduction 02:11 Life in Gaza 03:42 Concerns and Sleepless Nights 06:11 Impact of Bombings on Family Homes 07:15 Loss of Family Members 09:03 Dealing with Tragedy 10:02 Failed Leadership 13:26 War Crimes 16:21 War of Ideas 18:20 Failed Palestinian Leadership 22:02 Opportunity for Change 27:11 Gaza as a Mode...2024-02-221h 55

YouristicsA Message to PalestiniansSome words from the heart.2024-02-1821 min

Youristics40. Nimrod NovikNimrod Novick is Israel Policy Forum’s Israel fellow, a senior associate at the Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF) and is a member of the Executive Committee at Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS). Nimrod was a senior foreign policy advisor to Shimon Peres, and maintains close contacts with the Egyptian intelligence community, Jordanian security establishment, Palestinian political leadership, and Saudi security experts, as well as with senior U.S., European, U.N., and other relevant officials dealing with Middle East policy. 00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections 03:24 The Trauma of Recent Events 08:53 The Role of the Families of the Hostages 11:52 Proposed Solu...2024-02-121h 47

Youristics39. Roy HadadRoy Hadad is the head of business development for SelectMedia. He was called up for reserve duty after the October 7th attacks. He spent more than two months fighting in Gaza. 00:00 Reconnecting and Reflecting on the Past 00:39 Military Service in Israel 01:08 Anti-Terror Unit and Daily Operations 02:17 The Reality of Daily Operations 03:06 Uncertainty and Emotional Impact 04:48 Transitioning to Civilian Life 05:22 Return to Service and Family Life 06:09 October 7th and the Start of the War 07:08 Preparing for Deployment 08:06 Mixed Emotions and Sense of Duty 09:38 Personal Connection and Impact 10:36 The Gravity of the Situation 11:47 The Reality of the Conflict 13:19 Witnessing the Destruction...2024-01-251h 15

Youristics38. Lior BensoussanLior Bensoussan is the cofounder of the Tel Aviv gym Humble Club. He was called up for reserve duty on October 7th and eventually spent nearly a month and a half fighting inside Gaza in Israel's war against Hamas. Lior's Instagram handle: lior.bensouss Episode timeline: 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:14 Joining the Army and Training 08:35 Entering Gaza and the Reality of War 30:04 Crossing into Gaza and Initial Impressions 36:35 Searching for Tunnels and Hostages 41:31 The Job and Experience in Gaza 45:32 The Role of Luck and Randomness in War 45:55 Randomness and Close Calls 47:12 Sleeping Conditions 48:24 Getting Used to the Sounds 49:02 Guard Duty...2024-01-181h 31

Youristics37. Yishai Fleisher(Recorded before October 7) Yishai Fleisher is the international spokesman for the Jewish community in Hebron, and the host of the Yishai Fleisher Israel Podcast. He was also an adviser to Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's minister of public security. Follow Yishai on X: @YishaiFleisher YouTube: @YishaiFleisherTV Instagram: yishaifleisher 2024-01-091h 14

Youristics36. Zachary FosterZachary Foster is a historian of Palestine. He got his PhD from Princeton. This episode was recorded before the Oct. 7 terrorist atrocities. Follow him on X: @_ZachFoster He writes a newsletter about Palestine: https://palestinenexus.com/2024-01-022h 30

Youristics35. Jonathan PollardJonathan Pollard spent nearly 30 years in American prisons after being convicted for spying for Israel. He now writes and speaks about geopolitics in various media channels, and is an investor and co-founder in a handful of technology companies. 2023-12-231h 36

Youristics34. Richard KempRichard Kemp served nearly 30 years in the British military, including deployments in Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan. Since his retirement, he has been, among other things, a public advocate for the Israel Defense Forces and its moral standards in combat. We spoke about war in urban areas, the value that Israel's military and intelligence agencies provide to Western countries, human shields, IDF procedures to limit civilian casualties, and other topics. You can follow Richard on X: @COLRICHARDKEMP And on his website: https://richard-kemp.com/2023-12-031h 17

YouristicsEscaping the cycle of insanityMy thoughts after the first day of the Israel-Gaza war in 2023 2023-10-0815 min

Youristics33. Jeremy BerkovitsJeremy Berkovits has worked as the Directors’ Representative of the American Colony hotel for many years.2023-09-281h 28

Youristics32. Eli PaleyEli Paley is a businessman and social activist. He is the founder of the Mishpacha magazine, which caters to an ultra-Orthodox Jewish audience in Israel and abroad. He is also chairman of the Paley Family Foundation, which supports and promotes Torah centers and social initiatives in that community. Credit to Shirel Szarf of Mishpacha for producing this podcast. Link to Eli's writing: https://mishpacha.com/contributors/eli-paley/ 2023-09-141h 43

Youristics31. David KatzDavid Katz was born legally blind in the UK. Despite that limitation, he became a photojournalist at age 19, working at places like the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. He moved to Israel in 2007. Two years later, he was the personal photographer of Benjamin Netanyahu as he was running for prime minister. He's held the same position for other senior Israeli politicians. Check out his life's work here: http://throughmylenses.org/ Watch a short video about his story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyCfVWI22jQ 2023-09-072h 01

Youristics30. "Lucy""Lucy" is a sex worker in Amsterdam.2023-09-011h 28

Youristics29. Jonathan PollardJonathan Pollard spent nearly 30 years in U.S. prisons after he was caught spying on the American government in 1985. Successive Israeli governments tried to negotiate his release until he was freed in 2015. He moved to Israel in December 2020.2023-08-052h 31

Youristics28. Shawn EniShawn Eni is the man behind the Mossad parody account on Twitter. You can follow him @TheMossadIL 2023-07-281h 22

Youristics27. Michael FertikMichael Fertik is the managing director and founder of Heroic Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in startups in Silicon Valley, Colorado, and Israel. He is also the executive chairman and founder of Reputation.com. Follow Michael on Twitter @MichaelFertik Find Michael on Linkedin Michael’s literary works can be found at www.fertik.com 2023-07-2058 min

Youristics26. Aleeza Ben ShalomAleeza Ben Shalom is a dating coach and the star of the Netflix show Jewish Matchmaking. She's also authored two books: Virtual Dating: Your Guide to a Relationship in a Socially Distanced World Get Real Get Married: Get Over your Hurdles and Under the Chuppah Check out her website: https://marriagemindedmentor.com Follow her: Twitter: @aleezabenshalom Instagram: aleezabenshalom 2023-07-1342 min

Youristics25. Ehud OlmertEhud Olmert was Israel's prime minister from January 2006 until March 2009. He was also mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 until 2003.2023-07-061h 19

Youristics24. Dan BrahmyDan Brahmy is the CEO and co-founder of Cyabra, an Israeli startup that uncovers threats to companies and individuals on social media. Company link: https://cyabra.com/ Follow Dan on Twitter: @danbrahmy Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danbrahmy/2023-06-262h 18

Youristics23. Rabbi Leo DeeRabbi Leo Dee worked in finance in the UK before becoming a rabbi and then moving with his family to Israel. His two daughters, Maia and Rina, were killed in a terror attack on April 7, 2023. His wife, Lucy, died three days later. 2023-06-121h 36

Youristics22. What does it mean to be a Jew?Some thoughts on the recent protests and what it means for Israel.2023-06-0443 min

Youristics21. Josh DrillJosh Drill is an activist and spokesman for the national protests against dictatorship in Israel. 2023-05-253h 01

Youristics20. Oren KanielOren Kaniel is the co-founder and CEO of AppsFlyer.2023-05-011h 58

Youristics19. Tomer FeketeTomer Fekete is the director of science at brain.space. This conversation was recorded before Benjamin Netanyahu fired Israel's defense minister on March 26.2023-04-075h 09

Youristics18. Lahav HarkovA conversation with Lahav Larkov, Senior Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent of The Jerusalem Post. Follow her @LahavHarkov.2023-03-222h 16

Youristics17. Dov MoranA conversation with Dov Moran, one of the OGs of Israel's high-tech industry, a serial entrepreneur, author, and now managing partner at Grove Ventures.2023-03-151h 11

Youristics16. Matti FriedmanA conversation with the author and journalist Matti Friedman. We talk about his latest book, Who By Fire, which is about Leonard Cohen's time near the front lines of combat between Israeli and Egyptian forces in the Yom Kippur War. We also talk about his 2014 articles about media bias against Israel, how Israel was patient zero for wokeness in the media, the paradox of hiring journalists who have no working experience covering their beats, the effect of wealth on a societal level, the burden of being a Jew in the world, the allure of journalism for young p...2023-01-191h 29

Youristics15. What is light?A conversation with Neil Goldstein. Neil is super knowledgeable about all things lighting, given his work on the sets of Captain America the Winter Soldier, Eurovision 2019 and Cirque du Soleil. We talk about how light helps tell a story, how lighting can create an illusion of shifting shapes for buildings, Cleveland's secret status as Hollywood's little brother, the evolution of film projection, the kinds of people that work in lighting in the entertainment business, set culture, the real stuff filmed in advertising, Neil's desire to work in outer space, and other topics.2023-01-142h 18

Youristics14. What is space travel?A conversation with Jonathan Geifman, CEO of Helios. The company is developing a way to extract oxygen and metals from lunar and even martian soil, with the double-barreled aim of making deep space exploration more reachable, and cutting down emissions on Earth from heavy industries like steel production. We touch on a whole bunch of topics: what's been holding up progress in space travel, how power politics affects space travel, the "tyranny of the rocket equation," the process of extracting oxygen, Elon Musk's inspiration for SpaceX, the characteristics of lunar soil, Jonathan's trip to Antarctica, Jonathan's journey...2023-01-051h 58

Youristics13. The best conversation everA chat about life, love, philosophy, the mind, the universe and ourselves with the neuroscientist Tomer Fekete.2022-12-292h 39

Youristics12. A luddite's manifesto: 10 rules for a healthier relationship with our smartphonesA rollicking conversation with my friend Abigail Singer Bahumi. We talk and argue about 10 rules I made up to fight back against our smartphone addiction. They are: 1. Leave the kids alone! 2. If you can’t see the sun, don’t send that text 3. Online 4. Always remember that no one cares about your selfies 5. Keep food and phone separate 6. Watch where you’re going! 7. Don’t type anything you wouldn’t say in person 8. Do not sleep with your phone in the room 9. Restr...2022-12-222h 15

Youristics11. Ari HarowA conversation with Ari Harow, CEO of Itur Financial Intelligence, and former chief of staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We spoke about what life was like growing up in Israel in the 80s and 90s, what seeing death does to young people, moving to the US and being a Zionist activist, starting off in the world of Likud politics, the difference between Benjamin Netanyahu and other politicians, the grueling pace of working in Israeli government, what makes being the prime minister of Israel one of the world's hardest jobs, the role of mythical cultural heros i...2022-12-152h 15

Youristics10. What is privacy?A conversation about privacy in the modern world with Yaron Rosen. He is the co-founder of a cyber security startups Toka and Illuminant Defense. Yaron served most of his +30 years in the Israel Defense Forces in the air force. His final post was as Chief of the IDF's Cyber Staff. We talk about the dividing line between selling hacking tools to autocratic and democratic regimes, the psychological nature of privacy, why NSO became a global concern, the need for private cyber security industry to support governments and law enforcement agencies, the common values shared by people who...2022-12-081h 52

Youristics9. What is loneliness?A conversation with Tamar Liberman. She is the CEO and co-founder of It's July, a platform that connects families looking to hang out. We talk about how loneliness is plaguing families, how families decide with whom to hang out with, how she founded the company during the height of Covid, the category of "fam-tech," the challenges of being a woman startup founder, and the stigmas attached to, and the profound benefits from being an entrepreneur. Check out It's July: https://www.itsjuly.com/2022-12-011h 12

Youristics8. What is online dating?A conversation with Rosalie Korper about dating apps like Tinder and Bumble. We talk about how men and women experience the apps, my theory on love at first sight, the benefits of playing hard to get, tests for long-term compatibility men and women set for their dates, the incentives for the app companies, what we think about how our kids will be on the apps, and even dickpics.2022-11-072h 14

Youristics7. What is IVF?A conversation with Sarah Ward. We talk about her experience finding out about her complications around conceiving naturally, what it's like physically and emotionally to go through IVF treatment, how the therapy cycles affected her relationship with her husband Elliot, how she approaches the possibility of never having children, what keeps her going with treatment despite the stress, the pros and cons of adoption, how her business gives her a place in extended families, and what she thinks can be gained from hearing her story. Check out Sarah's latest vlog about IVF: https://www...2022-10-252h 08

Youristics6. What is gay parenting?My conversation with Yoav Reisler, whose mothers were the first lesbian couple to have biological children in Israel. We talk about what it's been like to not know your biological father, the bullying he experienced in school, coming out as a gay man, his decision to be a sperm donor, the process for gay couples to become parents and the lessons from childhood he plans to apply when he becomes a father.2022-09-292h 07

Youristics6. What is gay parenting?A conversation with Yoav Reisler, whose mothers were the first lesbian couple to have biological children in Israel. We talk about what it's like to not know your biological father, the bullying he experienced during childhood, coming out as a gay man, why he's a sperm donor, the perspective he gained as a result of the process that led to his birth, the process for gay couples to become parents, and how he plans to be as a father.2022-09-282h 07

Youristics5. What is free speech?A conversation with Noam Schwartz, CEO of ActiveFence, an Israeli startup that helps some of the world's biggest social media companies monitor extreme content. We talk about Noam's break with his religious upbringing, what exposure to death at a young age does to a person, what ActiveFence does, the role social media companies have in today's free speech debate, the arguments for and against banning certain online content, legal limits to speech, and other free speech angles. Follow Noam on Twitter at @NoamSCH For more on ActiveFence: https://www.activefence.com/ 2022-09-202h 03

Youristics4. What is a brain?My conversation with Yair Levy, CEO of brain.space, and Tomer Fekete, the company's director of science. We spoke about the brain, what is does, how the company's headset maps brain states, future use cases for the device, how this project could go wrong and what motivates Yair and Tomer in this enterprise. For more on brain.space: https://www.brain.space/ 2022-09-111h 44

Youristics3. What is sales?A conversation with Mendel Gniwisch, CEO of stor.ai, an Israeli startup that helps groceries with their e-commerce operations. We walk about Chabad, Mendel's experience trying to convince random Jewish men to put on tefillin, the relationship between conviction and good sales people, the role of value and friendship in the sales process, the future of sales and the increasingly central part of the consumer in the process, and a rant about Disney World. For more on Mendel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mendelgniwisch/ To check out stor.ai: https://stor.ai/2022-09-011h 31

Youristics2. The Covid GenerationThoughts on the primacy of free and honest speech.2022-08-3022 min

Youristics1. What is a smartphone?A conversation with Meron Eren, one of the last adults to not own a smartphone, about our relationship with these devices.2022-08-161h 14