Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas

Boundless Israel, Inc.

When it comes to Israel, antisemitism, and American Jewry, the conversations are seemingly endless—there are so many perspectives and so many difficult questions that it can be hard to know where to start.

That’s why we created Boundless Insights—to bring you thoughtful, in-depth, and engaging discussions to help make sense of the issues.

Our goal is to become your trusted source for insights that are not just informative, but also empowering – giving you the confidence to start conversations of your own.

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173 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes173

Newest first

January 14 · 28 min
Lessons in Leadership – with President Isaac Herzog
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. In this episode of Boundless Insights, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel, for a conversation about leadership at a time of profound national strain. Since October 7, Israel has been carrying deep loss alongside urgent questions of accountability, responsibility, and unity. Trust has been shaken, and Israelis - together with Jews around the world - are grappling with how a wounded society begins to heal. President Herzog shares what he has learned from time spent with hostage families and the bereaved, and why acknowledgment and presence matter for national repair. He also shares how October 7 has changed Israeli society, how he understands unity after rupture, and how he thinks about Israel’s relationship with world Jewry at a moment when many feel both deeply connected and deeply vulnerable. Guest Bio: Isaac Herzog is the 11th President of the State of Israel. The son of Israel's sixth President, Chaim Herzog and grandson of Israel's first Chief Rabbi, Yizhak Isaac Halevi Herzog, President Isaac Herzog was born in Tel Aviv in 1960, trained as a lawyer and became senior partner in one of Israel's leading Law firms. In 2003, Herzog was elected member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, after serving as Government Secretary to Prime Minister Ehud Barak (1999-2001). Throughout his 15 years in the Knesset, Herzog held several parliamentary and ministerial posts, among them Minister of Housing and Construction; Minister of Tourism; Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Society and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism. Herzog's revolutionary term as Minister of Welfare & Social Services is considered his crowning achievement in the Government of Israel. Herzog was a Member of Israel's Security Cabinet, in addition to serving as Government Coordinator for the Provision of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza. In 2013, Herzog was elected Chairman of the Israeli Labor Party, the founding party of the State of Israel, becoming Leader of the Opposition. Two years later he led the alliance between the Labor Party and the Hatnua Party to form Israel's largest center-left political party of that time – the Zionist Union, which made him a leading candidate for Prime Minister during the 2015 national elections. In June of 2018, Herzog was appointed Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the historic organization which laid the foundations of the State of Israel and the largest Jewish NGO in the world. As JAFI Chairman he led the process of restructuring the organization, which reinvigorated it, reaffirmed its prominence within world Jewry, and solidified JAFI's status as a bridge to Jewish communities worldwide and the State of Israel. On July 7, 2021 Isaac Herzog was sworn in as the 11th President of the State of Israel, following an overwhelming majority vote at the Knesset which constituted a historic landslide victory. President Herzog published numerous books and articles in Israel and worldwide, and is a sought after speaker in different fields all over the world. He is married to Michal, also a lawyer by profession and an expert in philanthropy, and they have three sons.
January 7 · 22 min
The Middle East Entering 2026 – with Dr. Michael Oren
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren for a wide-angle look at the regional landscape heading into 2026. Together, they examine how recent diplomatic moves, shifting U.S.–Israel dynamics, internal pressure inside Iran, and Israel’s own political calendar fit into a broader picture of power, deterrence, and decision-making. They look at how the balance of power may be shifting, where risks are accumulating, and what Israel, the United States, and regional actors should be preparing for next. Mentioned in this episode: Free Press: How Does Bibi Survive? by Michael Oren Israel Hayom: 'We need to take advantage of Trump's time in office'
Dec 31, 2025 · 32 min
That’s a Rapaport on 2025 – with Michael Rapaport
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Aviva closes out 2025 with actor, comedian, and podcaster Michael Rapaport for a funny and thoughtful look back. They reflect on how the last two years have reshaped Jewish life and identity, revisit the cultural and political moments that defined 2025, and talk about what they’re carrying into 2026 — including Michael’s upcoming documentary. Along the way: New Year’s resolutions, a mini therapy session, and “Mike’s Hot Takes” on everything from AI to tariffs to the pope, plus a headline you didn’t see coming — Rapaport for mayor. Guest Bio: Michael Rapaport is an actor and comedian whose career spans film, television, and stand-up. In recent years, he has also become one of Hollywood’s most outspoken and unapologetic advocates for Israel and the Jewish people, using his platform to encourage others to stand up, speak clearly, and refuse to stay silent.
Dec 29, 2025 · 40 min
American Antizionism - with Shaul Kelner
Sociologist and Jewish studies scholar Dr. Shaul Kelner joins Dr. Rachel Fish to examine the rise of antizionism as a distinctly American political and social movement. Kelner argues that contemporary antizionism is less an intellectual critique of Zionism than a political mass movement defined by praxis: the othering and exclusion of Jews through social and institutional action. Their conversation explores why debates over whether antizionism equals antisemitism often obscure more than they clarify, the distinction between 'anti-Zionism' and 'antizionism', how ambiguity about end goals of the pro-Palestine movement enables broad coalition-building, why higher education became especially fertile ground for this movement, and more. Further Reading Shaul Kelner, “American Antizionism,” Sources Journal Isabella Tabarovsky, "The Cult of 'Antizionism'," Tablet Magazine Isabella Tabarovsky, "Zombie Anti-Zionism," Tablet Magazine David Hirsch, "'Anti-Zionism' and 'Antizionism'," Australia/Israel, and Jewish Affairs Council Guest Bio Shaul Kelner is a Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Vanderbilt University, specializing in the study of contemporary Jewish life. His latest book, A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews received grant support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and won a National Jewish Book Award. Prof. Kelner has been a Fellow of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Michigan’s Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, a visiting scholar in Tel Aviv University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology and a resident scholar at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. He has served as a board member of the Association for Jewish Studies and of the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science recognized him with an Innovative Teaching Award for Creating Engaging In-Person Learning Environments.
Dec 24, 2025 · 20 min
A Muslim Zionist’s Case for Peace – with Loay Alshareef
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Host Aviva Klompas speaks with Loay Alshareef, an Arab Muslim peace advocate whose personal journey challenges some of the most entrenched assumptions in the Middle East. Raised in Saudi Arabia in an environment steeped in anti-Jewish narratives, Loay describes the beliefs he absorbed growing up and the profound turning point that reshaped his worldview after living with a Jewish family in France. That experience led him to reexamine what he had been taught about Jews, Israel, and history and ultimately to dedicate his life to countering extremism and misinformation. Guest Bio Loay Alshareef is an Arab Muslim peace advocate, historian, and social media influencer dedicated to building understanding between Muslims and Jews and advancing peace in the Middle East. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi-Egyptian family, Loay underwent a profound transformation after living with a Jewish family in France in 2010, an experience that reshaped his worldview and set him on a path toward reconciliation. He has worked in education, history, and cultural tourism, and is now a leading voice in interfaith dialogue, known for his support of Israel’s legitimacy and the Abraham Accords. Based in the United Arab Emirates, Loay combines deep historical knowledge — including expertise in ancient languages and scripts — with a modern digital platform to promote coexistence and challenge entrenched narratives.
Dec 21, 2025 · 25 min
Terror in Australia
Please donate to support and the families affected by the Bondi Beach terror attack: www.charidy.com/supportsydney We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. Aviva speaks with survivors of the terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead and dozens wounded. What began as a public gathering to mark the first night of the Jewish festival became one of the deadliest attacks on Jews in Australia’s history. Sorella’s fundraiser for Rabbi Eli Schlanger: Charidy.com/Elischlanger Chavi’s organization: Theempoweredjew.org
Dec 16, 2025 · 26 min
Hanukkah in the Shadow of the Australia Attack – with Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. In this episode, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis reflects on what Hanukkah asks of us this year, in the wake of the antisemitic attack on Jews in Australia. He explores how an ancient story of courage, conviction, and spiritual resilience speaks to a moment when Jewish communities are confronting rising antisemitism, deep communal strain, and the challenge of remaining visible in difficult and frightening times. The Chief Rabbi discusses the enduring meaning of the festival, what it takes to keep Jewish identity proud and vibrant in the face of threats, and how individuals and communities can bring light into a world that often feels shadowed by fear and uncertainty. Guest Bio: Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis is only the 11th Chief Rabbi of Great Britain since the office was introduced in 1704. He is the religious figurehead for Jewish communities right across the Commonwealth, from Hull to Hong Kong and from Cardiff to Cochin. He was installed on 1st September 2013 in an historic ceremony attended by His Majesty King Charles III, then The Prince of Wales. Born in South Africa, he previously served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland and Rabbi of the Western Marble Arch and Finchley (Kinloss) Synagogues in London, making him one of the UK’s most respected community Rabbis. As Chief Rabbi, he is a primary representative of the Jewish community to government, other faiths and civil society as well as being responsible for oversight of crucial parts of the UK Jewish community’s religious infrastructure. Chief Rabbi Mirvis is known as a principled leader who has broken new ground in the fields of interfaith and social responsibility as well as tackling a number of particularly complex or controversial issues including the welfare of LGBT+ students in Orthodox Jewish Schools and antisemitism in the British Labour Party. Chief Rabbi Mirvis serves as Associate President of the Conference of European Rabbis, President of the London School of Jewish Studies and was made a Knight Commander of the British Empire, by His Majesty The King in 2023.
Dec 10, 2025 · 22 min
Netanyahu Wants a Pardon – with Dr. Michael Oren
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Israel is facing a moment without precedent: a sitting prime minister on trial for corruption is now asking the president for a pardon. Benjamin Netanyahu has spent years fighting charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting gifts from wealthy associates. The trial has dragged on through political crises, judicial reform battles, and two years of war. He insists he’s the target of a political conspiracy. Others say the case is a test of whether Israel’s leaders can ever be held accountable. Now he argues the trial is hurting the country — and wants President Isaac Herzog to bring it to an end. The move has split Israelis. Supporters say a pardon would allow the nation to turn the page. Critics warn it would set a dangerous precedent and undermine public trust in the rule of law. And into this already charged moment stepped President Trump, urging Herzog to grant the pardon and calling the prosecution politically motivated. In this episode, Dr. Michael Oren joins host Aviva Klompas to break down the stakes: what a pardon would mean for Israel’s democracy and how it could reshape the political map.
Dec 3, 2025 · 34 min
A New Vision for Israel – with Dr. Einat Wilf
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. In this episode of Boundless Insights, host Aviva Klompas speaks with Dr. Einat Wilf about her decision to launch a new political party in Israel and what she believes the country urgently needs right now. Wilf explains why she founded the Oz Party, arguing that Israel must move from what she calls “exile-consciousness” to true sovereign behavior — reclaiming clarity, responsibility, and strategic purpose in a time of political exhaustion. Their conversation explores Wilf’s insistence that any future peace depends on Arab and Palestinian recognition of Zionism and the legitimacy of the Jewish state, as well as her views on citizenship, military service, sovereignty, and the limits of the current political consensus. Wilf also addresses skepticism about her platform, the challenges of building a new coalition in a polarized landscape, and what kind of leadership she believes Israel requires to navigate its next chapter. Boundless relies on your support to produce courageous conversations and nuanced analysis at a time when clarity matters more than ever. If this episode helped you better understand the moment we’re living in, please consider making a donation at boundlessisrael.org/donate. Guest Bio Dr. Einat Wilf is a leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy and education. She was a member of the Israeli Parliament from 2010 to 2013, where she served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Wilf served as an Intelligence Officer in the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company. Dr. Wilf has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. She was the Goldman Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. Dr. Wilf is the author of seven books that explore key issues in Israeli society. “We Should All Be Zionists“, published in 2022, brings together her essays from the past four years on Israel, Zionism and the path to peace; the co-authored “The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace”, was published in 2020
Nov 26, 2025 · 26 min
The Price of Alliance – with Dr. Michael Oren
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org, or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. Boundless relies on your support to produce courageous conversations and nuanced analysis at a time when clarity matters more than ever. If this episode – or any of our work – has helped you better understand the moment we’re living in, please consider making a contribution at boundlessisrael.org/donate. Host Aviva Klompas sits down with Dr. Michael Oren to examine how the U.S.–Israel relationship has been reshaped over the course of the war — and what Israel may be conceding in the process. Together, they explore how shifting American leadership has transformed the boundaries of Israeli decision-making, from constraints on military operations to mounting pressure around Gaza’s future governance and a potential path toward Palestinian statehood. Dr. Oren unpacks the tension between strategic dependence and national sovereignty, and questions whether Israel is being nudged toward an uneasy reality in which Hamas survives by default. Their conversation also addresses growing concerns over Israel’s qualitative military edge, the implications of arms commitments to regional powers, and whether the alliance still rests on shared values or has evolved into a more transactional dynamic. Guest Bio Dr. Michael Oren is a historian, author, and former Israeli ambassador to the United States. A leading voice on Middle East strategy and Israeli politics, he has written numerous best-selling books and served as a Member of Knesset and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Nov 24, 2025 · 45 min
Gaza and Israel After Phase One — with David Makovsky
Middle East analyst David Makovsky joins Dr. Rachel Fish to unpack the “phase one to phase two” handoff in Gaza: what the Trump plan actually changed, why returning the remaining hostages bodies still matters, and why an international stabilization force is unlikely to disarm Hamas. Makovsky outlines a de-Hamas future for Gaza built on a West-Berlin model that pairs PA-Israel security coordination with technocratic Palestinian governance, while Arab states provide funding and public cover. They also map the Saudi calculus on normalization, the risks of delay, and how Israel’s coming election could reshape U.S.–Israel ties, regional alignments, and Israel’s democratic character. Further Reading David Makovsky and Shira Efron, For Progress in Gaza, Empower the Palestinian Authority
Nov 21, 2025 · 20 min
Settler Violence – with Dr. Michael Oren
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org, or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. In this episode, Aviva sits down with Dr. Michael Oren to examine the troubling spike in settler violence in Judea and Samaria. In recent weeks, attacks on Palestinian communities and farmers have become more frequent and more brazen, raising alarms among Israel’s top political and military leaders. Although the government maintains that only a small fringe is responsible, the surge has exposed deeper problems in enforcement, politics, and public trust. Aviva and Dr. Oren explore what’s fueling the unrest, how it connects to the broader wartime landscape, and why these incidents pose real risks to Israel’s security and international standing. This Giving Tuesday, please consider supporting Boundless. Your gift helps us produce thoughtful conversations like this one, elevate courageous voices, and build a future grounded in knowledge, strength, and moral clarity. You can make a tax-deductible donation at boundlessisrael.org/donate. Guest Bio Dr. Michael Oren is a historian, author, and former Israeli ambassador to the United States. A leading voice on Middle East strategy and Israeli politics, he has written numerous best-selling books and served as a Member of Knesset and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. Mentioned in this Episode In 2048: The Rejuvenated State by Ambassador Michael Oren
Nov 19, 2025 · 20 min
What’s Happening in the Republican Party? – with Rep Randy Fine
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. The Republican Party is in flux. Once unified around faith, freedom, and family, it now finds itself wrestling with internal divisions — between traditional conservatives, populists, and the MAGA movement — over what it means to be a Republican in America today. In this episode, Florida Congressman Randy Fine joins host Aviva Klompas to talk about the battle for the soul of the GOP and the rise of antisemitism on the right. This Giving Tuesday, please consider supporting Boundless. Your gift helps us produce thoughtful conversations like this one, elevate courageous voices, and build a future grounded in knowledge, strength, and moral clarity. You can make a tax-deductible donation at boundlessisrael.org/donate. Guest Bio Congressman Randy Fine was elected to represent Florida’s 6th Congressional District in April 2025 and serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Education and Workforce Committees. A third-generation Floridian, he attended Harvard twice and built a successful career as an entrepreneur before retiring at 40 to spend time with his family. In 2016, he began his public service in the Florida House, later serving in the Florida Senate and passing more than forty bills over eight years. he is working to ensure that the values of faith, freedom, and family continue to guide the nation.
Nov 12, 2025 · 19 min
What’s Happening in the Democratic Party? – with Brianna Wu
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City has stirred a deeper conversation about the Democratic Party’s identity. Once defined by pragmatism and broad coalitions, the party is now grappling with a rising current of ideological purity and moral outrage — one that increasingly casts Israel, and sometimes Jews, as symbols of injustice. Aviva Klompas speaks with political commentator and lifelong Democrat Brianna Wu about what’s driving this transformation, how the Democratic Socialists of America gained power, and whether the party’s center can hold — or if this is the new political reality on the left. Guest Bio: Brianna Wu rose to national prominence during Gamergate, a flashpoint in the video game industry that pioneered many of the toxic tactics now common in online political discourse. She ran for Congress in 2018 as a progressive Democrat, but experienced a sharp break with her party following the October 7th Hamas attacks. Today, she is a prominent advocate for U.S./ Israel national security cooperation and a leading voice in the evolving debate over liberalism, extremism, and the future of the trans movement.
Nov 5, 2025 · 25 min
What the F! NYC – with Michael Rapaport
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. The day after New York City elected its first openly anti-Israel mayor, many Jews in America’s largest Jewish community are asking the same question: what now? In this episode, Michael Rapaport joins Aviva to talk about what Mamdani’s win reveals about the political and cultural shifts happening in New York — and what it means for Jews everywhere. They trace Rapaport’s unexpected journey from actor and comedian to one of the most outspoken Jewish voices in America, and why he refuses to stay silent in the face of hate. Together, they unpack the silence of celebrities after October 7, the self-defeating choices of Jewish voters, and the growing divide between pride and fear in public Jewish life.
Nov 3, 2025 · 22 min
Freedom – with Eli Sharabi
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. Eli Sharabi spent 491 days in Hamas captivity — hidden in homes, held in tunnels, and forced to survive the unthinkable. When he finally emerged, Israel rejoiced, but his freedom came with unbearable news: his wife and daughters were among the victims of October 7. In this powerful conversation, Eli reflects on life before the massacre, the will to survive, and what it means to rebuild after loss. He also speaks about the moral clarity that came from witnessing Hamas up close and why confronting that ideology is central to any hope of peace. Eli’s memoir, Hostage, has become a global phenomenon — the fastest-selling book in Israel’s history and a #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. In this raw and unflinching firsthand account, Sharabi offers an unprecedented look inside Hamas captivity, chronicling the starvation, isolation, brutal beatings, and psychological torment he endured — and the extraordinary will to survive that carried him through. Guest Bio Eli Sharabi is a former hostage who survived 491 days in Hamas captivity following his abduction from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023. Sharabi became a global advocate for the remaining hostages, meeting with world leaders like US President Donald Trump, speaking at the United Nations, and sharing his story with audiences around the world. His memoir, Hostage, the first published account by a released Israeli hostage, became an instant number one bestseller in Hebrew (the fastest selling book in Israeli history) and an instant New York Times (US) and Sunday Times (UK) bestseller. Born in Tel Aviv to Yemenite and Moroccan parents, Sharabi moved to Be’eri as a teenager and later married Lianne, a British woman with whom he shared two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, aged sixteen and thirteen. A longtime resident of Be’eri, Sharabi served as the Kibbutz’s business manager, as well as the Chief Financial Officer of the Kibbutz, Be’eri Printing, and other private companies in Israel. Sharabi continues to work tirelessly as leading advocate for raising awareness of the October 7th atrocities.
Oct 30, 2025 · 52 min
Rebuilding Gaza without Rebuilding Hamas - with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
Gazan-born analyst Ahmed Fouad AlKhatib joins Dr. Rachel Fish for a conversation about Gaza after the war’s “freeze.” He explains why the current deal hasn’t solved core problems, how Hamas is using the pause to re-entrench and terrorize rivals, and why outside power in the form of an international stabilization force with real teeth is the only path to disarmament, reconstruction, and a future for Palestinians that isn’t held hostage by Hamas. Rachel and Ahmed also dig into Qatar and Turkey’s roles, UNRWA’s entanglements, and what Western activists miss when “ending Israeli violence” becomes the only objective. Guest Bio Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is the founder of Realign For Palestine, an Atlantic Council project challenging entrenched narratives in the Israel–Palestine discourse and promoting a new, pragmatic framework for Palestinian advocacy. The project cultivates Palestinian voices committed to nonviolence, a two-nation solution, and a break from extremism. A senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs, Alkhatib writes extensively on Gaza’s political and humanitarian challenges and is a prominent critic of Hamas. His work has been featured across U.S., Israeli, and international media, and he is widely followed on social media. Born and raised in Gaza City, Alkhatib moved to the U.S. in 2005 as a student. His worldview is shaped by the hopes of the Oslo peace process and the trauma of its collapse, alongside the rise of Islamism in Gaza. Since October 7, he has lost 33 family members to Israeli airstrikes but continues to advocate for breaking the cycle of dehumanization, violence, and revenge. Read More Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, "The ‘Peace Protesters’ Who Won’t Give Peace a Chance" (The Free Press) Sam Mednick and Sally Abou Aljoud, Women in Gaza say they were promised food, money or work in exchange for sexual interactions (The Independent)
Oct 27, 2025 · 27 min
Winning the Peace – with John Spencer
Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. After two years of war, Israel now faces a new kind of battle — the challenge of winning the peace. President Trump’s Gaza plan calls for the demilitarization and deradicalization of Gaza: dismantling Hamas’s weapons and tunnels, building a new Palestinian police force, and bringing in an international coalition to oversee security and reconstruction. But can Gaza truly be transformed into a terror-free zone? What will it take to keep Hamas and other armed groups from rebuilding? And how does Israel secure long-term stability while navigating complex regional politics? John Spencer — one of the world’s foremost experts on urban warfare and modern conflict — joins Aviva to explore what success might look like, the risks that remain, and whether peace can finally take root. Guest Bio: John Spencer is an award-winning scholar, internationally recognized expert and advisor on urban warfare, military strategy, tactics, and other related topics. Considered one of the world’s leading experts on urban warfare, he served as an advisor to the top four-star general and other senior leaders in the U.S. Army as part of strategic research groups from the Pentagon to the United States Military Academy. John currently serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Madison Policy Forum, Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast.
Oct 23, 2025 · 33 min
The Media’s War on Israel - with Matti Friedman
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas. Matti Friedman has spent more than a decade dissecting how Israel is covered in the press and what those stories reveal about the storytellers themselves. His 2014 Atlantic essay, What the Media Gets Wrong About Israel, remains one of the sharpest examinations of why global attention is fixated on Israel and why the coverage so often skews against it. In this conversation, Matti reflects on whether the problems he identified then still hold true today in an age of social media storms. He explains why Israel remains outsized in the Western imagination, how Hamas has weaponized Palestinian suffering, and why the media so often amplifies their playbook. We also explore whether Israel’s failures in the narrative war are the result of its own missteps, entrenched hostility, or something deeper, and what both the Israeli government and Jewish communities abroad can and should do differently. More from Matti: The Free Press - Is Gaza Starving? Searching for the Truth in an Information War The Atlantic - What the Media Gets Wrong About Israel Tablet - An Insider’s Guide to the Most Important Story on Earth Guest Bio: Matti Friedman is an award-winning journalist and the author of four non-fiction books. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Tablet, Smithsonian, and elsewhere, and he’s currently a columnist for the Free Press. Matti’s most recent book, Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai, was published in 2022 in the US, Canada, Israel, and Italy. His previous book, Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel, won the 2019 Natan Prize and the Canadian Jewish Book Award. Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier’s Story of a Forgotten War was chosen in 2016 as a New York Times Notable Book and one of Amazon’s 10 best books of the year. His first book, The Aleppo Codex, won the 2014 Sami Rohr Prize and the ALA’s Sophie Brody Medal. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Matti was born in Toronto and lives in Jerusalem.
Oct 20, 2025 · 31 min
Phase Two: The Plan to Demilitarize Gaza – with Jonathan Conricus
We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @AvivaKlompas. Phase Two of President Trump’s Gaza plan envisions a demilitarized, “terror-free zone.” The Strip would be cleared of weapons and tunnels, militants who renounce violence could receive amnesty or exile, and an international stabilization force — composed of U.S., Arab, and European personnel — would oversee security and help train a new Palestinian police force. But how realistic is demilitarization? And can Gaza truly be de-radicalized? Jonathan Conricus joins host Aviva Klompas to unpack the security, regional, and political implications of Phase Two — and to ask whether this moment marks the start of peace or simply the next chapter in a long war. Guest Bio Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East. He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. He also served as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces. He has directed social media and public diplomacy efforts and has extensive on- and off-camera experience from his years as a spokesperson.