Episodes
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Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
To order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn
Today’s Episode:
Over the past few days, we’ve observed strong signs that Israeli leaders are moving to bring the Gaza war to a close, though it remains unclear how exactly this would take shape.
On Tuesday, Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermermet with senior Trump administration officials in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the White House on Monday, July 7.
This comes just over a week after Israel’s 12-day war against the Iranian regime. The war also included, of course, a round of American strikes on Iran’s three key nuclear facilities.
Prime Minister Netanyahu spent his entire political career warning of the existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program, and he is now largely being credited — even by domestic critics — with its destruction. As the post-Iran War geopolitical map is being drawn, we wonder, what could be Netanyahu’s next moves in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria. Saudi Arabia, and domestically, in Israel?
To discuss this we are joined by Israeli author and journalist Ari Shavit. Ari is the author of the award-winning book My Promised Land and was a senior correspondent at Haaretz for many years.
To order Ari’s book, My Promised Land: https://tinyurl.com/45jbnhbz
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us and sign up for updates visit: www.arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
To order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn
Today’s Episode:
Now that the “12 Day War” between Israel and Iran has ended (for now), we are turning our attention back toward the war in Gaza, where 50 Israeli hostages remain. President Donald Trump has been advocating for an end to the war, saying that he believes a hostage-ceasefire deal might come within a week.
This comes amid increasing doubts about IDF achievements in Gaza going forward, especially with IDF casualties on a near daily basis. This past Wednesday, seven Israeli soldiers were tragically killed when an IED hit the armored vehicle they were in.
Joining us to discuss the ongoing IDF campaign in Gaza and the possibility for a new ceasefire deal — and the events taking place in the West Bank — is Call me Back regular and political analyst at Yedioth Achronot, Nadav Eyal.
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CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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Missing episodes?
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Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
To order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn
Today’s Episode (Part II):
In the first part of our conversation, we talked about how Iran built its nuclear program and gave a history and scientific tutorial on how it was / could be done.
In the second part, we talk about what is believed to be remaining after the Israeli and U.S. attacks.
We welcome back to the show, Lahav Harkov who has been covering this topic in detail for Jewish Insider. David Albright, a physicist and world renowned expert and author on nuclear weapons, and the President and Founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, also joins us.
Check out David’s work here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001HPEB5C/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=1b1c48b5-d51b-4ce5-b43e-dc94a51aadec
Check out Lahav’s work at Jewish Insider here: https://jewishinsider.com/authors/lahav-harkov/
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CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
-
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us and sign up for updates visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
To order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn
Today’s Episode (Part I)
On Saturday June 21st, the U.S. dropped 14, 30,000 pound bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s three key nuclear sites: Natanz, Esfahan and the infamous Fordo, where 12 of the 14 bombs were dropped.
Since the bombing of these three nuclear sites, which President Donald Trump said were “completely and totally obliterated,” there has been some speculation in the press as to how much damage was actually done.
While the world scrambles to figure out what was destroyed, what was damaged, and what was left intact, we are asking what was Iran’s actual nuclear program and how was it built?
To help answer those questions, we asked physicist and weapons expert David Albright, who is the President and Founder of the Institute for Science and International Security. David has written numerous books and assessments on nuclear weapons programs and has testified on multiple occasions on nuclear issues before the U.S. Congress.
Check out David’s work here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001HPEB5C/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=1b1c48b5-d51b-4ce5-b43e-dc94a51aadec
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CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
-
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
To order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn
Today’s Episode:
It feels like a month’s worth of news has erupted out of the Middle East since Saturday night, when the U.S. bombed Iran’s three key nuclear facilities. On Monday, the IRGC responded by firing missiles at the American El Udeid Air base in Qatar – an attack it warned Qatar (and the U.S.) about beforehand. Throughout that day, the Israeli Air Force struck critical IRGC targets, including multiple hubs of internal operations, military headquarters, missile production sites, radar systems, and missile storage infrastructure. In a highly symbolic move, the IAF struck Evin Prison – known for holding Iranian dissidents – as well as Iran’s so-called “Israel doomsday clock,” located in Tehran’s “Palestine square.”
And then, at 6:02pm EST, President Trump announced a “complete and total ceasefire” via Truth Social.
Shortly before the ceasefire began, Iran launched six successive missile barrages toward targets throughout Israel. At around 5:40am Israel time, one of these missiles impacted a residential building in Beersheba, tragically killing four people and injuring 22.
At 10:30am Israel time, about three-and-a-half hours after the ceasefire was meant to take effect, Iran fired two missiles at Israel’s North. Israeli officials vowed to respond forcefully to this breach in the ceasefire, but settled for a “symbolic” target – an Iranian radar north of Tehran – after pressure from President Trump not to escalate.
To unpack the history that’s taken place over the past few days; the details of the ceasefire and how it will be enforced; and how a possible end to this Iran War (or this phase of the Iran War) could impact the Gaza War and the hostages, we are joined once again by senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot and Call me Back regular Nadav Eyal and chief political analyst at Channel 12 and another Call me Back regular Amit Segal.
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CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
-
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s Episode:
Around 8pm ET on Saturday June 21st, President Trump announced that the U.S. launched an attack on three Iranian nuclear sites: Natanz, Esfahan, and Fordow.
At 10pm ET, in a live address from the White House, the President called the attacks on Iran a “spectacular military success” and said Iran’s three targeted nuclear facilities had been “completely and totally obliterated.”
Joining us to unpack what we know about the attack and what Iran might do next and what happens next for the U.S. and Israel are Call me Back regulars Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal.
We will be following these historic developments closely here at Call me Back. Stay tuned for more news updates and episodes this week.
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CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
-
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s Episode:
If President Trump decides against the U.S. joining the war, what can the IDF achieve on its own? In today’s episode, senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot and Call me Back regular Nadav Eyal discusses this very question as well as the damage caused by Iran’s most recent missile barrages and how Israeli air defenses are working to confront the threat.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
-
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s Episode:
For New York City Jews, there are two major news stories that are front of mind. There is, of course, Israel’s war with Iran. And then there is the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, which will take place this Tuesday, June 24th.
This year’s NYC mayoral election is of particular consequence because of 33-year-old self-proclaimed socialist Zohran Mamdani, to many Jewish New Yorkers because of his positions on antisemitism and Israel. In college, Mamdani co-founded “Students for Justice in Palestine.” Now, while he claims to be concerned about raising antisemitism, he defends the phrase “globalize the intifada.” When asked about his position on Israel two weeks ago, Mamdani said that as mayor, he would bring NYC back into compliance with international law, suggesting that the city administration’s support for Israel is illegal.
To unpack this significant election cycle, we are joined by Howard Wolfson, who leads the Education Program of Bloomberg Philanthropies. From 2010 to 2013, Howard served as the NYC Deputy Mayor for Government Affairs and Communications – where he oversaw local, state, and federal government relations, with particular involvement in the education, transportation, and technology sectors. Howard currently runs Former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg's SuperPAC and continues to advise Bloomberg on matters of politics and communications.
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CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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To inquire about working at a Jewish summer camp this summer: http://jewishcamp.org/work
CLICK HERE to listen to our earlier episode today with Nadav Eyal & Karim Sadjapour
CLICK HERE to listen to What's Your Number?
CLICK HERE to listen to For Heaven’s Sake
Watch and subscribe to Call Me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org
Ark Media on Instagram: https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dansenor
Timestamp: 10:30PM on Wednesday, June 18th (EST), 5:30AM on Thursday, June 19th (Israel time).
News continues to develop rapidly. To help our listeners separate signal from noise, we are going to be providing quick news updates in addition to our regular programming.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
-
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: https://lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What’s Your Number?’: https://lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s Episode:
Will the U.S. play a direct military role in the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program? Over the past few days, President Trump has been reinforcing his support for the Israeli offensive and his position that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Most assessments suggest that the IAF does not have the capability to completely destroy Iran’s nuclear program. If that’s the case, what’s the end-game? Should Iran’s nuclear program be destroyed by the US, delayed by Israel, or disassembled by Iran through a deal?
On today’s episode, we dive into these critical questions with senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot and Call me Back regular, Nadav Eyal, and Iran foreign policy expert and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Karim Sadjapour.
Karim is a first-time guest. In addition to working at Carnegie, he is a contributing writer to the Atlantic. He was previously an analyst with the International Crisis Group, based in Tehran and Washington. He has lived in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East (including both Iran and the Arab world) and speaks Persian. Karim is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, teaching a class on U.S. foreign policy and the Middle East.
Nadav and Karim discuss what the mood is inside Iran, what military options are on the table, and possible outcomes of the war.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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CLICK HERE to listen to today’s episode of For Heaven’s Sake
CLICK HERE to listen to our earlier episode today with Amit Segal on the war with Iran
Watch and subscribe to Call Me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org
Ark Media on Instagram: https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dansenor
Timestamp: 10PM on Monday, June 16th (EST), 5AM on Tuesday, June 17th (Israel time).
News has been rushing in at breakneck speed over the past few days, and one of our regular listeners, Idan Cohen, suggested that we help our listeners separate signal from noise by providing quick news updates. So, we’re going to try to add these quick news breaks in addition to our regular programming.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
-
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Check out Ark Media’s other podcasts:
For Heaven's Sake: https://lnk.to/rfGlrAWhat’s Your Number?: https://lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us and sign up for updates visit: arkmedia.org
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s Episode:
In the early hours of Friday, June 13th, the Israeli Air Force began major attacks on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as IRGC leaders and nuclear scientists. The attack prompted an Iranian retaliation which began later that night.
Saturday, the second day of war with Iran, became the deadliest night for Israeli civilians since October 7th, after two massive barrages of Iranian rockets killed eleven Israelis and wounded over 200. Seven people were killed in Bat Yam, where a missile struck a residential building, and four were killed in the Arab city of Tamra, east of Haifa.
As the Israeli offensive on Iran proceeds, the big question is; will the United States join Israel’s offensive to destroy Iran’s nuclear program?
In this episode, Amit Segal, Call me Back Regular and senior political analyst for Channel 12, joins us to discuss Saturday night’s attack on Israel, and the possibility of U.S. military action against Iran.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: https://lnk.to/DZulpY
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Earlier today, Iran launched approximately 100 ballistic missiles at Israel, prompting multiple rounds of nationwide sirens. Some missiles landed in Tel Aviv and other areas in Central Israel, damaging buildings and wounding dozens of Israelis, with at least one reported fatality.
This followed Friday’s extensive Israeli Air Force attack on Iranian nuclear, military, and leadership targets. The attacks damaged nuclear enrichment sites and killed Hussein Salammi, the head of the IRGC, the Army Chief of Staff, other members of the Iranian military leadership, as well as leading nuclear scientists.
Just minutes before the evening’s sirens began, we wrapped up a conversation with Nadav Eyal, senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot and Call me Back regular, where he explained how the Israeli attack on Iran unfolded and what it took for the IDF to prepare.
These historic developments are certain to evolve over the next few days. We’ll be monitoring the situation closely, so stay tuned for more analysis.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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The Ark is Expanding
At around 8 PM New York time, the Israeli Air Force launched a historic preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, military assets and military leadership. The Israel-Iran War has begun, or at least entered a new stage. In response, the IDF Home Front Command swiftly updated its guidelines, banning all educational, social, and workplace gatherings. Israelis have been instructed to stay near bomb shelters as the nation braces for Iran’s counterstrike.
As you try to process all the fast-moving, history-making developments, we want to offer an expanded suite of voices and content from Israel.
You might have noticed that over the past few months, I’ve referred to Call me Back as an “Ark Media” podcast. After four-and-a-half years of Call me Back standing on its own, we are now building a podcast network. Ark Media is home to the topics bringing us together — Jewish life, Israel’s future, and our rapidly changing geopolitics — even when many of our guests have spirited and good faith disagreements about these issues.
About a month ago, Ark Media launched its second podcast, What’s Your Number, and today we are excited to announce that Ark Media will be joined by a third podcast - For Heaven’s Sake, co-hosted by Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi, of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Donniel is the Hartman Institute’s president, and Yossi, who has been a recurring guest on Call me Back, is a Senior Fellow.
I don’t always agree with Donniel’s or Yossi’s views on contentious political topics - but that's precisely the point. At Ark Media, we believe that engaging with diverse Jewish perspectives, grounded in shared values, is central to presenting the dilemmas that Israel is facing as it strives to survive and thrive in a world turned upside down. Whatever your politics, Donniel and Yossi are essential voices to consider, as we navigate the challenges facing Israel and Jews worldwide.
Starting this week, Ark Media will publish For Heaven’s Sake episodes on a weekly basis. You can find them wherever you listen to your podcasts - just don’t forget to subscribe!
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Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/DZulpY
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
Around 3AM in Israel, a nation-wide siren awoke Israelis to the news that the Israeli Air Force was conducting extensive strikes on the Islamic Republic of Iran. As far as we know so far, the strikes have targeted nuclear enrichment sites, military sites, the IRGC leadership, including Hussein Salammi, the head of the IRGC, the Army Chief of Staff, and leading nuclear scientists.
Shortly after the blitz began, the IDF Home Front Command announced immediate changes to its guidelines, prohibiting all gatherings for educational, social, and workplace purposes. Israelis have been instructed to remain near bomb shelters as they await the Iranian response.
It is an extremely tense moment for Israelis and Jews around the world. For years we’ve discussed the danger of Iran inching closer and closer to a nuclear weapon. The IDF said in a statement that in recent months it had accumulated evidence that Iran’s nuclear program was “approaching the point of no return.”
Joining us to unpack the ongoing events that are reshaping the Middle East in real time is Ronen Bergman. Ronen is a staff writer for The New York Times and Senior Correspondent for Military and Intelligence Affairs at Yedhiot Ahronot. Ronen is the recipient of a Pulitzer price for his reporting on the Israel-Hamas war.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/DZulpY
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
Since the beginning of the war, 20 months ago, politicians and public figures have referred to ‘total victory’ and a complete defeat of Hamas to define the war’s objectives. But what exactly does that mean? And at what cost to Israeli society?
Today’s guest, Dr. Tal Becker, has been exploring what it means to actually “win” the war. What does it look like? How to measure it?
Tal recently served as the Legal Advisor of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and currently serves as Vice President of the Shalom Hartman Institute. He is a veteran member of successive Israeli peace negotiation teams and played an instrumental role in negotiating and drafting the historic Abraham Accords. Tal earned his doctorate from Columbia University in New York, and is the recipient of numerous scholarly awards, including the Guggenheim Prize for best international law book for his book "Terrorism and the State".
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
-
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/DZulpY
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: www.instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
Following the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, Brett McGurk was a lead negotiator for the U.S. Government in every round of hostage/ceasefire negotiations in 2023, 2024, and January 2025.
In today’s episode, which we recorded before a live audience at the Manhattan JCC last week, Brett sat down for his first long-form/on-the-record conversation on his lessons learned, including how these lessons inform the current (on-again/off-gain) negotiations over the Witkoff Plan.
Brett McGurk has held senior national security posts across the Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations.
Most recently, he served as President Biden’s White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. In this role, he spearheaded U.S. Government efforts across the region to secure the release of Israeli hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza and he coordinated international support for Israel’s defense against Iranian ballistic missile attacks.
As Special Presidential Envoy for both President Obama and President Trump, McGurk was an architect of the global coalition of more than 80 countries together with local forces on the ground to defeat ISIS. He also led secret negotiations with Iran to secure the release of American hostages, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaein.
As a senior White House official under George W. Bush, Brett was an early advocate for a change in Iraq war policy and helped develop “the surge” strategy. He also negotiated the Strategic Framework Agreement with Iraq, which continues to guide U.S. relations between the two countries.
He is now a Venture Partner at Lux Capital, a venture capital firm based in New York City and Silicon Valley, as well as a Special Advisor for international affairs at Cisco, and holds fellowships at both the Harvard’s Belfer Center and the Atlantic Council. He’s also a CNN Global Affairs Analyst.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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(00:00) Introduction
(05:18) Israel’s new aid program and its threat to Hamas
(18:11) Anti-Hamas protest movement
(24:22) Trump’s Gaza migration plan
(28:07) Who is Abu-Shabab?
(31:39) Enclave program in Gaza
(40:04) The day after and deradicalization in Gaza
(47:32) Closing
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: https://lnk.to/DZulpY
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: http://instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
Political news has been erupting out of Israel over the past two days, as tensions simmer within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The coalition’s ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, announced they will join the opposition to vote in favor of dissolving the Knesset due to its failure to pass a law exempting the ultra-orthodox from serving in the IDF. If a simple majority votes in favor of dissolving the Knesset, it would force parliamentary elections.
As if the news pouring out of Israel wasn’t enough, major developments are also taking place in Gaza. The food-aid program, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, is showing signs of success in circumventing Hamas, weakening its political power of Gaza’s population. This food aid program is not just a humanitarian endeavor; it is part of a larger strategy that was developed over the past year, referred to as humanitarian bubbles, in which Hamas-free zones are intended to be administered by vetted local Palestinians unaffiliated with Hamas.
Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed today that Israel is providing weapons to an anti-Hamas militia, led by Yasser Abu-Shabab. The rise of Israel-backed Abu-Shabab, along with the weakening of Hamas’ political and military power, has prompted a conversation about whether we are witnessing the early stages of the day after Hamas in Gaza.
Our guest today is Joseph Braude. He leads the Center for Peace Communications (CPC), a nonprofit that amplifies Gazans who oppose Hamas, and has been active inside the Gaza Strip throughout the war. If you’ve seen a video of Gazans speaking out against Hamas, chances are they came to you through the CPC.
It is the first time we will be speaking with someone who has been in close contact with direct sources inside Gaza’s population. In fact, Joseph has helped us receive audio to questions that the Call me Back podcast sent directly to Gazan civilians.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
On Sunday, a peaceful demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, advocating the release of the 58 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas, was violently disrupted when 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, disguising himself as a gardener, attacked participants with Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower. The assault injured six elderly individuals, aged between 67 and 88 — including a survivor of the Holocaust — with at least one victim in critical condition. In Paris, vandals defaced the Holocaust Memorial, two synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant in a coordinated act of antisemitic violence. These horrific events come just over one week after Elias Rodriguez, a radical, leftist activist, murdered two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Jewish museum in Washington DC.
We have been hearing from Israelis who lived through the Intifada in Israel, as they reflect on what “Globalize the Intifada” means when it reaches our country; we hear one Israeli’s perspective in today’s episode.
Meanwhile, just as it appeared that Israel was facing increasing international pressure, it is Hamas’s position in the hostage negotiations that is weakening with time, according to U.S. officials.
Late on Wednesday, the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the release of all the hostages and unhindered aid access across the enclave. Dorothy Shea, Acting US Ambassador to the UN cited the failure to condemn Hamas and calling for its disarmament as the reason for the veto.
Nadav Eyal, senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot, joins us to discuss the implications of the antisemitic terror attack in Boulder as well as the turmoil in Gaza.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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Upcoming Live Event: Call Me Back – Live Podcast recording with Special Guest Brett McGurk — June 4, 7:30 PM at the Manhattan JCC. REGISTER HERE: https://www.mmjccm.org/event/call-me-back-dan-senor-podcast
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/HJI2mX
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: http://instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
Terms for a new intermediary hostage-ceasefire deal appear to have been reached through direct negotiations between the US and Hamas, against the backdrop of reports that President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it would be ‘very inappropriate’ for Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities militarily.
To better understand this rapidly evolving, increasingly complex story, we are joined by Nadav Eyal, senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot and Amit Segal, senior political analyst at Channel 12.
Subscribe to Amit Segal’s newsletter here: https://www.amitsegal.net/newsletter/
CREDITS:ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
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