Unpacking Israeli History

Tel Hai is a small historic site in the Galilee where, in 1920, a tense standoff between Jewish farmers and Arab fighters erupted into a deadly firefight. Among the dead was Joseph Trumpeldor, a one-armed war hero already legendary before Tel Hai. Within days, the battle became one of the founding myths of the State of Israel, immortalized by Trumpeldor's famous last words and a national narrative of sacrifice. Noam Weissman unpacks what actually happened at Tel Hai, how the myth was built and fought over, and why Yitzhak Rabin once stood at the same site decades later to argue...

Will the war ever truly come to an end? Can two populations with so much pain find common ground? Or is the hurt too deep, too vast to overcome? There are no questions more urgent than these, and there is no better guest to wonder with than Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian activist and author of Hamas And Its Two Million Hostages. In this special crossover episode originally aired on Wondering Jews, Ahmed shares with Noam his own own tragic story of loss, why he holds Hamas responsible for the plight of the Palestinian people, and what...

Noam Weissman unpacks the firestorm around New York Magazine’s "Habibi City" issue and traces the deeper historical pattern behind it: the demand that Jews prove they belong by disavowing Zionism, Israel, and sometimes each other. From Poland’s 1968 “anti-Zionist” purge to today’s SWANA purity tests, this episode is about the seductive pull of belonging, and the old politics of exclusion dressed up in today’s language of identity, justice, and solidarity. Here's a link to sources. Follow Noam on Instagram: ⁠noamlweissman_⁠ https://www.instagram.com/noamlweissman_/ Check out our episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In August 2001, Jewish delegates arrived at the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban expecting to fight bigotry. Instead they walked into what Tom Lantos called the most sickening display of hatred for Jews since the Nazi period. Noam traces how Durban revived "Zionism is racism," seeded the modern BDS movement, and still shapes how the world sees Jews and Israel today, closing with Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and his question of whether the Jewish people are alone or simply apart. Here's a link to sources. Follow Noam on Instagram: noamlweissman_ This episode is...

How do Israeli elections actually work? Israelis don't vote directly for prime minister, no party has ever won a majority, and a party with just a handful of Knesset seats can sometimes hold the keys to government. Noam Weissman sits down with former Knesset member Rachel Azaria to unpack coalition building, the 3.25% electoral threshold, the power of Haredi and Arab parties, and why Israeli politics can look so confusing from an American perspective. They also explore the biggest divides shaping Israel's next government, and what to watch as the 2026 election approaches. If you like this...

What do Jewish teens really think about Israel? Noam Weissman takes the podcast to Camp Tel Yehudah for a special live episode, exploring Israel, October 7, Jewish identity, and the future of peace. Their answers might surprise you. Listen to this raw, honest conversation about Israeli history, Jewish identity, and the questions shaping the next generation of Jewish leaders. This episode of Unpacking Israeli History is sponsored by the Marcus Foundation. To sponsor an episode or to be in touch, please email noam@unpacked.media. Check out our episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. If you like this podcast, you’ll love SAPIR. Subscribe for free at sapirjournal.org/noam<...

A little Israeli boy from a poor Yemenite family grew up, transitioned, and became the most scandalous, fabulous Eurovision winner in history: meet Dana International. In part 2 of our Eurovision series, the story continues through PingPong's Syrian-boyfriend fever dream, Netta's chicken-noise feminist anthem, and the raw, post-October 7th performances of Eden Golan, Yuval Raphael, and Noam Bettan. Even with low jury scores and boycotts, Israeli songs keep winning the public's heart. Eurovision was never about the trophy. It's about the power to sing your own story, boos and all. Unpacking Israeli History is hosted by Noam Weissman...

Why does Israel compete in Eurovision if it's not even in Europe? In Part 1, Noam Weissman unpacks how Israel went from Eurovision newcomer to music powerhouse, exploring the songs, stars, and surprising moments that put the Jewish state on Europe's biggest stage. It's a story of glitter, geopolitics, and Israeli identity. And the biggest Eurovision moment was still to come. Unpacking Israeli History is hosted by Noam Weissman. It's produced by Rivky Stern. This episode was written by Adi Elbaz and edited by Rob Pera. Special thanks to Tzvi Joffre for researching the episode. <...

It's summer. Where else do you want to be? Sleepaway camp, obviously. Unpacking Israeli History packed its bags and went to camp. Noam Weissman fielded questions from hundreds of Jewish teens at Camp Lavi, in a live show like no other. Real questions from real campers on the moments in Israeli history that spark the fiercest debates: the Altalena Affair, the Entebbe rescue, Zionism, where criticism of Israel crosses into antisemitism, and the moral weight of war. Listen to this raw, honest conversation about Israeli history, Jewish identity, and the questions shaping the next generation...

A man is detained over a kippah bearing both the Israeli and Palestinian flags. Was it legal? Noam unpacks the surprising history of the Palestinian flag, why Israel once banned it, and why it remains one of the country's most contested symbols. Here are pictures of Alex Sinclair's kippah: https://www.timesofisrael.com/keeping-his-head-educator-detained-for-dual-israeli-palestinian-flag-kippa-dons-replacement/ Check out our episode Oslo: The Peace That Wasn't https://unpacked.media/oslo-the-peace-that-wasnt-2/ Here's a link to sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17R5PM2yXabVEqMKD465pAxKSGVxNINXPwzDLUFWg3VQ/edit?usp=sharing This episode is...

Noam sits down with Haviv Rettig Gur in Jerusalem to unpack why Israel feels like a tinderbox, whether it's time to retire the word "Zionism," the debate over Palestinian identity, and what the future holds for the US Israel alliance. Fresh off three intense days traveling the country, from the Gaza border to Jerusalem's Old City, Haviv challenges assumptions on the left and the right, offering a provocative look at where Israel is headed. This episode of Unpacking Israeli History is sponsored by Andrea & Larry Gill and is in memory of Leo M. Bernstein. To sponsor an...

Fifty years ago, Air France Flight 139 took off from Tel Aviv on the morning of June 27, 1976. No one could have suspected that the soon-to-be-hijacked flight was about to lead to one of the world's most daring and risky rescue missions. To mark 50 years since the raid, we're bringing back one of our favorite episodes: Noam unpacks Operation Thunderbolt, Israel's secret operation to rescue the hostages at Entebbe, and asks whether this story has enduring lessons for us today. This episode is generously sponsored by Marci and Alex S. Kaufman. To sponsor an episode or to be in...

Does identity define us or limit us? Noam searches for answers with Nuseir Yassin, better known as internet personality Nas Daily. Nas Daily, has 68 million followers and a media company reaching 300 million people a month. He is also Israeli and Arab, and the world keeps telling him to pick one. This is not a political episode. It's a conversation about identity, belonging, and what it costs to hold complicated truths. This episode is dedicated in memory of Armand Lindenbaum, the grandson of Rav Avigdor Amiel, by his wife, Jean, and children, Felice, Amiel, and Ariel...

In June 1967, Israeli paratroopers fought one of the Six Day War's bloodiest battles to reunify Jerusalem. Ammunition Hill, a fortified Jordanian stronghold carved into the limestone hills of East Jerusalem, became the key to the Old City. What followed was four hours of chaos, courage, and carnage in a maze of narrow trenches. This episode unpacks the battle, its heroes, and the complicated legacy of a city reunified. Here are the sources used in this episdoe. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WIB04rolWgTnfCW-puSaNhXkQzBzS1LxABMU1pEFUKo/edit?usp=sharing Here are links to...

Noam Weissman joins Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab over at Jewish History Nerds for a special crossover episode on Yitzhak Rabin through the lens of Itamar Rabinovich's Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman from the Jewish Lives series. Yitzhak Rabin's life is the story of Israel itself. But who was the real Rabin? Two Unpacked shows, three hosts, one conversation you don't want to miss. ⁠Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and watch their latest videos on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/show/1JrBAblXuVgF7cWF2EgRRz?si=3ecd5b9fb1274b67 . Check out Jewish Hist...

To understand why Iran and Israel are fighting, you have to understand Hezbollah. Noam Weissman revisits the story of Iran's proxy in Lebanon, which has been causing trouble for Israel since its founding in 1982. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d68bkgIiKIwWRCn75DGaiWry9N3Oi_rPh6-X1fn_i8Q/edit This episode of Unpacking Israeli History is generously sponsored by Sarala and Danny Turkel. To sponsor an episode or to be in touch, please email noam@unpacked.media. Check out this episode on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In 1954, a group of young Jewish idealists in Egypt were recruited by Israeli intelligence to plant bombs in Western institutions, only to be betrayed by their own double agent handler before the mission even began. Arrests, torture, a show trial, two executions, and a suicide followed. Back in Israel, the fallout was just as devastating: forged documents, cover-ups, and a bitter vendetta between Defense Minister Pinhas Lavon and Prime Minister David Ben Gurion that tore the ruling party apart. This is part two of our series on Israel's most embarrassing intelligence blunder. It reads like fiction. It wasn't. <...

The scandal that changed Israel forever began with a failed secret operation in Egypt in 1954. Young Egyptian Jews, recruited by Israeli intelligence, were sent on a mission meant to protect the Jewish state. But the operation collapsed in betrayal, arrests, torture, and cover-ups. The fallout shattered public trust, ripped apart Israel’s leadership, and transformed the country’s politics for decades to come. Part 1 sets the stage: the fragile world of Egyptian Jewry, the fear gripping six-year-old Israel, and the catastrophic decisions that doomed a group of young idealists. Here are links to past episodes about the Moss...

Israel is no stranger to self-examination. In 1948, Ben-Gurion distributed a poem accusing Israeli soldiers of murder. In 1982, hundreds of thousands demanded accountability after Sabra and Shatila. In 2016, the IDF convicted Elor Azaria. But in a post-October 7 world of delegitimization and libels leveled at the Jewish state, that tradition is under strain. Noam unpacks the controversy around Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times column, explores Israel’s long, remarkable history of holding itself morally accountable, and examines why, in the face of fierce global condemnation, the country has suddenly become ultra-defensive. Correction: In 2016, Moshe Ya'alon served as Israel's Mini...

Journalist Haviv Rettig Gur joins Noam to respond to Nicholas Kristof's New York Times column alleging sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces. They examine the sourcing, the suspicious timing relative to a major Hamas sexual violence report, and ask the hardest question: how do Jews stay morally serious about real problems within Israeli society when the world holds them to a standard applied to no one else? Listener note: this episode contains strong language. Read and listen to Haviv Rettig Gur's response here: The Paper Trail of Nicholas Kristof’s Smear...