Best Michael Unterberg Podcasts (2025)

1
Constitutional Crisis 34:22

2M ago34:22

34:22

426 Constitutional Crisis Is Israel headed into a Constitutional Crisis? What is happening and what are the stakes? How does this relate to Israel’s security situation? As the podcast heads into a hiatus for the indeterminate future, join us as we address that state of the State. With over 100,000 downloads, hundreds of episodes and almost a decade…

1
Rabbi Meir Kahana 31:48

3M ago31:48

31:48

425 Rabbi Meir Kahana Lately, the controversial Jewish leader Rabbi Meir Kahana has been “discussed” on social media. Who was he? Why was he so controversial? How did he die? Why does he still play such a powerful role in Israeli life? I social media really the best environment for nuanced political discourse? Or is it best suited for sharing nice …

1
What is Wrong with Peter Beinart? 40:10

3M ago40:10

40:10

424 What is Wrong with Peter Beinart? It took a while for Peter Beinart to come out with his book blaming Israel for the post October 7th world. Its an impressively anti Jewish document, masquerading as a moral cri de cœur. How do we explain Jewish antizionism in general? And how do we explain it when the Jew is an educated, and ritually observant,…

1
Trump Statement on Gaza 36:21

4M ago36:21

36:21

424 Trump Statement on Gaza What just happened? During the Netanyahu visit to The White House President Trump announced the residents of Gaza would willingly relocate to better places. America would then take over the region and turn the Gaza Strip into the Riviera of the Middle East for all of the world to enjoy. What will actually happen? What do…

1
Trump 31:15

4M ago31:15

31:15

423 Trump What did the first Trump administration mean for Israel and the region? And what might his second term mean for the future? Calev hosts this discussion with Matt and Mike. Am Yisrael Chai!By Michael Unterberg & Calev Ben-Dor

1
The Hostage Deal 30:37

4M ago30:37

30:37

422 The Hostage Deal What is the actual content of the deal? What is the pro and con debate? How are most Israelis processing these events? What will happen next? Join us for a complicated and difficult conversation. Calev hosts this discussion with Matt and Mike. It was recorded the morning before the first three hostages were released. Am Yisrael…

1
The Fall of Assad and the New Syria 28:16

5M ago28:16

28:16

421 The Fall of Assad and the New Syria What is going on in Syria? How did it happen? Who are the major players in these events? What does it mean for Iran? What does it mean for Israel? Our team takes you through this confusing revolution, and helps you understand this tectonic shift in the world of the Middle East. Calev hosts this discussion wit…

1
Managing Mental Health in Difficult Times 37:09

6M ago37:09

37:09

Managing Mental Health in Difficult Times Being under stress isn’t a new condition for Jews. But with decades of Israeli power and relative diaspora security, our people have gotten used to a historically unusual state of calm. As the last few years have shown, political and even physical insecurity may be the new normal. While there’s no need to p…

1
A Visit to the Gaza Border 50:38

8M ago50:38

50:38

A Visit to the Gaza Border This past June, Liel took Alan, Matt, Calev and Mike to the sites that were devastated by the October 7th invasion. As a licensed tour guide, Liel wanted to share insights with her colleagues about what happened in the “Gaza Envelope” on, and since, that day. As they went from location to location, they recorded Liel spea…

1
Is Israel Handling its Problems? 27:33

8M ago27:33

27:33

Is Israel Handling its Problems? Everyone agrees that Israel is beset with problems. Some of them can be managed, and many of them must be solved for Israel to survive and have a healthy future. Is there a danger of reaching a tipping point where Israel has too many problems to succeed? Is whatever is right about Israel in danger of being destroyed…

1
Are We in the 1920s or 1930s? 26:04

8M ago26:04

26:04

Are We in the 1920s or 1930s? It is always interesting and helpful to learn from history. And so it's very natural to look to our recent past to find parallels to our current era. With the astonishing global rise of antisemitism many are looking at the previous century and seeing troubling signs for our future. But what part of 20th Century is the …

1
Mass Protests 21:57

9M ago21:57

21:57

Mass Protests We live in an era when mass protests are just a normal part of weekly life in Israel. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Do they even make a difference? What changes have occurred because of them? And overall, do they create a positive or negative effect on Israeli life, politics and culture? Jordana hosts this debate with Calev tak…

1
Campus: Fight or Flight? 28:06

9M ago28:06

28:06

Campus: Fight or Flight? Young Jews prepare to return to campuses in the near future. Was last year a preview of what this year will be like? What should students do about open antisemitism around them? Should they stay and fight for what’s right? Or should they move on to places where Jews are more welcome and secure? There is no right or wrong an…

1
Hostages in the Media 24:17

9M ago24:17

24:17

414 Hostages in the Media This is a painful topic. How should images of the hostages be handled by the media? What is informative and what is exploitive? And in terms of viewing, what is the line between being informed and harming self health? May better days arrive soon, and discussions like this no longer be relevant. Calev hosts this episode wit…

1
Lebanon 29:55

9M ago29:55

29:55

413 Lebanon This episode discusses the military threat posed by Hezbollah in the North of Israel. We discuss the ongoing tensions, evacuations of Israeli residents, and the challenges faced in finding a resolution. The conversation highlights the significant military capabilities of Hezbollah, the historical context of conflicts in the region, and …

1
ICC and Consequences 28:32

10M ago28:32

28:32

412 ICC and Consequences What is the ICC? How is it different from the ICJ? What are the consequences of Israel being tried in the ICC? Is the ICC a legitimate judge of Israel? Should we even care? Jordana hosts this debate with Calev arguing that we should care, and Alan arguing that we shouldn’t. Am Yisrael Chai!…

1
411 Iranian Intentions 28:25

10M ago28:25

28:25

411 Iranian Intentions When Iran directly attacked Israel in April they made history. Their proxies have been attacking Israel for years, but last April was the first time that the Islamic “Republic” launched a direct attack on the Jewish State. But was that attack a sign of Iranian strength or weakness? Did the Iranians intend to do more damage, o…

1
Complicated current politics 26:02

11M ago26:02

26:02

410 Complicated current politics In this episode, we delve into the turbulent landscape of Israeli politics following the recent departure of centrist ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot from the government. We explore the impact of their exit on the coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who formed an ultra-orthodox far-right gove…

1
409 Is Judicial Reform Dead? 29:12

1y ago29:12

29:12

409 Is Judicial Reform Dead? It feels like a million years ago that Israel was debating the government plan for judicial reforms. In the traumatic aftermath of October 7th, all of that fight has been left behind. But is that a permanent or a temporary shift? Once the dust settles after the defeat of Hamas, (God willing) will we once again be plunge…

1
Is it Time for Elections? 22:47

1y ago22:47

22:47

408 Is it Time for Elections? “... It [is] not best to swap horses when crossing streams”, said Abraham Lincoln when running for reelection during the American Civil War. How well does that argument apply to Israel today? Polls show that Israelis have low confidence in the current government. This is a dangerous situation in a time of multiple majo…

1
National Security and Arab Israelis 25:21

1y ago25:21

25:21

407 National Security and Arab Israelis In the context of the Gaza war, many Jewish Israelis argue that their fellow citizens of Arab ethnicity present a security threat. Employment, access and movement must be monitored and perhaps restricted, according to this view. Is that concern reasonable? And even if it hypothetically is, can a democracy fun…

1
Can Hamas be Contained? 27:35

1y ago27:35

27:35

406 Can Hamas be Contained? Until October 6th, the shared Israeli conception was that Hamas could be contained in the Gaza strip. Sure, the IDF would occasionally have to knock out their rocket launchers. But overall, that is something we could live with. Now since October 7th, is it possible to go back to that plan? Or has the reality changed leav…

1
American Abstention 28:54

1y ago28:54

28:54

405 American Abstention The routine is that if Israel doesn’t approve of a United Nation Security Council resolution, the United States vetoes it. But in March, America abstained on UNSC resolution 2728. Israeli leaders (and many Israelis) were furious. Is this a big deal and a sign of things to come? Is the allyship between these two democratic na…

1
How will this war be seen by history? 23:17

1y ago23:17

23:17

404 - How will this war be seen by history? Israel has fought Hamas in Gaza over and over again. There was Operation Cast Lead in 2008, Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, and Operation Protective Edge in 2014 just to name a few. Thousands of rockets have been launched at civilian areas of Israel and Israel has counter attacked over and over again…

1
Should Freeing Hostages Be the Priority? 23:39

1y ago23:39

23:39

403 Should Freeing Hostages Be the Priority? The Gaza war has challenged Israel with countless moral dilemmas. One of the most painful relates to the efforts to free the hostages. Inevitably, missions to destroy Hamas will put the lives of Israeli hostages at risk. Conversely, delays for negotiations and deals to release hostages give Hamas time to…

1
When can we critique the government? 25:54

1y ago25:54

25:54

402 When can we critique the government? “Don’t swap horses in the middle of the stream” - associated with Abraham Lincoln’s re-election campaign. Israelis, and Zionists worldwide, consistently complain about whatever government is in power. But in the middle of a war, what are the rules? Can we openly critique, complain or even demand change of a …

1
Proportionality and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) 31:21

1y ago31:21

31:21

401 - Proportionality and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) After defining proportionality (enjoy the audio clip from the West Wing) there is so much to debate about the ethical conduct of the current war. While it is difficult for citizens to debate these issues with limited information, it is arguably their duty to do so. Is Israel correctly p…

1
Framing the Conflict Post October 7 31:08

1+ y ago31:08

31:08

308 Framing the Conflict Post October 7 Israelis and Zionists all had to have some understanding of the conflict with Palestinian Arabs. This was as true before October 7th as afterwards. In what ways do we need to reframe those understandings after the massacres? What discomforting truths did we avoid? What misconceptions have been disproven? Cale…

1
Israel Citizens Filling the Breach When Government Fails 28:40

1+ y ago28:40

28:40

Israel Citizens Filling the Breach When Government Fails This is an era when citizens around the world don’t have a tremendous amount of trust in government. Israelis and Jews around the world are still shaken by the intelligence and operational failures that led to the October 7th massacres. In the weeks and months since, many are still complainin…

1
Are Shoah Analogies Appropriate? 25:35

1+ y ago25:35

25:35

Are Shoah Analogies Appropriate? We are all living with the trauma of the post October 7th world. It is often referred to as the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. But do comparisons to the Shoah help us contextualize and understand the world we live in? Or are any such comparisons not at best unhelpful, and at worst inappropriate? Can tho…

1
Who should be hired to do the labor in Israel? 31:04

1+ y ago31:04

31:04

Who should be hired to do the labor in Israel? Evidence has been uncovered that Arab laborers from the Gaza strip provided Hamas with intel on the Israeli towns where they worked. In the wake of this shocking news, Israelis are debating who to hire for many basic jobs. How should we balance insecurity with inclusivity? Should Israeli Arabs return t…

1
Should Israel Fight Hezbollah? 27:35

1+ y ago27:35

27:35

Should Israel Fight Hezbollah? While most of our attention is on the war in Gaza, there has been constant combat on our northern border. Will the battle with Hezbollah heat up to a full scale war? Should it? While war is always horrible, should Israel extend the conflict and eliminate Hezbollah as it has pledged to do to Hamas? Benji hosts this epi…

1
What will happen after the war? 24:45

1+ y ago24:45

24:45

What will happen after the war? When the dust settles, what will Gaza look like? What would be success for Israelis? What could make a better future for Gazans? While the war is far from over, the question is already relevant. Many are speaking about this issue in Israel and around the world. While we aren’t privy to the discussions behind the scen…

1
What will winning the war look like? 31:34

1+ y ago31:34

31:34

What will winning the war look like? This episode was recorded before the deal to recover hostages was announced. Has Israel set realistic goals in its war with Hamas? What would victory look like? Is it possible to eliminate Hamas as an organization? As an idea? Can the hostages be rescued? Can Israel win the public relations battle? Should it? Jo…

1
How did we get here? 28:42

1+ y ago28:42

28:42

How did we get here? In this gripping podcast episode, Calev, Alan, and Matt delve into the intricate factors that led to the October 7 massacre. Was it a result of tactical errors, intelligence failures, or misinterpretations of Hamas' intentions? Or does the root cause trace back to Israel's strategic decision to disengage from Gaza in 2005? Join…

1
Crisis on Campus 35:04

1+ y ago35:04

35:04

Special: Israel at War - Episode 3 Crisis on Campus In this third special current event episode, Calev, Liel and Mike, discuss what is happening outside of Israel in college campuses during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. How should students understand the anti-Israel protests? What should they do? We hope these special episodes help our listeners…

1
Special: Israel at War - Episode 2 33:23

1+ y ago33:23

33:23

Special: Israel at War - Episode 2 What happens next? In this second of two special current event episodes, Mike, Alan, Mordechai and Jordana discuss what may come next in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. They share their feelings and observations in this difficult time. We hope these special episodes help our listeners understand and process these…

1
Special Israel at War - Episode 1 28:10

1+ y ago28:10

28:10

Special Israel at War - Episode 1 Where are we now? In this first of two special current event episodes, Calev, Liel and Matt discuss where we are on day 4 of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. They share their feelings and observations in this difficult time. We hope these special episodes help our listeners understand and process these difficult ev…

1
Are there boundaries to Jewish caricatures? 13:54

1+ y ago13:54

13:54

Are there boundaries to Jewish caricatures? We didn’t even know that Ben was recording. But he was! He recorded our discussion of a political cartoon. (you can look at it on this link) It made Matt particularly uncomfortable and we debate its appropriateness. The issue was that the government was defunding existing programs to transfer more money t…

1
Should Israel Do More to Support Ukraine? 32:25

1+ y ago32:25

32:25

Should Israel Do More to Support Ukraine? Israel faces a complex dilemma when it comes to supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. On one hand, Israel maintains strong historical ties with Russia, particularly regarding the Russian-speaking Jewish community. Russia has also been a key player in regional stability, particularly in Syria, wher…

1
Drafting Haredim into the IDF 23:51

1+ y ago23:51

23:51

Haredi Draft The debate over drafting the Haredim, or ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel, has been a contentious issue in the country for several decades. At its core, the debate revolves around the question of whether or not Haredi men should be subject to compulsory military service like the rest of the Israeli population. This issue stems…

1
Can Israel Have a Constitution? 26:51

1+ y ago26:51

26:51

Can Israel Have a Constitution? Israel’s Declaration of Independence calls for a “Constitution which shall be adopted by the Elected Constituent Assembly not later than the 1st October 1948...". It doesn’t look like we’re going to make the deadline. The current judicial reform crisis exists because of that. So too the current crisis over the role o…

1
The Apartheid Accusation 29:28

1+ y ago29:28

29:28

Apartheid Type the word “apartheid” into a google search bar and the second search that pops up is “apartheid Israel”. We’ve all heard the accusation. It is also a demonstrably false descriptor for the State of Israel. This ridiculous calumny may make a nasty sound-bite sized accusation. But for anyone genuinely trying to understand the conflict, i…

1
Is There a Future for the Jewish Diaspora? 43:32

2y ago43:32

43:32

Is There a Future for the Jewish Diaspora? Jews have been living outside of the land of Israel for thousands of years. It is a historical truth that this process started by enemies driving them into exile. But these diaspora communities settled in, expanded, and continued to migrate around the globe for over two millennia. In the 20th century, Jews…

1
Herzl vs. Ahad Ha’am 28:16

2y ago28:16

28:16

Herzl vs. Ahad Ha’am There is an old saying that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” We deeply believe that knowing the history of Zionist debate brings a richness of perspective and understanding to the issues that we face today. So we submit for your approval one of the first deep debates that divided the Zionist world. In past…

1
Does Israel Need America? 27:45

2y ago27:45

27:45

Does Israel Need America? Everyone knows that Israel and America have a strong relationship. As allies their economic, political, military, and cultural ties are deeply rooted. It remains so across multiple administrations in each of the countries. But is America a necessary ally for Israel? What would happen if that relationship changed? Could Isr…

1
Where are we now, after the "Reasonableness" vote? 43:27

2y ago43:27

43:27

Note: This is the beginning of season 9, which is season 2 of our new debate format! We decided to get this episode published in a timely fashion. Normally, our debates are meant to be “evergreen” educational discussions about Israel and Zionism. But we’re breaking the format because so many people are asking how to process the Knesset vote this we…

1
Season 2 is Coming! 1:06

2y ago1:06

1:06

We are excited to announce the upcoming second season of our new debate format! This episode was recorded and edited by the amazing Ben Wallick Studios. Ben is awesome! Theme music by Akiva Y. Unterberg. Masa Website Facebook page Please rate, review, share and recommend our podcast.By Masa Israel Journey

1
How Should Diaspora Jews Express their Ideas About Israeli Politics? 28:05

2y ago28:05

28:05

How Should Diaspora Jews Express their Ideas About Israeli Politics? Note: This is the end of the season and our podcast will be on a brief hiatus. Keep subscribed for season 9! There are several factors that can make it complicated for diaspora Jews to express their opinions on Israeli politics. Here are a few: Lack of firsthand experience: Diaspo…

1
Should Israeli Reserve Soldiers Refuse to Serve, as a Form of Protest? 23:01

2y ago23:01

23:01

Should Israeli Reserve Soldiers Refuse to Serve as Protests? The protests against Judicial Reform have continued on a smaller scale over the past weeks. With Passover behind us, and the national holiday season underway, Israelis are gearing up for whatever is coming next. One aspect of the protests in particular has been hotly debated. Should reser…

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