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This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back, where Dan is joined by Ark Media contributor Tal Becker. In this sneak peek Tal answer a question from our community: are we witnessing the splintering of Israeli society into the two Kingdoms of Israel and Judah?

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This is a news update from Ark News Daily. Subscribe here to Ark News Daily

In this episode:

• A leaked report reveals Naftali Bennett privately disparaged his alliance with Yair Lapid as a “strategic mistake,” raising doubts about whether their new joint party can successfully unify the opposition against Netanyahu.
• An Australian investigation into a deadly Sydney terror attack found authorities failed to act on prior warnings, highlighting a broader pattern of under-resourced prevention and potential Iran-linked threats across Western countries.
• Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound activist flotilla has sparked a global narrative battle, underscoring the widening gap between accusations against Israel and its efforts to counter them through public diplomacy.

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This episode was sponsored by Birthright: Invest in the Jewish future today at onetripchangeseverything.com.
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Bennett and Lapid unite, but does it change anything?

On Sunday, without any prior warning, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced they’re joining forces, launching a new unified party called “Beyachad” — “together.” The move comes months ahead of Israel’s October elections, and it immediately raises more questions than answers.

What are they really trying to accomplish? Does this strengthen the anti-Netanyahu bloc — or unintentionally weaken it? And what does it mean for Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the other centrist party and is being pressured by Bennett to join him and Lapid?

This is already shaping up to be one of the most dramatic election cycles in Israel’s history — and one the Jewish diaspora will be watching more closely than ever.

In this episode:

6:30 – Bennett and Lapid's history

21:50 – Bennett's theory of the race

26:35 – The role of the war in the elections

31:00 – Structural strengths and weaknesses of both blocks

34:00 – Gadi Eisenkot's next move

42:25 – Avigdor Lieberman's strategy

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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Is Israel heading toward another war with Hezbollah, or is it already in one?

Dan is joined by counterterrorism expert Matt Levitt to unpack the fragile reality between Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah. While Hezbollah was significantly degraded, the threat never disappeared. Even as diplomatic efforts try to stabilize the situation, Israel is now actively working to prevent the group from rebuilding.

They discuss life in Israel’s north, Hezbollah’s status in Lebanon, the limits of the Lebanese Armed Forces, and the risks of escalation. The conversation also explores new U.S.-backed diplomacy, and whether there’s a real path to long-term stability, or just a managed conflict.

In this episode:

4:20 – What the 2024 ceasefire was supposed to accomplish

5:55 – How much of Hezbollah’s capabilities were actually degraded

6:55 – Why life in northern Israel still hasn’t returned to normal

11:20 – Inside the IDF’s ongoing campaign in southern Lebanon

17:10 – Why the Lebanese Armed Forces haven’t fully disarmed Hezbollah

21:50 – Hezbollah’s role inside Lebanese politics and society today

25:10 – The threat of Hezbollah’s Unit 121 and internal intimidation

27:10 – New U.S.-led diplomacy and whether it can change the equation

36:10 – Whether Israel may need a long-term presence in southern Lebanon

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back, where Dan is joined by insiders Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal to unpack what was actually conveyed to the Trump administration, and how expectations around regime change in Iran took shape.

They examine the gap between what Israeli intelligence assessed, what was operationally approved, and why some of the most consequential elements of the plan were never fully carried out. The conversation then turns to the debate over Iran’s remaining enriched uranium and the feasibility of rebuilding a nuclear program.

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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Will the Iran War reshape American politics? How could it affect the future of U.S -Israel relations?

Dan is joined by New York Times columnist Ross Douthat to examine how the Iran War is influencing both parties. They unpack why support for the war tracks with support for President Trump, why protests have been surprisingly muted, and how the war is accelerating existing political trends.

Listen to Ross’ podcast Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

In this episode:

- Where American public opinion on the Iran War stands today

- Why there’s been little protest compared to past wars

- How the war is accelerating political trends, not transforming them

- The growing divide on Israel within the Democratic coalition

- The emerging fracture on the right over intervention and Israel

- The generational divide among younger conservatives

- Whether the far left and far right could align politically

- What “just war” theory is and why it matters now

- What this all means for the future of the Republican Party

This episode was sponsored by United Hatzalah. Donate today at IsraelRescue.org/CallMeBack. Add this number to your phone right now if you live in Israel – 1221, and for those visiting it’s 972-2-5-383838.

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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What does grief actually look like, and what does it mean to live with it?

In this live conversation recorded at Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center on the eve of Yom HaZikaron, Rachel Goldberg-Polin joins Dan Senor to reflect on love, loss, faith, and the story behind her new book, about the loss of her son, Hersh, who was taken hostage on October 7 and later killed in captivity.

This conversation explores how Rachel understands suffering, why she rejects the idea that grief “gets better,” and how she holds onto faith, love, and what she calls “tragic optimism.” It is a raw and deeply human discussion about what remains when everything changes, and what it means to keep going.

Purchase Rachel’s book here: When We See You Again.

In this episode:

- Life before October 7 and the meaning of Shabbat in Rachel’s family

- The morning of October 7 and the moment everything changed

- What it was like to advocate for Hersh while he was in captivity

- The discovery that Hersh knew his family was fighting for him

- The night Rachel and her family learned he had been killed

- Why Rachel rejects the idea that grief fades over time

- “Toxic positivity” vs. “tragic optimism”

- What grief really is, and what it reveals about love

This episode is sponsored by American Friends of Israel Navy SEALs (AFINS). For a brief video on Buddy Line and to support the program, visit AFINS.us/warriorcare.

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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What do we owe the stories of people who sacrificed everything, even when they did not succeed?

As Israel approaches Yom Hazikaron after two and a half years of war, Dan speaks with author and journalist Matti Friedman about one of the most iconic and least understood stories in Israeli history: the parachutists of 1944. At the center is Hannah Senesh, whose name became synonymous with courage, even though the mission itself failed in military terms.

Purchase Matti’s book here.

In this episode:

02:40 – The real story behind Hannah Senesh and the parachutists of 1944

06:20 – The 1944 parachutist mission

08:40 – How Israel turned this mission into a national myth

14:10 – Why the mission had no clear or achievable objective

17:00 – How the parachutists understood their role as shaping a future story

27:20 – What Hannah Senesh’s life and death reveal about sacrifice

29:00 – Why the parachutists chose to act despite knowing they would likely fail

32:10 – What this story offers Israelis after October 7

This episode is sponsored by the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization. Learn more and support their work at idfwo.org.

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• Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
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• Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo