
Call Me Back - with Dan Senor
News
Presenting the challenges and dilemmas facing Israelis to a global audience.
Location:
United States
Description:
Presenting the challenges and dilemmas facing Israelis to a global audience.
Language:
English
Website:
https://unlocked.fm
Episodes
Dan Senor’s State of World Jewry Address
5/15/2025
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
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For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.org
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:
Dan Senor’s 2025 State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY).
Dan’s address expanded upon many of the topics we often discuss on Call Me Back, but it primarily focused on the challenges ahead for Diaspora Jewish communities in a post-10/07 world. Dan also laid out a first draft of an action plan for Jewish Peoplehood that is no longer prominent and weak but one that is instead Jewish and strong.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:51:51
Will Trump end the war in Gaza? - With Amit Segal and Nadav Eyal
5/12/2025
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/HJI2mX
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
As we mentioned in our brief update this morning, there is a lot happening in Israel and it’s happening fast.
Hamas has released hostage Edan Alexander, a US-Israeli citizen, in what Hamas is calling a “gesture of good will” to US President Donald Trump. All of this while the IDF has been preparing a large-scale offensive in Gaza and as the Gulf Summit is about to start in Saudi Arabia where President Trump will be meeting with Arab leaders to discuss further US investment and the future of the Middle East.
To discuss all of this and what it means, we are joined by Call Me Back regulars Nadav Eyal, senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot, and Amit Segal, senior political analyst at Channel 12
Amit Segal’s newsletter: https://www.amitsegal.net/newsletter/
Amit Segal’s opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trumps-blunders-put-israel-at-risk-a9c0af65
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:47:38
An update on recent events
5/12/2025
It is 9PM on Sunday May 11th here in New York City. It is 4AM on Monday May 12th in Israel.
A lot is happening, and it’s happening fast. So instead of taping today, Sunday, and releasing Monday morning as we usually do, we will be taping Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal on Monday morning and releasing the episode later in the day. In the meantime, in case you haven’t caught up yet, here’s a quick update on the events that took place this weekend.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:03:17
The Saudi Deal and the Reoccupation of Gaza – with Lahav Harkov
5/9/2025
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/HJI2mX
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
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It’s been a busy week with a lot of moving pieces - there are new war plans in Gaza, the US-Houthi agreement, and of course, the Gulf Summit and a potential new deal between the US and Saudi Arabia. Here’s what we do know:
On Tuesday, during a press availability in the Oval Office of the White House, President Donald Trump told reporters that the total number of living hostages in Gaza dropped from 24 to 21. “As of today, it’s 21. Three have died.”, he said. Israel maintains that officially, the list of living hostages remains 24.
Trump also said that the US would stop bombing Yemen’s Houthis after the Iran-backed group had agreed to stop interrupting important shipping lanes in the Middle East. The announcement did not mention the Houthi attacks on Israel, including a missile that hit Ben Gurion international airport on Saturday, to which Israel responded with a crippling attack on Yemen's international airport in Sanaa. Following Trump’s announcement, a spokesman for the Houthis pledged that the strikes on Israel would continue.
On Thursday, sources told Reuters that the United States is no longer demanding Saudi Arabia normalize ties with Israel as a condition for developing its nuclear program - a major concession by Washington. Senator Lindsey Graham says he opposes any pact with the Saudis that excludes normalization with Jewish state.
Earlier in the week, on Monday, Israel’s security cabinet authorized plans for the widening of the Gaza invasion, which if taken to its logical conclusion, meaning Hamas refuses to surrender and release the hostages – could result in an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and reestablishing some permanent presence there.
It is unclear at this point if this military plan is going to be implemented, or if it is used as leverage on Hamas as a negotiating tactic. That said, Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich said on Monday that “We are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word’ occupation.”
To unpack what this all means, we are joined by Lahav Harkov, Senior Political Correspondent for Jewish Insider. Senior Fellow at the Misgav Institute for National Security.
Duration:00:44:23
What’s at Stake in Trump’s Upcoming Gulf Summit – with Mike Singh & Nadav Eyal
5/5/2025
Ark Media is looking for two college summer interns – one who can support operations and another who can support product design. To apply, please follow the links below:
https://app.testgorilla.com/s/b1e1of2hhttps://app.testgorilla.com/s/7hy7zlpuWatch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
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Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
Latest reporting from Times of Israel on wildfires: https://www.timesofisrael.com/fire-authority-needs-double-the-budget-to-cope-during-mega-fires-era-official/
Next week, President Trump is heading to Saudi Arabia to convene a summit with leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. The agenda? Arms deals, AI partnerships, and a substantial Saudi investment pledge. Israel isn't on his itinerary, although Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has just announced that he will be traveling to Israel in advance of President Trump’s Middle East trip, and that Secretary Hegseth will be meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Katz and Israel’s military leadership. He will then travel to Saudi Arabia to accompany President Trump on his travels.
The Middle East visit will also take place against the backdrop of an important personnel change on Trump’s national security team – namely, the national security advisor Mike Waltz stepping down and moving to the UN.
To unpack what's at stake for Israel and the US, we're joined by Mike Singh, former senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council and now managing director at the Washington Institute, and Call me Back regular, Nadav Eyal, columnist for Yediot Ahronot.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:43:03
EMERGENCY EPISODE: Houthi Missile Hits Ben Gurion Airport - with Nadav Eyal
5/4/2025
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/HJI2mX
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
The Iran-backed Houthis fired a ballistic missile at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning. The IDF said it tried to intercept the missile using Arrow and THAAD systems, but failed. A number of US and international airlines have since suspended flights in and out of Israel. This was the first time the Houthis had successfully hit Israel’s national airport. To help us understand what happened and possible next steps, we are joined by CallMeBack regular Nadav Eyal for an emergency episode.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:17:21
The Echoes of Israel’s Founding Fathers - with Yossi Klein Halevi
5/2/2025
To help struggling Israeli combat veterans find their way back, please visit the American Friends of Israel Navy SEALs’ (AFINS): afins.us/warriorcare
Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm. To register: 92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Subscribe to Ark Media’s new podcast ‘What’s Your Number?’: lnk.to/HJI2mX
Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorg
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org
Dan on X: x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s episode:
Flames that engulfed more than 5,000 acres around Jerusalem as Israel marked its 77th Independence Day. Dozens of Independence Day ceremonies were canceled, and according to many Israelis — the feelings of national solidarity that normally characterize this day were scarce. For the families of hostages in Gaza, this was their second Yom Haatzmaut without their loved ones. And yet, Israelis are nothing if not resilient. The country’s population has now surpassed 10 million people. Forty-five percent of all Jews on Earth today call Israel home. So, while there are reasons for concern, there are also reasons for hope.
Reflecting on how far Israel has come, and where it may go from here, we are joined by bestselling author and senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, Yossi Klein Halevi, to discuss the debt we have to Israel’s founders, and to the soldiers who have fallen in its defense.
For Yossi Klein Halevi’s books: tinyurl.com/ycfcn72u
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:38:25
Israel’s Third Founding Moment - with Yonatan Adiri & Michal Lev-Ram
4/28/2025
Subscribe here to Ark Media’s new podcast 'What’s Your Number? - https://lnk.to/3AQhX5
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Today we have a special announcement: Ark Media, which we created as a home for Call Me Back, is launching its second podcast: What’s Your Number? - a weekly show focusing on Israel’s economy through a global lens.
Hosted by Michal Lev-Ram, an Israeli-born Silicon Valley-based tech journalist and contributing editor at Fortune, and Yonatan Adiri, an Israeli entrepreneur and former adviser to Shimon Peres, What’s Your Number? unpacks the latest developments in the Israeli economy. The podcast debuts this Thursday, May 1. Watch the trailer and subscribe here: https://lnk.to/3AQhX5
This episode of Call Me Back is something of a hybrid between our show and a preview for What’s Your Number? It was our pleasure to sit down with our new hosts, Yonatan Adiri & Michal Lev-Ram, to discuss the historic transformation Israel has been undergoing since October 7th, 2023.
Follow Michal on X: https://x.com/mlevram
Follow Yonatan on X: https://x.com/yonatanadiri
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:48:39
Is Israeli Society Descending into Madness? - with Ari Shavit
4/24/2025
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Streaming Notice:
THE CHILDREN OF OCTOBER 7 — a new documentary film — reminds us all that Jewish children were slaughtered or taken hostage or made to watch the slaughtering of their parents in a systematic way not only in 1943, but in 2023. There’s a reason why antisemitism is called “the oldest hatred.” It’s also the most persistent. This is a difficult film to watch, but we are thankful to Montana Tucker and Eytan Schwartz for making it, and to Shari Redstone for finding it a home. That home is Paramount Plus. To watch the film, go to: https://www.paramountplus.com/movies/video/C3COr43yl99oKdjeWNsuo2Ma2OP4zvGv/
To watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/LMC0Vef3V98?
Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm. To register: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Today’s Conversation: On Tuesday, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar submitted a newsmaking affidavit to Israel’s Supreme Court, claiming he was dismissed by Prime Minister Netanyahu for refusing to carry out politically motivated orders. Bar also provided a 31-page affidavit to the court which is classified. Prime Minister Netanyhau has responded in the press to Bar’s charges and has until Thursday to submit his own affidavit to the high court.
In this episode, we discuss a number of the charges, explanations, and counter-charges. But the stakes here go well beyond politics. To understand the forces shaping this highly divisive debate, we are joined by journalist and author Ari Shavit, whose work has long examined the fault lines of Israeli society—most recently in his book, The Third Temple. {insert link}
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:52:14
Between Gaza and Tehran - with Amit Segal & Nadav Eyal
4/21/2025
PLEASE FILL OUT OUR SURVEY: https://tinyurl.com/26dwpymb
Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm. To register: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
On Saturday night, in an attempt to address two of Israel’s most critical concerns - the hostage crisis in Gaza and the US-Iran nuclear negotiations - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a pre-recorded statement, in which he said that Hamas has formally rejected Israel's offer for a new deal. And, against the backdrop of a report in the New York Times that President Trump had headed off Israeli plans for a military operation against Iran’s nuclear program, Netanyahu emphasized: "We are committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons."
With both Tehran and Gaza in mind, we turn to two of Israel’s leading journalists: Nadav Eyal, senior analyst at Yediot Achronot, and Amit Segal, senior political analyst at Channel 12 - to understand Israel’s standing on these two critical fronts.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:51:56
The US-Iran Deal Israel Fears - with Jonathan Schanzer
4/17/2025
PLEASE FILL OUT OUR SURVEY: https://tinyurl.com/26dwpymb
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Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm. To register: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Seven years after President Trump scrapped the Iranian nuclear deal, the U.S. is now engaged in direct negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran to try to reach a new deal. Yet the talks in Oman have so far raised more questions than answers, especially as Steve Witkoff has just clarified the administration's objective with regard to Iran’s nuclear program, and as new reporting emerges of possible U.S.-Israel deliberations over military options.
Joining us is Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Jonathan has been closely monitoring the negotiations and been in contact with relevant U.S. and Israeli officials.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:37:43
A message from Dan
4/14/2025
LINK TO SURVEY: https://tinyurl.com/26dwpymb
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Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s “State of World Jewry Address” at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
Watch 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://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
The growing CallMeBack community has evolved into something that we are still trying to fully understand. But we are developing a vision and a plan to sustain it, which will include some new podcasts and new podcasts hosts that we hope you’ll add to your feed of regular listens. That's why we've created Ark Media, which will be the home for Call Me Back as well as some other podcasts.
As we step into this next chapter, we want to get to know you better so here is a link to a 2 minute survey – we’d be grateful if you could fill it out and send our way. This is a separate survey from the one we provided almost a year ago, so please, even if you’ve filled out that survey, we ask that you spend 2 minutes on this one as well.
From all of us at Ark Media, we wish you a meaningful Pesach.
Duration:00:04:24
What is Trump’s Iran strategy? - with Nadav Eyal
4/10/2025
Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s “State of World Jewry Address” at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
In response to escalating tensions with Iran, the US, over the past month, has been quietly — and not so quietly — ramping up its military presence in the region, signaling it’s preparing for the possibility of direct confrontation with Iran. Six B-2 stealth bombers, capable of carrying bunker busting weapons, have been deployed to Diego Garcia, a remote base in the Indian Ocean that's well within striking distance of Iran. At the same time, while missile defense systems have been repositioned to guard against Iranian retaliation, the US Navy has extended the deployment of the Harry Truman carrier strike group and has sent in the USS Carl Vinson, adding serious firepower to the region.
So, to many Israelis, it came as a surprise when President Trump, with Mr. Netanyahu sitting beside him, announced on Monday that the United States would engage in “direct” negotiations with Iran on Saturday, in a last-ditch effort to rein in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. So we’re looking at a very volatile situation, with military might being deployed on the one hand, and a diplomacy track underway on the other. How are Israeli decision-makers assessing the situation?
With us today is Call me Back regular Nadav Eyal, senior analyst for Yediot Achronot, to help us unpack how we got here, and what Israelis expect to happen next.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:36:12
The Paradox of Passover 2025 - with Rachel Goldberg
4/7/2025
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
Today’s episode:
Jews began celebrating Passover during the actual exodus from Egypt, sometime in the 13th–15th century BCE, and the tradition has continued—evolving but unbroken—ever since. To honor this tradition, we will be doing something different on this Call me Back episode - we will be talking about Passover, and about what this tradition can teach us about this paradoxical moment.
With us today is Rachel Goldberg, who – for most of her career – was a professional Jewish educator. We wanted to speak with her as we prepare for our seders.
Items discussed in this episode:
BOOK: A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews, by Shaul Kelner
PODCAST: Listening to "Call Me Back" On Motzaei Shabbos
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:01:04:14
Gazans Rise Up Against Hamas — with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
3/31/2025
Please follow this link to subscribe to SAPIR, a quarterly publication edited by Bret Stephens: sapirjournal.org/dansenor
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm. To register: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
It was a historic week in Gaza, as tens of thousands of Palestinians protested against Hamas in the largest demonstrations against Hamas in Gaza’s history. While the protests seem to have dissipated amidst a violent crackdown by Hamas and the killing of several protest leaders, these demonstrations could have a meaningful impact on Gaza’s future. To discuss the context behind these protests and where they might lead, we sat down with a native of Gaza who has been one of the most outspoken voices against Hamas in the Palestinian diaspora.
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is a Gazan-American writer and analyst whose work has been published in The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Ahmed grew up in Gaza and left in 2005 as an exchange student in the United States, where he later received asylum and citizenship. Ahmed is a Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, where he directs the Realign for Palestine project: https://realignforpalestine.org/
Follow Ahmed on X: https://x.com/afalkhatib
The Times of Israel article referenced in this episode: https://www.timesofisrael.com/gazan-man-murdered-by-hamas-after-joining-protests-against-terror-group/
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:57:09
Bonus Episode: Senator Dave McCormick & Dina Powell McCormick on Mentoring
3/29/2025
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
For this special episode of Call Me Back, Dan sat down with two long-time friends, Dina Powell McCormick and Senator Dave McCormick, to speak about their new book, Who Believed in You: How Purposeful Mentorship Changes the World. We also discussed Senator McCormick’s work on Israel/Middle East foreign policy.
Dina Powell McCormick is a partner senior executive at BDT & MSD Partners and was formerly a partner and member of the management committee at Goldman Sachs. She has served in various roles in government, including Deputy National Security Advisor in the first Trump administration, and a number of senior positions in the White House and State Department of in the George W. Bush Administration.
David McCormick is a US Senator of Pennsylvania and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, Counterterrorism. He is the former CEO of Bridgewater Associates and also served in high-ranking positions in the George W. Bush administration.
Dina & David McCormick’s new book, Who Believed in You: How Purposeful Mentorship Changes the World: https://a.co/d/0uvZceY
OR
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/who-believed-in-you-david-mccormick/1144556623?ean=9781400235919
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Ziv Gedzelman - Additional Research
Duration:00:41:06
The Politics of the Shin Bet: A History – with Amichai Cohen
3/27/2025
Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm. To register: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Israelis are bracing for a crisis between the Government and the Judiciary, after the Government took the unprecedented step of firing the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, prompting Israel’s Supreme Court to freeze his suspension. Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have made clear their intent to move forward with Bar’s dismissal, and have already started the search for his replacement.
While much of this is historic, tensions between the Shin Bet and Israel’s elected leaders are nothing new. In fact, this friction goes back to the founding of the State.
Our guest is Amichai Cohen, who joins us from Israel. Amichai is an expert on Israel’s internal security agency, and the laws concerning Israel’s national security. He is a Senior Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, where he leads the program on national security. Amichai is also the author of four books, and a professor of law at Ono Academic College. His latest article, about the firing of Ronen Bar, is available here: https://en.idi.org.il/articles/58760
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:49:05
WAR AND STRIFE - with Seth Frantzman
3/24/2025
Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year’s State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm. To register: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-address
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Israel’s pre-October 7th and post-October 7th worlds are colliding, as the war in Gaza resumes, along with the internal strife that preceded it.
Today we discuss Israel’s new and expanding military campaign in Gaza, its objectives, the difference in war-fighting strategy between the IDF’s former chief-of-staff and new chief-of-staff, and the kind of enemy the IDF is facing now in Gaza compared to what the IDF was facing before the ceasefire. All of this is against the backdrop of domestic political tensions reaching a boiling point over the Government’s efforts to remove the head of the Shin Bet and the Attorney General.
Our guest is Seth Frantzman, who joins us from Jerusalem. Seth is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post. He is also an adjunct fellow at the Foundation For Defense of Democracies, and the author of three books. He received his PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Seth has served as a research associate at the IDC in Herzliya and a lecturer at Al-Quds University. His latest book is The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza: https://lnk.to/XGEe6bx0.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:39:12
EMERGENCY EPISODE - with Amit Segal & Nadav Eyal
3/18/2025
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
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We recorded an emergency episode as fighting resumes against Hamas in Gaza, ending a cease-fire that lasted 57 days; as military operations escalate between the U.S. and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen; and as Prime Minister Netanyahu moves to fire Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet security agency. To discuss this rapidly-evolving escalation of events we are joined by two of Israel’s leading journalists and mainstays of this podcast.
Amit Segal is a columnist for Yediot Ahronot, and chief political analyst for Israel’s Channel 12.
Nadav Eyal is also a columnist at Yediot, and the recipient of Israel’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Nadav’s article about Netanyahu’s decision to fire Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skykzau31e
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor of Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:57:57
The Zionist Opposition - with Yair Lapid
3/17/2025
Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OrSnIuzd-Fc
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenor
Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorg
In the immediate aftermath of October 7, 2023, many Israelis expected a political reckoning. Yet, no clear alternative to Netanyahu has emerged. While there is no shortage of politicians who oppose him, the power of those on the center and the left seems stymied at best. We invited the leader of the official opposition in Israel’s Knesset to the podcast to discuss what he and his party stand for, whether the center of gravity of Israel’s politics has shifted, and why Israel’s political opposition does not appear to be a major force today.
Yair Lapid is a former journalist and the founder and leader of Israel’s centrist Yesh Atid party. Since entering politics in 2013, Lapid has served as Israel’s Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, and for a brief time, Prime Minister. He is now Leader of the Opposition.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark Media
GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Duration:00:43:09