🇮🇱 Israel Episodes

Social networks are full of fake profiles that behave like real people in every respect - except they're not. Sometimes it's very easy to identify them, and sometimes it's almost impossible to know that it's actually a comment or a like from a person who doesn't exist. Bots fake love, activity, inflate a sense of interest, push a topic or person to the top of the charts, and can even lead a foreign country's influence operation. This time we are with our correspondent Ilan Lukatch, discussing what happens when a politician discovers he can buy an army of hundreds and thousands of bots, how much it costs, and how it affects all our lives - without us even knowing. To vote in Geektime magazine's Podcast of the Year competition:https://www.geektime.co.il/podcast-of-the-year-2025-vote-is-now-open/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the American attack in Venezuela, we return to our 2019 episode that tried to understand how one of the richest countries in South America economically collapsed and caused millions of citizens to flee. At the end of the episode: a special update on the state of Venezuela's economy today, on the economic interests behind the United States' attack - and what can be learned from this about the new world order. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mountains of documents, photos, and emails from Jeffrey Epstein's archive have been revealed to the public for the first time. Enormous amounts of information that function as a political weapon in both Republican and Democratic hands – but also a convergence of interests. This time, we are with Yona Leibzon, discussing Jeffrey Epstein's documents and what we learned, or didn't, about the sexual exploitation affair that occupies the whole world. To vote in the "Geektime" magazine competition: https://www.geektime.co.il/podcast-of-the-year-2025-vote-is-now-open/ See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of tension between the United States and Venezuela, the unbelievable happened: Under the cover of a massive bombing, an American unit broke into the Presidential Palace and kidnapped the President of Venezuela and his wife. If in the past Trump claimed the conflict stemmed from drug and migrant smuggling, now the story, from his perspective, is completely different. This time we are with Dr. Guy Laron, a senior lecturer in international relations at the Hebrew University, to understand: What does Trump really want from Venezuela?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, protests and demonstrations broke out in almost 30 locations in Iran. This happened in large cities, and smaller ones, even in strongholds of the regime. But the anger of the protesters is not new; it has been accumulating for years. And like in previous waves of protest, this time too, in the world and in Israel, people are asking if this is the moment when the Iranian people will be free. This time we are with Dr. Raz Zimmt, Director of the Iran Program and the Shiite Axis at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and a researcher at the Alliance Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University - and what is similar and different in the wave of protests sweeping across all of Iran. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February 2021, we launched "One a Day." There weren't many podcasts in Israel back then, nor many listeners. Five years later, the world of podcasts looks completely different, and we have the privilege to continue doing what we started back then. And although we've covered countless topics, in all these years there's one thing we haven't talked about: ourselves. So, to mark the year 2026, we have a special episode where we will answer listeners' questions that we received in our Facebook group, "One a Day The Daily Podcast." This time, we're bringing you everything you wanted to know about "One a Day." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fruits remain on the trees, the vegetables have to be sold in bulk so that no one knows where they came from, and other goods from Israel simply don't enter more and more supermarkets in Europe. The exports we are so dependent on have taken a severe hit in the last two years. So yes, we have high-tech, and we have the defense industries, but will they continue to save us in the future too? Presenter: Alon Amitzi; Editor: Yonatan Kitain; Associate Editor: Lihie Zadok; Producer: Adi Efrat; Sound Editor: Tal Vanig To vote in Geektime's competitionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throughout the history of the American right, there has always been an attempt to keep extremist, racist, and antisemitic figures out of the camp. But in recent months, this has begun to change, with Nick Fuentes representing it more than anyone – a young man who thinks women shouldn't vote, that Jews control the world, and that Black people should be imprisoned. His views are sickening and extreme, and yet, he is gaining more and more prominence. Fuentes's dominance is stirring a huge struggle within the American right over the boundaries of the camp, but also over support for Israel, antisemitic views, and the future of the movement, which is probably the most important and influential today in all of America. So this time we are with Dr. Sagi Barmak, a researcher of the conservative movement in the United States and the editor-in-chief of 'HaShiloach' journal, on the antisemite shaking the American right. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four days ago, the Prime Minister signed in a video call on Israel's recognition of the State of Somaliland, a country in Africa that most of us hadn't heard of until that moment. While thousands celebrated with Israeli flags in its capital, Hargeisa, here we tried to understand who Somaliland actually is and why Israel is the first in the world to recognize its sovereignty. This time we are with Dr. Asher Lubotzky, a senior research fellow at the Israel-Africa Relations Institute, and with the story of Israel's new partner: Somaliland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who was the first person to have a cat, or in other words, the first cat to have a person? How did people start keeping cats (and dogs)? That's not such an easy question, because only recently have we discovered things that changed the answer. Besides that, you'll hear a few things about what happens when mummified cats are found. We hope you enjoyed it, and if so, don't forget to rate and follow the podcast. Don't forget to join our valuable newsletter by clicking here.  💌And to watch episodes, subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking here.    🤩For the Instagram page, click here For the Facebook page click here For the Twitter page click here For the TikTok page click here

Nine months have passed since the "Qatargate" affair was exposed, an affair that from its very beginning was accompanied by many question marks. Following the recent publications and interviews, the affair has turned into a battle of versions between Eli Feldstein and Yonatan Urich and Netanyahu's office. This time, we are with Ofer Hadad - still with question marks, but alongside them, also with more answers about what the Qatargate affair looked like - through the eyes, and smartphone, of Eli Feldstein. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clashes between culture ministers and the film industry are nothing new. Almost every minister who held the position has, in turn, come into some kind of conflict with the film industry. But there is no doubt that this time it's an extreme escalation: the Culture Minister is threatening to revoke the Cinema Law – a law enacted out of the understanding that encouraging film creation is a national interest. This time, we are with film critic Yair Raveh, a lecturer at Ma'aleh Film School and a writer for the Cinematoscope website, to understand together what the meaning of revoking the law is, and how we even got to this moment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growth from crisis, the difference between recovery and profound change, and the delicate tension between acknowledging pain and building new meaning. Prof. Ruth Pat-Horenczyk, a clinical psychologist and researcher of trauma, resilience, and post-traumatic growth, at the School of Social Work at the Hebrew University, explains how coping with a deep crisis can lead to insights and a different reality. In collaboration with the Trauma Recovery Center, Hebrew University, with the support of | JFNA  Episode 8 in the series on trauma and recovery To join the PTSD treatment trial for app-based treatment, click on the following link: https://beyond.sheba.co.il/267255  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an amazing story about a new mother in the class, who did everything and even reached the Minister of Education to achieve her goal: to be elected to the class parents' committee. Soon she will become Israel's ambassador to Greece - a political appointment by Minister Gideon Sa'ar from Likud. And she is not the only one - in recent years we have witnessed appointments of senior officials in the public service, even when they lack the skills, sensitivity, and experience required for the position. So why exactly are they there? This time we are with Tomer Lotan, former Director-General of the Ministry of Public Security during Minister Omer Bar-Lev's tenure, and head of the "Magen Israel" program during the COVID-19 pandemic, for a conversation about the direction the public service is heading: the enormous enterprise on which the welfare of Israeli citizens depends in almost all areas of life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great news, the Minister of Finance has decided that from now on, it's possible to buy from foreign websites for up to $150 without paying VAT, and this is going to save all of us a lot of money. Is this a populist move as part of an election economy? Undoubtedly. But is it necessarily bad? That's already a much more complex question. Presenter: Shaul Amsterdamski; Editor: Yonatan Kitain; Associate Editor: Lihie Zadok; Producer: Adi Efrat; Sound Editor: Tal Vanig  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Galei Tzahal, a station that has accompanied the State of Israel for 75 years, is facing closure. This is a military radio station that from its inception held dual purposes: to serve as a security instrument, but also to be an educational and values-promoting instrument. Over time, the station became a cultural asset, nurtured Israel's leading journalists, but also served as a focal point for controversy. This time, we are with our political correspondent Yaron Avraham and with Prof. Adam Shinar, a lecturer in constitutional law at Reichman University, and together we will try to understand why the decision was made to close Galei Tzahal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not long after the October 7 massacre, the police began collecting evidence against its perpetrators - the thousands who crossed the fence that day, were captured, and have been imprisoned in Israel ever since. Mountains of evidence accumulated against them, but no one had any idea how, or who, would handle it. This time we are with Adv. Yuval Kaplinsky from Dr. Gideon Fisher & Co. Law Firm, formerly head of the International Department in the State Attorney's Office - discussing the first draft bill on the matter and whether it will shorten the process - or simply create a host of new problems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Trump was elected president, he has stated his intention to bring peace to the world and end conflicts - and in some ways, he is indeed acting in that direction, even here in Israel. But at the same time, it seems that in a completely different arena, he is actually preparing for a confrontation. In recent months, through a series of escalating steps and statements, Trump has hardened his approach towards Venezuela: he accused it of stealing American oil and smuggling drugs into the United States, and did not even rule out the possibility of a real war against the South American country. So this time, we are in conversation with Prof. Leo Corry, President of the Open University, about the confrontation between Trump and Venezuela. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it about gel polish that made it a regular monthly expense for many women in Israel, even during wartime? How did it become a multi-million dollar market? And is it a passing trend or a new, stable industry? In memory of Liel Susi z"l Presenters: Shaul Amsterdamski and Lihie Zadok, Editor: Tomer Michalson, Producer: Lihie Zadok, Sound Editor: Rotem Deutscher Photo: shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu approved a deal under which Israeli natural gas will be sold to Egypt for tens of billions of dollars. This is a complex deal because, on the one hand, it involves a lot of money entering Israel, and on the other hand, there are those who warn that it also jeopardizes our energy security. But the story here is broader than our economy and even than the relations between Jerusalem and Cairo, because behind this deal are also American, Qatari, European, and even Russian interests. So this time we are with our economics reporter Amalia Duek and with Dr. Guy Laron, Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the Hebrew University, on the gas deal between Israel and Egypt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.