Gil Hoffman takes listeners behind the scenes at the swearing-in ceremony of new Jerusalem mayor Moshe Lion and reflects on the challenges that lie ahead for the new mayor and the successes of his predecessor, Nir Barkat. He then speaks about the United Nations failing to condemn Hamas rocket fire on Israeli civilians in the Gaza periphery. Gil singles out and questions countries who abstained and voted against a resolution that they should have had a moral obligation to support. He ends with praise for Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN for putting up with those countries.

Why do nearly half of Israelis believe that their political leadership is corrupt and that their democracy is in danger? Gil Hoffman asks Israel Democracy Institute President Yohanan Plesner, a former Kadima MK, whose think-and-do tank has just published the findings of its annual comprehensive study, the Israel Democracy Index. Plesner explains why Israel is actually in good shape compared to other countries and how his study found that Israelis are very proud of their country, Israeli Arabs included. At the end of the show, Gil discusses the political impact of Israel’s operation on the Lebanese border, how special Hanukkah is in Jerusalem, and his pride in winning the annual Nefesh B’Nefesh Hanukkah Panoply Quiz Night.

Gil Hoffman returns from a speaking tour in eight American states with new insight into Israeli politics and the relationship between Israel and progressive American Jews. He speaks about whether the growing divide can be resolved now and prescribes the opposite treatment that Haaretz recommended: No taking a break in the relationship but spending more time together to get to know one another better. He also recommends encouraging people to listen to The Land of Israel Network.

What is happening to the complex and sensitive relationship between Israelis and American Jews in the wake of the massacre in Pittsburgh and the handling of the situation by Israeli government officials? Gil Hoffman gets very different points of view from the former ambassador of the United States in Israel, Dan Shapiro, and from Jason Pearlman, the foreign affairs adviser to Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett. Pearlman just returned from Pittsburgh with Bennett and believes negative reactions to the visit were very exaggerated. Shapiro believes Israeli politicians need to be more sensitive. Shapiro also analyzes the impact of Tuesday’s mid-term US elections on Israel’s future.

Gil Hoffman goes from polling station to polling station in Jerusalem’s diverse neighborhoods following around the candidates for mayor including Ofer Berkovitch, Moshe Lion and Ze’ev Elkin on Election Day. He hears the candidates hopes and fears in English and takes you behind the scenes on this festival of Israeli democracy. He even visits an empty polling station in the Arab neighborhood of Beit Hanina where he does not see anyone coming to vote.

Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat is not running for re-election in next Tuesday’s municipal election after a decade in office. In an interview for The Jerusalem Post and The Land of Israel Network, he explains why he believes Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin is the only one of the four major candidates running suitable to replace him. Barkat bashes his former deputy mayor Ofer Berkovich, who leads in the polls, calling him a charlatan, as well as deputy mayor Moshe Lion, who he warns will be controlled by the parties that back him.

Likud MK Sharren Haskel, who heads the Israel-Australia Friendship caucus in the Knesset, talks to Gil Hoffman about why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasn’t initiated elections yet, when she thinks the election will take place and why Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced he is considering recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Gil also talks about the significance of Netanyahu starting to talk to the media and reveals which politician came to an interview unprepared.

Gil Hoffman explains all the different political possibilities for the months ahead and compares the craziness in the political systems in Israel and the United States. He goes into all the factors that will decide the timetable for Israel’s next election in 2019 and why the period after the election could be even more exciting than the race itself. Lastly, Gil apologizes for the “shallow coverage” of the current municipal elections by himself and the rest of the Israeli media, yet vows to continue more of the same.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons/State Department Photo Public Domain

Gil Hoffman speaks to veteran Israeli political insider Tal Shalev, who just returned from accompanying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to New York, about what happened behind the scenes at the United Nations General Assembly. Hoffman and Shalev speculate about when the next Israeli election will be held and when US President Donald Trump will reveal his ultimate deal plan for Middle East peace.

Photo Credit: Office of the Prime Minister of Israel

Gil Hoffman speaks about the challenges of Israeli democracy, as Arab MKs are en route to the European Union to seek condemnation of the Jewish state and writing letters defending the antiSemitism of British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and right-wing Jewish MKs are saying Arab MKs and Arabs in general are unwanted.
He also gives listeners an update on the state of the award-winning honey farm in Samaria that he visited last year after it was ransacked by Arab vandals just ahead of the Rosh Hashana holiday. (To listen to last years show click here.)