Gil Hoffman and Tel Aviv super-comedian Benji Lovitt try to find any silver lining possible in the horrible pandemic that is making people suffer around the world. Is there anything funny about the coronavirus? Is there anything to laugh about in our quarantined spaces during these dismal times? Gil and Benji have the answers.
Gil then gives his final insider’s briefing behind the scenes in Israeli politics before his show goes on a brief hiatus.
Gil Hoffman speaks about the waiting period for a new government in Israel, quarantines to end and the suffering of the coronavirus to stop. He explains what is going on behind the scenes in the efforts to form a government and the strange swearing-in ceremony of the 23rd Knesset. He expresses hope for a better day, when all the suffering caused by the virus will be over.
Photo Credit: Knesset Spokesperson/Adina Waldman
Gil Hoffman analyzes the results of Monday’s election and its lessons. He talks about why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign was so successful and why challenger Benny Gantz’s was so lackluster. He answers how the US President Donald Trump’s peace plan can now move forward. Finally, he pays tribute to the “corona voters,” the quarantined Israelis who came out of isolation to cast ballots.
Photo Courtesy of Likud
Gil Hoffman interviews Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asks him about how US President Donald Trump’s diplomatic plan could be advanced if he or Trump are not re-elected in their current elections. Gil asks about the prime minister about his challenges, from Benny Gantz to Avigdor Liberman, from Iran to Hamas and what he will do if re-elected to help English-speaking immigrants to Israel. Netanyahu also speaks about the Coronavirus and chances that Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard will be allowed to move to Israel.
Gil Hoffman explains why the coronavirus could end up being the game changer that decides Israel’s upcoming election. Gil then ponders the possibility of a minority government and whether it would be legitimate and functional but not whether it would be right or wrong.
Gil Hoffman discusses the historic plan being unveiled by US President Donald Trump and the complicated political situation in both Israel and the United States, as Trump faces impeachment hearings and Netanyahu has formally been indicted. He explains the plan and how its political context could impact its future. He also goes into the mixed feelings felt by both the Israeli Right and Left.
Gil then reflects on the tragic loss of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, bringing testimony that Bryant had a strong respect and affection for Israel.
Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force photo Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew
What is the significance of 49 delegations of kings, princes and prime ministers coming to Jerusalem to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz? Gil Hoffman discusses the enormity of the event with veteran Jerusalem Post correspondent and columnist Greer Fay Cashman.
Gil then talks about the current political climate and the clash between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein.
Photo Credit: Avishai Teicher via the PikiWiki – Israel free image collection project
Uri Zaki of Meretz, which united with Labor, and Jeremy Saltan of the New Right, which decided to run without uniting the Right, debate what strategy will prove successful in the March 2 election. Zaki and Saltan fight it out over issues of political cannibalization and Jewish-Arab partnership. Zaki also speaks about why the career of once promising left-wing star Stav Shaffir could be over.
In honor of the final Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker, Gil Hoffman speaks about the Jewish connection to the three Star Wars trilogies. He talks about the Force of Hashem and about Jedi knights seeking knowledge that is yeda in Hebrew.
Gil then interviews Adam Nahoum, the commanding officer of the Israel branch of Star Wars Stormtroopers, about his saga in founding the legion of Star Wars loyalists and his own Star Wars connections in the Torah. To join the legion, go to their page click here.
Gil Hoffman interviews former deputy minister, Knesset Member and ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, author of two books on the US-Israel relationship, Ally and Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present.
Gil and Michael speak about the similarities between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when Oren says Israeli society is stronger than America’s but the US has stronger institutions than the Jewish state.
They also address the increasing anti-Semitism in the US and what should be done about it by America, US Jews and Israel.
Photo Credit: Hebrew Wikipedia / Anne Mandlebaum