Israel Policy Pod
Eisenkot, Bibi, and the Regional Arena
Jul 23, 2026
Israel Policy Forum
On this week’s episode, Dan Rothem (Senior Policy Analyst, Israel Policy Forum) and Shira Efron (Distinguished Israel Policy Chair, RAND) join Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to discuss the start of Israel’s election campaign: Gadi Eisenkot’s rise in the polls, how Bibi Netanyahu has tried to fight back against yet another retired general, and the resurrection of the Israeli left. They then turn to the regional arena, including this week's U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal and what it means for Israel, the state of play in Gaza, and much more.
Note: This episode was recorded before President Trump's Truth Social post asserting that the Saudi nuclear deal is contingent on normalization with Israel.
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