The Jewish People's Podcast
The Jewish People's Podcast explores the most pressing issues facing the global Jewish community. Hosted by Yaakov Katz in conversation with leading experts, politicians and thought leaders, the podcast delves into topics such as Israel-Diaspora relations, religious and cultural identity, Israeli politics, and contemporary Jewish life. Each episode aims to inform and engage listeners through insightful discussions and in-depth analysis.
Episodes
261 episodes
Who Will Win the Israeli Election?
With just two weeks to go until Israel’s October 27 election, who is leading, who could win, and what might happen on election night? Yaakov speaks to Shmuel Rosner, Channel 13 pollster and JPPI fellow, to break down the latest polls, the undec...
October 7, Three Years Later: Inside Israel’s War Room
Three years after October 7, Yaakov talks to Yonah Jeremy Bob, co-author of In the War Room, for a behind-the-scenes look at how Israel’s war has been managed at the highest levels. They discuss the tensions between the prime minister, cabinet ...
Why I’m Running with Ofer Winter
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum joins the podcast to explain why she decided to run with Amcha Yisrael, what the new party hopes to bring to Israeli politics, and what it means for her to make the jump from Jerusalem politics to a national Knesset campaign...
What do the Houthis want?
Ex Military Intelligence officer Or Horvitz joins the podcast to explain the escalating Houthi threat, Israel’s early intelligence blind spots, Iran’s role in the conflict, and what it means that Gulf leaders are discussing the region’s future ...
Where Did the Israeli Left Go?
As Israel heads toward elections, the word “peace” has virtually disappeared from its political vocabulary — and the Israeli left is weaker than it has been in decades. Shira Ben Sasson, Executive Director of NIF Israel, joins Yaakov to discuss...
Durban at 25: The Conference That Changed the War Against Israel
Twenty-five years after the UN’s Durban conference became a turning point in the campaign to delegitimize Israel, Irwin Cotler and Gil Troy look back at what happened there, how the language of racism, apartheid and colonialism was weaponized a...
25 Years After 9/11
Yaakov speaks with Souad Mekhennet, award-winning investigative journalist and author, and Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Vanderbilt University, about how jihadist extremism has evolved since 9/11, what the West learned – and failed to learn...
Israel’s Election According to the Pollster
With Israel’s election approaching, JPPI fellow and Channel 13 pollster Shmuel Rosner joins the podcast to break down what the numbers are really showing. Which campaigns are working? How many voters are still undecided? Where are the parties g...
Bibi’s Gaza Reversal
David Makovsky joins the Jewish People’s Podcast to discuss Netanyahu’s reversal on the Trump plan to disarm Hamas, what drove the decision, what it means for Gaza and whether it risks a new rupture with Washington.
A Likud Rebel
Likud MK Dan Illouz has broken ranks with his party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the coalition’s concessions to the ultra-Orthodox. He explains why he defied the party, why he won’t run with Likud again, and why he believes Netany...
What Did Netanyahu Achieve in His Meeting with Trump?
Was Tuesday’s meeting between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu truly “positive and productive”? Yaakov is joined by Shmuel Rosner and Gil Troy to break down the meeting, examine whether it gives Netanyahu a political...
The Midterms that Matter for Israel
What should Israelis and the pro-Israel community be watching ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterms? Josh Kraushaar, editor-in-chief of Jewish Insider and Fox News political analyst, joins Yaakov to break down the key races, the shifting politics of ...
The World of Spies: Iran, Ahmadinejad, and the Mossad
Former CIA operations officer Marc Polymeropoulos joins Yaakov to discuss renewed hostilities with Iran, the extraordinary reports of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's alleged Mossad recruitment, and what it reveals about modern espionage. We also examine ...
Zionism and Americanism
As Americans mark Independence Day, Gil Troy is joined by Dr. Anat Wilf for a special July 4th edition of the JPPI Podcast. Together, they examine the growing claims of a rupture in U.S.-Israel relations, asking whether recent political tension...
Qatar and the U.S.: Money, Influence, and Power
In this episode, Yaakov speaks with Natalie Ecanow, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, about her new report tracing what she estimates is at least $400 billion in Qatari spending, investments, lobbying, gran...
The Iran Deal: Crisis or Opportunity
A new Iran deal has left Israel alarmed and raised difficult questions about the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Gil Troy and Lt.-Col. (res.) Or Horvitz join Yaakov to unpack what is actually in the deal, how dangerous it could be, why ...
The Middle East After Iran: What Comes Next?
Has the Middle East fundamentally changed over the last two years? Yaakov Katz speaks with Nadim Koteich, a leading Arab journalist, former General Manager of Sky News Arabia and columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat, about Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, an...
Back to Beaufort? Israel's Lebanon Dilemma
This week, IDF troops reached the Beaufort Ridge in Lebanon. But is that a victory? Yaakov Katz speaks with Dr. Seth Frantzman about Israel's endgame in Lebanon, the risk of a prolonged military presence, and how drone warfare is changing the b...
What Do Iranians Want?
As ceasefire talks continue and tensions grow with Iran, what are ordinary Iranians actually thinking? In this episode, Yaakov speaks with Iranian-Canadian journalist and analyst Negar Mojtahedi about life inside Iran, how people view the regim...
How Bad is the Iran Deal for Israel?
As a new a new Iran deal nears, for Israel, the key question is simple: will this agreement actually stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions – or merely delay them? On this episode, Yaakov, Shmuel Rosner and Gil Troy break down the emerging deal, what it...
Canada’s Jewish Reckoning
Former Canadian ambassador to Israel Vivian Bercovici joins Yaakov Katz for a candid conversation about the alarming rise of antisemitism in Canada following October 7. Once considered one of the safest places in the world for Jews, Jews fear w...
Europe’s Middle East Reckoning
Europe is entering a period of political change. From new leadership in Hungary and growing debates over sanctions on Israeli settlers to broader questions about the EU’s role in regional security and diplomacy, Prof. Sharon Pardo joins Yaakov ...
Christianity Under Pressure? Israel’s Interfaith Crisis
Following a series of troubling incidents involving Christian clergy in Jerusalem – including the reported blocking of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Ho...
How to Be a Dissident
In this episode, Yaakov speaks to Gal Beckerman about his new book, How to be a Dissident, and what its message means for countries around the world grappling with their future, including Israel as it heads toward another uncertain election. Be...
After October 7: Rethinking Israel’s Grand Strategy
What should Israel’s long-term strategy look like after October 7? Drawing on the Henry Jackson Society’s “Israel 2048” report, Barak Seener joins Yaakov to lay out a vision for shifting from reactive deterrence to proactive power projection – ...