Decision Points Podcast Focuses on Israel’s Roots

Oct 31, 2022

Washington, DC - On the eve of Israel’s fifth election in three years, the Washington Institute has launched the fourth season of its Decision Points podcast focusing on the historical actors and influences that have shaped both the modern Jewish state and the U.S.-Israel relationship. Debuting today, the first episode features prominent historian, author, and Wall Street Journal foreign affairs columnist Walter Russell Mead. Future episodes will be released each Monday morning. The podcast is hosted by the Institute’s Ziegler Distinguished Fellow, David Makovsky.  
 
Listen to the first episode here:

With over 70,000 downloads in its first three seasons, Decision Points has included a broad cross-section of scholars and policymakers. Season one focused on the history of U.S.-Israel relations; season two profiled key Israeli and Arab leaders; and season three delved into Israel's toughest contemporary policy dilemmas.
 
Early season four episodes include:

Episode 1: Genesis of American Support for Israel: The Gentile Push for a Jewish State

Guest: Walter Russell Mead  

Walter Russell Mead, the author of The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People, discusses the centuries-long history of Zionism in America, the hurdles Truman overcame to recognize the state of Israel, and the evolution of Israel’s role in U.S. domestic politics. Mead is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a scholar at Hudson Institute.

Episode 2: Herzl’s Chutzpah: Unpacking a Founder’s Vision

Guest: Shlomo Avineri 

Shlomo Avineri, the author of Herzl's Vision: Theodor Herzl and the Foundation of the Jewish State, discusses the father of modern Zionism and his legacy. Avineri is director of the Institute for European Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Episode 3: David Ben-Gurion: Leader of the Young State Confronts Momentous Decisions

Guest: Anita Shapira

Anita Shapira, the author of Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel, discusses the challenges and accomplishments of Israel’s first prime minister. Shapira is the founder of the Yitzhak Rabin Center and former Ruben Merenfeld Professor in the Study of Zionism at Tel Aviv University.

Access “Decision Points” on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations. He has served as a senior advisor to the Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations. He is written widely on US-Israel relations, Arab-Israel ties, Mideast leadership and author or co-author of three books on these topics.  

Media Contact: Anna Brown, 202-230-9550, email.

About The Washington Institute: The Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research institution funded exclusively by U.S. citizens that seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them. Drawing on the research of its fellows and the experience of its policy practitioners, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.