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Inside Israel with Joel Chasnoff
"The Wrong Year to Quit Amphetamines"
This week's episode of Inside Israel finds the country navigating a shaky ceasefire with Iran.
While the war is officially "over," the conversation here is anything but. Today, I'll explore two deeply conflicting narratives: Was this war a decisive victory, setting back Iran's nuclear program for years and embarrassing them globally? Or were Israelis "played," with heavy sacrifices – 13 dead, 10,000 families homeless, and a crippled economy – for a temporary reprieve, leaving critical questions about Gaza hostages and soldiers' deaths unanswered?
We'll talk about the the unspoken consequences, too: the shattered faith in Iron Dome, the disruption to daily life, and the emotional toll on a nation. I'll also share a bit about my personal experience of economic impact, providing a candid look at life on the ground.
Plus, listener questions tackle everything from NYC mayoral politics to the global understanding of the conflict.
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127. Parenting in Times of War
21:06||Season 3, Ep. 127Joel talks about parenting in times of war — parents trying to work in cafes with babies in strollers, grandparents helping out, frustration with Zoom school, and his personal sense of guilt that he can't parent better. Plus a news update on what's happening in Israel as we move into Passover.---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books
126. The Hidden Enemy
28:32||Season 3, Ep. 126Joel talks about one of the biggest surprises of the current war – Hezbollah — and the Israeli feeling that they were lied to by a government who assured them this Iranian proxy in Lebanon had been defeated, once and for all. ---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books
125. Israel’s Secret Plan…And What’s Next
23:39||Season 3, Ep. 125As Israel enters its third week of war with Iran, we look at the IDF's secret plan to keep Iran off-guard before the strike, where things stand now, and whether Israel's strategy makes me bullish or bearish on what comes next.---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books
124. War with Iran: Hezbollah’s Gift
32:59||Season 3, Ep. 124Two weeks into what may be a long war, Joel reports from Ra'anana on how Israeli families are coping — and why Hezbollah's decision to join the fight may turn out to be a gift.---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books
123. War with Iran: Update, from Joel’s Bomb Shelter
33:16||Season 3, Ep. 123Joel shares what Israelis are saying, thinking, and feeling about the war with Iran — from his underground bomb shelter in his apartment building.---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books
122. Mishmash
22:54||Season 3, Ep. 122On this week's episode, Joel covers a mishmash of topics — including a surprising revelation about a group of Israelis who were actually hoping for a war with Iran.---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books
121. “Nice House!” (For Now)
29:57||Season 3, Ep. 121Joel revisits real estate in Israel — one of the topics he's emailed about the most — with a focus on how you never really know what you're getting when you buy.---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books
120. My Big Fat Israeli Wedding
24:15||Season 3, Ep. 120Joel explores Israeli culture through one of its most exciting and misunderstood phenomena — the Israeli wedding — where jeans are optional, weddings are massive, and there's no registry because all gifts are known ahead of time.---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books
119. 3 Memories
40:30||Season 3, Ep. 119For the first time since 2014, there are no hostages in Gaza — and instead of marking the moment with a timeline or recap, Joel gets personal, pulling up three Israel-related memories from the last twelve years. It's not about the big headlines; it's about what actually stuck.---------------Support Inside Israel: ContributeBook Joel during his spring/fall 2026 lecture and comedy tour: www.joelchasnoff.comTo learn more about Inside Israel, and to submit a question for Joel to answer on-air, visit www.joelchasnoff.com/podcast Sign up for Joel’s newsletter, Hebrew Is Magic: www.joelchasnoff.comJoel’s tour schedule: www.joelchasnoff.com/showsJoel on Instagram: @joelchasnoff Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books