Unpacking Israeli History

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On the night before Shavuot, 1981, Prime Minister Menachem Begin shocked his cabinet by announcing they would be launching a surprise attack on a nuclear reactor in Iraq, known as Osirak. It was a gamble, one that the outside world, not to mention in Israel itself, most people didn't approve of. In this episode, Noam takes us on a tour of Begin's decision, the aftermath, and how it still impacts Israel today.

~~~~ This season of Unpacking Israeli History is generously sponsored by Marci & Andrew Spitzer and Barbara Sommer & Alan Fisher, and this episode, is generously sponsored by Jack Zager and Ellen Kahan, and by Pam and Neil Weissman, in memory of their parents, Mama Bashe and Saba Royal Rockman, and Safta Alice and Saba Irving Weissman.

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Qibya is one of the saddest and most difficult events in Israeli history. A military unit enters a village, and when the raid is over, 43 homes had been demolished, and 69 civilians – mostly women and children – had been killed. This week, Noam asks, what happened here, and how does it impact the story we tell ourselves about Israel?

This season of Unpacking Israeli History is generously sponsored by Marci & Andrew Spitzer and Barbara Sommer & Alan Fisher, and this episode is generously sponsored by the Center For Advancement of Jewish Education, and The Jewish Federation of Northern NJ.

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Unpacking Israeli History about Black Saturday: https://jewishunpacked.com/black-saturday-how-far-would-you-go-for-a-homeland/

Unpacking Israeli History about the Mossad: https://jewishunpacked.com/the-mossad-three-tales-of-assassination/

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Bibliography:

• Daniel Gordis, “Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn.”
• Howard Sachar, “A History of Israel, From the Birth of Zionism to Our Time.”
• Sapir Journal on power, vol 2, 2021.
• Rise and Kill First, Ronen Bergman
• On the Kanias family
• https://www.haaretz.co.il/misc/1.853441
• https://www.sharett.org.il/downloads/doc-pics/doc03486.pdf
• On Israel’s GDP: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?end=2020&locations=ZQ&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=2020&view=map
• On tzenna (austerity): https://gould.usc.edu/why/students/orgs/ilj/assets/docs/18-1%20Seidman.pdf
• On Israeli borders:
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54116567#:~:text=The%20fighting%20ended%20in%201949,Bank%20(occupied%20by%20Jordan)
• https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/arm01.asp
• On Moshe Dayan:
• Mordechai Bar-On, “Moshe Dayan: Israel’s Controversial Hero.”
• https://jiss.org.il/en/henkin-high-price-blood-israels-security-doctrines/#:~:text=The%20Dayan%20doctrine%20was%20designed,war%20of%20attrition%20against%20Israel
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzVrRStVo9k&ab_channel=ThamesTv
• On Ariel Sharon:
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ariel-Sharon,
• “Warrior: The autobiography of Ariel Sharon,” p. 1989
• Battle for Latrun: https://www.jpost.com/israel-guide/tel-aviv-and-center-tours/latrun-the-battle-for-latrun
• Participant account of Qibye (note he wasn’t actually in the village, he was outside of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQpBsvdzZ4&ab_channel=ToldotYisrael)
• Letter to UN Security Council from Jordanian envoy: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-185828/
• On the aftermath: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2538005,

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Who should serve in the Israeli military? It doesn’t sound like a particularly spicy question, does it? Because the obvious answer is... “Israelis.” Like, duh. Case closed, next question. But in this episode, Noam breaks down why Haredim, a massive force in Israel, don't serve. He goes through the history and asks, how does this choice impact the country?

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jewishunpacked.com/israeliarmy

~~~~ This season of Unpacking Israeli History is generously sponsored by Marci & Andrew Spitzer and Barbara Sommer & Alan Fisher, and this episode is generously sponsored by Lisa and Phil Baratz, and by the Center For Advancement of Jewish Education. ~~~~

We are deep in the weeds prepping Season 3 of Unpacking Israeli History, and, dear listeners, you’re going to love it. As in past seasons, we’ll be exploring exciting, intense, and complicated topics. Stay tuned, and brush up on past episodes. Yalla, let’s do this.

Unpacking Israeli History is back this fall, and we’re bigger than ever! Dive deep into Israel’s rich and complex history with Noam as we explore the stories that shaped the nation. This season, we’re kicking off with must-listen re-releases and a timely mini-series on the events of October 7th—because understanding Israel's past means engaging with its present.

But that’s not all—Unpacking Israeli History is evolving. Expect more interviews, exclusive content, and even a tour where you can engage with Noam live! Plus, we’ve got brand new swag to celebrate our growing community. Whether you're a longtime listener or just discovering us, this season offers more ways to connect and dive into the history that matters.

Have questions or feedback? Reach out at [email protected]—we can’t wait to hear from you!