Is Antizionism a Soviet invention for persecuting Jews?

Dan is joined by Shaul Kelner, professor of Jewish studies and sociology at Vanderbilt University, to examine the rarely-told history of Antizionism. Kelner explains how a framework designed to deny Jewish life under Soviet rule has resurfaced in the West long before October 7 and why many American Jews were unprepared for its scale and intensity.

In this episode...

- The Soviet roots of Antizionism

- How Antizionism entered the West

- Marxism and ideological monoculture in American universities

- Why American Jews are seduced by Antizionism

- Stop debating semantics

This episode was sponsored by SAPIR: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBack

From the episode:

- Shaul Kelner’s book, A Cold War Exodus: How Americans Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews

- Attend The State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y

More Ark Media:

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

Is a U.S. strike on Iran back on the table? How could it reshape the Middle East? And what role could the Middle East play in the new world order taking shape these days?

Dan Senor speaks with Mark Dubowitz and Yonatan Adiri about the rising likelihood of U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic, which targets are being considered, and how Iran could retaliate. They also unpack Israel’s internal debates on how to respond, the Saudi UAE rift and what it means for normalization, Turkey’s expanding footprint, and why India is becoming a more important regional player.

In this episode...

- Is a U.S. strike on Iran coming and what would actually be hit

- How Iran might retaliate and the debates inside Israel over next steps

- Whether military action is meant to pressure the regime or help bring it down

- Why Trump paused an attack and the regional forces shaping that call

- Saudi Arabia’s recalculation, its rift with the UAE, and the impact on normalization

- Turkey’s rise and why India is becoming a quiet power broker in the region

This episode was sponsored by SAPIR: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBack

From the episode:

- Listen to Yonatan’s podcast What’s Your Number?

- Listen to Mark’s podcast The Iran Breakdown

More Ark Media:

• Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
• Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
• Listen to For Heaven's Sake
• Listen to What’s Your Number?
• Watch Call me Back on YouTube
• Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
• Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
• X | Dan
• Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
• Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

This is a sneak peek from a recent conversation on Inside Call Me Back, the members-only edition of the podcast. Dan and Dr. Tal Becker challenge the claim that Saudi normalization is “dead” and explain why a one-state framework fails to address the core of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

To hear the full conversation, become a member by following the link in the description or visiting arkmedia.org.

In the full episode:

Dan takes listener questions with Dr. Tal Becker on the new “Board of Peace,” why it’s being framed as an alternative to the UN, and what it could mean for Gaza and beyond. Tal also weighs Israel’s concerns about Turkey and Qatar sitting on the Gaza Executive Committee. The conversation ends with a look at trends in American Jewry and a practical explanation for why Israeli leaders often adjust once they’re governing from the Prime Minister’s Office.

More Ark Media:

• Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
• Listen to For Heaven's Sake
• Listen to What’s Your Number?
• Watch Call me Back on YouTube
• Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
• Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
• X | Dan
• Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
• Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo