Episode 28: The Gaza Paradox
Ask Haviv Anything14 Juli 2025

Episode 28: The Gaza Paradox

As hostage talks seem stalled and the war grinds on into its 22nd month, doubts about Netanyahu’s strategy and intentions have become ubiquitous.


Netanyahu has given many reasons to distrust him, including his simple refusal to explain the strategy for removing Hamas and Israel’s vision for a post-Hamas Gaza.


But it isn’t enough to criticize Netanyahu’s strategy or even to argue he doesn’t have one. To offer an effective critique, critics need to suggest a better strategy for removing Hamas and securing a better future for Gaza.


So far, criticism of Netanyahu has either avoided this step or suggested that Hamas cannot, in fact, be disentangled from Gaza, that Gaza’s future is inevitably a Hamas future.


In this episode, we dive into these questions. We ask what it would mean for both Israelis and Palestinians if Hamas is, as the critics claim, unremovable.


This episode was sponsored by Bennett and Robin Greenspan of Houston, Texas, strong supporters of Israel who recognize Israel’s centrality and vitality to the Jewish world. They asked us to say that they are proud to sponsor this episode of “Ask Haviv Anything” because this podcast makes understanding the Middle East a bit easier. They have dedicated this episode to the courageous and incredibly imaginative women and men of the Mossad, who make television look boring and simplistic in comparison to their daring exploits behind enemy lines.


Please join me on Patreon to support this project: ⁠www.patreon.com/AskHavivAnything⁠.


If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠.


Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

Avsnitt(93)

Episode 88: America's "24% problem" with young antisemitism, with Jonah Platt

Episode 88: America's "24% problem" with young antisemitism, with Jonah Platt

Is American Jewish identity weakening before our eyes? Are American Jews, caught in a whirlwind of hatred directed both at Israel and at the Jews themselves, turning their backs on their Jewish identi...

7 Feb 55min

Episode 87: How can you support a better Palestinian future?

Episode 87: How can you support a better Palestinian future?

Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East. Our current question: How can you support...

5 Feb 21min

Episode 86: Alliances and rivalries in a new Middle East, with Dan Schueftan

Episode 86: Alliances and rivalries in a new Middle East, with Dan Schueftan

The inimitable Prof. Dan Schueftan joins Haviv to break down a "profoundly dangerous" turn in the Middle East. With Saudi Arabia shifting away from its alliance with Israel and the Emirates and Turkey...

2 Feb 1h 11min

Episode 85: How knowing your story makes you invincible, with Noam Weissman

Episode 85: How knowing your story makes you invincible, with Noam Weissman

In these strange times, it is easier than ever for a Jew to learn -- and easier than ever to remain ignorant. We sit down with Dr. Noam Weissman, executive vice president of the educational nonprofit ...

31 Jan 58min

Episode 84: Why soldiers wept when Ran came home, lessons from Tu Bishvat

Episode 84: Why soldiers wept when Ran came home, lessons from Tu Bishvat

This week, Israel finally brought home the remains of its last hostage, 24-year-old Ran Gvili. To outsiders, the sheer scale of the national sacrifice and the collective exhalation of relief that foll...

29 Jan 47min

Episode 83: From ideology to narcotics, Hezbollah's business model, with Matt Levitt

Episode 83: From ideology to narcotics, Hezbollah's business model, with Matt Levitt

The fall 2024 Israeli operations that decimated Hezbollah’s missile arsenal and leadership structure marked a pivotal turning point for the Middle East. To understand the wreckage left behind and the ...

26 Jan 48min

Episode 82: 'From the River to the Sea' - Lost in Translation?

Episode 82: 'From the River to the Sea' - Lost in Translation?

Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East. Our current question: 'From the River to ...

25 Jan 8min

Episode 81: Israel's future and the ticking Gaza clock, with Andrew Fox

Episode 81: Israel's future and the ticking Gaza clock, with Andrew Fox

Andrew Fox is a frontline conflict researcher who has visited Gaza, Syria and Lebanon to study Israeli deployments and strategy there.He joins the podcast to talk about what he calls Israel’s ticking ...

22 Jan 57min

Populärt inom Historia

motiv
massmordarpodden
p3-historia
historiska-brott
olosta-mord
historiepodden-se
rss-massmordarpodden
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-seriemordarpodden
rss-brottsligt
krigshistoriepodden
konspirationsteorier
nu-blir-det-historia
podme-bio-4
militarhistoriepodden
rss-arkiv-stieg
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
palmemordet
vetenskapsradion-historia
rss-borgvattnets-hemligheter