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:

• 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

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 Maimonides Fund: 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

What will Phase II of Trump's plan for Gaza look like on the ground? Who’s in charge of Gaza now, and who’s paying the bills? Dan is joined by Ark Media contributors Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal to cut through the fog around “phase two” of the Gaza plan. They break down the new governing structure — Trump’s “Board of Peace,” the Gaza Executive Committee, a Palestinian technocrat government, and an International Stability Force — and explain what will actually matter on the ground: money, security control, and whether Hamas truly disarms. They also assess Israel–U.S. friction, the odds of renewed fighting, what daily life in Gaza looks like right now, and how all of this collides with Israeli election politics.

In this episode...

- Understanding the Governance of Gaza

- Who Holds Power in Gaza? Money, Security, and Accountability

- Hamas After the War

- Phase Two, the Yellow Line, and Israeli Withdrawal

- The International Stability Force Explained

- Life in Gaza Right Now

- Gaza Meets Israeli Politics

- The Bigger Regional Picture

From the episode:

This episode was sponsored by The Shalom Hartman Institute: Learn more about the Community Leadership Program at https://go.hartman.org.il/CLP-CMB

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

In part two of Dan’s conversation with political scientist Yascha Mounk, the two discuss identity politics, its growing influence on the American left, and the danger this trend poses to pluralistic societies.

They examine why identity politics is so seductive, how it reshapes government, schools, and civic institutions, and why Mounk believes it ultimately undermines both individuality and democratic cohesion. The conversation also turns inward, exploring Jewish identity: where it strengthens pluralism, where it becomes politicized, and why Jews, in particular, should be cautious about abandoning universal principles for group-based power.

In this episode...

- Why liberalism today feels unrecognizable

- What identity politics is and why it’s so appealing

- How universalism gave way to group-based politics

- When inclusion turns into segregation

- Jewish identity and the limits of identity-based politics

- Why free speech remains essential for a pluralistic democracy

From the episode:

- Listen to Yascha’s podcast The Good Fight

- Subscribe to Persuasion

- Purchase Yascha’s book, The Identity Trap

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

Is Antizionism the new common denominator of the left? Political scientist Yascha Mounk, founder of Persuasion and author of The Identity Trap, joins Dan to discuss whether the rise of Zohran Mamdani is indicative of a growing connection between socialist causes and hostility towards Jews. Drawing on his personal history, Mounk explains the different iterations of Antisemitism on the left and discusses with Dan whether it is categorically different from what we’re increasingly seeing on the American right.

The conversation went longer than normal, so stay tuned for part 2 in which Dan and Yascha discuss how identity politics consumed America and Jews should be wary of falling into the same trap.

In this episode...

- Yascha’s political upbringing

- The history of Antizionism on the left

- What would Mamdani compromise on?

- Is the IHRA’s definition of Antisemitism dangerous to free speech?

- The Western left’s silence on repression in Iran

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

From the episode:

- Listen to Yascha’s podcast The Good Fight

- Subscribe to Persuasion

- Purchase Yascha’s book, The Identity Trap

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 takes listener questions with Ilan, starting with reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu may have urged President Trump to delay a strike on Iran. They also touch on Saudi Arabia’s opposition to an attack, the link between conspiracy thinking and antisemitism, and whether there’s a path back to bipartisan support for Israel in American politics. To hear the full conversation, become a member by following the link in the description or visiting arkmedia.org.

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

While President Trump has made multiple threats against the Islamic Republic’s regime due to its violent crackdown against protesters, the world still waits to see whether the United States will indeed follow through. Karim Sadjadpour, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Ark Media contributor Nadav Eyal join Dan to discuss what shape might an American attack take, whether it has in fact already started, how Iran might retaliate, and whether this could be the end of the Ayatollah regime.

In this episode...

- Under the communications shutdown, can we know what’s happening in Iran?

- Israel expects an American action… But of what kind?

- Is the Ayatollah regime crumbling?

- Is the United States already operating within Iran?

- Getting into the mind of the Supreme Leader

- How is Israel preparing?

- What should the West do?

- Understanding Reza Pahlavi’s role

This episode was sponsored by Birthright: Invest in the Jewish future today at onetripchangeseverything.com.

From the episode:

- Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.

- Nadav’s latest newsletter on Iran

- Read Karim’s latest piece in Foreign Affairs

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 Pattricio Spadaveccia, Yuval Semo