About this episode
This episode originally aired on January 16, 2025. A ceasefire deal has just been reached. In the past, Israelis have been united in elation and relief about the return of hostages, even at a high cost to national security. But not this time. Far-right MKs and ultranationalists had vigorously decried the deal, protesting any concession that would allow Hamas to hold on to power, no matter how small. What is behind their bitter dissent, and will this deepen rifts in Israeli society? In this episode, recorded as the deal was still being finalized, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi consider closure, family loyalty, and the basic value of derech eretz (common decency) in negotiating the return of the hostages, and why the lens for ultranationalists in Israel is so starkly different. Watch the video version of our podcast on our Youtube channel . Past episodes of this show, and other podcasts from Ark Media can be found at arkmedia.org . For more ideas from the Shalom Hartman Institute, visit shalomhartman.org , or JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST . Sponsor an upcoming episode of For Heaven’s Sake. Click here to learn more.