About this episode
In a headline-grabbing speech, Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israelis to embrace life as a “super-Sparta,” cut off from a hostile world— which begs the question: who do Israelis want to be after October 7? In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi unpack the implications of embracing an isolationist strategy: was this merely a pep talk, or the burial of Start-Up Nation for Sparta Nation? What does Sparta really symbolize, and why are even right-wing voters feeling uneasy? With new polls showing 78% of Israelis prefer diplomacy over permanent siege, could a new Israeli identity movement be rising in response? 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.