Ask Haviv Anything

What is this war really about, and how does it end? We sit down with warfare scholar John Spencer to explore not just the military campaign itself, but the larger stakes of this war: Whether the US, Israel and their growing list of regional allies will be able and willing (two separate questions) to carry this war to a comprehensive conclusion, one that begins the process, even if it is slow and difficult, of bringing down a regime built on terror, proxies, and chaos, or whether the world will once again step back and leave the threat intact. It’s a conversation about strategy, uncertainty, and the price of waiting too long to confront danger.

--

This episode is sponsored by Tina and Akiva Katz and is dedicated to two very different groups of Israelis who are close to their hearts.

"The first is our family – specifically Mishpachot Alfassi, Passal, Gizbar, Weiss, and Megidish – who fought and served so bravely and sacrificed so much since the 7th. We are forever grateful for your service and deeply inspired by your devotion to Medinat Israel."

"The second group is our family by choice -- Mishpachat Damari of Kfar Aza. To the quietly indomitable and fierce Mandy Damari, who fought tooth and nail to bring her amazing daughter Emily and the rest of our chatufim home. And to the Damari children -- Emily, Ben, Tom, and Sean -- we love you."

--

If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.

If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at [email protected]⁠.

Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

Military analyst Yaakov Katz joins the show to break down the "first Israeli war fought in English" -- a total merger of Israeli and American military might against Iran. From the high-stakes testing of futuristic US weapon systems designed to intimidate China to the "criminal negligence" of Israel's failed PR strategy, Katz exposes how this conflict is a global chess match where the target isn't just Tehran, but the entire world order.

--

This episode is sponsored by an anonymous donor who wishes to recognize the staff and scientists of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. In June of last year, the Weizmann Institute was hit directly by two ballistic missiles from Iran. Over 60 laboratories were destroyed. In true Israeli fashion, scientists in the unaffected part of the campus opened their labs to their colleagues and doubled up and tripled up so that work could continue relatively uninterrupted. The Weizmann Institute exemplifies collaboration at its best which is, after all, the secret sauce of the State of Israel.

--

If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.

If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at [email protected]⁠.

Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

In the middle of war sirens and missile attacks, Haviv Gur sits down with Israeli philosopher Micah Goodman for a sweeping conversation about one of the biggest questions of our time: Why have some societies declined while others thrive? They trace the ideological roots of modern Islamist movements, the “politics of blame” that has hollowed out regimes like Iran, and the deep miscalculation that led Israel’s enemies to believe a liberal democracy would collapse under pressure. Instead, Israel revealed a strange and powerful formula—combining fierce individualism with tribal solidarity—that produced both technological strength and extraordinary willingness to sacrifice. The result, they argue, may be more than a military victory: It could be the collapse of an entire ideology.

--

This episode was sponsored by Glenn Bergenfield, who asked to dedicate the episode to “my quirky and loving wife, Sarah, who has studied our past, considered the present, met my family and is converting anyway. Mazal tov and welcome home.” Glenn also asked us to say, “And I’m grateful to you, Haviv, for your clarity, your relentless curiosity and your generosity of spirit in these hard times.”

Thank you, Glenn, for this wonderful dedication.

--

If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.

If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at [email protected]⁠.

Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

As missile sirens wail over Jerusalem and families crowd into bomb shelters on the eve of Purim, this episode steps back from the noise and the slogans to ask a harder question: What war are we actually watching? In a moment when pundits argue over Israel, regime change, and partisan loyalties, I lay out a different frame -- two chessboards, one regional and one global -- and argue that what looks like another Middle Eastern conflagration is in fact a pivotal move in a far larger US–China confrontation. If we misunderstand that, we will misunderstand everything that follows: America’s resolve, Iran’s desperation, and the shape of the world that may emerge from this fire.

--

This episode was sponsored by Greg Manson and dedicated to the IDF soldiers who have fallen since October 7, and to the roughly 380 Canadian servicemen who died on June 6, 1944, at Juno Beach during D-Day. We, the living, owe deep gratitude to those willing to sacrifice to preserve Western values.

--

If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.

If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at [email protected]⁠.

Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

The conflict with Iran isn’t just about nukes. It's about a revolutionary martyrdom ideology hiding in plain sight. In this explosive deep dive, we uncover the ideological engine behind the “Muqawama,” the Iran-led "resistance axis" — a fusion of Marx, Mao, martyrdom, and Shiite theology that teaches its followers that suffering is strength and devastation is victory. From Hamas to Hezbollah to Tehran itself, this doctrine explains why bombs don’t deter the regime — and why its greatest threat may not be Israel or America, but its own young people. If you want to understand what’s really driving the Middle East’s endless wars — and how it might finally unravel — this is the episode you can’t afford to miss.

--

This episode was sponsored by Betsy and Andy Cadel of New York City, who asked to dedicate it to our global Jewish family, but also specifically the Selbst family of Tel Aviv who made sure their son Simon was safe and protected during the 12-day war with Iran last summer while he interned in Israel. It gave him, and his very terrified parents who were thousands of miles away, immeasurable comfort knowing he was not alone.

And most of all they want to wish both Guy and Dotan Selbst congratulations on their recent engagements and upcoming weddings. A wonderful reminder of how important it is to celebrate the future.

--

If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. It helps us keep the lights on. It's also a wonderful community and forum where you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions with listeners sharing news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams in which Haviv answers your questions live.

If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at [email protected]⁠.

Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.