Episodios

  • The Murder of Israeli Embassy Staff in D.C. - with Ted Deutch
    May 24 2025

    Join the conversation! Click here to text Aviva.

    Two young Israeli embassy staffers - Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim - were murdered outside an AJC event in Washington, D.C. Their alleged killer reportedly declared, “I did it for Gaza.” This was not senseless violence - it was targeted, ideological, and part of a rising tide of antisemitism in America.

    Aviva Klompas speaks with Ted Deutch, CEO of AJC, about who Yaron and Sarah were, how this attack reflects the normalization of Jew-hatred from both the far right and far left, and what must happen next—from political leadership to policy reform.

    This is a sobering episode—and a call to act with clarity and courage.

    Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

    Guest Bio:

    Ted Deutch is the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. A lifelong Jewish and pro-Israel advocate, Ted served over a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Ethics Committee and the Middle East Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs. He co-founded the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism and was active in numerous interfaith and interethnic caucuses.

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    18 m
  • The Iranian Showdown – with Jonathan Conricus
    May 22 2025

    Join the conversation! Click here to text Aviva.

    Power dynamics in the Middle East are shifting fast. From renewed nuclear diplomacy with Iran to a possible expansion of the Abraham Accords, the Trump administration seems to be betting on a strategy of regional realignment. But are we witnessing real strategic transformation, or just another cycle of regional maneuvering?

    In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus – former IDF spokesperson and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies - to break down what’s really happening behind the headlines.

    Don’t miss future episodes of Boundless Insights. Follow us for more expert analysis and deep dives into the issues shaping Israel and the world.

    Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

    Guest Bio:
    Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East and the host of The Bottom Line, a weekly summary of events in the Middle East.

    He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces.

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    21 m
  • Will Israel Occupy Gaza? – with Jonathan Conricus
    May 19 2025

    Join the conversation! Click here to text Aviva.

    In early May, Israel approved a sweeping new operational plan known as “Gideon’s Chariots.” The IDF has been given the green light for a major campaign in Gaza aimed at dismantling Hamas once and for all.

    The plan outlines a full-scale incursion, the establishment of a humanitarian zone under Israeli control, and the controversial proposal to encourage voluntary emigration for Palestinians who wish to leave the Strip.

    At the same time, the UN, international media, and even some governments are accusing Israel of orchestrating a famine in Gaza. So what’s actually happening on the ground — and what comes next?

    In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus — former IDF international spokesperson and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies — to break down what’s real, what’s misunderstood, and what the future of Gaza may hold.

    Don’t miss future episodes of Boundless Insights. Follow us for more expert analysis and deep dives into the issues shaping Israel and the world.

    Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

    Guest Bio:
    Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on the Middle East and the host of The Bottom Line, a weekly summary of events in the Middle East.

    He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces.

    Info on Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT)

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    24 m
  • Is Israel Being Sidelined? – with Dr. Michael Oren
    May 15 2025

    Join the conversation! Click here to text Aviva.

    In recent weeks, U.S. foreign policy decisions have raised alarms in Israel. A ceasefire with the Houthis came with no demand they stop attacking Israel. Four rounds of nuclear talks with Iran have excluded Jerusalem entirely. The release of Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage, caught even his family off guard. And now, the U.S. has dropped its demand that Saudi Arabia normalize ties with Israel as part of a nuclear deal.

    Each move on its own might be explained. But taken together, they paint a troubling picture—one that suggests Israel is being bypassed, sidelined, or used as leverage.

    Aviva Klompas speaks with Dr. Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to Washington, about what these changes signal for the U.S.-Israel alliance.

    If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others.

    Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

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    21 m
  • Foreign Influence on American Campuses - with Izabella Tabarovsky
    May 12 2025

    Host Aviva Klompas sits down with Izabella Tabarovsky to unpack how foreign funding and Soviet-era propaganda have shaped the crisis unfolding on American campuses.

    Universities once seen as bastions of free thought are now flooded with billions of dollars from authoritarian regimes like Qatar and China — and the effects are plain to see. Students rally in support of terrorist groups. Jewish students are harassed without consequence.

    Izabella explains how Soviet disinformation campaigns against Zionism laid the ideological groundwork for today’s anti-Israel narratives, why Jewish identity has been systematically distorted in academic discourse, and how foreign money buys influence over what students are taught and believe.

    We also explore the broader impact of this infiltration beyond the university gates — on American democracy, civic culture, and the future of Jewish life — and ask what can be done to push back against it.

    If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others.

    Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

    Referenced in this episode:
    Qatar and China Are Pouring Billions Into Elite American Universities in The Free Press

    Guest Bio:

    Izabella Tabarovsky is a scholar of Soviet antizionism and contemporary antisemitism. She is a Senior Fellow with the Z3 Institute for Jewish Priorities in Palo Alto, CA and a Fellow with several prominent academic and policy centers, including the Comper Center for Contemporary Antisemitism at Haifa University; the London Center for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and ISGAP. She is a contributing writer at Tablet magazine. Her writings have appeared in Newsweek, Sapir, Quillette, The National Interest, Fathom, Forward, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, as well as several essay collections, including The Rebirth of Antisemitism in the 21stCentury: From the Academic Boycott Campaign into the Mainstream;Mapping the New Left Antisemitism: The Fathom Essays; and Jewish Priorities: Sixty-Five Proposals for the Future of Our People.

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    19 m
  • Reclaiming Core Values in Higher Education - with Drs. Jessica and Ron Liebowitz
    May 8 2025

    Dr. Rachel Fish sits down with two leading voices in higher education - Dr. Jessica Liebowitz and Dr. Ron Liebowitz - to discuss the big questions facing the academy today.

    How can universities reclaim their commitment to truth-seeking, intellectual integrity, and academic rigor—especially in a time of rising antisemitism and growing public distrust?

    Jessica introduces an innovative AI-driven project designed to evaluate the quality of peer-reviewed scholarship in highly politicized fields, helping distinguish serious research from ideological activism.

    Ron takes a broader view, examining the headwinds facing higher ed: declining enrollment, politicized classrooms, and the erosion of public confidence—and reflects on what real leadership and accountability should look like.

    From academic publishing and AI to university governance, campus culture, and the role of trustees, this wide-ranging conversation offers insights and ideas for the future of higher education.

    Guest Bios:

    Dr. Jessica Liebowitz is a Research Scientist in Computer Science at Brandeis University, where she is co-founder and co-director of the Data Science Internal Internship (DSII) lab. Dr. Liebowitz also serves as the Chair of the Advisory Council of the Brandeis Hebrew Consortium, is a member of the Board of Directors of Fulbright Israel, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Following her role as lead telecommunications policy staffer for U.S. Senator Pete v Domenici, Liebowitz served as Adjunct Professor and Fellow at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information of the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. She holds a PhD from Harvard University, BA from Yale University, and Honorary Doctorate from Middlebury College.

    Ron Liebowitz is president emeritus of Brandeis University and president emeritus of Middlebury College. He earned a BA from Bucknell University and a doctorate from Columbia University. As President of Brandeis University, Ron launched in the spring of 2023 an initiative to focus on antisemitism in higher ed, and also an initiative to deepen academic ties with institutions of higher ed in Israel as a response to growing BDS in the American academy. His scholarship has focused on the nationality question in the former Soviet Union and issues in higher education. During his career, he has served as a department chair, dean of the faculty, provost, and president and was a trustee of a leading liberal arts college.

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    35 m
  • The Double-Edged Sword: U.S. Aid to Israel – with Dr. Michael Oren
    May 5 2025

    We’re diving into an issue that sits at the core of Israel’s security and its enduring relationship with the United States: foreign aid.

    U.S. assistance has been a critical force in strengthening Israel’s defense capabilities. But as Dr. Michael Oren explains, it hasn’t come without costs. While aid has helped build Israel’s military strength, it has also created strategic dependencies and, at times, limited Israel’s autonomy on the global stage.

    In this conversation, we explore how U.S. aid to Israel evolved from early economic assistance into today’s substantial military funding. We examine why aid, while beneficial, can also be a double-edged sword — tying Israel’s hands when it comes to innovation, defense exports, and strategic decision-making.

    Dr. Oren also walks us through the shifting political dynamics in the United States, including the growing influence of progressive voices that are reshaping foreign policy and making support for Israel increasingly contentious. He offers a candid assessment of how these trends are impacting the U.S.-Israel relationship — and why Israel must be prepared to rethink its approach to American aid.

    If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others. We’d also love to hear your thoughts! Write to us at podcast@boundlessinsights.com

    Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org/

    Referenced in this episode:
    Dive deeper into the topic with Ambassador Michael Oren’s provocative 2021 article in Tablet Magazine: "Is U.S. Aid a Threat to Israel?"

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    21 m
  • Israel Turns 77 – with Dr. Michael Oren
    May 1 2025

    As Israel marks its 77th Independence Day, we step back from the headlines to reflect on the extraordinary, improbable story of its survival and triumph.

    Aviva Klompas opens with a moment from November 1947: just hours after the UN vote to establish a Jewish state, Golda Meir warned a jubilant crowd that the dream would not come easily. It would have to be fought for—and it would come at a cost.

    Israel’s early years were defined by war, scarcity, and isolation. But against overwhelming odds, the state didn’t just survive—it reinvented itself, again and again, turning the impossible into the possible.

    Each week on Boundless Insights, we tackle hard news: war, hostages, internal turmoil. But today, we remember where Israel began—and why hope remains central to its story.

    Dr. Michael Oren joins the episode to bring that story to life. He reflects on pivotal moments that reveal the many faces of Israeli identity: courage, innovation, grief, and defiance. Together, we revisit the spirit of the founding generation, the resilience that shaped the nation, and the enduring hope that still lights the way forward.

    A celebration of Israel at 77—through memory, storytelling, and the enduring miracle of the Jewish state.

    If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others.

    Learn more about Boundless: https://boundlessisrael.org

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    19 m
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