Sivan Rahav-Meir: 'When it comes to terrorism, you can't compromise'

Sivan Rahav-Meir: 'When it comes to terrorism, you can't compromise'

Author: 18Forty July 8, 2024 Duration: 45:25
Israel's fight against Hamas, Sivan Rahav-Meir says, is preventing another Oct. 7—and another Sept. 11.

The Israeli religious journalist — voted Israel’s most popular media personality — grew up secular and part of the Israel left’s “Peace Now” movement, but she’s not quite there anymore.
Now a journalist for Israel TV news, a columnist for Yediot Aharonot newspaper, and host of a weekly radio show on the Army Radio, Sivan is a leading figure in Israeli society more broadly — and the religious society specifically.

A 2017 Forward profile described her as “a female sort of Hasidic grand rabbi” because of the thousands flocking to her Torah lectures. She sends a Jewish insight each day to tens of thousands of WhatsApp subscribers The Daily Thought

Now, she joins Sruli Fruchter to answer 18 questions on Israel, including Israel’s battle against terrorism, living in Messianic times, that time she interviewed Yitzchak Rabin, and so much more.

This interview was held on July 4.

Here are our 18 questions:
  1. As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?
  2. What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?
  3. How have your religious views changed since Oct. 7?
  4.  What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?
  5. Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?
  6. Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?
  7. Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?
  8. Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?
  9. Should Israel be a religious state?
  10. If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?
  11. Should all Israelis serve in the army?
  12. Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?
  13. What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
  14. Do you think the State of Israel is part of the final redemption?
  15. Is Messianism helpful or harmful to Israel?
  16. Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?
  17. Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?
  18. Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?

What does it mean to live a meaningful life? How do we navigate doubt, find purpose, or understand suffering? 18 Questions, 40 Mystics explores these profound human inquiries through a distinctly Jewish mystical lens. Hosted by Rabbi Benji Levy, this series from 18Forty engages in deep, personal conversations with a diverse global community of thinkers-including rabbis, kabbalists, artists, and teachers-each deeply immersed in mystical tradition. The format is elegantly simple yet expansive: eighteen core existential questions posed to forty different voices, yielding a rich tapestry of perspectives drawn from ancient wisdom and contemporary experience. Listeners will encounter discussions that weave together spirituality, daily practice, and the inner dimensions of faith known as pnimiyut. This isn't about abstract theory; it's about the practical and soulful insights that arise when earnest questioning meets lived spiritual knowledge. Whether you're well-versed in Jewish texts or simply curious about the intersection of mysticism and modern life, each episode offers a unique point of reflection and inspiration. The conversations are intimate and revealing, designed not to provide monolithic answers but to illuminate the many paths toward understanding. Tune in for a journey that is as much about the questions we all share as it is about the diverse, thoughtful responses from those who have dedicated their lives to contemplation. This podcast serves as a rare gateway into the minds and hearts of today's leading mystical practitioners.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 74

18 Questions, 40 Mystics
Podcast Episodes
Elli Fischer: 'The Torah ideal is for Israel to be a religious state' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:54
The Torah wants Israel to be a religious state, Rabbi Elli Fischer says. Just, maybe, not right now. A historian, writer, translator, and educator, Elli Fischer extensively explores the relationship between Jewish law an…
Mosheh Lichtenstein: 'Jewish values don't celebrate might' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:49
Judaism does not value power and might, Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein says—in fact, it abhors it.Co-rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion, Rav Mosheh is a venerated leader in Israel's Religious Zionist world who is unafraid to c…