'The government doesn't make its case': 5 Israeli Thinkers on criticizing Israel

'The government doesn't make its case': 5 Israeli Thinkers on criticizing Israel

Author: 18Forty August 25, 2025 Duration: 19:58
What is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?
We asked this question to 40 Israeli Thinkers over the last year. For the first time, come behind the scenes to Sruli Fruchter's favorite answers and the secret behind the question.
Here are our top 5 answers from:

5. Benny Morris
4. Uri Zaki
3. Einat Wilf
2. Yishai Fleisher
1. Michael Oren

18Forty launched its new website! This is your address for today’s biggest Jewish questions. Please enjoy rummaging through our trove of podcasts, essays, videos, and more. Happy searching!

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: 50

18 Questions, 40 Mystics
Podcast Episodes
Gedale Fenster: 'Focus on the message, you won't stay in the mess' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:21
For Gedale Fenster, Jewish Mysticism is not a retreat from reality but the "expanded consciousness" needed to see that “the problem is the solution.”Gedale Fenster is an internationally renowned motivational speaker, spi…
Victoria Hanna: 'The riddle is a part of our existence' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:48
Victoria Hanna sees tremendous power in riddles. In many ways, she argues, questions are more important than answers. The Israeli musician uses sounds and letters to understand God and the world, believing in the power o…
Shlomo Pill: 'Mysticism is really just a mapping of human experience' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:27
For Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Pill, self-satisfaction is the biggest obstacle to living a more spiritual life. Based on the teaching of the Arizal, Rabbi Isaac ben Solomon Ashkenazi Luria, he argues that a sense of lack is what p…
Eli Rubin: 'The Arizal was the first herald of modernity' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:07
For Rabbi Dr. Eli Rubin, in an ideal world all people would be mystics. He argues that if mysticism means connecting to God, then everyone should feel that connection. And through it, everyone should be able to live bett…
Aron Moss: 'The term religious doesn't really exist in Judaism' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:45
It is difficult to navigate the complexities of the world without having inner purpose. For Rabbi Aron Moss, Jewish mysticism provides this crucial depth. He describes God not as a distant figure but as the inner reality…