You don't see topless or scantily-clad women in Jerusalem every day. But on Friday, several hundred protesters marched in the center of the capital as part of SlutWalk, a protest that started in Canada in 2011 and has since spread all over the world. Shoshan Weber, one of the organizers, tells host Gilad Halpern that the message applies to all sectors of society, and that religious and Arab women also took part in the march.

Radical clerics in London have issued a ban on women drivers, threatening to expel children from schools if they were dropped off by their mothers. The ban comes not from fanatic Islamists, but from Belz Hasidim in the London suburb of Stamford Hill. Following a complaint, the education minister announced she would launch an inquiry into the matter. London-based journalist Daniella Peled tells host Gilad Halpern that the government has jumped on this story as proof that it has nothing against Islam, but fights discrimination across the board.

One of the most crucial lifelines of Bashar al-Assad, the embattled Syrian President who has been bogged down in a bloody civil war for more than four years, was the unwavering support of Russia. But, according to the Arabic newspaper Asharq Al Awsat, this is going to change soon. The paper reported that Moscow has withdrawn military experts from Assad's war room in Damascus, evacuated non-essential personnel, and stopped showing public support for Assad. Prof. Eyal Zisser, a Syria expert from Tel Aviv University, tells host Gilad Halpern that the reliability of the report is not certain, but if it's true, Assad's downfall is imminent. Sadly, those who will fill the void are Islamic groups that will probably continue to fight between themselves.

Vladimir Katriuk was the second-most wanted Nazi war criminal suspect on the Wiesenthal Center's most wanted list. He no longer is – because he died last week in Canada, aged 93. Dr. Ephraim Zuroff, director of the Wiesenthal Center's Jerusalem office, tells host Gilad Halpern that Canada has been notoriously lenient on suspected Nazi war criminals. Even though Katriuk was under investigation and a judge ruled that he had lied in his immigration application, he wasn't denaturalized and was never brought to justice.

Tel Aviv's 17th Gay Pride Parade will be launched on Friday June 12th 2015 under the slogan "Tel Aviv Loves All Genders." This year, the parade will focus specifically on the rights of the transgender community, acknowledging their significant contribution to the LGBTQ community and the City of Tel Aviv. Shai Doitsch, one of the producers of the "TA Gay Month," joins host Allison Kaplan Sommer to explain what we can expect.

It’s too darn hot in Israel. So hot that things are getting dangerous: Bush fires were reported across the country; outside Tel Aviv three homes went up in flames after a gas tank exploded; delays were reported at Ben Gurion International Airport; a toddler was taken to the hospital after being left in a car for two hours in Petah Tikvah; and the National Fire and Rescue Authority has asked the public to refrain from lighting outdoor fires. Meteorologist Dr. Noah Wolfson, CEO of Meteo-Tech, tells Allison Kaplan Sommer if this is just the beginning, or just a fluke.

Last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Israel had agreed to purchase four new missile boats from Germany, for the purpose of protecting offshore gas facilities in the Mediterranean Sea. The deal came after a minor crisis in Israeli-German relations in October, relating to missile boats and their price - and Israel ended up getting a good deal In tomorrow’s issue of the Hebrew newspaper Maariv, a big story will appear on the deal; its author, Sara Leibowitz-Dar, joins host Allison Kaplan Sommer to discuss.

It felt almost like a summer rerun: Rockets were launched from Gaza, sirens went off in southern Israel, and explosions were heard. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad attack drew a response from Israel - a bombardment that targeted empty facilities and killed no one. Avi Issacharoff, analyst at The Times of Israel, has written that “when two Gazans fight, Israel suffers.” He joins host Allison Kaplan Sommer to talk about the tensions in Gaza that led to this exchange.

Israel’s 34th government - the fourth headed by Benjamin Netanyahu - has been making its first steps since it was sworn in at the last minute a couple of weeks ago. Although Likud ministers were scrambling for portfolios, the Foreign Affairs portfolio, one of the most prestigious, was left unmanned. And now we’ve learned that Netanyahu has appointed his close adviser, former Ambassador Dore Gold, as the director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Dr. Alon Liel, former director-general of the MFA, tells host Gilad Halpern whether this really is a watershed moment in Israeli foreign affairs, at a time of increasing global hostility to Netanyahu’s foreign policy.

Israeli social media has been in turmoil over the past few days. An Interior Ministry official committed suicide after a woman accused him of racial discrimination in a Facebook post that went viral. Dr. Avshalom Aderet, founder of Eshnav and chairman of Path to Life, discusses the troubling subject of internet lynching with host Gilad Halpern. He explains that his son committed suicide after being encouraged by his online “friends,” and it prompted him to minimize the adverse effects of social media that often seems innocuous.

Fifteen years ago this week, Israel ended its 18-year-long presence in Lebanon, which started in 1982 with a medium-scale invasion that soon spiraled out of control. The unilateral withdrawal in 2000 was seen by many, in Israel and the Arab World, as a sign of weakness, and as the event that triggered the second Palestinian intifada later that year, as well as the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Mitch Ginsburg, military analyst for The Times of Israel, wrote yesterday that the withdrawal was a watershed moment. Ginsburg explains to host Gilad Halpern how it impacted Israel’s deterrence power.

Shavuot is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah by God to the Israelites on Mount Sinai. But let's be honest, we mostly know it as the holiday of cheese. So how do vegans cope on Shavuot? Do they dread the holiday or somehow find a way to make it their own? Sivan Pardo Renwick, founder and director of The Vegan Woman blog and volunteer for Anonymous for Animal Rights, explains to host Allison Kaplan Sommer why Shavuot isn't all about cheese!

The Jewish festival of Shavuot is coming up, and who doesn't like a nice "best of" list to accompany their cheescake? The Jerusalem Post has obliged, with their annual Shavuot list of the world’s 50 most influential Jews. Noa Amouyal, features editor for The Jerusalem Post, explains to host Allison Kaplan Sommer how the team came up with this list.

Times are changing in the US-Israel relationship in the diplomatic arena, and but the defense relationship between the two countries appears to be going strong. News has just broken that the US State Department this week approved a $1.87 billion arms sale to Israel. Yaakov Lappin, defense correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, tells host Allison Kaplan Sommer what exactly these weapons are that Israel is receiving, and what they do.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's signals have been very mixed when it comes to his policy towards the Palestinians. The coalition guidelines say it “will advance the diplomatic process and strive to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians and all our neighbors.” But how can you be serious about peace when you name someone like Silvan Shalom in charge of your peace talks? Amir Tibon, diplomatic correspondent at Walla! News, joins host Allison Kaplan Sommer to break down that decision, and to answer the million dollar question: What does Netanyahu want?

Israel just marked the 50th anniversary since the death of Eli Cohen, the best-known spy in Israel’s history, notorious for his apprehension and execution in Syria. Historian and writer Professor Michael Bar-Zohar tells host Gilad Halpern that Eli Cohen became so famous for two reasons: his phenomenal success (he was privy to the highest decision-making forums) and his tragic failure.  

Israel just marked the 50th anniversary since the death of Eli Cohen, the best-known spy in Israel’s history, who was apprehended and executed in Syria.

The 5th Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism, a bi-annual international conference, was held in Jerusalem last week. Ambassador Gideon Bachar, Director of the Department for Combating Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Remembrance at the Israeli Ministry of Forgein Affairs (one of the event's sponsors) as well as the chairman of the conference tells host Gilad Halpern thatAnti-Semitism is an international problem, not just a Jewish problem, and is a human-rights issue.

Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino called it one of the most remarkable feats in the history of the Israeli police. More than 50 suspects were arrested yesterday in what seems like the most vigorous attempt to date to crack down on organized crime in Israel. Much of the information is still under a gag order, but host of TLV1's Reasonable Doubt and Jerusalem Post crime reporter Ben Hartman sheds a little more light on what we know. He tells host Gilad Halpern that he doesn't actually expect the investigation to break the back of the problem.

Israel’s political culture allows for almost anyone to set up a political party and try their luck in the general elections. Some parties are more bogus than others, and to find out which category the new vegan party belongs to, we’ve invited Daniel Adar, a co-founder of the party and a long-time animal rights activists, to join us today. Adar tells host Gilad Halpern that the issues the party advocates have a direct bearing on everyone's lives, and their significance should be recognized.

The National Union of Israeli Students has asked the Council for Higher education to introduce Muslim and Christian festivals to the academic calendar to benefit the growing non-Jewish student population. Einav Livne, spokesperson for the National Union of Israeli students, said “Fasting on Ramadan, for example, can affect students’ academic performance, and we’re trying to persuade universities to recognize this as an extenuating circumstance.”

Limmud, a grassroots Jewish learning movement, finds the connections between Jewish thought and just about everything else. The annual conference was founded in the UK in 1980. Since then it’s gone global, reaching 80 communities and 40 countries. And on May 14th Tel Aviv held its first Limmud. But why did it take so long to get here? Well, Tel Aviv is staunchly secular city. And even though Limmud isn’t particularly religious, secular Tel-Avivis were still a little wary of it — until they went and experienced it for themselves. TLV1 correspondent Shoshi Shmuluvitz brings us this story.

The growing popularity in Tel Aviv of Tikkun Shavuot, an all-night study session, attests to the extent of the spread of Jewish renewal among secular Israelis. The event that was scheduled to take place next week at Tzavta theatre in Tel Aviv — the bastion of secular culture in the city — was supposed to stand for harmony and religious tolerance. But it turns out that Tzohar, a group of moderate Orthodox rabbis, vetoed the participation of non-Orthodox rabbis and instead agreed that representatives of the Masorti and Reform movements, who are not rabbis, attend. Izhar Hess, head of the Masorti movement, says “Just as a veto on women’s participation would be unacceptable, we find this equally abhorrent.”

Rabbi Moshe Levinger, the man who single-handedly established the settler movement, died yesterday aged 80. On Passover Eve in 1968, Rabbi Levinger led a group of Orthodox Jews to hold their Seder at Park Hotel in the then fully Palestinian city of Hebron, which paved the way to renewal of Jewish presence in the city. Rabbi Levinger was also one of the founders of the Yesha council, the representative body of West Bank settlers. Former Yesha Council member Danny Dayan says of the late leader, “Rabbi Levinger was a true visionary whose strength lay in his ability to combine political pragmatism with hardline ideological zeal.”  

Earlier this week, Bar Ilan University’s think tank, the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, invited former US National security advisor Elliot Abrams and a group of Israeli and American academics to discuss the future of US-Israel relations, in light of Netanyahu's imminent reinstatement. TLV1’s Gabriel Avner brings us this report.

The announcement of the new coalition and its line-up of ministers is looking like a last-minute scramble to the finish line, with the unveiling scheduled for Thursday evening. Haviv Rettig Gur, political analyst for The Times of Israel, is here to take us through the home stretch. He explains to host Allison Kaplan Sommer exactly who's got what positions, and if any surprises are looming round the corner.

What actually is "excellence in education"? Does Israel's education system encourage excellence? Can every child be distinguished? What should be done for a child to receive educational excellence? Nava Ben-Zvi, Hebrew University professor and chairwomen (volunteer) of the Israel Center for Excellence through Education in Jerusalem, is this year's winner of the Yakir Yerushalayim prize for citizenship. Nir Yaron, a senior at the Israel Arts and Science high school (IASA), is the bronze medal winner at the Asian Physics Olympics. They both join host Allison Kaplan Sommer to answer these difficult questions on education.

What actually is "excellence in education"? Does Israel's education system encourage excellence? 

If everything goes as planned, a new government with a wafer thin majority of 61 Knesset members will be sworn in Thursday evening at 7 pm. 15 MKs are still vying for 12 ministerial positions, made possible by a vote in the Knesset yesterday, which reversed last year's decision to reduce the number of ministries in order to save public money. The move to increase the number of ministries squeaked through, but not before a filibuster led by the opposition. The Labor Party's MK Merav Michaeli tells host Allison Kaplan Sommer what she thinks will happen in this 'Game of Thrones,' and why Labor is being accused of not fighting hard enough to oppose this legislation.

Kamatech is a unique player in the Start-up Nation: It’s an accelerator for ultra-Orthodox high-tech ventures, which has recently awarded funding to six new Haredi start-ups. Moshe Friedman, the founder, tells host Gilad Halpern that there are about 15,000 Haredi high-tech entrepreneurs, all of whom are autodidacts.

African asylum seekers have dominated the Israeli news for years now; it's focused mainly on their treatment by the government, which some have deemed too generous and others not nearly generous enough. Ahead of a fundraiser later this week, we’d like to highlight another issue: Apparently 5,000-7,000 of Israel's African asylum seekers have been victims of kidnap and torture by gangs in the Sinai peninsula. Miriam Meyer, a coordinator at the Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel, tells host Gilad Halpern that these people, who were kidnapped for ransom, are still traumatized and remain unaccounted for - certainly by the government but also by groups that lobby for asylum seekers’ rights.

Benjamin Netanyahu's fourth government, which will be sworn in this week, will be homogeneously right-wing. In fact, this is the first government in two decades that did not vow upon its formation to promote a two-state solution. However, Akiva Eldar, a columnist for Al Monitor, recently wrote a piece in which he says that the ideological right is actually a minority in the incoming Knesset. Eldar tells host Gilad Halpern that we need a game changer, a “Sadat moment,” that would tilt public opinion in favor of a two-state solution and goad MKs to support it.

Israel and Germany are marking 50 years since the normalization of ties between them. The sale of four German warships to Israel was announced this week, on top of two submarines that have been supplied over the past couple of years. Mitch Ginsburg, military analyst for The Times of Israel, tells host Gilad Halpern that Israel's military cooperation with Germany is second only to its cooperation with the United States, mainly because Germany is the principal provider of non-nuclear powered submarines.

Today is Lag b’Omer, one of the less widely known Jewish holidays around the world. In Israel, the typical Israeli will head to a local bonfire. Many, however, gather at Mount Meron for a technically informal, but giant celebration. The fabled location of Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai's burial place, who according to (a false) tradition wrote the Kabbalistic book the Zohar, is now the gathering place for thousands of Jews each Lag b'Omer. Micah Mador, an American participant on Masa Israel Journey's Career Israel program, speaks to host Allison Kaplan Sommer about his intense and fascinating experience on Mount Meron.

Wednesday morning, the Sudanese army said that it had toppled an Israeli drone infiltrating its air space. This came after Arab media reported that a weapons facility near the area of Omdurman had come under missile attack. Ariel Ben Solomon, Middle East Correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, tells host Allison Kaplan Sommer that reports of the attack may have revealed that President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is playing games as he tries to curry favor with both the Saudis and Iran.  

The Sudanese army claims it toppled an Israeli drone in its air space. This came after a reported missile attack on a weapons facility near Omdurman.

 As the political cartoons show, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have arrived bloodied, bruised, and out of breath, but he made the deadline presenting a coalition of 61 Knesset members to the President in order to retain his right to form an Israeli government. Tal Shalev, diplomatic correspondent for i24 news, joins host Allison Kaplan Sommer to help us sort out the winners and losers in this coalition and what we can foresee for its future.

Ronel Fisher, the celebrity lawyer, former journalist and media personality suspected of bribing police officers on behalf of his clients, is back in the news. While the Fisher case is not new, it is in the headlines this week after Ruth David, a former Tel Aviv prosecutor, was arrested on suspicion of obstructing justice and committing ethics violations in the Fisher case. Ben Hartman, crime reporter at Jerusalem Post and the host of TLV1's Reasonable Doubt, tells host Allison Kaplan Sommer that the case - as the story of corruption and bribery unravels - has the potential to seriously damage the public credibility of both the police force and the prosecutor’s office.

  The Ehud Olmert saga continues as the government asked to sentence the former Primer Minister to 8-18 months in prison over his role in the so-called Talansky affair, in addition to the sentence he received in the Holyland case.  The defense team submitted two letters of support from public figures: one by former Mossad chief Meir Dagan noting Olmert's leadership in security-related matters, and another by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair praising Olmert's effort to reach peace. Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post legal affairs correspondent, informed host Yael Wissner-Levy it was the first time the former Prime Minister showed humility in court, and pleaded to the justices from a very human perspective.  

After clashes erupted in the heart of Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, dozens were injured as police fired stun grenades and tear gas. With Baltimore's riots in the back of many Israelis minds, the issue of police brutality and the extent of it has been raised. Ben Hartman, Jerusalem Post reporter and host of TLV1's Reasonable Doubt, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy that questions of crowd control are now being raised, and what extent should police forces be involved in demonstrations and protests.  

The clock is ticking until the coalition formation deadline, and the Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman struck a political blow to his long-time comrade Benjamin Netanyahu. Lieberman announced yesterday that he would stay out of the government, claiming he was choosing “values over Parliament seats.” Now, the Jewish Home party, understanding their significance in the narrow 61 seat majority, have decided to play hardball and leverage their position. Tal Schneider, political blogger and commentator, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy that Lieberman’s political discretion and decision making have been problematic for awhile, and time will tell if his departure will be politically successful.

Breaking the Silence - an NGO made up of former Israeli soldiers turned whistleblowers - has collected more than 60 anonymous testimonies from IDF soldiers who served during last summer’s Operation Protective Edge. It paints a picture of a military that failed to distinguish between militant and civilian targets, claiming the IDF violated its own ethical code of conduct. Achiya Schatz, director of public outreach for Breaking the Silence, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy an independent investigation is needed to check the policies and the high-ranking commanders, and not the soldiers on the ground.

A case of police brutality against an Ethiopian Israeli soldier sparked a series of protests that turned violent. It also brought an issue to the surface that has been simmering, silently, for decades. Racism — particularly Jews being racist against other Jews — is something that many Israelis find deeply disturbing. Shoshi Shmuluvitz reports on the very complicated picture these recent events have painted of race in Israeli society.

About 2000 Palestinian citizens of Israel filled Rabin Square last night to protest the government's housing policy, which sees Arab residents evicted from their homes because they have been built without permits. Protests like this one are a weekly occurrence in Arab towns. But an Arab demonstration of this size in Tel Aviv is a first. TLV1's Shoshi Shmuluvitz met the protesters, including some who've recently received eviction notices. They explained why people build illegally in the first place.

With summer fast approaching, many Israelis are becoming concerned about a replay of last year’s traumatic conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Host Allison Kaplan Sommer discusses some worrying developments with Yoram Schweitzer, an expert on international terrorism and head of the Program on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict at the Institute for National Security Studies. These include the fact that Hamas seems to be rebuilding Gaza's tunnel network and rocket capabilities, as well as the news that Mohammed Deif, the commander of the Hamas military wing whom Israel tried to assassinate during last summer’s war in Gaza, seems to be alive.

Pulling together a coalition has been harder than many predicted for Prime Minister Netanyahu after his comfortable election victory over a month ago. Although yesterday he did take a big step forward, inking agreements with two parties to join his coalition. Haviv Rettig Gur, political analyst for The Times of Israel, discusses the deal-making with Allison Kaplan Sommer. He predicts that despite the protracted negotiations, Netanyahu hasn’t and won’t lose sleep over pulling together a coalition of 67 members of Knesset to be approved by the president for a ruling coalition.

“Minds of Peace” is a grass roots Peace Making and Public Diplomacy organization which describes itself as an effort to create the social conditions for peace in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by involving the public. Its co-director is Gabriel Bacalor and he said that citizens have as much to contribute to resolving conflicts as political leaders and politicians.

The Arab Higher Monitoring Committee is organizing a rally in Rabin Square today to protest the housing shortage and house demolitions in Arab communities.

Sources in the Likud say Prime Minister Netanyahu will agree to give Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett the Education Ministry despite the opposition this has aroused among his own party. With only a few days left to build a coalition, the question remains: Why doesn’t any political party want the education portfolio? Prof. Yaara Bar-On, President of the Oranim Academic College of Education, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy that for the past 20 years all education ministers left political life after serving in this position, so many politicians are wary of taking up the job. Prof. Bar-On explains that minister of education is one of the most challenging positions, since it’s difficult to make an impact while not making political enemies. It therefore makes sense that they come from the ruling party, in order to garner the necessary support for policy changes.

As the death toll rises from the earthquake that ripped through Nepal, Israeli aid delegations are starting to return from the Himalayan nation, bringing back those Israeli travelers who were stranded.  Ravit Martinez-Amitai, a 35-year-old MDA paramedic from Kibbutz Erez, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy that Kathmandu is a city without electricity, filled with people sleeping outside on the streets, and that Nepalese hospitals are filled with patients with broken limbs.

Strong words came out of Washington yesterday when U.S. Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman cautioned an audience of Jewish leaders that if the new seemingly right-wing Israeli government does not show its sincerity to the two-state solution, the U.S. will have a hard time slamming down international initiatives - such as the Palestinian issue - at the United Nations. Tal Shalev, i24 News diplomatic correspondent, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy that as Netanyahu finalizes his government, the US feels this is the time to reiterate that support for Israel is not unconditional.

A massive earthquake in Nepal left over 2,000 dead and thousands more lost or stranded. Alon Lavie, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “There are currently 200 Israelis that we’ve been unable to contact, but that’s not necessarily related to the devastation: some of them are on a remote trek.”  

Israeli cinema has become all the rage in the last decade or two, but for many years before that, it was looked down on by film buffs and scholars alike. Two former film students have decided to set the record straight and set up the first definitive database dedicated to the history of the local film industry, which includes 200 hours of filmed interviews with past and current insiders.  Marat Parkhomovsky, co-founder of Israeli Cinema Testimonial Database, said, “Unlike the old guard, we thought that classical Israeli cinema has many artistic qualities that should be documented and cherished.”

An Israeli Defense Forces officer was attacked in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, when he visited two of his soldiers who live there. Lately we’ve seen a sharp increase in violence against Haredi soldiers, and it seems that very little is being done to prevent it from recurring.   Shahar Ilan, VP for Research and Development Hiddush - the movement for religious freedom and equality, said “It’s become almost impossible to walk through Mea Shearim and Ramat Beit Shemesh, two radically Haredi communities, in uniform. It has nothing to do with the draft law, because the mainstream Haredim know they’ll be in the next government and scrap the law.”

Several international media outlets reported that Hezbollah targets were hit over the weekend in Syria in an airstrike that was purportedly carried out by Israel. This is the tenth such attack that has been attributed to Israel since the Syrian civil war started in 2011 - Israel never claimed responsibility for any of those attacks, but defense officials have said on a number of occasions that they would not allow any arms transfers to Hezbollah from their patrons, Syria and Iran.Major-General (res.) Yaacov Amidror is a research fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University and former head of the National Security Council. He said, "Another war with Hezbollah is not a question of 'if,' but of 'when.' However, as long as the group is bogged down in the Syrian war, chances of a war with Israel are slim."

Two thousand people have been confirmed dead in the most powerful earthquake to hit Nepal in almost a century. Hundreds more are buried in the rubble and many others were left stranded. Many of them are young Israeli tourists and trekkers — as well as young childless families seeking surrogates. Attorney Dana Magdasi, director of Lotus Surrogacy, said, “In recent years Nepal has become a coveted destination for single parents and gay couples, since India and Thailand banned surrogacy.”

An alternative memorial day ceremony held jointly together with Israelis and Palestinians drew a record-number of participants this year. But in the run-up, the event was mired in controversy as settler protesters petitioned the Israeli Defense Minister to abolish the gathering altogether. TLV1’s Inna Lazareva reports from the ceremony, speaking to some of the Palestinian and Israeli participants, many of whom continue to strive for a peaceful and urgent solution to the conflict, despite losing family members and friends in the ongoing and bloody conflict.

As Israel marks 67 years of independence this week, defense leaders continue to assess the wide range of threats facing the country. While much of the focus is on ISIS and Iran, many in the security establishment have highlighted cyber security as a significant threat. National Cyber Bureau Chief Dr. Eviatar Matania recently called for allocating eight percent of every ministry’s budget to information technology and cyber security, and earlier this month Israel was attacked by 'hacktivist' group Anonymous. TLV1's Gabi Avner spoke to cyber experts in government, academia, and business to find out what Israel is doing to combat this threat.

This year, Remembrance Day (Yom HaZikaron) falls two days after the 67th anniversary of a very personal tragedy for 28 families, including that of TLV1's Matt Jevotovsky. Just south of Kiryat Shemona, overlooking the Hula Valley on Route 90, lies the former Nebi Yusha fort. During the War of Independence, three battles occurred there that claimed the lives of 28 young men a month shy of Israel’s declaration of independence. One of those men was Matt's great uncle, Eliezer Futerman, then 17 years old. Matt traveled to the memorial that now stands on the site of the battle, Metzudat Koach, to find out more about the family member he never knew.

The ‘switch’ from Memorial Day to Independence Day takes place in a matter of seconds, when an Israeli flag is raised from half-mast to the top of the pole at a national ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The unique and emotional transformation has a clear message: Israelis owe their independence – the very existence of the state – to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it. And then the celebrations begin, with barbecues and music performances throughout the country. Yedioth Ahronoth's culture correspondent, Einav Schiff, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy how municipalities try to compete with each other, forking out big money to try to attract top musicians and artists to perform in their cities’ Independence Day celebrations.

“Face. Day. Memory" is a project that uses today’s technology to revive the memories of those we commemorate on Memorial Day, beyond just one day of the year. The BEIT AVI CHAI cultural center turned to animation artists to recreate moments of life and, together with 19 bereaved families, produced virtual art for both personal and collective memories. Dr. David Rozenson, CEO and Executive Director of BEIT AVI CHAI, tells host Yael Wissner Levy that the medium of animation draws in the audience in a unique way. He explains that several clips have been translated and are being shown worldwide, and that renowned Israeli author and bereaved father David Grossman wrote and produced an animation clip about his son Uri, who fell in the Second Lebanon War.

Prof. Abraham 'Avi' Ohry is a professor of rehabilitation medicine at Tel Aviv University and the Reut Medical Center. He was one of only eight men out of 21 who survived an Egyptian attack on his Suez Canal bunker during the Yom Kippur War. Prof. Ohry tells host Yael Wissner-Levy that he co-founded an NGO called "Erem BeLaila" (“Awake at Night”) because the Ministry of Defense has ignored and neglected the POWs from all of Israel’s wars. He and his colleagues are still fighting to convince the authorities that POWs are war veterans, since physical and psychiatric symptoms can appear years after they return home.

The Seventh Eye, Israel’s only media review magazine, announced a few months ago that it would shut down, but now it’s been put on a life support machine of sorts: it’s now been re-launched as a nonprofit, and has started a crowd-funding campaign in the hope of becoming self-sufficient. Avner Hofstein, investigative journalist, member of the founding committee of the Seventh Eye, says that the magazine's erstwhile sponsor, The Israel Democracy Institute, decided to terminate its support. The Seventh Eye is now looking for other options as well, but focussing on crowd-funding for now.  

It’s been just over a year since the conflict in Ukraine started. Among the many who have been in distress are the country’s Jews. The Jewish Agency has been called into action, which culminated a couple of weeks ago, just before Passover. Host Gilad Halpern is joined by Avi Mayer, a spokesperson for the Agency. He says Aliyah from Ukraine has tripled over the past year. The Jewish Agency has beefed up its services in Israel as well as in Ukraine, because they think that Aliyah should be made from a position of strength.

Dov Lipman, a former MK for Yesh Atid, is still reeling from last month’s general election, in which he lost his seat. He is now looking wistfully across the pond, to the recently launched presidential campaign in the United States, which according to him, is all about ideology, vision and mainly hope for a better future - all of which, he says in a column published last week in the Jerusalem Post, were absent from the Israeli campaign.  

Dr. Tomer Persico is a religious scholar. He has written extensively on the past and present of Judaism and politics. In today’s Haaretz newspaper, he published an op-ed that reviews the decline of the concept of Jewish democracy in the eyes of international observers and Israelis alike - and his bottom line is this: Jewish democracy is a disaster and is detrimental to Judaism.   Dr. Perisco also tells host Gilad Halpern that public opinion is "more convinced that Judaism is contradictory to democracy." 

There are few experiences as distinctively Israeli as Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) - 24 hours when the Holocaust is remembered and discussed. When the siren sounds, the country stands solemnly to remember the dead and show solidarity with the survivors who lost so much. Hanna Yablonka, a professor of Holocaust Studies at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and staff historian for the Ghetto Fighters' House, tells host Allison Kaplan Sommer about the origins of Holocaust Remembrance Day. As the number of survivors dwindle year after year, how will Holocaust education have to be reimagined - to make the stories and messages of the Holocaust come to life without them?

A growing number of Israelis have been foregoing the public Holocaust eve ceremony on television or in the town square, and sitting in someone’s living room hearing survivors' stories in a small, intimate group as part of a program called “Zikaron B’Salon” - Memories at Home. Sara Haetzni Cohen, the project's coordinator in Jerusalem, tells host Allison Kaplan Sommer that some survivors tell their stories for the very first time at these events. The program has even gone international, she says, with events going on in other countries.

One in four Holocaust survivors in Israel lives in poverty. Two years ago, the Knesset’s Health and Welfare Committee was bowled over when an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor criticized them for wasting time on endless debates while survivors die in poverty, calling what they were doing a crime and a disgrace. That survivor was Dora Roth, now 85 years old. She shares her story with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, and explains how she ended up at the Knesset that day two years ago.

According to a survey commissioned by the Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors: “More than 80% of Israelis believe that in a few years from now, the memory of the Holocaust will become a vague historical event, one of a series of difficult incidents in this history of the Jewish people.” Colette Avital, Chairwoman of the Center, tells host Allison Kaplan Sommer that the growing feeling of distance from the Holocaust is the result of our failure to educate ourselves and our kids properly about the tragedy.

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: Defending against defense Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was lifting a ban on the sales of the S-300 missile defense system to Iran. The system is intended to protect against missiles, rockets and hostile aircrafts, and has different versions with varying capabilities. Senior Israeli officials denounced the decision as a direct result of the legitimacy that Iran is receiving from the nuclear deal. Dr. Azriel Bermant, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, says that Israel has been preparing for this scenario for awhile, and the IDF has been training for a possible military strike with the obstacle of a S-300 system in place. Digging up the past Earlier this week, the Sunday Telegraph reported that Iran has transferred tens of millions of dollars to the military wing of Hamas to help it rebuild the tunnels in Gaza that were destroyed during Operation Protective Edge. Avi Issacharoff, Palestinian Affairs correspondent and analyst for the Times of Israel, says it's only a matter of time before Hamas replenishes its weaponry and tunnel building, even if it means using wood and other resources. Painful but necessary: Diaspora Museum's new exhibit An exhibition opening today at the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv University will focus on Radiology during the Nazi era. Its main aim is to explore the role of radiology between 1933 and 1945, including the Nazi use of x-rays and the persecution and murder of Jewish radiologists.We speak with Professors Jacob Sosna and Norbert Hosten who say "the fact that radiologists were used to harm Jews during the Holocaust, gave me the idea that this needs to be shown in Israel" and that "the younger generation of radiologists that decided to delve into the issue to uncover how the field of radiology was distorted by the Nazi regime", respectively. Israel-centered debate in UK gets cancelled A conference titled “International Law and the State of Israel: Legitimacy, Responsibility, and Exceptionalism”  was due to take place in the UK’s University of Southampton. Virtually out of nowhere, the conference has been canceled. The legality of the cancellation is under review. In the meantime, we brought in British-Jewish journalist Daniella Peled, who says "there is a perception that UK Jews feel under threat, but in reality, the British government is united with the Jewish community." In other words, this conference would have posed little to no threat to the Jewish community.   Music: Kanye West feat. T-Pain - Good LifeThe Beatles - Back in the USSRPeter Gabriel - Digging in the DirtDani Litani - Lo Yadati She Telchi MimeniThe Smiths - Panic

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Where would Hillary stand on Israel? It’s going to happen any minute now: former first lady, senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton is set to launch her presidential bid for 2016. She is the first Democratic heavyweight to do so, after a number of top Republican lawmakers threw down the gauntlet.Sheldon Schorer, chairman of Democrats Abroad in Israel, says, "Clinton will bring a new approach to foreign policy, which will have a knock-on effect on Washington’s relationship to Israel." A national unity government on the horizon? It has been almost a month since Netanyahu’s reelection, and the coalition talks have been lazily progressing despite Netanyahu's Likud party clearly holding a majority of the Knesset. Jerusalem post Knesset correspondent Lahav Harkov tells host Gilad Halpern that it's not going anywhere because Bibi has an option to bring in the Labor party despite both parties apparently refusing the idea of a unity government. A green future for Israel's Knesset The Knesset is the only democratically elected parliament in the Middle East - and it recently broke another record: With 1,500 solar panels that have recently been installed on its roof, it is one of the greenest parliaments in the world. This is one of the major steps in the ongoing Green Knesset project, that seeks to turn the legislature into an environmentally sustainable body. Knesset Spokesperson Yotam Yakir tells host Gilad Halpern that the Green Knesset Project's 13 projects are either underway or completed. The recent implementation of 1,500 solar panels is the project's "crown jewel." The bus that never came: Public transport on Shabbat The seventh day of Passover was a long holiday here in Israel - between Erev Chag, on Thursday, and last night, after Shabbat ended, Israel’s public transport stood still. Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz came under a lot of fire recently for ducking questions about public transport on Saturdays, which was soon immersed in party politics, but the issue remains: there is no public transport in Israel on Shabbat, and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and if there is, it’s not a train heading our way on Shabbat.  Micky Gitzin, chairman of the secularist group Be Free Israel: A huge number of Israelis don’t keep the shabbat, so it would be unreasonable to insist only on public transport, an issue that has far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic ramifications. How cold is cold? Israeli scientists develop new weather measurement Quite often, we feel that the weatherman is blatantly lying. In the winter it feels colder than what the forecast said, and in the summer much, much hotter. To this end, a very clever meteorologist came up with the “wind chill factor” and a similar “heat load,” factoring in humidity. But a team of scientist from the Technion in Haifa have developed a model that accurately measures these two rather abstract factors in a more scientific way. Prof. Avraham Shitzer: The model we’ve developed will help calculate wind chill in a way that would allow public services to better prevent frost bite and other climate-related hazards.    Music: Harel Moyal - Shetach EshUnknown Artist - Stand With HillaryMashina - Az Lama Li Politica AchsahavMichael Jackson - Earth SongDana Ivgi - On The BusShlomo Artzi - Shinuei Mezeg Ha'avir  Host: Gilad HalpernEditor: Hagit NarkissTechnical Producer: Adam SherMusic Editor: Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Letting the settlements slide: Is Zionism in decline? Israel Harel, a veteran settler leader, prolific writer and currently a columnist for Haaretz newspaper is this year’s recipient of the Moskowitz Prize for Zionism. Harel tells us that "The most important aspect of Zionism for me is settlement, and the fact that the government has deferred it to the Yesha Council, an NGO, shows that Zionism is not really a priority anymore - and that should be rectified." A heart-warming act Pediatrician Dr. Zion Houri from the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon is the co-founder of a charity called Save A Child’s Heart. This charity sends Israeli physicians to underprivileged places worldwide to perform life-saving operations on children. Easter in a Jewish state This year, the Jewish Passover and the Christian Easter coincided. Shadi Halul, chairman of the Aramean Christian NGO in Israel, explores what it's like to be a Christian in Israel during Easter with host Gilad Halpern. Beginnings of a beautiful friendship: Morocco and Me Sarah Adida was born in France to a Jewish-Tunisian mother and a Jewish-Moroccan father. Three years ago, she moved to her father’s country of birth and is currently in the process of applying for citizenship. She tells us that she felt an obligation to live in the place of her roots following a visit to Casablanca. Mimouna: The one and only Mimouna is a festival celebrated by Moroccan Jews the day after Passover - and is perhaps the only diaspora-related holiday that took hold in Israel. The Reform Movement will be marking it in a joint Jewish-Arab celebration, just like it used to be in Morocco. Raby Noa Sattath, Director of the Israel Religious Action Center says Mimouna was always about Jews opening their houses to their non-Jewish neighbors, and this tradition should have resonance in today’s Israel.   Music: U2 - The Sweetest ThingUzi Ramirez - I Wanna Be Your Man

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: Bibi takes his words to Sunday talk shows Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rallied the Sunday talk shows in the US to figuratively blast the nuclear understandings between the six world powers and Iran. He said he was not against any deal with Iran, but it was simply a "bad deal." Journalist and intelligence expert Yossi Melman gives us his outlook.   New biblical discoveries Archaeological discoveries are suggesting shocking developments- one, that Jesus of Nazareth was married and fathered a child, and two, that the Resurrection could never have happened.After 150 chemical  tests, Canadian-Israeli filmmaker/journalist Simcha Jacobovici and geo-archaeologist Aryeh Shimron claim they have reached a scientific breakthrough with theological implications.   No solidarity in sport: Israel may face suspension FIFA President Sepp Blatter is due to visit the Middle East after Palestinians announced last week that they would submit their proposal to suspend Israel from the sport’s governing body. They’re proposing the suspension on grounds that Israel restricts Palestinian players, particularly on their movement between Gaza and the West Bank. Laragh Widdess, TLV1’s host of “It takes all Sports” joins to discuss the issue.   Jerusalem opens gates to gazelles Israel's first urban nature reserve, the Gazelle Valley Urban Wildlife Park, opened last week after a 20-year battle between the Jerusalem Municipality and wealthy developers over the park’s sought-after land. Amir Balaban of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel informs us that the coalition of environmentalists and developers knew to conserve the critical areas home to gazelles and to develop the rest of the city for residents.     Music: The Angelcy - The CallTa'arovet Ascot - Gveret LevineDepeche Mode - Personal JesusMary J Blige - My LifeNoel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Ballad of The Mighty I

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: African migrants face deportation Israel has started handing out official notices to African migrants held in the detention facilities, informing them of their impending deportation from Israel to third-party countries. Attorney Rachel Friedman tells us that the Israeli Attorney General’s decision to deport these asylum seekers is a clear violation of international and Israeli law, and against previous Supreme Court rulings.   Dayenu revisited Haaretz columnist Bradley Burston wrote a new version of 'Dayenu' that documents the plight of African migrants here in Israel. He tells us that politicians use them as political capital, and this brings with it a tremendous sense of racism.   Peace between Israel and Egypt: Where do we stand? We are on the brink of celebrating the Israelite's story of the Exodus from Egypt. In addition, it's almost the 36th year anniversary since the Camp David Accords were signed, establishing a framework for peace between Egypt and Israel. Isaac Levanon, former Israeli ambassador to Cairo, gives his insights on how this relationship has developed to host Yael Wissner-Levy.   Lone soldiers not alone for Pesach The IDF will hold a Seder for 420 lone soldiers in the Olga vacation resort. Corporal Rachel Hila, Israeli Air force technician, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy that although during holiday season she misses her family abroad, spending Pesach with other soldiers and the IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkott is exciting and heartwarming.   Music: Makhelat Yeladim - Simcha Raba 

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: Iran nuclear talks: What’s NOT on the table The Russian foreign minister says there are good prospects for a nuclear deal between the P5+1 and Iran, while here in Jerusalem, PM Netanyahu says that such a deal would serve as a reward for Iranian aggression. TLV1 discusses with Amir Tibon, the diplomatic correspondent for Walla, and Dr. Brandon Friedman, research fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University. Daycare center for asylum seeker children “severely neglected” Another baby has died in a South Tel Aviv daycare center for children of asylum seekers. The cause of death remains unknown, but this is the fifth such death there in the past month-and-a-half. Jonny Cline, executive director of UNICEF Israel, tells TLV1 that the facilities are severely neglected and Israeli citizens should speak out against these human rights abuses. Israeli recovery teams invaluable at Germanwings crash site A ZAKA team of Israeli rescue and recovery experts is part of the effort in the French Alps to gather the remains of the 150 victims of last week’s Germanwings crash. Yossi Frenkel, operations officer of the international units of ZAKA, tells TLV1 why his team is so valuable at the crash site. Israel Prize: Chaim Topol’s classic Israeli story You’ll know Chaim Topol as Tuvye, the milkman in Fiddler on the Roof. The Israel Prize Committee has given him this year’s lifetime achievement award, calling him a “pillar of Israeli culture.” Yossi Schiffmann, Israel Radio’s music expert, tells TLV1 that Topol’s career and path to stardom is a classic Israeli story.   Music: Blur – Lonesome StreetHaHatzer Ha’Achorit – Ptzatza MetakteketAlma Zohar – MiMitzraimShai Tzabari – Kashe BalailaHaim Topol – Ervinka   Editor: Hagit NarkissTechnical producer: Alex BenishMusic Editor:  Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Iran deal ‘closer than ever’ It’s still too soon to tell, but it seems that as we speak, history is being made in Switzerland, with Iran and the P5+1 countries looking set to sign a preliminary deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear program. Several sources have said that the sides are “closer than ever” to reaching a deal, and US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was supposed to fly back home today, has decided to stay in Lausanne and work out the remaining sticking points. Dr Emily Landau, senior research fellow at INSS, says, “Iranian nuclear capacities will be a game changer, because unlike other countries that have the bomb, Iran’s diplomatic history proves that their international intentions are offensive.”   Israel to unfreeze funds for PA The Prime Minister’s office has confirmed over the weekend that it would unfreeze hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian tax money it’s been withholding for months, since the Palestinian Authority started its campaign to join international organizations. Netanyahu has succumbed to pressure from Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and the IDF top brass, who said that incapacitated Palestinian Authority security services would have dire ramifications for Israel’s security. Eran Zinger, Arab affairs correspondent for Israel Radio, says “The Palestinians try to keep their heads above water while trying to evaluate the changing regional interests of their allies - both in the Middle East and across the pond.”     Yemen sinks further into chaos Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of 10 Arab countries, that has launched an offensive against Shiite rebels, known as Houtis, that are allegedly supported by Iran. The Houtis and other groups are loyal to Yemen’s deposed leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, and have been fighting against his successor Abed Rabbo Mansour, who in turned fled to Saudi Arabia over the weekend. To try and make sense of all of this, we turn to Prof. Joshua Teitelbaum, research fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. Teitelbaum says, “The Saudis have been disillusioned with the lack of American support and have taken a more pro-active stance to protect their regional interests.”   How to turn Israel into a non-partisan issue? Combine leftists, rightists, and heavy security Amid rising anti-Semitism and a growing anti-Israel sentiment, a coalition of pro-Israel activists in the United Kingdom came together last week for the We Believe in Israel conference, in which they explored ways to maximize the outreach and effectiveness of their message. TLV1’s Hayden Cohen was there, and brings us this report.   Another asylum seeker baby dies at daycare A four-month-old baby, the daughter of two Eritrean asylum seekers, died on Friday in what seems to be a shocking case of neglect at a makeshift day care center in south Tel Aviv. The baby, who apparently died of asphyxiation in her bed, is the fourth fatality in just over two months at the critically understaffed nursery schools for migrant babies. Maya Peleg, director of UNITAF, one of the only state-sponsored day care centers for children of refugees and migrant workers, says, "There are more than 2000 children of migrant workers who go to subpar day care centers, where there’s one caregiver for every 50 kids or so, for very long hours. Hopefully the recent tragedies would instill a sense of urgency to resolve the problem."   Music: 1. MGMT - Kids2. Arik Einstein - Sichot Diplomatiot3.The Beatles - Taxman4. Jango - Kshetavo Hash'aa5. Dudu Tassa - Halyla Lo6. Stevie Wonder - I Just Called to Say I Love You  Editor: Sagi Gorali VenturaTechnical producer: Alex BenishMusic Editor:  Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Allison Kaplan Sommer: The ties that bind, the ties that breakWhat will life be like at the United Nations for Israel without protection from the United States? Dr. Dore Gold, former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, tells TLV1 that any move towards a UN resolution for a Palestinian state would "stand in complete contradiction" to signed agreements between Israel and the United States as part of the Oslo Accords. A bump in the road for US-Israel relationsPresident Barack Obama got up on his podium on Tuesday and said he was not optimistic that a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians could be reached with Israeli PM Netanyahu. Yariv Oppenheimer, chairman of Peace Now, tells TLV1 that Obama seems poised to take steps that will have serious consequences for Israel. Deconstructing the latest settlement freezeIsrael is freezing construction of 1,500 new housing units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa, beyond the Green Line. This despite PM Netanyahu's election eve declaration that building in Jerusalem would continue regardless of international pressure. Mayor of Efrat, Lt. Col. Oded Revivi, tells TLV1 that the completion of the Har Homa project is “only a matter of time.” The only Jew in the village: The restoration of Turkey's Great Synagogue Once the Balkans' largest Jewish temple, Edirne's Great Synagogue opened in 1909 to serve some 20,000 Jews. It's just been restored despite the fact that only one sole Jew remains in the town. Host Allison Kaplan Sommer discusses with Eyal Peretz, chairman of Arkadash - The Turkish Community in Israel. Transport to and from the big game? There's an app for thatThings won't be easy for the fans attending Israel's soccer match against Wales in Haifa on Saturday - there’s no public transportation to and from the stadium at that hour on a Saturday night. Luckily, being the start up nation, there’s an app for that! TLV1 speaks to the founder of FanZone, Ori Shilo, who also used to be CEO of the Israel Football Association.   Music: Sarit Hadad - Hayom, HayomCiara - I BetJohn Lennon - Give Peace A ChanceNikooi Rosh - Horah HitnachlootArik Einstein - Caffe TurkeyHertzel Kavilio - Od Shabat Shel Kadooregel

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: Former Israeli ambassador to Washington: Spying allegations fabricated The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports this morning that Israel spied on the United States during nuclear talks between the US and Iran. Danny Ayalon, former Israeli deputy minister of foreign affairs and former Israeli ambassador to the US, says that US-Israel relations are at an all-time low. He says the WSJ report is completely false. You'll have to do better than that The Joint Arab list are not the only ones to reject the Prime Minister’s attempt at making amends with the Arab sector when he apologized for his infamous Election Day warning. The US administration has also expressed its doubt at the sincerity of the statement. Jafar Farach, director of Mossawa Center the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens of Israel, says the apology was attempted in order to save face in light of international pressure.   Possibility of Intifada: Abbas going unilateral The Israel Defense Forces Central Command says that there is a possibility of a violent uprising on the West Bank in the coming months. With Islamic Jihad and other groups gaining strength in the West Bank, Yaakov Lappin, the Defense Correspondent for the Jerusalem Post says PA President Mahmoud Abbas is playing with fire. By going unilaterally to international forums, Abbas is essentially giving Palestinians the green light to escalate violence.  Young Israeli scientists look ahead to Intel competition The winners of the 18th annual Intel-Israel Young Scientists Competition, organized by the Bloomfield Science Museum, the Science and Education Ministries, and Intel-Israel, are scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh in May to represent Israel at Intel’s young scientists competition. Kedem Snir, a high school student from the Israel Arts and Sciences Academy, won first prize for her work on the coding of the predictive relations in languages focusing on themes and sign languages.  Israel's stand-up scene gone Anglo Ever translate a joke to another language only to realize it’s no longer funny? Well now Hebrew-speaking comedians attempt to make their audiences laugh in English. Yossi Tarablus, Israeli stand-up comedian, says there are some issues that do no fly by an international audience the way it would an Israeli audience. Despite all that, Yossi says comedy bits about family, children, and marriage are funny no matter the language.     Music: Eric Clapton - I've Got a Rock & Roll HeartKarolina - Shirat AvadimCardigans - Erase RewindOasis - Don't Look Back in AngerThe Black Keys - Weight of LoveRami Fortis - HaHaver Ani

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Two states or one? Obama and Bibi butt heads United States President Barack Obama reacted publicly to Benjamin Netanyahu’s election victory. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Obama castigated Netanyahu’s sweeping objection to the establishment of a Palestinian state, and said that despite that, he is determined to find a way forward towards a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Alon Liel, former director general of the Foreign Ministry, says, “The White House has expressed its dismay at Netanyahu’s demeanor throughout his premiership. If it’s indeed serious about its commitment to the two-state solution, it’s time they walk the walk.” Jeff Daube, the head of the Israel office of Zionists of America, says "It’s time Washington recognize the invalidity of the two-state solution and push for other, more viable, solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." Is JStreet caught between a rock and a hard place? The fifth annual conference of JStreet, the pro-Israel pro-peace lobby, opened in Washington DC last night, in the immediate aftermath of Benjamin Netanyahu’s landslide election victory. The lobby group is determined to press on with the two-state solution, despite all signs on the ground pointing to the contrary. Alan Elsner, JStreet VP of Communications, says “It’s our role as diaspora Jews, who care about Israel, not to give up and take the Jewish state in a direction that we think is crucial for its survival. We are fans of Israel, not cheerleaders for Israel.”     Israel's Labor Party licks its wounds The Labor Party, which seemed so close to forming the next government, is licking its wounds after a neck-and-neck race ended up, at the very last minute, in a crushing victory for PM Netanyahu.  Merav Michaeli, MK for the Zionist Union and a veteran feminist activist, says “Netanyahu’s scare campaign turned the tide in the final stretch of the race. It’s very sad that this is the most effective tool in Israeli politics today, but we will continue to fight against it, from the opposition. And there are a few silver linings in the next government.” After the election, it's the coalition shuffle Five days after Election Day, President Reuven Rivlin has received members of the different Knesset factions for consultations about the makeup of the next coalition. Both Rivlin and Prime Minister Netanyahu have expressed their desire that the government be formed without delay, and with Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog conceding defeat, it seems likely that Netanyahu’s next government will be composed of Likud’s so-called “natural partners” on the right and center-right. Tal Schneider, political blogger and analyst, says “The makeup of Netanyahu’s next government is pretty clear, but the future coalition partners are upping each other’s ante, so there’s still a long way to go.”   Music: 1. Shalom Hanoch - Tamid Ze Achshav2. Lauryn Hill - Repercussions3. Monica Sex - Ramkolim4. Eretz Nehederet - Sim BaFace5 Asaf Avidan - Over My Head   Host: Gilad HalpernEditor: Hagit NarkissTechnical producer: Alex BenishMusic Editor:  Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: Likud prevails, the left trails, and more election day tales Israelis woke up to a surprising, yet spectacular, landslide victory for the Likud party and the Prime Minister, with the Zionist Union and left-leaning parties left speechless. Haviv Rettig-Gur, political correspondent and analyst for the Times of Israel, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy that although the left-wing parties performed better than in past years, it will have to implement lessons learned from these elections to understand their electorate, and narrow the trust deficit they have with the population. Joint List marches forward Official results show the Joint Arab List - a combination of four radically different Arab parties that joined forces ahead of the election - winning 14 seats as the third largest party in this year's election. Aida Touma Suliman, number five on the Joint List, discusses her mixed feelings on the results with host Yael Wissner-Levy. The 'Yom Kippur of the polls' explained It’s not the first time Israelis went to bed with a certain idea of who won the elections, and were surprised when they woke up. These have been dubbed the "Yom Kippur of the polls". Pollster Adi Sarid, head of operations at the Sarid Institute for Research and Consultation, tells host Yael Wissner-Levy why exit polls can get it so wrong. He says one cause is untruthful responses, and another the very locations of the exit polls. Bursting the bubble: What Israelis have in mind at the ballot box In the weeks leading up to yesterday’s election, there was a sense of euphoria emerging from certain media outlets, on social networks, and from the numerous grassroots organizations that called on the population to vote for ‘anyone but Bibi.’ Thus Likud’s landslide victory was a surprise and a disappointment to many. We try to understand how Israeli voters could have so confounded those in the Israeli media and Tel Aviv bubbles. Prof. Eran Vigoda-Gadot, head of the Center of Public Management and Policy at Haifa University, says that election results show that Israelis generally make their ballot decision over security rather than the social agenda. Where does Bibi stand in relation to the US? The United States has yet to officially comment on Israel’s election results - namely the landslide victory for Benjamin Netanyahu - but if the New York Times editorial calling yesterday's vote ‘ugly’ and saying Netanyahu has forfeited the claim to representing all Israelis is an indication of what’s to come, relations between the leaders seem to be at their lowest. Chemi Shalev, Ha’aretz journalist and political analyst in New York, joins host Yael Wissner-Levy.     Music: Coolio - The WinnerMashina - Lama Li Politica AchshavShalom Hanoch - Rosh Ha MemshalaBruce Springstine - Surprise, SurpriseHadag Nahash - Kovlana Al Miflagot YisraelWar - Why Can't We Be Friends

Listen to a special election panel with Noah Efron, Debra Kamin, and Gil Troy as they break down the surprising overnight results.

Tues. 9-11PM (Israel); 3-5PM (EST); 12-2PM (PT) Join TLV1 anchors Ilene Prusher and Gilad Halpern for LIVE coverage of Israel's election madness as the exit polls come out and the votes begin to be counted. We'll have TLV1 & Haaretz correspondents at the major campaign headquarters and special reports on the issues facing Israeli voters. Weds. 7AM (Israel); 1AM (EST); 10PM (PT) Listen to our special LIVE election panel of Noah Efron, Debra Kamin, and Gil Troy putting together the pieces of the jigsaw as the Israeli election results come in - that's when the political game really begins in the race to form a coalition.   Tune in LIVE at www.tlv1.fm

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: ISIS: Much ado about (close to) nothing? Yossi Melman, a journalist specializing in intelligence and espionage, has published an article in the Jerusalem Post, in which he says that “The group, once so terrifying, seems to be a passing fashion.” He explains: the emergence of ISIS took the intelligence community by surprise, and the foreign powers that are now involved in fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria have perhaps overreacted. Racial profiling to continue in Israeli airports The Association for Civil Rights in Israel petitioned the high-court against the policy of racial profiling at Israel’s airports, but the petition was rejected. The court said that since the petition was filed, in 2007, airport security has been greatly improved and the discomfort caused to passengers has been minimized. Steven Beck, Director of International Relations Association for Civil Rights in Israel, says, "Labeling the entire Arab community, 20 percent of Israeli citizens, is anti-democratic and must not be sanctioned by the court." Latest Netanyahu scandal reveals fracturing support base Eli Moyal, the former mayor of Sderot, was a Likud party member for many years. He has been recently expelled by the party after he was spotted meeting with Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu’s main challenger. And when he did, he took out his doomsday weapon: A secret recording of the first lady, Sara Netanyahu, making a frantic phone call to Moyal’s wife in which she accused Moyal of being disloyal to Netanyahu. Moyal claimed that Mrs. Netanyahu’s rant went on for almost half an hour, and was complete with embarrassing statements such as “Your man doesn’t reach my man’s ankles. What made him say those things? Pure jealousy!” And last night, it was reported that Moyal’s house in Sderot has been broken into, and had some valuables stolen. Moyal says that the burglars weren’t random thieves, and that they were looking for the incriminating tapes. Ben Hartman, crime reporter for the Jerusalem Post and host of Reasonable Doubt, here on TLV1, says "The feud between the Moyals and the Netanyahus has become personal, and is indicative of the erosion of support for the PM among his core constituents." Farewell to the grande dame of Israeli cinema Few people did more for the advancement of Israeli cinema than Lia Van Leer, who died on Friday at 90 years old. She single-handedly founded the cinematheques in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem. As if that isn't enough accomplishment, she directed the latter, where she founded the International Film Festival. An Israel Prize laureate, she was a woman of many achievements that will undoubtedly outlive her. Ilan de Vries - former director of the Jerusalem Cinemateque and one of Van Leer's collaborators, says, "She was a visionary: she set up the Israeli film archive at a time when people were struggling for survival and weren’t very interested in the arts." Baseball for all - Jews and and Arabs included The Israel Baseball Association and an NGO called Play Global have launched a new Jewish-Arab project called Baseball for All. It brings together 28 Jewish and Arab sixth graders from central Israel in an attempt to bridge the growing rupture between Jews and Arabs in this country. Nate Fish, National Director of the Israel Baseball Association, says "Most kids in Israel think that baseball is an American sport, but it’s an outstanding means to create team spirit and promote tolerance."   Music: Shiri Maimon - ZchoochiotArik Einstein - ShavirKayaan - #5Hatov, Hara VehaNe'ara - Yamim Shel KolnoaMary J Blige - Whole Damn YearMabel Scott - Baseball Boogie   Host: Gilad HalpernEditor: Hagit NarkissTechnical producer: Alex BenishMusic Editor:  Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Allison Kaplan Sommer: Political endeavors: What's the outlook on next week's election? For the last time before election day, Lahav Harkov, political correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, joins Allison Sommer to give a summary of this week’s political adventures. Ultra-Orthodox give a rallying cry pre-election Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attended a rally near Tel Aviv Wednesday in a bid to drum up support for the United Torah Judaism party ahead of next week’s election. Hollywood speaks up on upcoming elections We’re used to American celebrities speaking out on American politics and Israeli celebrities on Israeli politics. But it’s a rare that an American Jewish celebrity and speaks on Israeli politics. Comedian and actress Sarah Silverman has come out in favor of the left-wing Zionist Meretz Party. Unfortunate events in Australia: Ultra-Orthodox sex scandals Australia seems a unlikely place for scandals with ultra-Orthodox rabbis and child sex abuse, but a scandal has been unfolding for the past several months. Weeding out electoral parties  The front and center issue that most don’t put on the top of their agenda: legalization of marijuana. That's the story behind Israel's Green Leaf Party.   Music: Berry Saharof - AdamShai Zabari - Hanichi LiArctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna KnowMadonna - Rebel HeartShuly Rand - Mochin De'KatnootEthnix - He Lo TashoovSarah Silverman & Matt Damon - F***ing Matt DamonRadio Trip - Hashish   Host: Allison Kaplan SommerEditor: Hagit NarkissTechnical producer: Alex BenishMusic Editor:  Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: A clash amongst neighbors Internal tensions are rising in the West Bank and Gaza, with security forces detaining dozens of Hamas supporters in raids across the West Bank. With a week until Israeli elections, Hamas supporters are trying to flare up the situation in the West Bank. Eran Zinger, Arab affairs correspondent for Israel Radio, details the situation. Arabian nights and election fights The Arab Joint List is the biggest surprise in the election campaign so far. Polls show that the List may win 15 seats, making it the third largest party in the Knesset. Without the Arab List, there is probably no majority for a coalition of left and centrist parties. What are the Arab parties fighting for? And could this party actually swing the elections? TLV1 Reporter Kersten Augustin went to Nazareth to find out. How viral videos can up Israel's voter rate An Israeli startup is trying to get out the vote, as the last elections saw only 67% of the population fulfilling their democratic right- with the lowest participation rates among the young generation. Veedme believes online viral videos can convince the indifferent under-30 population to go out and vote. Yoav Hornung, Co-founder and CEO at Veedme, tells us how it is possible. Judged by the color of their skin not the content of their character Viewed as demons and subhuman, Tanzanian albinos are struggling with violent persecution. "White Shadows," a photo exhibit and benefit project brings these dangers to the forefront. Israeli photographer Liron Shimoni enlightens us on his newest project. Take me down to the paradise city National Geographic has selected Tel Aviv to be on its Top 10 list of Oceanfront Cities, calling the white city and others “waterfront urban meccas." This is an outcome of the spike in tourism in recent years, and the developing infrastructure and maintenance of Tel Aviv’s beaches. Itai Pinkas, a Tel Aviv City Council Member, explains why Tel Aviv is a sought-after vacation destination.     Music: Queen - Hammer to Fall Lily Allen - The Fear Beism Elshab - Al Kaema El Moushtaraka The Foremen - What Did You Do on Election Day? Michael Jackson - They Don't Really Care About Us Avi Leibovivich feat. Sha'anan Street - Susim

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Did Netanyahu agree to major concessions to the Palestinians?Two days ago, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper unveiled a secret document, from August 2013, that shows that Netanyahu agreed to some major concessions on issues that he himself presented as deal-breakers - such as the 67 borders, the division of Jerusalem, and a possible repatriation of Palestinian refugees within Israel. Netanyahu dismissed the report out of hand, and said that it was a working paper suggested by the Americans, that none of its clauses got any approval from the prime minister. He questioned the timing of the publication, some ten days before the general elections, as an attempt by an unsympathetic newspaper to undermine his reelection prospects. Gadi Baltiansky, Director General of the Geneva Initiative, an NGO that promotes the two-state solution, said, "Netanyahu may deny it, but all of the recent attempts at peace-making have returned to the same parameters." #IsraelWantsChange — more specifically, it wants equalityTens of thousands of Israelis called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ouster at a rally in Tel Aviv Saturday night. Was it just another leftist protest that will fall flat? Or might this represent a sea-change? Two demonstrators tell TLV1 correspondent Shoshi Shmuluvitz about how they came to the conclusion that Israel isn't as democratic as they had previously thought — and why that needs to change. Feminist activist Dalia Sachs  said that for her, it was a slow process of discovery after the Six Day War. Julia, a young American immigrant, said that in the seven years she's lived here, she's been shocked by the casual racism she witnesses daily. Iran's supreme leader may be dying - but no successor in sightNews reports in and from Iran over the past days have cast a doubt on the health of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Rumor has it that the 76-year-old cleric is suffering from prostate cancer, and according to a recent report, his doctors told him that he has two years to live. Today, the Iranian media published pictures of a public appearance he made recently in an attempt to show that he is alive and well. Meir Javendarfar, Iranian-Israeli political analyst, said, "No contender has stepped forward or been groomed by Khamenei - but whoever it may be, he's unlikely to change the leadership's hard-line policies." Going against the grain: The Bizchutan partyThe fact that international women’s day coincides with Israel’s election season is fortunate. Because this year a new feminist party is running for Knesset - but remarkably, it’s an ultra-Orthodox party, called Bizchutan, which means “in their merit”. The leaders of the party seek to redress the complete exclusion of women from Israel’s male-only Haredi party. TLV1’s Lissy Kaufmann met with them. Daydreams are made of thisHere's a story that both your primary school teacher and your boss should hear. A team of researchers at Bar-Ilan University has found that daydreaming actually enhances brain performance. Professor Moshe Bar, neuroscientist and director of the Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center at Bar-Ilan University, says that 'mind-wandering,' together with our experiences, are the primary source of our memories - which in turn shape our behavior.   Music: Shai Tsabari - Tfilat HaDerechMarina Maximilian - I Trust This ManNirvana - Come As You AreDaniela Spektor - Agam KafuBeck - GirlMegadeth - A Tout Le Monde  Producer: Hagit NarkissTechnical producer: Alex BenishMusic editor: Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: #BibiSpeech stopped Likud leaking votes, but will it change the map?Much has been said about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress, but the real question is what the impact will be not only on policy, but on the polls. Lahav Harkov, the Knesset correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, tells TLV1 that the Likud party had hoped the speech would regain them at least two more seats in the polls. While it hasn't quite been the catalyst they hoped for, it has stopped them leaking votes. Israel wants change, but will an anti-Netanyahu rally bring it?Less than two weeks to go until the elections, the Million Hands grassroots campaign, along with other social movements, will try to lure the masses to Tel Aviv's Rabin Square this Saturday night under the banner, "Israel wants change." Dror Ben Ami, co-founder of Million Hands, tells TLV1 that Israelis have a real sense that their country is being taken from them. He says that ex-Mossad chief Meir Dagan will address the crowds at Saturday's anti-Netanyahu rally. Sleeping with the enemy: A new Middle EastWith the Iran negotiations taking center-stage in global media over recent weeks, many people are asking whether a deal with Iran could stand the test of time. Our military affairs correspondent Gabi Avner attended a Middle East war simulation at the Tel Aviv University earlier this week. There, he spoke to Simlab director Dr Haim Assa and Dr. Uzi Rabi, director of the Moshe Dayan Center, about rethinking the Middle East - a region where religious factions, not nation states, are the main players, and where partnering with your enemy against a mutual enemy could be the key to survival. United we stand across the great divideAccording to a new study, in contrast to the fracture among American Jews along partisan and generational lines, their connection to Israel runs deep. Ted Sasson, professor of Jewish studies at Middlebury College and senior research scientist at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, tells TLV1 that although the 2014 Gaza war was seen as controversial, both Birthright participants and non-participants said the conflict generated notions of solidarity and did not alienate them from Israel. 'Tinder for Jews': JSwipe could help you find your soulmateIt’s been called the 'Tinder for Jews' and it already has 230,000 active users all over the world: JSwipe is a new dating app that helps Jews find their soulmate. David Yarus, founder of JSwipe, tells TLV1 that AIPAC was the ‘Tinder Olympics’ for JSwipe users, as it brought together thousands of eligible Jews and produced quite a lot of matches. Why Purim isn't just about dressing up and getting drunkPurim is here and everyone you meet on the street in Tel Aviv is all dressed up in costume - even Prime Minister Netanyahu referenced the holiday in his Congress speech. Rabbi Gilad Kariv, Executive Director of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism in Israel, tells TLV1 that Purim is celebrated drastically differently among the various sectors of Israeli society, with heavy drinking based only loosely on its traditional message.   Music: Dori Ben Ze'ev - Radio Daber ElayMax Fink - Shir BchirotGingiot - Lelot KloolotOasis - WonderwallKarolina - Velo Haya Beinenoo Ela ZoharBillie Holliday - Iv'e Got a Date With a DreamUzi Chitman & Chani Nachmias - Purim Medley

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Bitterness between Obama and Bibi likely to affect security cooperationMore than 200 high-ranking Israeli officers have launched a petition against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s congressional speech; they say that Netanyahu’s demeanor seriously undermines Israel’s security. Ret. Maj. General Amnon Reshef, founding chairman of a movement called Commanders for Israel's Security, is the man behind this initiative. He tells TLV1 it's likely that the acrimony in the relationship between Netanyahu and Obama will trickle into security cooperation between the two nations. Israeli Apartheid Week sweeps through United KingdomThe United Kingdom, a hub of anti-Israel activism including the BDS movement, recently finished its Israeli Apartheid Week. An international anti-Israel movement and event centered on many university campuses, Israeli Apartheid Week is active in over 200 cities around the world to the dismay of pro-Israel advocates. Professor Alan Johnson, senior research fellow at the British-Israel Communications Research Center (BICOM), shares the truth about BDS in Great Britain. He also tells TLV1 what we can do to slow its momentum. Reforming Israel’s political campaign loopholesToday, election broadcasts have officially started on TV and radio. These broadcasts are not allowed more than two weeks prior to the elections, but the internet has been teeming with campaign ads and videos for weeks and months. A team of researchers at the Israel Democracy Institute has published a paper in which they propose to reform Israel's campaigning laws. One of them is Dr. Guy Lurie, who tells TLV1 that the IDI's proposed reform would address the real landscape of electioneering in Israel. Young, broke, and angry: Israelis occupy the streets againAlmost four years after thousands of Israelis 'occupied' Rothschild Boulevard to protest against the high cost of living, Shay Cohen, a married father of two who can't afford to buy a house, decided to celebrate his 40th birthday by once again erecting his tent on Tel Aviv's richest boulevard. TLV1's Paul Sanchez went down to join the protesters, among them Naor Narkis, the 25-year-old Israeli who caused a media storm with his Berlin 'Milky' ('Pudding') online campaign.    Music: Ester Rada - Life HappensZ.K, Kor Ruach & Kerach - Shalom Rosh HamemshalaPrince - When Doves CryChava Alberstein - LondonTa'arovet Ascott - HaHeder Ha'Intimi Shelii 

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Egypt court: Hamas is a terror groupAn Egyptian court ruled several weeks ago that Hamas’s military wing is a terrorist organization. Over the weekend, the same court made a complementary decision, branding the entire Islamic organization - including its political leaders in Gaza and beyond - as terrorists. Prof. Efraim Karsh of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University says, "Every weakening of Hamas is good news for Israel." Jailed Kurdish leader urges end to violenceAbdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdish militant group PKK, has called on his followers to end their 30-year armed struggle against the Turkish government. Ocalan said that he was seeking “a historical decision to reach a democratic solution.” Dr Gallia Lindenstrauss, research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, explains, "Turkey’s Kurds have realized that Turkey is an advanced, prosperous country, and they’re better off trying to integrate." Why should Israel forge closer ties with Europe?A group of leading Israeli experts on the European Union drafted a position paper — “Do not drop Europe: Experts call to adhere to the EU” — in which they call on Israeli decision-makers to bolster diplomatic ties and trade with the world’s largest commercial bloc, and a key international power. Arad Nir, international news editor for Israel’s Channel 2 and one of the signatories of the paper, says "The Europeans see Israel as part of the solution, not the problem, and Israel should repay them by being more cooperative." A plan to save the Dead Sea may do more harm than goodThe Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth and a unique natural phenomenon, is in danger of disappearance - its water level has been dropping constantly - and a multinational, multimillion dollar plan to save it has been signed by Israel and Jordan. The so-called Red-Dead canal plan involves piping thousands of gallons of water into the Dead Sea from the Red Sea, some 180 kilometers away. But Uri Ginot, Government Relations Officer of Friends of the Earth Organization, says "There’s an alternative plan to save the Dead Sea that’s more environmentally sound as well as financially viable than the one approved last week."  Israeli documentary connects German students to their historyThe new Israel documentary The Flat tells the story of director Arnon Goldfinger's grandparents - German Jews who found refuge in Tel Aviv after the Nazis came to power. While clearing their apartment after their deaths, Goldfinger and his mother discovered that the couple, who were committed Zionists, had had an unusual relationship with a top Nazi officer — a relationship they struggled to keep secret while they lived. Last week it came to light that the film, produced in 2011, has been introduced into the high school curriculum in Germany. Arnon Goldfinger remarked, "This is an opportunity for young Germans to connect to a family story pertaining to their history." Music: Kellis - Jerk RibsBalkan Beat Box - Dancing With the MoonNos'ei Hamigba'at - Haba Bator Hoo SusFoo Fighters - Something From NothingMike Burshtein - Sviv Kol Ha'OlamMercedes Sosa - Gracias A La VidaThe Beautiful South - Big Coin   Producer: Hagit NarkissMusic editor: Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: US-Israel relations permeated by mutual distrustAs if relations between the Israeli and US administrations couldn’t get worse, over the past few days National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry both had harsh words to say about Prime Minister Netanyahu in public. TLV1 speaks to Chemi Shalev, U.S. editor and correspondent for Ha’aretz, who says the harsh rhetoric we've heard in recent days illustrates a mutual distrust in US-Israel relations. She also speaks to Tal Shalev, diplomatic correspondent for i24news, who says that Netanyahu’s Congress speech could allow him to avoid the fallout from his domestic spending scandal. Why Netanyahu won't do the televised debateEight of Israel's party leaders will go head-to-head in a televised debate tonight, although there will be two empty seats for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Isaac Herzog, leader of the Labor party, who refused to come if Netanyahu didn't participate. TLV1 speaks to the Jerusalem Post's Knesset correspondent, Lahav Harkov, about why Netanyahu isn't doing the debate. Harkov also gives us the latest polling numbers, which put the Zionist Union at 24 seats and Likud at 23. Some Bamba for your peanut allergy?A new study suggests that many peanut allergies can be prevented by actually feeding young children peanut-based foods. So, is this a green light to start scoffing some of Israel's famous peanut butter Bamba snacks? Prof. Itzhak Katz, director of the allergy, asthma, and immunology institute at the Assaf HaRofeh hospital, tells TLV1 that the results of the study may go against conventional wisdom, but they should force the medical establishment to refresh its guidelines on all infant food allergies. Why the Tel Aviv Marathon is a race to rememberTel Aviv will be filled with runners tomorrow morning, earlier than most of us will even be awake. Around 40,000 runners are expected to descend upon the White City for tomorrow’s 2015 Tel Aviv Marathon, which the organizers say is Israel's largest international sporting event. TLV1 speaks to Alon Solar, the Tel Aviv City Council Member for sports, and to Brandon Perlow, a runner from Chicago who's chosen to run the marathon in Tel Aviv because of the beautiful scenery and flat course.   Music: Teapacks - Zmanim KtanimRami Fortis - AmericaRush - MarathonBeat 69 -Dani Machoor LabambaHadag Nahash - Kovlana Al Miflagot IsraelRobbie Williams - Milennium

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Israel turns off the lights in the West BankDarkness descended on two of the largest Palestinian cities in the West Bank - Jenin and Nablus - after the Israel Electric Corporation pulled the plug for about 45 minutes at 2pm yesterday, in response to a 1.9 million shekel debt owed by the Palestinian Authority. Celine Touboul, deputy director general of the Economic Cooperation Foundation, a think tank that focuses on Israeli-Palestinian relations, tells TLV1 that while the Palestinian Authority may not collapse imminently, its ongoing financial woes will have direct implications on Israel’s security. Landmark ruling: US court orders PA to pay damages to victims of terror in IsraelThe Federal District Court in Manhattan has upheld a civil suit against the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority that was brought by 10 American families of victims of terror attacks carried out in Israel, and ordered the organizations to pay 218 million dollars in damages. Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, chairwoman of the Israel Law Center (Shurat Hadin) and one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, tells TLV1 that this is a precedent because it’s the first time the Palestinian Authority has been ruled against. New Israeli TV show 'Fouda' humanizes both sides of the conflictMost of our listeners know Avi Issacharoff as the Arab Affairs correspondent for the Times of Israel and a regular commentator on our show. But now he’s decided to capitalize on his year-long venture into fiction by creating a TV series called 'Fouda,' which focuses on undercover Israeli soldiers known as 'mistaarvim.' You can watch the first episode here. Issacharoff tells TLV1 that the novelty of Fouda is that it tells the story of the two belligerent sides of the conflict in a humanizing manner - including Hamas operatives. Check mate: The European chess family gathers in Jerusalem250 chess players from all over Europe have gathered in Jerusalem this week for the European Chess Championship, including 120 'grand masters' and seven past European champions who are hoping to be the first ever to regain their title. Yohanan Affek is an international chess master and arbiter, and the spokesman for the Championship. He tells TLV1 that the chess community is like a family, so there hasn't even been a hint of any potential boycotts of the event. The New York company that's putting Israeli start-ups on the mapIsraeli Mapped in NY is a New York-based start-up that has developed a detailed and interactive map of all the Israeli start-up companies in New York. CEO Guy Franklin, speaking to us from New York, tells TLV1 that their platform connects between Israeli start-ups and potential investors, as well as job seekers. Over the three years he has been in New York, Franklin says, the Israeli start-up presence has grown exponentially.   Music: Liron Amram and the Panthers - HashacharMeir Ariel - Avarnoo Et PharaoheDavid Bowie - Ashes To AshesGingiot - L.A.Chava Albertein - Schach-MatSesame Street - There's An App For ThatPaul McCartney - Hope For The Future

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Oslo Muslims take a stand against antisemitismMembers of the Muslim community in Norway held a vigil in Oslo last night that was aptly named the peace ring. More than a thousand people held hands and formed a human shield around Oslo’s main synagogue and chanted “no to anti-Semitism, no to Islamophobia.” Michael Gritzman, member of the board of the Jewish community in Oslo, says, "That was a clear statement from young Muslims that they’re looking for another way. You can’t change the world in one night, but last night was a beginning." Israel cozies up to IndiaIsraeli-Indian relations have been warming up for quite some time now, but last week brought a moment to remember: Moshe Yaalon was the first Israeli defense minister to travel to India, on the occasion of the Aero India exhibition in Bangalore, and he was seen there, visiting the Israeli Aerospace Industries pavilion together with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mark Sofer, former Israeli ambassador to India, says, "India was always a friend-in-waiting of Israel, and since the election of the current government with a clear majority, the relations have improved sharply." Notorious Argentine ex-guard now lives quietly in HaifaWho is the innocent-looking, soft spoken Yosef Carmel, an Argentinian immigrant residing in the Haifa suburb of Kiryat Bialik? According to an investigative report broadcast on Channel 1 last week, he is Anibal Teodoro Gauto, a former guard at the notorious detention center La Cacha, where hundreds of political prisoners were tortured and murdered during the military dictatorship in the country, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Twenty-one men have been recently charged in connection to their service in La Cacha - and Argentina made a formal request to extradite Carmel, or Gauto, that Israel has so far declined. Leon Amiras, Chairman of the Israeli association of immigrants from Latin America, Spain and Portugal, says, "Channel 1 journalist revealed important truth that is sure to echo with the hundreds of Israel-based Argentinian victims of the dictatorship." Ancient treasure discovered off Caesaria shoreA treasure trove containing 2,000 gold coins has been found off the Caesaria shore, with the loot dating back to the 11th century. Robert Koll of the Israel Antiquities Authority, says, "This is the biggest trove ever found in Israel, and there’s a good chance there’s more where it came from." Snowy misery from New York to the NegevEverybody in North America is complaining about the weather, so we decided that we should too. Here in Israel snow is often a cause for celebration, and indeed it was over the past weekend, when white flakes covered pretty much every hilltop across the country, reaching as south as the Negev desert. Faye Bittker, who left New York for the Beer Sheva sun, thought she'd be trading in her galoshes for sandals — but this winter, she had another thing coming. "After all these years in the Negev," she said, "I still hate the snow."   Music: Kellis - Jerk RibsBalkan Beat Box - Dancing With the MoonNos'ei Hamigba'at - Haba Bator Hoo SusFoo Fighters - Something From NothingMike Burshtein - Sviv Kol Ha'OlamMercedes Sosa - Gracias A La VidaThe Beautiful South - Big Coin Producer: Hagit NarkissMusic editor: Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: Stormy weather: Israel braces itself for the real thingJerusalem has closed down its schools today in preparation for expected snow flurries, part of a storm due to hit the country all weekend. Dr. Noah Wolfson, CEO of Meteo-Tech, promises that not only will the Holy City witness a blanket of snow, but even desert cities such as Arad, Dimona, and Mitzpe Ramon could be covered in white as well. Expenses scandal allows Netanyahu to avoid big issuesThe latest Jerusalem Post poll gives the Zionist Union 24 seats, the Likud party 22, and Jewish Home 13. Lahav Harkov, Knesset correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, discusses the controversies surrounding Naftali Bennett's Jewish Home campaign, whether the Zionist Union is about to inject more energy into theirs, and of course the Netanyahu expenses scandal. Can Israel be a Jewish state and a true democracy?It’s the question that launched a thousand questions at Haaretz's Israel Democracy Conference held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. The conference came at an interesting moment in Israeli politics — exactly one month before a potentially pivotal Knesset election, whose outcome will determine whether or not the government will pass the Nation State Bill. Shoshi Shmuluvitz reports. Time is of the essence in breaking up Israel's natural gas monopolyThe Israeli government has come out with a natural gas plan that aims to limit the main stakeholders and break up the monopoly into five or six entities. Sharon Udasin, energy and environment reporter for The Jerusalem Post, tells TLV1 that Israel must implement this soon, otherwise Egypt and Jordan will look elsewhere to cooperate on natural gas. Steven Spielberg helps engage Israeli Arabs in cinemaSteven Spielberg’s foundation recently donated $50,000 to the Jerusalem Cinematheque as part of a new project called 'Cinema for Everyone,' an initiative that hopes to foster greater access to the cinema for Israeli Arabs. Daniella Turgeman, head of the Jewish department at the Jerusalem Cinematheque, tells TLV1 the project was a great challenge at first, but increasing numbers of Israeli Arabs at screenings attests to their genuine interest and engagement.   Music: Roxette - June AfternoonMashina - Sheleg TzachAmnon Kabouli - Rock BchirotEmiliana Torrini - Jungle DrumThe Kinks - A Gallon Of GasStevie Ray Vaughn - Couldn't Stand The Weather

Today on So Much to Say with host Allison Kaplan Sommer: Labor's general to TLV1: Netanyahu has no influence on Iran deal due to antagonistic positionGeneral Amos Yadlin, director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Zionist Union's candidate for the defense portfolio, talks to TLV1's Yael Wissner-Levy at the annual INSS conference. He talks about the damage Prime Minister Netanyahu's policies inflict on Israel's national security, and how the defense policies of a Labor-led government would be different. Iran experts: Netanyahu's Congress speech controversy clouding Iran issueThere’s been no let up in the controversy over PM Netanyahu’s plans to address the US Congress on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program in early March. TLV1’s Ilene Prusher was at the Conference of Presidents of Major American American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, where she spoke to Iran experts. Malcolm Hoenlein, CEO of the Conference of Presidents, told her that enemies of the US and Israel tend to exploit even the smallest difference in the two countries' positions, and the Iran nuclear issue provides just such an opportunity. Uri Orbach, trailblazing Orthodox journalist and politician, dies at 54Government minister Uri Orbach, who was in charge of senior citizen’s affairs and a leader of the Jewish Home (HaBayit HaYehudi) party, died this week at the age of 54 after battling a rare blood disease. Lahav Harkov is the Knesset correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and knew Orbach both personally and professionally, following his career from writer and journalist to politician. She tells TLV1 that he blazed a trail for Orthodox reporters and pundits to enter the mainstream Israeli media. Is it the end of Yemen's centuries-old Jewish community?Harassment of Jews by the Houthi movement in the unstable country of Yemen is increasing the threat to the community of less than 100 - the remnants of a once-large community, most of whom have emigrated to Israel or elsewhere. Barry Geltman of The Jewish People Policy Institute tells TLV1 that the community is torn between hanging on to its traditional way of life and focusing purely on survival. Salute 2015 at the Haifa Wine FestivalSommelier and wine writer David Rhodes speaks to TLV1's Allison Kaplan Sommer about the E&M Haifa Wine Festival: Salute 2015, which he is helping to host. He offers some strategies for getting maximum enjoyment from the 'all-you-can-taste' festivals. TLV1 has two pairs of tickets to give away, follow the link to find out more.   Music: Lesley Gore - It's My PartyCee Heyman - Lo Ovedet Beshvil Af EchadMoshe Peretz - BarcelonaMichael Jackson - Gone Too SoonUn Mil Al Yaman - Yemen BluesAndreas Johnson - Glorious

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Terror attacks in Copenhagen are all too familiar Copenhagen, the Danish capital, witnessed terror attacks that were remarkably similar to those that we saw in Paris a mere month ago: a shooting at an event dedicated to free speech, attended by a controversial artist who published provocative images of Prophet Muhammad, followed by a shooting at the entrance to the city’s main synagogue, killing 37-year-old Dan Uzan, a member of the community who worked that day as a security guard. David Lexner, a close childhood friend of Dan Uzan, says, "Danish Jews have traditionally felt proud to be Danish and they're very integrated, but the recent decline of personal safety — yesterday’s incident was by no means the first — is starting to get to people."   Right-wing settler advert oozes with anti-semitism The Samaria residents council produced a video satirizing Israeli left-wing NGOs that are financed by European donors — it's nothing new: the right-wing has been accusing the left for having sold out — but the problem with this particular video is that it’s oozing with anti-Semitic symbolism and imagery. Not only that, the title of the video is The Eternal Jew, the namesake of a well-known Nazi propaganda film; the character of the European funder is called Herr Sturmer, an allusion to the famous Nazi newspaper Der Sturmer; and that of the Israeli activist is portrayed as a hook-nosed, money-loving lowlife. The video ends with the following caveat: "Today’s Europeans may look different to you, but to them you look exactly the same." Shay Attias, founder & CEO of the Israel Council for Public Diplomacy and a veteran pro-Israel advocate, says "The video is a textbook example of what a promotional video should not include. It’s full of negative imagery that can all but antagonize the potential audience."   IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz retires Today is the last day in uniform for Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, the outgoing chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. He took the job in 2011, as the top command was reeling from the so-called Harpaz affair - highly publicized infighting and mudslinging between officers loyal to then outgoing chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi and others loyal to then Defense Minister Ehud Barak, that foiled the appointment of Yoav Galant. He ended up having an eventful stint - he led two offensives on the Gaza Strip in 2012 and 2014, and handled the would-be strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities - an operation that never materialized. Mitch Ginsburg, military analyst for the Times of Israel, says "Gantz will be remembered as a responsible - or overly cautious, depending on who you ask - military commander."   Music: Lorde - Team Marvin Gaye - What's Going OnAndy Williams - This Land is MineArik Sinai - Shir Preda   Producer: Sagi Gorali-VenturaTechnical Producer: Adam SherMusic editor: Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Yael Wissner-Levy: Pro-Iranian forces in Syria approach Israeli border All eyes are on Israel’s Golan Heights border, as pro-Assad troops and fighters from Hezbollah are advancing in the region, taking control over several towns and villages south of Damascus, home to various rebel groups. Eran Zinger, the Arab Affairs correspondent and analyst for Israel Radio, tells TLV1 that Israel will have to monitor this major military activity closely. Why Netanyahu doesn't want a televised debateNine Knesset party leaders have confirmed that they would participate in a pre-election televised debate, but Prime Minister Netanyahu has yet to agree. Tamir Sheafer, a professor of communications and political science at Hebrew University, tells TLV1 why the incumbent Netanyahu will only lose from a debate. Election committee 'circus' bans MK Zoabi from Israeli electionsIsrael's Central Election Committee has disqualified controversial Balad MK Haneen Zoabi from participating in the upcoming elections. Lahav Harkov, the Knesset correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, tells TLV1 that the Committee's hearing process was a "complete circus." Israel’s Supreme Court will most likely overturn the decision, Harkov says, as was done in the past. Israeli scientists discover genetic mutation that causes autism and Alzheimer's It's been known for a while that autism is more common among men, whereas Alzheimer's is more common among women. Now a group of researchers at Tel Aviv University has found why. Prof. Illana Gozes, head of the research team, tells Gilad Halpern they found that a mutation of a certain protein leads to different symptoms across gender lines, which opens the door to future research. Arabic as a bridge to development for one of Israel's poorest villagesThe 'Bridge to Arabic' program in the Israeli-Arab Jisr az-Zarqa village teaches Arabic to Jewish students, and encourages them to pay part of their tuition with service to the village. Eran Ben-Yemini, the Jisr az-Zarqa village project coordinator, tells TLV1 that the program aims to break down the physical and cultural barriers around one of Israel’s poorest villages, and to transform its negative image.   Music:Kendrick Lamar - IMaor Cohen - Adam AcherGuns & Roses - Get In The RingMacy Gray - I TryEmily Karpel & Aasf Amdoruski - Bein HashoorotNoa & Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way

Today on So Much to Say with host Allison Kaplan Sommer: Palestinians to ban products from 6 major Israeli companies The Palestinian Authority this week announced a ban on the sale of products from six major Israeli companies, as part of a renewed effort to boycott all such goods in the Palestinian territories. Dr. Mustafa Bargouthi, head of the Palestine National Initiative, tells TLV1 that this move is the Palestinian leadership's official response to Israel’s decision to freeze the tax revenues it has collected on behalf of the PA. Why the Israeli election campaign is a war against the mediaYou would think that with so many political parties in Israel, they would be busy attacking each other. But you would be wrong; some of the biggest targets in the current campaign are newspapers. Oren Persico of the Seventh Eye magazine, which keeps tabs on the Israeli media, tells TLV1 that the media-bashing phenomenon highlights the extent to which certain media entities serve specific political interests. ICC brings Israel center stage in legal blogosphereDebate over whether it was good or bad, legal or illegal for the Palestinians to go to the International Criminal Court is sweeping across the legal blogosphere. Yonah Jeremy Bob, legal affairs correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, tells TLV1 that Syria and CIA torture have received much more attention on legal blogs than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, with the ICC now in play, Israel is center stage. Highway sinkhole diverts traffic through Dead Sea nature reserve The Transport Ministry has decided to close a section of Israel's main highway, Route 90, after several meters on its eastern side sank about five centimeters and is continuing to sink. Yehuda Rott, a member of Kibbutz Ein Gedi, tells TLV1 that the bypass route runs through the field of his kibbutz, and residents are worried about damage to the nearby nature reserve. Israel's Pirate Party advocates 'liquid democracy'If you haven’t taken a close look at the Pirate Party platform, you might think they’re just another ridiculous fringe party. But although they have a penchant for the whimsical, these Pirates have a serious platform. TLV1's Shoshi Shmuluvitz speaks to the Party's spokesperson, Noam Kozar, who tells her about the system of 'liquid democracy' they advocate.   Music:Hadag Nahash & Avraham Tal - Ten Li ManginaLos Caparos feat. Muki - Lo KoneArik Einstein & Shalom Hanoch - Katvoo Alav Ba'ItonColdplay - MiraclesAljir - Tipatach Ha'adamaTa'arovet Ascot - Gveret Levin

Today on So Much to Say with host Gilad Halpern: Horrified and enraged, Middle Easterners and Westerners unite against ISIS  People across the Middle East have expressed outrage following the gruesome murder of a Jordanian pilot at the hands of ISIS. Now, countries like Jordan, where people were reluctant to get involved in a war they saw as not their own, are more fully on board with the US-led coalition against the Islamic state than ever before. ISIS also suffered a major setback when it was forced out of the city of Kobane in Syria a little over a week ago. But as TLV1’s Ilene Prusher reports, the news of the radical Islamic group’s demise may have been slightly premature.   Exactly who is co-opting history for political purposes?  Israel Hayom is Israel’s most widely circulated daily newspaper. It’s also resolutely right-wing and pro-government - and owned by Sheldon Adelson, the Jewish American billionaire and one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s biggest patrons. Over the weekend, one of the paper’s prominent columnists, Dror Eydar, published an interview with an Israeli politician and thinker whose worldview couldn’t be further removed from his: Dr Jamal Zahalka, the leader of the Arab nationalist party Balad, which is now running on the Joint Arab ticket. Eydar says, "Zahalka is one of the leading Arab intellectuals in Israel, and as such we had a discursive common ground. He constantly complains about the Jews coopting history for political purposes, but he showed me that he’s doing exactly the same thing."   Genetic study verifies Druze oral history The Druze are one of the most intriguing religious groups in the Middle East, with a significant population in Israel, Lebanon, Syria as well as other neighboring countries. But a new study by Israeli geneticists shows that they're also a distinctive ethnic group, whose DNA has remained almost unchanged since the 11th century. Prof. Gil Atzmon, a geneticist and epigeneticist at Haifa University, explains that the study set out to verify the oral history of the community.  Music:1.Shiri Mayon - Zchoochiot2.The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up3.Shareef - Basboosa4.Sam Smith - I'm Not the Only One   Editor: Gilad Halpern Producer: Sagi Gorali Ventura Technical Producer: Adam Sher Music editor: Tomer Gershenman

Today on So Much to Say with host Allison Kaplan Sommer: Police officers in prison could be just what the force needsMajor General Hagai Dotan, the commander of the Coastal District, was brought in for questioning after several women officers filed complaints against the officer and testified that he had harassed them. Ben Hartman, host of TLV1's 'Reasonable Doubt' crime show, tells us that the scandal, which has been unfolding for more than a year, could result in officers serving time in prison. This could be what has to happen in order to change the culture of how women are treated in the police force. Jordan rallies public support for military action against Islamic StateAfter the brutal burning of a downed Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State, King Abdullah of Jordan has vowed a relentless war against ISIS on their own territory. Dr. Yoav Alon of the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University tells TLV1 that the killing of the pilot has been an opportunity for Jordan’s leadership to rally public support around its military effort against ISIS. Israeli election round-up: Netanyahu's numbers unaffected by 'bottle-gate'Lahav Harkov, the Knesset Correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, gives us an early taster of The Jerusalem Post's weekly Friday polling data. Despite 'Bottle-gate' and the mudslinging with the White House, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party seem to have come away unscathed in the polls, while the Herzog-Livni Zionist Camp has dropped off the pace slightly. Endangered sea, neglected shoresResidents of the Haifa area are furious over what they feel is the neglect of the quality of the Mediterranean shores where they live. This week, May Carmel, a water company doing work in the area, was given special permission by the government to dump a substantial amount of waste into the water over the course of four days. Maya Jacobs, director general of the Zalul environmental organization, tells TLV1 that although the dumping of waste can not be avoided entirely, regulations on how it is conducted should be tightened. Israel finally professionalizing spiritual care in hospitalsThe field of 'spiritual care' in hospitals is well-established in the United States, while in Israel few know what it is. But that is changing; just last week, hundreds gathered at a conference in Jerusalem dedicated to advancing and professionalizing spiritual care in Israel’s public health system. TLV1 speaks to Judith Edelman-Green of Tel HaShomer hospital, who is among the 40 people in Israel now certified as spiritual care givers.   Music:Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars - Uptown FunkMaschina - He Hitvakcha Ito Sha'otArik Lavie - Ha'Sela Ha'adomMercedes Band - Bayom U'BalaylaNeil Young - Who's Gonna Stand UpShai Zabari - Lavi Oti