logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
1 h

Dan Senor Calls Me Back

FDD
About this episode

Podcast host and author Dan Senor joins Cliff to discuss his new book, The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World, and Israel's defensive war in Gaza. Among the complexities they ponder:

  • How does Hamas continue to rain rocket fire across Israel — do they have that many weapons stockpiled, or are they being resupplied?
  • Is Israel achieving its militarily objectives? And how is it performing on the communications battlefield?
  • Will Palestinians see this war differently than previous wars and attribute their suffering to Hamas?
  • Despite the sea of calls for Israel to cease its defensive fire, why are there no calls for Hamas to stop terrorizing Israelis? And where are calls for neighboring Arab countries like Egypt and Jordan to even temporarily take in and shelter Palestinians?
  • Does the Biden administration understand the role played by the Islamic Republic of Iran?

Dan Senor

Dan hosts the popular “Call Me Back” podcast. He has been a senior advisor to U.S. presidential campaigns and a Pentagon official based in Baghdad and Qatar. He’s the co-author of Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle which has been translated into more than 30 languages. And he now has a new book: The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World.

Up next
Jun 26
Bomb Fordow, Announce Ceasefire, Headline NATO: Trump's Five Fast Days
NATO summits are usually dry and wonky affairs. This one was different.To unpack what was said, what wasn’t, and what actually matters, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Bradley Bowman to discuss alliance politics, military power proje ... Show More
45 m
Jun 20
How Goes the War?
Israel and Iran are at war. To break down what’s happening and what could come next, host Cliff May is joined by Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Behnam Ben Taleblu.They dissect Israel’s targeted strikes on IRGC assets, the strategic pause before a possible U.S. strike on Fordo ... Show More
57m 18s
Jun 12
War Tour d’Horizon
Host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues H.R. McMaster and Brad Bowman to assess the growing cooperation among adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea—also know as the 'axis of aggressors.'From the Kremlin's efforts to manipulate perceptions in the West, parti ... Show More
48m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
Biden's Bibi Problem - with Nadav Eyal
On October 6th of last year there was a long-standing ceasefire in place between Israel and Hamas. On October 7th, Hamas launched a massive war against Israel. Israel responded to this war that Hamas launched. Wars are violent. In all wars, civilians tragically get killed in the ... Show More
47m 33s
May 2024
Why Israel and Hamas Could Be Headed Into a Forever War
Seven months into the war, Hamas is far from defeated. The Islamist militant group is using guerrilla tactics and a vast underground tunnel network to evade Israeli forces. WSJ’s Jared Malsin reports on how the group’s resilience is stoking fears in Israel that it is walking into ... Show More
19m 34s
Oct 2023
Danny Danon: A new Middle East war
Stephen Sackur speaks to long-standing Israeli politician Danny Danon. He is a member of the Knesset for the ruling Likud party and sits on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Hamas’s murderous assault on Israel from Gaza is one of the darkest chapters in the country's his ... Show More
23m 24s
Dec 2023
The New State of the War in Gaza
The accidental killing of three hostages by Israel’s military has shocked Israelis and is raising new questions about the way Israel is conducting its war against Hamas. Afterward, Israel’s defense minister appeared to announce a shift in strategy, giving the clearest indication ... Show More
31m 3s
Oct 2023
IDF: Israeli soldier rescued from Gaza
A female Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 has been rescued during ground operations in Gaza, said the Israel Defense Forces. According to Israeli authorities, there are still more than 230 hostages in Gaza. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, International Spokesperson of ... Show More
46m 30s
Oct 2023
What will Israel’s war with Hamas mean for Gaza?
After Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in an attack at the Gaza border over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to respond with unprecedented force. That meant a wave of airstrikes over Gaza, killing more than 1,100 Palestians, reported the Gaza Health Mini ... Show More
50m 28s