Give peace a chance? Take another toke
On this week's episode: How the French initiative floated like a butterfly but failed to sting like a bee; Netanyahu's latest overtures toward peace; Israeli democracy vs nationalism; and a plan to decriminalize cannabis goes to pot
The panel this week discusses the Paris peace summit held last week and attended by representatives of 20 countries — excluding Israel and the Palestinians — and asks if the initiative failed to achieve its goal of kick-starting the moribund peace process.
At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making his own overtures toward peace, hinting at a possible warming to the Arab Peace Initiative. The panel explores whether his moves show a genuine willingness to enter negotiations or are just a political calculation to buy time.
With the diplomatic and political realms bumbling toward a possible peace process, the panel looks at where the public stands and if, on the Israeli streets, the two-state solution is dead in the water.
Plus, the panel smokes out the latest efforts to decriminalize marijuana use. Have the seeds been sown for full legalization in Israel?
The big debate
Times of Israel senior analyst Haviv Retting Gur and former Knesset member and current dean of The School of Government and Society at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo Professor Naomi Chazan discuss the relationship and possible conflict between Israeli democracy and Israeli nationalism, based on recent articles they both wrote on the subject:
The end of Israeli democracy? by Haviv Retting Gur
Democracy AND solidarity by Naomi Chazan
On this week’s panel
Founding editor David Horovitz
Ops and blogs editor Miriam Herschlag
Diplomatic correspondent Raphael Ahren
Host and producer Raoul Wootliff
Co-producer Josh Davidovich
The Times of Israel podcast is available for download on iTunes, Soundcloud, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, Stitcher and PlayerFM.
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