FIDF LIVE Briefing Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President of Research for the the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) - February 16, 2025

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Dr. Lucian Tatsa-Laur,  former Head of the Mental Health Department in the Israel Defense Forces and current Head of the new Trauma Rehabilitation Center at Assuta Ashdod Public Hospital, to discuss his groundbreaking work in the field of PTSD and mental health treatment for combat soldiers. Dr. Laur described his experience on October 7th, learning about the attack while on the phone with a wife of one of his patients who was outside of the house fighting terrorists at the time. Dr. Laur explains how the trauma of October 7th erupted the IDF’s identity as a small but shrewd and near indestructible defense force, shifting their self-perception from competent to failure. Dr. Laur’s mission was to reverse this collective psychological blow, and the IDF officers, he recounts, were very welcoming and open to this type of work. So did the Israeli public, who were accustomed to wars taking place within the enemy’s borders, not within Israel’s borders. Given the collective trauma of Israel’s combat soldiers and citizenry, Dr. Laur’s research is highly sought out by the US defense department. Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Rabbi Stewart Weiss, Director and Founder of the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra’anana, and father of IDF Sgt. Ari Weiss HY”D, to discuss Rabbi Weiss’ journey making Aliyah, and being the father of a fallen solider. Rabbi Weiss recounts his son Ari’s challenges trying to get into an elite anti-terrorist unit in the IDF, initially struggling but ultimately becoming an explosives expert and a sharpshooter. Ari, Rabbi Weiss explains, was in demand and was flown about into the field on many missions. Ari fell in battle in Nablus at the age of 21 on September 30, 2002. Rabbi Weiss took on the responsibility of comforting other parents of fallen soldiers, being open and honest about his battle dealing with the pain and challenges of the loss of a child entering the prime of his or her life.  Rabbi Weiss explains that one of the things that has strengthened him most is speaking with other families and experiencing their strength in the face of loss. While Rabbi Weiss misses his son dearly, he is proud of the sacrifice that his son, and all sons and daughters serving in the IDF, made for the safety of Israel’s citizenry.Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil tells the story of Passover and its lasting effects on human history as well as relevance in modern times.Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Shai Bernstein, an American-Israeli IDF Reservist who just completed his third round of reserve duty, to discuss his experiences over the course over the last 365+ days going back and forth into the field of battle. Shai served as an officer and a captain and officer in Givati, beginning his active duty in 2003. Shai was living in Riverdale when October 7th broke out, having received reports in synagogue about what was happening. He immediately booked a ticket to return to Israel and join his unit. He arrived with his gear in the kibbutzim, and walked four miles with his unit into Gaza. Shai describes a mission during which his unit was hit by an RPG. Several of his comrades were wounded and killed, and another mission in which he was ambushed by RPGs. His friend Moshe Leiter discovered a tunnel shaft under a mosque, and was subsequently killed by a booby trap. Shai describes the immense survivor’s guilt he has been dealing with since his return from duty. He also explains how much he had previously underestimated the true face of evil and hatred that he experienced both in Israel and Gaza, but also in America, on college campuses and otherwise. He also underestimated the love and support that exists amongst the Jewish people, which was revealed following October 7th and the ensuring war. Shai also explains the sacrifice that the spouses of reservists must make, as well as the responsibility of maintaining a household despite the looming fear they live with. Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nadav Padan to discuss the current situation in Gaza and the multi-front war. Nadav reminds us that Israel is still dealing with a 7-front war, despite the tremendous progress in each front since the war began on October 7th. In Gaza, there remains 59 hostages, and Hamas has begun to rebuild its ammunition and missile stores, as well as its terrorist operatives. The recent ceasefire contributed to Hamas’ rebuilding efforts significantly, and has culminated in recent rocket fire targeting dozens of cities in Israel. The IDF has made significant progress in breaking up the Houthi forces, who have been relentless in their rocket fire in recent weeks. The message the IDF is trying to send to the Houthis and Iran is, if you do not cooperate, you will be targeted heavily with potential devastating missile attacks and otherwise. Meanwhile, with soldiers needed on the Syrian, Lebanese and Gazan borders, there is a growing need for soldiers in Judea and Samaria, putting a great strain on the IDF and IDF reservists, and Israel’s economy. Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Yuval Baron, Son-in-Law of Keith and Aviva Siegel, to share his family’s unique story of survival. Yuval describes the feeling of welcoming back his mother Aviva, and later his father Keith, from Gaza as witnessing what is known in Judaism as “Techiat Hameitim,” the revival of the dead. Yuval then provides some details on the harrowing conditions under Hamas captivity, such as living underground in tight quarters, a lack of food and water, and being under constant psychological torture from their Hamas captors. Yuval is thrilled to have his family back, but, he explains, healing for Keith and Aviva cannot begin until the other hostages are back. Keith finds it difficult to understand why he is home but not the other hostages. With that being said, Keith is recovering well, and is receiving an outpouring of support from the country and the Israeli government. And Yuval has taken it upon himself to be an ambassador for his parents and the other hostages, using his voice to influence the current state of the hostages. Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Olga Deutsch, VP of NGO Monitor, to discuss what Olga calls the most neglected front of Israel’s multi-front war - the political front. Olga gives Steve a breakdown of what it is NGO Monitor does. As the name suggests, NGO Monitor monitors activities of NGOs, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, to assess the true focus of their efforts, and to detect any potential biases in their focus. Unsurprisingly, Olga often finds that these organizations are disproportionately focused on Israel and pointing the finger at the State of Israel as in violation of international human rights laws, and some funnel funds to anti-Israel groups. Further, representatives of various countries at the UN and the International Criminal Court will vilify Israel and Israeli officials based solely on reports from the aforementioned NGOs, thus revealing an entirely corrupt and complex system. Further, the efforts of BDS have harmed Israel greatly in terms of potential investments and business deals that were shut down due to BDS advocacy, and the efforts of the NGO-lobbied Al-Haq, which presents misinformation about the state of affairs in Gaza and the current war with very sophisticated legalistic jargon. The larger goal of course is to undermine Israel’s legitimacy as an independent state and further erode its perception in the court of public opinion. Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes back Ari Sacher, rocket scientist for RAFAEL, to discuss the current state of Israel’s multi-front war. Ari explains that, militarily, the combat has significantly dissipated. Ari also goes into details regarding Israel’s response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack that occurred months ago, explaining that Israel set back Iran’s ballistic missile production capabilities immensely via a successful airstrike. Ari also explains Israel’s capability to defend against Iran were they to decide to launch their missiles stockpile at Israel, and against Hezbollah’s Almas missiles. Israel has done a stellar job defending against both of those threats, and has pushed Hezbollah above the Litani river. While the IDF has responded successfully to the war, over 70% of Israelis disapprove of the recent ceasefire deal with Hamas, and it is likely, according to Ari’s estimation, that the war with Hamas will resume.Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Ruby Chen, the father of Itay Chen, a 20-year-old IDF soldier and U.S. citizen, who likely fell while defending his military base on October 7th, and who is still being held by Hamas in Gaza. Ruby describes Itay's life, personality, hobbies, and values. He relates what the family now knows about Itay's experiences and actions on October 7th, and the family's journey in learning about what happened to him following that fateful day. Ruby also tells Steve about his political advocacy in trying to get the hostages, both alive and deceased, back to Israel from Gaza. Steve and Ruby discuss the emotional impact of this ordeal on the Chen family, and their relationship with other hostage families. Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.

FIDF CEO Steven Weil is joined by Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President of Research for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) to discuss the current ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. Dr. Schanzer provides exclusive insight into the intents and aims of Israeli officials who helped formulate the deal. He elaborates on the broader regional geopolitical ramifications of continuing the deal or resuming the war with Hamas and the impact of the new American administration on the situation. Steve and Dr. Schanzer also talk about the war between Israel and Hezbollah, and what the future may hold with the current ceasefire ending. Finally, the two discuss Israel's potential future military engagements with Iran and the Houthis in Yemen.Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs.