(255) A Stronger Israel: Yishai Fleisher on Jewish Sovereignty, Security, and the Battle for Judea and Samaria

What does a stronger Israel look like—and what will it take to get there? Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron and Knesset candidate for Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party, joins Pastor Doug Reed and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki for a wide-ranging and provocative conversation about Israel's future. From the struggle over Judea and Samaria to rising violence, accusations of Jewish extremism, and the battle against jihadism, Fleisher makes an unapologetic case for Jewish sovereignty and a tougher approach to national security. But how does he respond to troubling reports of violence by Jewish activists? And what about the soaring murder rate in Israel's Arab communities under Ben-Gvir's leadership? The conversation also explores the biblical significance of Israel's heartland, the future of Jewish-Christian relations, and why Fleisher believes that Israel's strength is inseparable from its spiritual mission. A candid discussion about faith, politics, security, and the future of the Jewish state.

What happens when a Christian leader who has never visited Israel suddenly finds himself leading a movement to strengthen Christian-Jewish relations across Brazil? This week, Pastor Doug Reed sits down with Marcos Silveira, director of Eagles' Wings Brazil, whose remarkable journey took him from knowing relatively little about Israel to visiting twice in just a few weeks, including leading a delegation of 35 influential Brazilian pastors and Christian leaders. Marcos shares how his experiences at the Western Wall, a Jewish family's Shabbat table, and Yad Vashem transformed his understanding of Israel and the Jewish people. He also discusses the challenge of confronting antisemitism, overcoming misconceptions about Jewish history, and turning emotional encounters into lasting commitments. With millions of social media views and growing connections across Brazil's Christian communities, Marcos is helping inspire a new generation of leaders to stand with Israel and the Jewish people. Join Doug for a conversation about faith, friendship, and the power of personal encounters to build bridges between Christians and Jews.

Three years after October 7th, Pesach and Doug look back at the day that changed Israel, their own lives, and the mission of Shoulder to Shoulder. But October 7th also revealed something else: who would actually stand with Israel when doing so became difficult, unpopular, and politically costly. In this deeply personal conversation, Pesach recalls sending his children off to war and immediately reaching out to Christian leaders, while Doug reflects on how being in Israel on October 7th transformed his own relationship with the Jewish state. They discuss the Christians who stepped forward, those who remained silent, and why Pesach believes October 7th was ultimately a test not only for Israel, but for the Christian world. Three years later, what has that test revealed? And what does it mean to truly stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel? Subscribe today to The Israel Bible YouTube Channel to discover incredible spiritual content rolling out every day.

What would it actually take to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rather than simply manage it until the next war? Dr. Einat Wilf, former Labor Party MK, author, public intellectual, and current Knesset candidate, joins Pesach and Doug for a wide-ranging conversation about Zionism, Gaza, Palestinian refugeehood, and the lessons of October 7. Wilf explains why she believes Israel must confront not only Hamas but the ideology that has sustained the conflict for generations, why military victory without a corresponding victory in the war of ideas will never be enough, and how her own political thinking changed as the assumptions of the peace process collided with reality. They also discuss UNRWA, the future of Gaza, Israel's failures on the global battlefield of ideas, her disagreements with the current Israeli government, and her vision of an Israel that is strong enough to defend itself while offering its neighbors a very different future. Do not miss the Israel Behind the Headlines Tour! Eight days with the people making the decisions... Private meetings at the Knesset... Briefings on the Syrian and Lebanese borders... Lunch with the leaders of Samaria and the Golan... and so much more.  Led by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Dr. David Wurmser from March 7-14, 2027, this is the Israel that shapes the news before the news reports it, and you will see it with the people who live it. Learn more and reserve your place at https://israel365.com/israel365tours/wolicki-wurmser/.  

Why does the prophet Zechariah envision the nations of the world coming to Jerusalem specifically for Sukkot? And what does that ancient prophecy mean in a world transformed by October 7th? In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Pastor Doug Reed explore the surprisingly universal message of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Jewish people's mission not only to themselves, but to humanity as a whole. Their conversation moves from Zechariah's vision of the nations gathering in Jerusalem to the Book of Jonah, read on Yom Kippur, and its powerful reminder that Israel's spiritual responsibility extends far beyond its own borders. Against the backdrop of the post-October 7 world, Pesach and Doug ask what it means for nations and people of faith to choose where they stand, and why Sukkot may offer a biblical framework for understanding the choices being made today. This Holiday season, 1 in 3 Israeli children won't know if there will be food on the table. You can change that. Sponsor a holiday meal and bring hope to the hungry.

Five years. 250 episodes. Countless conversations about faith, Israel, the Bible, politics, and the relationship between Jews and Christians. But along the way, something else happened: Shoulder to Shoulder changed the two people behind the microphones. In this special 250th episode, Pastor Doug Reed and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki look back at the moments, guests, and unexpected conversations that shaped the podcast and shaped them personally. They revisit an unforgettable late-night conversation with two pastors experiencing Israel for the first time, the guests who challenged assumptions and produced genuine "aha" moments, and the dramatic shift in the podcast after October 7, when their friendship and their conversations took on a new depth and urgency. They also reflect on what they have learned from each other: Doug on encountering Judaism, Israel, and the Hebrew Bible through Jewish eyes, and Pesach on the humility and openness to change that he has encountered among Christian friends. And they consider some very tangible ways the podcast has altered their lives, from Doug's family's decision to homeschool to his remarkable upcoming move to Israel. This isn't simply a look back at 250 episodes. It's a conversation about what can happen when people of different faiths listen to one another, learn from one another, and truly stand shoulder to shoulder, and about where that journey might lead next. This Holiday season, 1 in 3 Israeli children won't know if there will be food on the table. You can change that. Sponsor a holiday meal and bring hope to the hungry.

Israel is heading toward an election, but if you're used to American politics, understanding what happens next can be surprisingly complicated. In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Pesach and Doug break down how Israeli elections actually work, why hundreds of thousands of votes can effectively disappear, and why the battle over the Haredi military draft could reshape the political map. They look at Netanyahu's prospects, Gadi Eisenkot's challenge, Ofer Winter's new right-wing party, and why Pesach believes Israel's polls may be telling a misleading story. But first, as Rosh Hashanah approaches, Pesach explores a striking theme of the Jewish New Year: why declaring God as King points beyond the Jewish people toward a vision of all nations ultimately serving God together. This Holiday season, 1 in 3 Israeli children won't know if there will be food on the table. You can change that. Sponsor a holiday meal and bring hope to the hungry.

Has the West gone too far to save itself? For decades, British journalist and author Melanie Phillips has warned that Western civilization is abandoning the religious beliefs, moral assumptions, family structures, and national identities that made it possible in the first place. In this wide-ranging conversation, she joins Pesach and Doug to explain why she believes Britain is further down that road than America, why the rejection of biblical values has left the West increasingly unable to distinguish good from evil, and why there are still reasons for hope. But at the heart of the conversation is Israel. Phillips argues that the West's obsession with condemning the Jewish state is not a side issue but a window into its deeper crisis. She explains why she sees anti-Zionism as an extension of Jew hatred, why Israel's willingness to defend itself provokes such fury, and why the West may ultimately need to rediscover Israel and the Jewish people in order to rediscover itself. And despite everything, Phillips ends on an unexpectedly optimistic note: Israel, she says, is a society that still believes in faith, family, nation, children, and the future. The question is whether the rest of the West can learn to believe in itself again. This Holiday season, 1 in 3 Israeli children won't know if there will be food on the table. You can change that. Sponsor a holiday meal and bring hope to the hungry.

Diane Neal was already well known to millions from her roles on Law & Order: SVU and NCIS. But after a successful career in American television, her life took a turn she never could have anticipated. When her father died and her mother was struggling, Diane suggested that they embark on "one last great adventure" together: making Aliyah. What followed was a remarkable journey of loss, upheaval, faith, and ultimately a new life in Israel. In this deeply personal conversation, Diane joins Doug and Pesach to tell the extraordinary story of how she came to Israel with almost nothing, why she believes God was pushing her toward the Jewish homeland, what she discovered about Israeli society after October 7, and why she now tells Jews around the world that there is no place like home. It's a candid, funny, emotional, and inspiring conversation about faith, courage, Israel, and what really matters when everything else is stripped away. If you believe in standing with Israel, help us put that belief into action by giving generously through israel365.com/give.

For decades, Syrians were taught to see Israel as the enemy. Then, as Syria descended into a brutal civil war, something extraordinary happened: Israel began bringing wounded Syrian civilians across the border for lifesaving medical care. Lt. Col. (res.) Eyal Dror was the commander of Operation Good Neighbor, the IDF's remarkable humanitarian mission that carried out some 700 operations and provided medical care, food, clothing, fuel, and other assistance to Syrians living just across Israel's border. And every mission carried real risks, with ISIS, al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and other armed groups operating nearby. In this episode, Pastor Doug Reed and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki speak with Lt. Col. Dror about why Israel chose to help people raised to hate it, the Syrian civilians whose encounters with Israelis transformed their perceptions of the Jewish state, the Christian organizations that worked alongside the IDF, and the difficult moral decisions Dror and his soldiers faced along the way. They also discuss what Operation Good Neighbor teaches about Israel and Jewish values, and what Dror believes Israel got wrong in its more recent approach to the Druze community in Syria.