Decision Time In The North - with Matti Friedman
*** Share episode on X: https://tinyurl.com/43epx79k ***\n\nThis past weekend we saw a major and brazen escalation against Israel by Hezbollah. This war front is not new, but it will now come into much sharper focus. \n\nAnd with the slaughter of Druze children, we have received a number of questions about Israel\u2019s Druze community in Israel\u2019s North, as well as questions about the options for Israeli decision-makers now.\n\nTo help us unpack all of this, we are joined by Matti Friedman, who is one of the most thoughtful writers when it comes to all matters related to Israel, the broader Middle East, and also trends in the world of journalism. He is a columnist for The Free Press: https://www.thefp.com/\n\nMatti\u2019s most recent book is called \u201cWho by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai.\u201d Before that he published "Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel," and before that "Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier\u2019s Story of a Forgotten War.\u201d Matti\u2019s army service included tours in Lebanon. His work as a reporter has taken him from Israel to Lebanon, and other hotspots across the Middle East and around the world. He is a former Associated Press correspondent and essayist for the New York Times opinion section.\n\nMatti Friedman's published works that are relevant to this episode: \n\n-\u201cThe Wisdom of Hamas\u201d \u2014 The Free Press \u2014 https://www.thefp.com/p/matti-friedman-the-wisdom-of-hamas \n-\u201cWhat if the Real War in Israel Hasn\u2019t Even Started?\u201d \u2014 The Free Press \u2014 https://www.thefp.com/p/matti-friedman-israel-hezbollah-war \n-"There Is No 'Israeli-Palestinian Conflict'" -- The New York Times -- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/16/opinion/israeli-palestinian-conflict-matti-friedman.htm \n-"An Insider\u2019s Guide to the Most Important Story on Earth" -- Tablet Magazine -- https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/israel-insider-guide \n-"What The Media Gets Wrong About Israel" -- The Atlantic -- https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/how-the-media-makes-the-israel-story/383262/ \n-\u201cPumpkinflowers: A Soldier\u2019s Story of a Forgotten War\u201d \u2014 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pumpkinflowers-matti-friedman/1122279367?ean=9781616206918