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J Street - Word on the Street
by J Street
Word on the Street is the audio home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans. We share regular discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and American politics with politicians, advocates, legal experts, pollsters, student leaders, and more.
Episodes
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Three Years After October 7 with Yehuda Cohen and Mika Almog
Three years after October 7, where does Israeli society – and those communities most closely affected by the attack and the war that followed – stand today? Israeli writer and pro-democracy activist Mika Almog and hostage father Yehuda Cohen joined us for a personal conversation about the…
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Netanyahu vs. the World
This week on Word on the Street Live, we dug into Netanyahu’s latest fights – with world leaders, with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and increasingly with American Jews – and what they tell us about the road ahead. At the UN, Netanyahu used the global stage for a speech that sounded more fit for a...
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Spotlight on Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed, Jewish voters, and what’s happening with J Street U & Hillel
This week, it’s Word on the Street… in Michigan! The Wolverine State has become ground zero in battles over Israel in partisan politics and on campus. Jeremy’s co-host today was Lauren Haines, a 2025 Michigan grad and former national president of J Street U. She’s now a member of the J Street...
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A High Holiday Reckoning on Zionism with Rabbi Zachary Truboff
This week, we wanted to mark the High Holidays on Word on the Street Live. We knew a conversation with a rabbi about teshuvah, or repentance, would go deep – and Rabbi Zach Truboff did not disappoint. Rabbi Truboff, author of Zionism in Crisis, opened with how October 7 left him both deeply...
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ICYMI: Christian Nationalism’s Threat to Democracy
Jeremy and Ilan had a fascinating conversation with Congressman Jared Huffman about his new book, No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism. The book is remarkably personal. Rep. Huffman takes us from his childhood in an offshoot of the Mormon Church and his eventual...
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Where are we headed in November?
We’re just about through with primary season. In this week’s Word on the Street Live, we took a step back to look at what we learned about the national political landscape – and what it could mean for November. We talked through the House and Senate maps, the races J Street is watching most...
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What could change if Netanyahu loses?
Israeli pollster and analyst Dahlia Scheindlin took us from freshman year to senior year, with a crash course into how Israeli elections actually work, the latest polls, Gadi Eisenkot’s rise and the many moving pieces that could determine the next government. One important caveat Dahlia wants us…
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Palestinian and Arab Voices Belong in DC
This week on Word on the Street, Ilan spoke with Alia Awadallah, a Palestinian American who served in the Biden Administration, and Rebecca Abou-Chedid, a Lebanese American who has spent her career working in Arab American advocacy and Middle East policy. For too long, there’s been a real…
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Michigan After the Vote
Our guest, Michigan local and Democratic organizer Jessica ‘Decky’ Alexander, said the state’s Democratic Senate primary felt seismic – not just for Michigan, but for the national Democratic Party. Decky spent the past year and a half listening, organizing and talking directly with Jewish...
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ICYMI: What are we settling for? [with Donniel Hartman]
[Recorded on July 29, 2026] Donniel Hartman on what Israel needs to see differently – and why “better” isn’t good enough. “Thou shalt not be mediocre.” That line from Rabbi Donniel Hartman, a leading Jewish scholar and President of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, stuck with me. We had…
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The IDF Veteran Who Showed Ro Khanna the West Bank
Nadav Weiman’s name has been in the headlines recently after he joined parts of Congressman Ro Khanna’s tour of the West Bank. We wanted to hear directly from him about what happened. Nadav walked us through the moment their vehicle was surrounded by armed settlers, who blocked the road and...
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What Do Anti-Zionist Electoral Wins Mean for Jews?
We just tackled one of the biggest conversations happening in American Jewish life right now: What do the recent primary victories by anti-Zionist and sharply Israel-critical candidates actually mean for the Jewish community? We were joined by Alana Zeitchik, Julie Zebrak, Rabbi Alissa Wise and,...
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The Old Israel Playbook Is Dead. Now What?
After a whirlwind of travel, Jeremy and Ilan were finally back behind the microphones together for this week’s episode. Ilan just returned from leading a delegation through Israel and the West Bank, where he met with Israeli opposition leaders as the political landscape shifted almost in real…
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ICYMI: Brad Lander on Healing the Divide over Israel and Palestine
[Recorded on July 1, 2026] Listen in on an incredible Word on the Street Live with Brad Lander days after his decisive Democratic primary victory in NY-10 to discuss what the campaign’s implications are for the future of the Democratic Party, the American Jewish community and the increasingly...
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ICYMI: Hawks got their war. Now what?
Recorded on June 24, 2026 | Ilan sat down with Iran experts Nate Swanson and Ari Tabatabai to unpack one of the most remarkable foreign policy reversals in recent memory.
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ICYMI: Are Jews and Democrats Splitting Apart?
Recorded on June 17, 2026 | A conversation with Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America
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LISTEN: Why Democracy Matters to Jews
Recorded on June 10, 2026 | A conversation on how Reform Jews in the U.S. and Israel are linked in a shared fight
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ICYMI: Kamala Harris’ former National Security Advisor on the future of the US-Israel Relationship
Recorded on June 3, 2026 | We sat down with Phil Gordon, a former National Security Adviser to Kamala Harris and one of the Democratic Party’s leading foreign policy voices to talk about the dramatic shifts in American foreign policy under Trump - from Gaza and Iran to growing tensions with…
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ICYMI: Did Gaza Cost Democrats the Election?
Recorded on May 27, 2026 | A conversation on the 2024 election, the latest on Iran negotiations, Amb. Leiter’s comments about J Street and the state of Israeli politics.
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ICYMI: Kristof’s Reporting and the Struggle for Moral Consistency with Sari Bashi
Recorded on May 21, 2026 | An honest conversation about the obligation to confront hard truths wherever they lead.
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ICYMI: Rapid-Fire with Sen. Chris Murphy
[Originally published on Substack on April 23, 2026] Listen in on Ilan and Jeremy's conversation with Senator Chris Murphy on Word on the Street Live, covering everything from Iran to the future of Democratic foreign policy when it comes to Israel – and more broadly!
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ICYMI: Iran Deal Chief Negotiator Wendy Sherman on the War She Tried to Prevent
[Originally shared on Substack on April 29, 2026] Listen in on Jeremy and Ilan's sharp conversation with former US negotiator Wendy Sherman – who hasn’t just worked on Iran policy, but negotiated it, face-to-face, with the people on the other side.
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ICYMI: Can DC Finally Treat Palestinians as Partners?
[Originally recorded on May 6, 2026] Hady Amr on how to get Democrats and Republicans to stop treating Palestinians as an afterthought.
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LISTEN: Protesting for Israel’s Soul
[Originally published on Substack on May 13, 2026] Israeli leader Colette Avital on fighting for a moral future
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Where American Jews Really Stand on the War with Iran
Where American Jews Really Stand on the War with Iran by J Street
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US and Iran Agree to a Ceasefire. Now What?
US and Iran Agree to a Ceasefire. Now What? by J Street
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Are You a Zionist? A Conversation Across the Divide
Are You a Zionist? A Conversation Across the Divide by J Street
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Stacey Abrams on How We Take Back Power: A special edition of Word on the Street
Stacey Abrams on How We Take Back Power: A special edition of Word on the Street by J Street
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ICYMI: Daniel Biss on Why this Victory Belongs to J Street
ICYMI: Daniel Biss on Why this Victory Belongs to J Street by J Street
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(Recorded February 28, 2026) | LIVE from J Street's National Convention: In Conversation with Ehud Olmert, Elana Kaminka, and Rula Daood
(Recorded February 28, 2026) | LIVE from J Street's National Convention: In Conversation with Ehud Olmert, Elana Kaminka, and Rula Daood by J Street
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The End of the Israel Exception with Andrew Miller
Jeremy was traveling today, so I hosted Word on the Street Live solo and sat down with my old friend and colleague from the Obama and Biden Administrations, Andrew Miller, for a conversation rooted in what he calls the “Israel Exception.” Andrew, an alum of the State Department and the National...
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The Rabbis Taking on ICE with Rabbis Sharon Kleinbaum and Tamar Magill-Grimm
Today on Word on the Street Live, we were joined by Rabbis Sharon Kleinbaum and Tamar Magill-Grimm for a powerful and unsettling conversation about what’s unfolding in Minneapolis/St. Paul – and what it’s demanding of Jewish leaders right now. Rabbi Magill-Grimm leads a Twin Cities–area synagogue...
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AIPAC, ICE, and the Battle for a Deep-Blue District
Today, we sat down with Daniel Biss – Evanston mayor and J Street–endorsed congressional candidate – to dig into the issues driving his campaign for Illinois’ 9th District. With just 48 days until the primary, this local race has taken on national significance, fueled by a crowded field, major...
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Another Boring Week? Not Here! | Word on the Street LIVE
We covered a lot of ground on Word on the Street Live this week. The common thread? The norms that have shaped world events throughout our lives are shattered; the strong are trying again to ‘do what they can’ as Thucydides wrote, and those of us fighting for what is right have our work cut out…
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Inside J Street’s 2026 Strategy with Hannah Morris & Tali DeGroot
Today, I was joined by J Street’s own Hannah Morris, Vice President of Government Affairs, and Tali DeGroot, Vice President of Political and Digital Strategy, for a conversation about where this political moment is heading – and how J Street is preparing for 2026. We zeroed in on the terrain…
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Breaking Down the Trump-Netanyahu Meeting
Ilan and Jeremy dug into the Trump-Netanyahu visit, what our takeaways were, and what the latest updates mean for the future of Gaza, the West Bank, and more. In our conversation, we dove deeper into: The differences between the public appearance - Trump and Bibi praising one another - and the...
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Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s on How Ice Cream Meets Activism
Today on Word on the Street Live, I sat down with Ben Cohen – activist, philanthropist and co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s – for a conversation about ice cream, activism and the ways personal values can guide public action. Over a pint, we explored: How Ben’s Jewish upbringing shaped his commitment…
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How to Combat Antisemitism: A Conversation with Amy Spitalnick | Word on the Street
How to Combat Antisemitism: A Conversation with Amy Spitalnick | Word on the Street by J Street
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Ambassador Dan Shapiro on How US Leverage Shapes Israeli Policy
Today, we sat down with Dan Shapiro, former US Ambassador to Israel and senior official in both the State Department and Pentagon, for a conversation that cut straight to a central question many Americans are asking: How can the US influence Israel’s choices, especially after the horror in Gaza?...
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Ben Rhodes on Why Democrats Need to Change How They Talk About Israel
In our latest Word on the Street, we were joined by Ben Rhodes for a conversation that felt, honestly, like one we’ve been waiting to have in public. Ben’s recent New York Times piece has stirred up exactly the kind of debate Democrats need heading into 2026 and 2028, and our discussion dug into...
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The Saudi Leader Visits Washington
This week on Word on the Street Live, we dug into Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-stakes visit to Washington – his first since 2018 – and what it reveals about the future of the US-Saudi relationship in the shadow of the war in Gaza. I was joined by Daniel Benaim, who helped lead US...
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Gaza Needs More than a Ceasefire
J Street held a timely conversation with leading Israeli and Palestinian humanitarian experts examining the ongoing crisis in Gaza, even amid a ceasefire. Speakers explored the human impact of current policies — including restrictions on aid and medical access — and outlined what must change to...
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Democrats are winning but will they learn
We were joined by longtime political strategist and labor leader Michael Podhorzer for a Word on the Street Live conversation unpacking what last week’s election results really tell us about the state of American politics – and what it will take to pull the country out of its democratic crisis.…
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The Way Forward on Syria and Lebanon
On Monday, Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, will walk into the White House – marking the start of a new chapter for US-Syria relations. The J Street Policy Center hosted a briefing on the current situation in Syria and Lebanon, where the political dynamics are also rapidly shifting. We…
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Tuesday’s Election Results – and What They Mean
This week on Word on the Street Live, we unpacked Democrats’ sweeping victories across the country – and what they reveal about the state of the country one year into Trump’s second term. Then we turned to New York, where Phylisa Wisdom of New York Jewish Agenda joined us to explore Zohran...
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What Rabin's Legacy Demands of Us
Join J Street for a special conversation marking 30 years since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. This call was moderated by J Street's Shimrit Braun Kamin and featuring Yael Patir, Israeli policy expert and former J Street Israel Director, and Aaron David Miller, veteran…
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Welcoming the Stranger: Putting our Values to Work (with HIAS)
We held a conversation with Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at HIAS to explore how HIAS’s work — from the US to across the world — reflects the Jewish call to speak out against injustice and stand with those being targeted.
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Rep. Adam Smith on What Must Come After the Ceasefire
This week on Word on the Street Live, we spoke with Congressman Adam Smith – Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee and one of the most thoughtful foreign policy voices in DC – about what comes next after the ceasefire. The conversation was frank, forward-looking and packed with...
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Life and Death in Gaza Since October 7
J Street Chief of Staff Adina Vogel-Ayalon spoke with Kareem Alsalqawi, a doctor working in Gaza’s hospitals, Angela Mattar, a coexistence activist, and Khalil Sayegh, a Gaza-born policy expert to reflect on the ongoing struggle for survival, justice and dignity in Gaza.
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Rapid Response Briefing: Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal
We sat down for a rapid response briefing with Gershon Baskin – one of Israel’s most seasoned hostage negotiators, and someone who’s been in direct touch with the people making this ceasefire happen. In our conversation, Gershon takes us inside the backchannels – sharing what he’s been hearing…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Word on the Street is the audio home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans. We share regular discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and American politics with politicians, advocates, legal experts, pollsters, student leaders, and more.
HOSTED BY
J Street
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How many episodes does J Street - Word on the Street have?
J Street - Word on the Street currently has 102 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is J Street - Word on the Street about?
Word on the Street is the audio home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans. We share regular discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and American politics with politicians, advocates, legal experts, pollsters, student leaders, and more.
How often does J Street - Word on the Street release new episodes?
J Street - Word on the Street publishes regularly with 102 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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Who hosts J Street - Word on the Street?
J Street - Word on the Street is created and hosted by J Street.
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