Wishing Arabs would disappear from Israel, Mikhael Manekin says, is a dangerous fantasy. One of the leaders of Israel's Hasmol Haemuni (Faithful Left) movement, Mikhael is a vocal religious activist for equality and peace. He is the director of the Alliance Fellowship program, an Arab-Jewish political network in Israel, and has authored two books, End of Days Ethics, Tradition, and Power in Israel and Sermons from the Abyss. Mikhael was previously the executive director of Breaking the Silence, an Israeli military veterans’ group that seeks "to expose the public to the reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories." Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including peace, the IDF, and ending the war in Gaza. This interview was held on April 28. Here are our 18 questions: As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history? What has been Israel’s greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas? How have your religious views changed since Oct. 7? What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for? Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy? Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism? Is opposing Zionism ever antisemitic? Should Israel be a religious state? If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin? Should all Israelis serve in the army? Is the IDF the world’s most moral army? Can questioning the actions of Israel’s government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism? What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today? Do you think the State of Israel is part of the final redemption? Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime? What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict after the war? Where do you identify on Israel’s political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”? Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?
