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In this special live podcast from Sydney, Australia, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Kellie Sloane, Member of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales. Two months after the antisemitic attack at Hanukkah by the Sea in Bondi, Kellie reflects on what it meant to arrive at the scene while the attack was still unfolding and to witness both the horror and the heroism firsthand.

Drawing on her background as a longtime journalist and now a political leader, Kellie discusses the responsibility of bearing witness, the courage of everyday Australians who ran toward danger, and the deeper reckoning Australia faces as it confronts rising antisemitism, online denialism, and extremism.

Guest Bio:

Kellie Sloane is the New South Wales Leader of the Opposition and NSW Liberal Leader, elected to Parliament in 2023 as the Member for Vaucluse. She previously served as Shadow Minister for the Environment and Shadow Minister for Health before being elected party leader in November 2025.

Before entering politics, Kellie built a distinguished career in journalism across radio and television and later served as National CEO of Life Education (Healthy Harold), Australia’s largest independent provider of preventive health education for children. As Opposition Leader, she is focused on strengthening essential services, improving health outcomes, driving economic opportunity, and delivering responsible, future-focused government for New South Wales.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

Since October 7, a key battlefield has been in courtrooms and international institutions. At the International Criminal Court, prosecutors have sought arrest warrants for Israel’s leaders. At the International Court of Justice, Israel is accused of genocide. And the United Nations churns out reports and statements condemning Israel.

In this episode, Aviva speaks with barrister Natasha Hausdorff, legal director of UK Lawyers for Israel, about how law has been turned into a weapon against the Jewish state. Natasha explains how this strategy has evolved since October 7, what recognition of a Palestinian state does and doesn’t mean in legal terms, and why symbolic gestures can carry dangerous consequences.

Guest Bio:

Natasha Hausdorff is a Barrister and expert commentator on international law, including the law of armed conflict, foreign affairs and national security policy. She is a sought-after keynote speaker on lawfare and the weaponization of international law against Israel. She regularly briefs politicians and international organisations and has spoken at Parliaments across Europe and at the United Nations.

Natasha is a frequent contributor on legal matters for international media, including the BBC, Sky News, CNN, GB News, Talk TV and Fox and has written for publications including the Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Mail and Law Society Gazette. She holds law degrees from Oxford and Tel Aviv Universities and was a Fellow in the National Security Law Programme at Columbia Law School in New York. Natasha previously worked for American law firm Skadden Arps, in London and Brussels, and clerked for the President of the Israeli Supreme Court, Chief Justice Miriam Naor, in Jerusalem. She serves as director of the Centre for International Rule of Law and legal director of UK Lawyers for Israel Charitable Trust.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

After more than two years, the mission to bring home every Israeli held hostage in Gaza has come to an end. For many Israelis, that moment has lifted an enormous emotional weight and raised a difficult question: Is the October 7 war over?

Host Aviva Klompas is joined by Dr. Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, to reflect on what this moment represents and what comes next. They discuss how wars actually end and what the return of the hostages means for a country emerging from prolonged trauma.

The conversation also looks ahead to Gaza: proposals for postwar governance, the challenge of dismantling Hamas, and the risk that Israel could become stuck in a prolonged holding pattern - neither fully withdrawn nor fully reengaged.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

Israel’s political system is famously complex. It’s parliamentary, based on proportional representation, and rarely produces a clear majority - meaning governments are constantly being built, rebuilt, and threatened from within by their own coalitions.

In this episode of Boundless Insights, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Lahav Harkov, Senior Political Correspondent for Jewish Insider, to offer a clear primer on how Israeli elections work and what to expect as the country moves toward its next vote.

Although elections aren’t legally required until October 2026, few expect Israel to wait that long. Aviva and Lahav discuss what could trigger an early election, which parties and political figures to watch, and how public opinion is shifting.

Guest Bio

Lahav Harkov is the Senior Political Correspondent for Jewish Insider, where she covers Israel’s domestic and international politics. She previously served as Diplomatic Correspondent and Contributing Editor at The Jerusalem Post, and before that spent more than eight years as the paper’s lead reporter and analyst covering the Knesset.

Lahav has interviewed leading figures across Israel’s political spectrum and is widely regarded for her deep sourcing among lawmakers and diplomats. She regularly provides analysis to international outlets including the BBC, MSNBC, and France 24, and has published in The New York Post, The Free Press, Commentary, Tablet, and The Washington Examiner. She has been recognized by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency as one of the most influential voices on Jewish social media.

Originally from New Jersey, Lahav moved to Israel at 17, holds degrees in political science and communications from Bar-Ilan University, and lives in central Israel with her family.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

Iran faced its most serious wave of unrest in years, as anti-government protests erupted across the country. Host Aviva Klompas is joined by Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to examine what’s happening on the ground, the role of U.S. signaling, the regime’s violent response, and what could realistically follow if the Islamic Republic were to weaken or collapse.

Guest Bio

Behnam Ben Taleblu is the senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a senior fellow specializing in Iranian security and political affairs. With more than a decade of experience, he closely tracks Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxy network, sanctions, and internal Iranian politics. A native Persian speaker, he regularly briefs policymakers and has testified before the U.S. Congress, the Canadian Parliament, and the UK House of Commons. His analysis is widely cited in major international media outlets and he frequently appears on global broadcast news.

Read More

Why These Iranian Protests Are Different by Behnam Ben Taleblu

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

In this episode of Boundless Insights, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel, for a conversation about leadership at a time of profound national strain.

Since October 7, Israel has been carrying deep loss alongside urgent questions of accountability, responsibility, and unity. Trust has been shaken, and Israelis - together with Jews around the world - are grappling with how a wounded society begins to heal.

President Herzog shares what he has learned from time spent with hostage families and the bereaved, and why acknowledgment and presence matter for national repair. He also shares how October 7 has changed Israeli society, how he understands unity after rupture, and how he thinks about Israel’s relationship with world Jewry at a moment when many feel both deeply connected and deeply vulnerable.

Guest Bio:

Isaac Herzog is the 11th President of the State of Israel.

The son of Israel's sixth President, Chaim Herzog and grandson of Israel's first Chief Rabbi, Yizhak Isaac Halevi Herzog, President Isaac Herzog was born in Tel Aviv in 1960, trained as a lawyer and became senior partner in one of Israel's leading Law firms.

In 2003, Herzog was elected member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, after serving as Government Secretary to Prime Minister Ehud Barak (1999-2001). Throughout his 15 years in the Knesset, Herzog held several parliamentary and ministerial posts, among them Minister of Housing and Construction; Minister of Tourism; Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Society and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism. Herzog's revolutionary term as Minister of Welfare & Social Services is considered his crowning achievement in the Government of Israel. Herzog was a Member of Israel's Security Cabinet, in addition to serving as Government Coordinator for the Provision of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza.

In 2013, Herzog was elected Chairman of the Israeli Labor Party, the founding party of the State of Israel, becoming Leader of the Opposition. Two years later he led the alliance between the Labor Party and the Hatnua Party to form Israel's largest center-left political party of that time – the Zionist Union, which made him a leading candidate for Prime Minister during the 2015 national elections.

In June of 2018, Herzog was appointed Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the historic organization which laid the foundations of the State of Israel and the largest Jewish NGO in the world. As JAFI Chairman he led the process of restructuring the organization, which reinvigorated it, reaffirmed its prominence within world Jewry, and solidified JAFI's status as a bridge to Jewish communities worldwide and the State of Israel.

On July 7, 2021 Isaac Herzog was sworn in as the 11th President of the State of Israel, following an overwhelming majority vote at the Knesset which constituted a historic landslide victory.

President Herzog published numerous books and articles in Israel and worldwide, and is a sought after speaker in different fields all over the world. He is married to Michal, also a lawyer by profession and an expert in philanthropy, and they have three sons.

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

In this episode, host Aviva Klompas is joined by former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren for a wide-angle look at the regional landscape heading into 2026. Together, they examine how recent diplomatic moves, shifting U.S.–Israel dynamics, internal pressure inside Iran, and Israel’s own political calendar fit into a broader picture of power, deterrence, and decision-making.

They look at how the balance of power may be shifting, where risks are accumulating, and what Israel, the United States, and regional actors should be preparing for next.

Mentioned in this episode:

Free Press: How Does Bibi Survive? by Michael Oren

Israel Hayom: 'We need to take advantage of Trump's time in office'

We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

Aviva closes out 2025 with actor, comedian, and podcaster Michael Rapaport for a funny and thoughtful look back. They reflect on how the last two years have reshaped Jewish life and identity, revisit the cultural and political moments that defined 2025, and talk about what they’re carrying into 2026 — including Michael’s upcoming documentary. Along the way: New Year’s resolutions, a mini therapy session, and “Mike’s Hot Takes” on everything from AI to tariffs to the pope, plus a headline you didn’t see coming — Rapaport for mayor.

Guest Bio:

Michael Rapaport is an actor and comedian whose career spans film, television, and stand-up. In recent years, he has also become one of Hollywood’s most outspoken and unapologetic advocates for Israel and the Jewish people, using his platform to encourage others to stand up, speak clearly, and refuse to stay silent.