Recordings

Twelve days of war between Israel and Iran sparked passionate debates about the future of the Islamic Republic. How did Israel’s strikes impact the stability of the regime? What are the implications of the war on Iranian dissidents, opposition figures, and everyday Iranian citizens? And what does the historically fractious Iranian diaspora hope for in the weeks and months ahead?

To answer these questions and more, on July 3, SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman moderated a conversation between SAPIR contributors and prominent Iranian-American activists – Roya Hakakian, an acclaimed writer and author, Mehdi Yahyanejad, a tech entrepreneur who founded methods to bypass censorship in Iran.

Do we still expect journalists—and the outlets they represent—to be objective? Or have we come to accept that much of today’s media falls into the realm of activist journalism? What are the consequences when activist journalism and objective reporting become indistinguishable?

On Monday, June 30, SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman moderated a conversation between SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Amit Segal, chief political analyst for Israel’s Channel 12 News. Together, they discussed the merits and pitfalls of activist and objective journalism in the United States and Israel, going deeper into their most recent SAPIR essays.

• ⁠Can the Media Keep Kosher?⁠ (Stephens)
• ⁠If Not Now, When?⁠ (Segal)

It’s been less than a week since the unprecedented U.S. military strikes against the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities in Iran. Codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the attack was designed to degrade Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities. However, there are conflicting reports about its success. Were the sites destroyed or severely damaged? What is the impact of the attacks on the Iranian nuclear weapon program? What are the implications for the United States and Israel moving forward?

On Friday, June 27, SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman was joined by Eyal Hulata, for a timely conversation about what took place in Iran, and what that means for the region now. Hulata is Israel’s former National Security Advisor and former head of Israel’s National Security Council responsible for coordinating the national effort on Iran. He is currently a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

In the wake of October 7, many American Jews have grappled with what it means to not only engage in activism—a longstanding tradition in Jewish history and culture—but to advocate effectively for themselves across diverse environments.

On Monday, June 23, 2025 SAPIR’s Editor-in-Chief, Bret Stephens, was joined by Sara Forman, Executive Director of the New York Solidarity Network (NYSN) and Mark B. Rotenberg, Senior Vice President for University Initiatives and General Counsel at Hillel International for a conversation on new forms of Jewish political and legal activism. Click on the links to read their pieces from the latest SAPIR‘s issue on Activism.

On Friday, June 13th, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting nuclear sites, drones and rocket launchers, and senior Iranian military leadership. In response, Iran has deployed hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones that led to many civilian deaths and destruction of property on the Israeli home front. Now, one week later, the U.S. is deliberating whether to join the fight and eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.

To make sense of this moment, former Commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command Lieutenant General Joseph Guastella and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Dana Stroul joined SAPIR Institute Director, Chanan Weissman for a timely and insightful conversation.

In a time of rising antisemitism, extremism, and anti-Zionist sentiment, are we too discerning about our allies? Or does the moment demand that Jews hold fast to our values and insist that our partners share them? On Monday, June 9, essayist David Hazony and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs Amy Spitalnick joined SAPIR’s Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens for a conversation about the challenges and opportunities of forging alliances and building coalitions in a post-10/7 world.

Is multiculturalism destined to fail? Is it possible to reject identity politics while also championing strong Jewish identities? On Wednesday, April 9 at 12:00 PM ET, join SAPIR editor-in-chief Bret Stephens for a conversation with Rabbi Meir Soloveichik on his recent SAPIR essay “Jewish Identity vs. Identity Politics.” 

Diversity of opinion is a key feature of our ancient tradition. Dating back to the Talmud, we have taken pride in our capacity to transcend difference through dialogue. And yet, should there be limits around what constitutes acceptable discourse within Jewish communities? What are those boundaries, how are they set, and by whom? Celebrating the launch of the SAPIR issue on Diversity, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove invited SAPIR to New York City’s Park Avenue Synagogue to moderate a live discussion with SAPIR editor-in-chief Bret Stephens, Maimonides Fund Director of Viewpoint Diversity Initiatives Ariella Saperstein, and recent SAPIR contributor and editor for the WSJ‘s Weekend Review section, Adam Kirsch.

As we prepare to celebrate our freedom from slavery, has the promised land lived up to the promise of Zionism? After October 7, can Israel’s internal differences be an asset rather than a liability? Moving forward, can the Israel-Diaspora relationship weather the range of emotions? Yes to all, argues Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel, in his recent essay in SAPIR. On March 31 we held a special conversation between SAPIR editor-in-chief Bret Stephens and the 11th President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog to discuss all this and more.