#319 - Pro Reform vs. Anti Reform (Lilac Sigan)

Two Nice Jewish Boys

For those who have been living under a rock, Israel is going through one of its most turbulent times in history. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against the judicial reforms offered by the Netanyahu government, with economists warning of dire consequences and left-wing politicians warning of a dictatorship. Meanwhile, our enemies are watching and taking advantage of the situation - as reserve air force pilots and other intelligence corps reserve officers refuse to show up for duty. The situation has led to a deep divide within Israeli society, with families and friends cutting ties and blocking each other on social media. It has become almost impossible to have a calm and rational conversation about this issue without being called a dictator or a racist. Today, dear listeners, we will explore whether it is possible to have a civil conversation about this contentious issue. To do that we invited back a friend of the podcast, Lilac Sigan. Lilac is an accomplished journalist, commentator, and author based in Israel. She has worked for major publications such as Haaretz and Globes and is currently a regular contributor to Maariv. Recently, she conducted a study on the coverage of Israel in The New York Times, which was published in Ma’ariv and other media outlets and became an academic study for Bar Ilan University. We’re super happy to have her on to talk about current events.