Join self-confessed history nerd Dr. Noam Weissman on a journey through the fascinating and sometimes controversial events and personalities that have shaped Israel’s past and present. Each week, Noam explores the layers of Israeli history, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the cultural forces at play—drawing on a variety of sources and perspectives. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply looking to better understand this complex region, you’ll find a nuanced, authentic, and thought-provoking take on Israel—free from oversimplification and political spin.
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Position in the Judaism chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#3#5JunJulAugSep
#1
all-time peak
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days in the top 3 since Nov 2024
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Tel Hai: Rethinking Israel's Founding Myth
#27 trending · Judaism
Tel Hai is a small historic site in the Galilee where, in 1920, a tense standoff between Jewish farmers and Arab fighters erupted into a deadly firefight. Among the dead
Sep 8 52 min
Special Crossover: Can Israelis And Palestinians Ever Live In Peace? With Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
Will the war ever truly come to an end? Can two populations with so much pain find common ground? Or is the hurt too deep, too vast to overcome? There are no questions mo
Sep 3 1 h 04 min
Good Jews Only? Confronting New York Magazine's Habibi City Story
Noam Weissman unpacks the firestorm around New York Magazine’s "Habibi City" issue and traces the deeper historical pattern behind it: the demand that Jews prove they bel
Sep 1 33 min
Durban 2001: How Zionism Became a Dirty Word
In August 2001, Jewish delegates arrived at the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban expecting to fight bigotry. Instead they walked into what Tom Lantos called t
Aug 25 1 h 03 min
Why Israeli Elections Never Produce a Clear Winner
How do Israeli elections actually work? Israelis don't vote directly for prime minister, no party has ever won a majority, and a party with just a handful of Knesset seat
Aug 18 1 h 04 min
Live from Camp Tel Yehudah: Teens Talk Antisemitism, Identity, and Israel
What do Jewish teens really think about Israel? Noam Weissman takes the podcast to Camp Tel Yehudah for a special live episode, exploring Israel, October 7, Jewish identi
Aug 13 39 min
Israel's Eurovision story: Boos, ballads, and breaking up with Europe (Part 2)
A little Israeli boy from a poor Yemenite family grew up, transitioned, and became the most scandalous, fabulous Eurovision winner in history: meet Dana International. In
Aug 11 40 min
Israel's Eurovision story: How a Middle Eastern country crashed Europe's biggest party (Part 1)
Why does Israel compete in Eurovision if it's not even in Europe? In Part 1, Noam Weissman unpacks how Israel went from Eurovision newcomer to music powerhouse, exploring
Aug 1 30 min
Live from Camp Lavi: Teens Take on Israel's Toughest Moments
It's summer. Where else do you want to be? Sleepaway camp, obviously.
Unpacking Israeli History packed its bags and went to camp. Noam Weissman fielded questions from hu
Jul 28 43 min
Israel Open Mic: Is the Palestinian flag Illegal in Israel?
A man is detained over a kippah bearing both the Israeli and Palestinian flags. Was it legal? Noam unpacks the surprising history of the Palestinian flag, why Israel once
Jul 21 35 min
Should We Retire the Word ‘Zionism’? With Haviv Rettig Gur
Noam sits down with Haviv Rettig Gur in Jerusalem to unpack why Israel feels like a tinderbox, whether it's time to retire the word "Zionism," the debate over Palestinian
Jul 14 1 h 01 min
50 Years Since Entebbe: Operation Thunderbolt
Fifty years ago, Air France Flight 139 took off from Tel Aviv on the morning of June 27, 1976. No one could have suspected that the soon-to-be-hijacked flight was about t
Jul 7 33 min
Nas Daily: The Identity Crisis October 7 Forced Me to Face
Does identity define us or limit us? Noam searches for answers with Nuseir Yassin, better known as internet personality Nas Daily.
Nas Daily, has 68 million followers a
Jun 30 1 h 17 min
The Battle for Jerusalem: Ammunition Hill
In June 1967, Israeli paratroopers fought one of the Six Day War's bloodiest battles to reunify Jerusalem. Ammunition Hill, a fortified Jordanian stronghold carved into t
Jun 23 1 h 04 min
Yitzhak Rabin: Not the Peacenik You Think He Was (Special Crossover)
Noam Weissman joins Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab over at Jewish History Nerds for a special crossover episode on Yitzhak Rabin through the lens of Itamar Rabinovich's
Jun 16 1 h 05 min
Hezbollah Revisited: The Origins of Iran's Most Powerful Proxy
To understand why Iran and Israel are fighting, you have to understand Hezbollah. Noam Weissman revisits the story of Iran's proxy in Lebanon, which has been causing trou
Jun 9 45 min
The Scandal That Changed Israel Forever: The Rotten Business (Part 2)
In 1954, a group of young Jewish idealists in Egypt were recruited by Israeli intelligence to plant bombs in Western institutions, only to be betrayed by their own double
Jun 2 43 min
The Scandal That Changed Israel Forever: The Lavon Affair (Part 1)
The scandal that changed Israel forever began with a failed secret operation in Egypt in 1954. Young Egyptian Jews, recruited by Israeli intelligence, were sent on a miss
May 26 32 min
How to Kill Israeli Self-Criticism
Israel is no stranger to self-examination. In 1948, Ben-Gurion distributed a poem accusing Israeli soldiers of murder. In 1982, hundreds of thousands demanded accountabil
May 21 40 min
Real abuse, Reckless Reporting: Haviv Rettig Gur Dissects Kristof's Israel Prison Story
Journalist Haviv Rettig Gur joins Noam to respond to Nicholas Kristof's New York Times column alleging sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces. They exami
May 19 56 min
Chart positions
Where Unpacking Israeli History ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 12, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
I think this was my favorite episode. It is a straight forward and open conversation that is rich and deep. All the episodes reflect the name of the podcast so well…a true unpacking, with willingness to learn and expand understanding. Thank you for this sane and respectful place to hear perspectives and voices I don’t hear anywhere else!
Trying to learn more · Mar 2025
I’m on round 2 of listening to this podcast. Noam is so clear and animated, it’s keeps me so engaged. He is also so passionate, but constantly reminds me to look at the other side. Thank you so much for all your hard work!
YBeckerman · Mar 2025
This is an excellent podcast for anyone interested in a balanced, authentic, nuanced, and well presented and prepared history of Israel.
Berger 557 · Feb 2025
These episodes are lessons in education whose goal (it seems to me) is understanding and hope. Don’t let the style (which can feel like the intended audience is high school) put you off—Noam is teaching a super complex and not well-known (to Americans) history in as fair a way as possible, from his own admitted POV. I learn so much each episode, but what I appreciate most is that these lessons are imbued with compassion and hope that help us work toward peace. I imagine a collaboration with Palestinian speakers would also be a good offshoot.
From his website (re: workshops and curricula): “By delving into controversial aspects of Israel’s story, the workshop provides clarity to transform superficial opinions into nuanced and textured understandings that leave hope for a better future for all sides.”
womanbyherradio · Jan 2025
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Unpacking Israeli History, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
