Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

As Americans mark Independence Day, we're revisiting one of the most popular episodes of What's Your Number?, a conversation that feels even more relevant today. Yonatan Adiri and Yael Wissner Levy are joined by Dan Senor, host of Call Me Back and co-author of Start-Up Nation which revolutionized the world’s respect for Israel and its entrepreneurial spirit and successes. Nearly two decades after the book's publication, Israel's tech sector is stronger than ever, yet the country's global brand faces unprecedented challenges. What does this mean for Israel’s reputation, innovation and its place in the world?

Dan also remembers his young friend, the late Israeli entrepreneur and investor Zaki Djemal, whose final essay on Israel's future and memorial service are linked below.

Read a tribute to Zaki Djemal  and his white paper here.

Watch Zaki Djemal’s memorial service here. 

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Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

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In this episode:

08:00 – How Start-Up Nation changed Israel's image

14:35 – Israel's brand crisis after October 7

19:10 – Why global investors keep doubling down on Israel

25:55 – Does Israel need a new audience?

32:15 – The rise of defense tech

37:35 – AI, brain drain, and Israel's next challenge

44:30 – Does the "Start-Up Nation" reputation still apply?

46:55 – How would Dan characterize Israel's brand now?

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Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back. Amit Segal explains why overwhelming public support for a state commission of inquiry into October 7 and ending Haredi draft exemptions doesn't translate into election results, and what that reveals about the unique system of Israeli politics. 

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Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

For the full episode, subscribe here to - Inside Call me Back

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You can access the full episode here, where Dan and Amit answer listener questions about:

- A surprising turn from Lebanon's government regarding Hezbollah 

- Is President Trump changing course on Israel?

- Why Israel has no left-wing equivalent to far right Ben-Gvir

- Amit Segal on journalism, bias, and fairness, and his own political position

- Why has Israel become a defining issue in American politics?

- Is Israel’s long term future bullish or bleak? 

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Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal

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Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

Why have positions about Israel and Jews become a defining fault line in American politics?

In part two of their conversation, Dan is joined by Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, and John Podhoretz, editor-in-chief of Commentary Magazine, to discuss what the victories of Zohran Mamdani and other Democratic Socialists reveal about the radicalization of politics of the American left. From the rise of anti-Zionist candidates to the weakening of political parties and norms, they explore why antisemitic or anti-Israel positions have become litmus tests in the transformation of American politics.

Read the open letter from American Rabbis to Zohran Mamdani here.

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Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back

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In this episode:

- Why both political parties are losing control

- What Zohran Mamdani and DSA victories really represent

- Is anti-Zionism the primary driving force on the left?

- Are elected leaders more focused on culture wars than helping constituents?

- Why U.S.politicians turned against  Israel, which is now a political fault line

- How technology is reshaping America despite politics

- Have decades of crisis broken public trust?

- Can America's political institutions recover?

- Why Jonah and John have some hope about America's future

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Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal

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Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel

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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

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Many supporters of the Iran War, both in the U.S. and in Israel, consider it a failure. Dan doesn't necessarily share that observation, at least not until the fate of the U.S.- Iran deal is clear. 

Jonah Goldberg and John Podhoretz, two thinkers that have been following every twist and turn of the Iran war and landed in that camp. So we wanted to conduct an autopsy of the Iran War, at least as where the war stands now.

Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of the Remnant podcast. He’s also a senior fellow at AEI and author of a number of books, including Suicide of the West.  and John Podhoretz, editor-in-chief of Commentary Magazine, host of the Commentary podcast and author of Hell of a Ride. 

Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going.

Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back

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In this episode:

What were the expectations vs reality?

Israel and Iran's position today Vs on February 27th.

The war's impact on US foreign policy

what would have been a better strategy in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program?

Did Trump and Netanyahu miscalculate? 

Where does the relationship between Netanyahu and Trump go from here?

This episode is sponsored by Israel on Campus Coalition. You can follow this link to support their work: http://israelcc.org/ 

More Ark Media:

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Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal

Instagram | Ark Media | Dan

X | Dan

Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel

Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

For the full episode, subscribe here to Inside Call me Back.

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Subscribe to Ark News Daily

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This is a sneak peek from the members-only edition of Inside Call Me Back. 

Today we have a special Insider edition covering the US elections that were held this week, in which three congressional primaries were won by candidates of the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) and endorsed by Mayor Mamdani . 

Dan is joined by a special Inside Call me Back guest - Reihan Salam, who leads the Manhattan Institute. 

You can access the full episode here, where Dan takes on listener questions about:

The significance of this election to people who don’t live in the US

What played a bigger role in deciding the elections: Socialism or anti-Zionism?

The DSA’s strategy to take over the Democratic Party

What is the DSA?

Should AIPAC re-invent itself?

 

More Ark Media:

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Explore Israel Votes

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Watch Call me Back on YouTube

Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal

Instagram | Ark Media | Dan

X | Dan

Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel

Get in touch

Credits: Ilan Benatar, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo