Episode 47

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Published on:

28th May 2021

#47 Reuven Ben Shalom - IDF Military Affairs Expert, Cross-Cultural Strategist & Columnist

So, there’s a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas…now what?

In this special live episode of the show, we sat down with IDF military affairs expert Col. (Res) Reuven Ben-Shalom (nickname ‘Rabash’) to discuss the aftermath of Operation Guardian of the Walls (שומר החומות), the cease-fire, and how we move forward from here.

What transpired was a fascinating, nuanced discussion about the nature of modern war in the Middle East, IDF contingencies and battle tactics mixed with a bit or concern about the country’s overall strategy (or lack thereof) to handling Hamas and the Gaza Strip. In addition, we talked about how this round of violence may only be the promo for what’s to come should Hezbollah and Iran choose to join in the future, and we received a scary vision of what a full-scale, multi-front missile war would look like (beware – you might become a prepper after hearing about it…).

Col. (Res.) Reuven Ben-Shalom (Rabash) is a cross-cultural strategist and columnist. He served for 25 years in the Israel Defense Force as a helicopter pilot and in various international relations positions. As a reservist, Reuven commands the IDF International Cooperation Division’s Operations Center during times of contingency. He also teaches cross-cultural communication at the Israel Defense College and the IDF School of Military Diplomacy. He holds a B.Sc. in industrial engineering and management and M.Sc. in business administration from Ben Gurion University. Reuven is an associate at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism.

Links:

Cross-Cultural Strategies Ltd., Reuven’s website.

The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism

Reuven’s LinkedIn

For lectures and speaking engagements, contact Reuven at bnshlm@gmail.com

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For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com

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About the Podcast

Jewanced

A nuanced exploration of Israel, the Jewish world and beyond

Jewanced is hosted by Dan Feferman and Benny Scholder, two guys who grew up in America and live in Israel.
They're curious. They want to discuss. They want to challenge popular conceptions, they want to think critically, examine independently, and most of all, they crave nuance.

Each episode features a different guest. All interesting and original people who strive to break boundaries. Together with Dan and Benny, take a deep dive into politics, foreign affairs, religion, science, technology, food, the arts, business – you name it. Explore the nuanced crossroads of Israel, the global Jewish experience, and beyond.

What's the goal? To create a daring platform where people share their stories, insights, creations, and visions. Jewanced has no talking points, no script, no agenda...just a deeper nuanced understanding of our existence.

Join them on a journey as they explore, think, debate and discuss …. And most of all, listen.

About your hosts

Benny Scholder

With over a decade of experience in Israel's tourism industry, Benny has managed sales, marketing, travel content, digital content, and the operations aspects of tour companies and travel agencies. Today, he is the Director of Sales-North America at Kenes Tours, Israel's leading provider of incoming tourism services, where he is proud to deliver transformative, custom-crafted Israel travel experiences designed to exceed expectations.
Originally from Minneapolis, Benny fell in love with Israel as a young adult, moving to the country in 2004. He has an extensive background in everything Israel-travel related, having completed Israel's intensive tour guide course in 2010. His career spans both logistical, content-related, and sales management positions with major and boutique Israeli tour companies alike. Benny lives with his amazing wife Maayan and two incredible children in the charming village of Gedera. In addition to his passion for transformative travel experiences, he's super passionate about food, modern & ancient history, politics, addictive TV, and game-changing podcasts. Contact him at Benny@jewanced.com

Dan Feferman

Dan Feferman is a Major (res.) in the Israel Defense Forces. For almost a decade, he served as a foreign policy and national security analyst, strategist and adviser in the IDF General Staff; as a special assistant to the Deputy Chief of the General Staff; and a commander in an elite intelligence unit of AMAN's Research and Analysis Division.

He is a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, a think-tank focusing on issues of importance to Israel and the Jewish people, where he researches religious pluralism in Israel, trends in Jewish identity and Israel-Diaspora relations. He is also a political and strategic consultant and publishes and speaks widely on the Middle East and Israeli defense and political matters.

He is the author of Rising Streams: Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel, and of a soon-to-be-published book on the changing face of American Judaism.

Dan holds a BA in International Politics and Middle East Studies from the American University in Washington DC and an MA in National Security Studies from Tel Aviv University.

Originally from Indiana, Dan moved to Israel in 2005. He is married to Elisheva, has three amazing kids, and lives in Rehovot. When taking a break, Dan stays busy with Crossfit, martial arts and cooking.