Before we get to today’s introduction to tomorrow’s podcast, one of those “only in Israel” moments. This one probably merits the “Toto, I've a feeling we're not on the New Jersey Turnpike anymore” award.
We were on the road to Tel Aviv yesterday, and traffic was massively backed up. This guy clearly wasn’t going to make it to his destination in time to recite shacharit by the latest time permitted. So, only in Israel.
(Photos by me; rest assured, my wife was driving….)
The video at the very top of this brief column, which was posted to Instagram on the Kan News Instagram feed, may seem rather innocuous, but we’re posting it for a number of reasons.
First, tomorrow’s podcast, with Rabbi Shlomo Brody, an expert on Judaism, war and ethics, will address the push on the political right to institute the death penalty for terrorists. Itamar Ben Gvir, our readers have almost certainly noticed, has taken to wearing a lapel pin that has not the yellow ribbon for the hostages, but a yellow noose for the terrorists—yet another Ben Gvir classy move.
Second, while the video sets the stage for tomorrow’s podcast, it’s also an opportunity to introduce an Israeli journalist with whom many of our readers may well not be familiar.
Suleiman Maswadeh is a prominent Israeli-Arab journalist currently serving as the senior political correspondent for Kan 11, Israel’s public broadcasting corporation. Born on July 13, 1995, and raised in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, he grew up in a traditional environment where Hebrew was not commonly spoken. He initially pursued accounting at Birzeit University but decided to pivot his career after realizing the importance of Hebrew for integration and professional success in Israel. He subsequently completed an intensive language program and earned a degree in Politics and Communication from Hadassah Academic College.
His professional rise within Israeli media has been rapid. Maswadeh began his career at Kan as a student producer for the Arabic-language channel before transitioning to the Hebrew-language news desk. He served as a Jerusalem correspondent and an Arab affairs reporter before being promoted to his current role as a political correspondent and anchor. In this capacity, he covers high-profile topics including the Prime Minister’s Office, government cabinet meetings, and Israel’s diplomatic relations. His work has earned him professional recognition, including a “special award of excellence” from his alma mater in 2023.
Maswadeh is often cited for his unique position as a Palestinian-Israeli journalist navigating complex societal divides. He has spoken openly about the challenges of his role, including receiving death threats and facing criticism from both Jewish and Arab communities when his reporting is perceived as unfavorable to either side. Despite these pressures, he has expressed a commitment to objective reporting, stating that he intentionally avoids being “an Arab covering Arabs” to ensure his work spans the full spectrum of Israeli political and social life.
He currently resides in Tel Aviv and has held Israeli citizenship since February 2024.
We will, in the next several weeks, post several podcasts about the state of democracy in Israel. It’s not all pretty—and yet, at the same time, it’s worth taking note of the phenomenon of Suleiman Maswadeh, who’s been a citizen of Israel for less than two years, taking on a senior minister of the government, seemingly with no concerns whatsoever.
Nothing about that should blind us to the genuine threats to Israelis democracy (and Israel is hardly alone). But still, unlike other countries, this is not a place where the fact that a journalist makes the government unhappy leads to the government shutting him down.
And in advance of tomorrow’s conversation with Shlomo Brody, it’s worth thinking about the following:
Does Israel really want a law the institutes the death penalty for terrorists that would be directed at Arab terrorists but not Jewish killers?
Given Israel’s pariah status in the world, how much would it serve Israel to have the world watching us execute the Nukhba terrorists of October 7? Would it make matters worse? Would it not make a difference? Should we not care?
Hundreds of Palestinians murdered Israelis on October 7. How many should Israel execute if the law were to pass? One? One hundred? Five hundred?
There’s been a lot written on this already; good introductions are the Times of Israel here:
or, if one cares what the international community is saying, then this from JURIST, here:
We will pick up this subject tomorrow.
