At 27, and with expectations high after last year’s win, Israeli singer Kobi Marimi will take the stage this Saturday to represent Israel in the Eurovision song contest taking place in Tel Aviv. 
Days before the biggest moment of his life, he sits down with Tipping Point for a conversation on the weight on his shoulders, his hopes for the future and his personal journey from being an unpopular kid to a celebrity in Israel.

May 13, 2019

Episode 115 - Our Man in the Eurovision

What brings one of Canada’s most successful businessmen to invest in some of Israel’s most bombastic PR projects in the last few years?
In this episode of Tipping Point, Sylvan Adams explains why it was so important for him to get Madonna to perform at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, in a deal finalized just hours before the pop icon took stage.
He also reveals why the Beresheet spacecraft, which he helped fund, was actually harder to launch into the moon’s orbit than land on it (although the former was achieved while the latter was not).
Before wrapping up, the now Israeli philanthropist weighs in on anti-Semitism in his home country, before hinting at what’s next on his to-do list.

May 20, 2019

Photo credit: Arutz 7

Episode 116 - How I Got Madonna to Eurovision

As the US approaches its 2020 election, and with Israel coming up on more than one occasion on the Hill, does Israel need to worry about the “Day After Trump?”

In this episode of Tipping Point, Dr. Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, explains why the polarization of US politics, mixed together with a growing divide between American Jewry and Israel, is a recipe for damage to Israel’s position in the world.

She shares her advice on what can be done to curb these parallel developments both by Israelis and Diaspora Jews alike, addresses how rising anti-Semitism in America fits into the equation and what American Jews don’t get about Israel.

May 26, 2019

Episode 117 - Is Bipartisan Support Slipping Away?

What is it like covering one of the most contentious regions on the globe?

In this episode, Tipping Point gets the unique opportunity to ask outgoing Bloomberg bureau chief, Michael Arnold, about his experiences working for the biggest international economics news agency as the boss in Tel Aviv. 

What is the greatest challenge for a Jewish journalist working in the foreign press, does Israel get a fair shake in the international media, and what should newbie journalists keep in mind when reporting about Israel to the rest of the world? Hint – It’s not always about the conflict.

June 6, 2019

Episode 118 - A Reporter’s Notebook on Israel

Will religion & state be at the center of the election campaign in Israel? (02:56) Who benefits from putting this topic at the top of the agenda? (03:50) And are we on the brink of a cultural war in Israel? (05:06)

On Tipping Point’s latest episode, with Prof. Yedidia Stern (Israel Democracy Institute, Bar Ilan University), we find out.

Is there any hope that the disagreements over religion and state will be resolved after the September elections? (07:14)
How will demographic changes in Israel impact the power of the ultra Orthodox in Israel? (09:35)
And can a viable solution to the draft bill issue be found? (11:58)

Also on this podcast – is Israel more Jewish or democratic? (16:44)
Can Israel become a state governed by religious law? (18:39) And is the fight over Shabbat about to erupt again? (23:55)

Before wrapping up, Prof. Stern explains why he is still an optimist when it comes to Israel’s future. (28:04)

June 19, 2019

Episode 119 - Divided We Stand

With reports of anti-Semitism on the rise in Europe and the United States, Tipping Point sat down with Charles Asher Small, the head of ISGAP – an organization empowering scholars and communities to fight racism.
Who is responsible for the rise in anti-Semitism – the Left or the Right? (02:09)
Why is academia afraid of teaching contemporary anti-Semitism (09:06) and how much of an impact can talking about it in a classroom actually make? (11:52)
Is hatred of Israel and hatred of the Jews one in the same? (14:10)

Also on this podcast – Can a bridge between the Jewish People and Muslim world be created to eliminate anti-Semitism from its ranks? (21:35)

Finally, Dr. Small reveals what he thinks about Israel’s relationships with controversial European leaders. (25:55)

Episode 120: Combating Anti-Semitism in the Field of Ideas

Tipping Point is a weekly podcast on all things Israel, where you can hear straight from leading figures in security, politics, society, sports, entertainment and journalism.

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