Hilltop Youth and Israel's Moral Crisis
5/7/202649 min
Can an army of the people maintain its ethical compass when a faction of the public it protects and consists of embraces ideological lawlessness?
In this episode, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi dissect the IDF Chief of Staff's urgent warning regarding military discipline, examine the ideological evolution of the Hilltop Youth and the government and public responses to it. Together, they confront the dangerous "Torah of dominance" taking root and ask what it will take to reclaim the soul of Zionism for future generations.
From the episode:
IDF chief said to order investigation into claims of widespread looting by troops in south Lebanon, Times of Israel, April 24, 2026
Entire Villages Razed – Report Reveals Scale of Destruction Israel Unleashed on South Lebanon, Haaretz, May 5, 2026
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Learn how Hartman is building the pipeline of young Jewish leadership.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsYossi Klein Halevi· Host0:00
[ on-hold music] You are listening to an Ark Media podcast. There's nothing more dangerous than someone who perceives himself as a victim but has power. It's that convergence of powerlessness, of vengeance, rage, of perception of powerlessness with actual power. You have the power to act on your frustrations of perceived powerlessness, and that's what we're seeing playing out with the most extreme group of settlers.
Donniel Hartman· Host0:39
Hilltop Youth is opening up a new chapter, not just within religious Zionism, but as the chief of staff said, within our country. And we have to ask ourselves, as the chief of staff asked, "Is this the army we want, and is this the country we want?" [percussive music] Hi, friends. This is Daniella Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi from the Shalom Hartman Institute, and this is our podcast, For Heaven's Sake, in collaboration with Ark Media. Today is May 5th, 2026, and our theme for today we entitled Hilltop Youth and Israel's Moral Crisis. For a long time now, Yossi,