Munk Dialogue with Matti Friedman: Israel’s new political coalition and the return of Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel - a country founded on secular, European principles - just voted into power the most right wing, religious government in its history. How does Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister, keep getting elected? Will this new right-wing religious coalition affect Israeli pluralism and uphold its commitment to democratic principles? And how might this incoming government change the nature of the Israeli-Palestianian conflict? Canadian-Israeli journalist, author, and op-ed contributor for the New York Times Matti Friedman joins us for an in-depth discussion about the Middle East’s only democracy - and why western assumptions about Israel are nearly always wrong.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to [email protected].   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz