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Annexation and hostages: Discussing Israel’s next moves

WATCH: “Israel Undiplomatic” with Mark Regev and Ruthie Blum, Ep. 65

Is Israel about to reoccupy Gaza? Leaks from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office suggest that a significant military operation in the Strip may be imminent, but internal tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir raise questions about its viability. Is this a trial balloon or a real plan?

Meanwhile, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s visit to Judea and Samaria has reignited the debate over annexation. Could this be a precursor to significant shifts in Israeli policy?

In this week’s episode of “Israel Undiplomatic,” JNS senior contributing editor Ruthie Blum and Mark Regev, former Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom—both former advisers at the Prime Minister’s Office—tackle these high-stakes issues. They explore the implications of Israel’s potential occupation of Gaza, the complex relationship between the Israeli government and the international community and the growing calls for annexation in Judea and Samaria.

Ruthie and Mark also discuss the fierce ideological divide within Israel on these issues, with personal insights into the motivations behind both Israeli and global reactions. They explore the critical question of how Israel should navigate growing international pressure while securing its own survival and safeguarding its citizens.

Ruthie Blum, a former adviser at the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is an award-winning columnist and a senior contributing editor at JNS. Co-host with Ambassador Mark Regev of the JNS-TV podcast “Israel Undiplomatic,” she writes on Israeli politics and U.S.-Israel relations. Originally from New York City, she moved to Israel in 1977. She is a regular guest on national and international media outlets, including Fox, Sky News, i24News, Scripps, ILTV, WION and Newsmax.
Mark Regev is an Australian-Israeli diplomat, government advisor, and former ambassador. He served as Israel’s Ambassador to the UK (2016–2020) and as Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs and International Communications to Prime Minister Netanyahu (2020–2021). Currently, he is the Chairman of the Abba Eban Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations at Reichman University. Regev co-hosts Undiplomatic on JNS TV’s YouTube channel alongside Ruthie Blum.
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