Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren joins me on the WhoWhatWhy podcast to decode this historical inflection point. A historian, former Knesset member, and veteran of Israeli government service, Oren offers a unique perspective from someone who has spent his life at the intersection of scholarship and statecraft. Hours before Israel’s first strike, he published a prescient piece asking whether this was Israel’s “Dirty Harry moment” — the confrontation that would finally call Iran’s bluff.
Israel’s ‘Dirty Harry Moment’
Former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren reveals the “original sin” and decades-long miscalculation that led to this moment — and what comes next.
Jul 03, 2025

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Jeff Schechtman talks with authors, journalists, newsmakers and opinion shapers, and sheds light on the issues of the day, from local stories to national and international headlines and ideas.
Jeff Schechtman talks with authors, journalists, newsmakers and opinion shapers, and sheds light on the issues of the day, from local stories to national and international headlines and ideas.Listen on
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