Emergency Episode: Inside the Attack on Iran with Avi Melamed

Unpacking Israeli History

Unpacked

Judaism, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this special episode, Noam Weissman sits down with Middle East expert and former Israeli intelligence official Avi Melamed to unpack the forces driving the Israel–Iran–U.S. confrontation. From the Sunni–Shiite split to Iran’s 1979 Islamic takeover, Avi explains how theology, grievance, and ideology shaped the Islamic Republic. He explores how Tehran’s proxy network, from Hezbollah to the Houthis, turned the Israeli–Palestinian conflict into a driver of regional escalation. They also confront the urgent question: What happens next? The New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/02/25/opinion/iran-protests-doctors.html Inside the Middle East: https://insidethemiddle-east.com/intelligence-experiences-meet-avi-melamed/ This episode is dedicated in memory of Armand Lindenbaum, the grandson of Rav Avigdor Amiel, by his wife, Jean, and children, Felice, Amiel, and Ariel Lindenbaum-Sebag Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. Check out this episode on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand .------------------- Visit ⁠jewishlives.org/⁠ to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wondering Jews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, I'm Noam Weisman and this is Unpacking Israeli History, the podcast that takes a deep dive into some of the most intense, historically fascinating and often misunderstood events and stories linked to Israeli history.
0:11.8	This episode of Unpacking Israeli History is sponsored by Gene Lyndonbaum and her children, Felice, Amiel, and Ariel.
0:18.4	If you're interested in sponsoring an episode of Unpacking's early history or just saying
0:23.5	what's up, be in touch at noam at unpack.m.
0:26.0	Before we start one more thing, unpacking's early history is on Instagram.
0:32.1	It's on YouTube.
0:32.8	It's on TikTok.
0:33.5	All the different places, just search unpacking's early history.
0:37.0	And make sure to hit that follow or subscribe button.
0:40.6	Okay, Yala.
0:42.5	Let's do this.
0:45.1	We're going to Makhryzim, the God.
0:47.9	Allah Tamas, Medina, you see, the heir to Israel.
0:52.2	We, the people of Israel, he will be not Israel. We, the people of Israel, are prepared and anxious to meet the representatives of our neighbors without any preconditions.
1:03.0	There are people in Israel and elsewhere.
1:07.0	Say it's impossible to make peace between their ups and Israel or the Jewish people.
1:12.5	I think they're home.
1:15.6	Over the past 24 hours, it feels like history sped up. It feels like it always does.
1:21.7	Strikes, retaliation, rumors about leadership targets, internet blackouts, and region holding its breath.
1:28.1	But if we zoom out, and that's what we like to do here at unpacking Israeli history,
1:31.9	this moment did not begin yesterday.
1:34.1	It sits on top of decades of revolution, ideology, proxy warfare, intelligence battles,
	...

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