Episodes

  • The Crime Without a Definition: Fixing Israel’s Vague ‘Breach of Trust’ Law

    The Crime Without a Definition: Fixing Israel’s Vague ‘Breach of Trust’ Law
    Jan 16 2026
    As Iran’s streets fill with protesters paying in blood for the basic right to vote, speak and dissent, Basic Law turns the camera inward and asks a sharper question: are Israelis, in the middle of their own democratic trench warfare, about to rewrite criminal law for principled reasons or for perfectly timed political gain? Host Aylana Meisel uses a “magic trick” to strip the personalities out of the debate and walk you through the real issue: Israel’s fraud and breach of trust offense is so vague it can turn “unethical” into “criminal” after the fact, empowering prosecutors and judges to enforce intuition instead of clear rules. You’ll learn why top legal scholars across Israel’s ideological spectrum have warned about this for decades, how a landmark Supreme Court case exposed the law’s arbitrariness and why global democracies are moving away from catch-all corruption charges. The result is a gripping framework for spotting the difference between rule of law and rule by headline...right when it matters most.
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    23 mins
  • How Can the Law Limit Mamdani’s Policy Agenda?

    How Can the Law Limit Mamdani’s Policy Agenda?
    Jan 8 2026
    New York City changed overnight and for many Jews, the warning signs are flashing red. The swearing-in of Mayor Zohran Mamdani set off a chain reaction: key antisemitism protections erased, BDS barriers dismantled and a political signal that leaves Jewish safety feeling negotiable. But panic isn’t the answer. Constitutional lawyer Mark Goldfeder lays out the real story behind the symbolism, the legal traps ahead and the surprisingly powerful tools still available. He lists everything New Yorkers can use to fight back when politics turn hostile: from federal civil rights law to the FACE Act. This isn’t a discussion about fear. It’s about leverage, law and what actually protects a community when the guardrails come down.
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    34 mins
  • Israel's Legal Elite Have a Power Problem But A Solution Already Exists

    Israel's Legal Elite Have a Power Problem But A Solution Already Exists
    Jan 4 2026
    Most coverage of Israeli law gets one thing disastrously wrong and that misunderstanding is now shaping Israel’s political future. In this episode of "Basic Law", we pull back the curtain on the immense, largely unexamined power of Israel’s Attorney General, why reform efforts didn’t begin with today’s government and how decades of legal drift quietly reshaped Israeli democracy. From absurd media narratives to historic showdowns that changed elections, this conversation reveals why the real battle isn’t left versus right, but accountability versus unchecked authority. If you think this debate is new, partisan, or simple, this episode will force you to rethink everything.
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    21 mins
  • They 'Globalized the Intifada'...Should America Ban the Chant Now?

    They 'Globalized the Intifada'...Should America Ban the Chant Now?
    Dec 25 2025
    Aylana Meisel-Diament sits down with former Palau Supreme Court Justice and U.S. constitutional scholar Greg Dolin to tackle one of the most uncomfortable and urgent questions facing Jewish communities today. As cities like London and possibly Sydney begin criminalizing antisemitic slogans, America’s First Amendment protections collide with real-world threats to Jews in public, at universities and even in religious institutions. Can free speech coexist with safety? Or is censorship feeding the very extremism it seeks to contain? And what course of action should American Jews pursue?
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    44 mins
  • A Quiet Israeli Ruling With Global Consequences

    A Quiet Israeli Ruling With Global Consequences
    Dec 18 2025
    A controversial court ruling in Israel collided with a global wave of antisemitic violence and the consequences may be far bigger than most people realize. As Jews mourn a brutal Hanukkah massacre in Australia and attacks surge across the West, Israel finds itself paralyzed by an unelected official wielding extraordinary power at the worst possible moment. In this episode, we explore why Israel’s internal political fracture isn’t just a domestic legal fight. Drawing on history, Hanukkah’s hard lessons and today’s alarming reality, this conversation asks a dangerous question: when Israel cannot fully govern itself, who ultimately pays the price?
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    14 mins
  • Don't Look Away! Israel’s Next Battle: Death Penalty for Terrorists

    Don't Look Away! Israel’s Next Battle: Death Penalty for Terrorists
    Dec 11 2025
    Israel is once again confronting the unthinkable: should terrorists be executed? Amid the chaos of political drama, like Itamar Ben-Gvir’s noose pin stunt, the real debate is getting lost. This episode of "Basic Law" slices through the noise to examine the moral, legal and strategic stakes of a renewed push for the death penalty. From historical trauma to October 7th, from Jewish law to the failures of past prisoner swaps, Aylana discusses all the factors behind this landmark debate in Israel. Is the bill a genuine shift or just a signal in an election year culture war?
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    13 mins
  • Shedding Light On Israel's Need for Structural Reform

    Shedding Light On Israel's Need for Structural Reform
    Nov 27 2025
    Israel’s latest legal scandal isn’t just about one leaked video or one reckless military advocate general, it’s a flashing red warning light for the entire constitutional future of the Jewish state. In this episode of "Basic Law," Aylana Meisel-Diament exposes how a single alleged cover‑up spiraled into a labyrinth of judicial self‑policing, political power struggles and a legal system so insulated it may no longer answer to the people it governs. From Supreme Court justices sitting atop every major decision‑making body to a MAG office investigating itself, this case reveals a deeper crisis: can the rule of law survive when those who enforce it are accountable only to themselves?
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    12 mins
  • Major Israeli Official Caught in Cover-Up and It's Getting Ugly!

    Major Israeli Official Caught in Cover-Up and It's Getting Ugly!
    Nov 13 2025
    A scandal of historic proportions has rocked Israel’s legal system. The military’s top legal officer, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, is accused of illegally leaking doctored security footage during wartime, allegedly to smear IDF reservists. The leak triggered riots, international outrage and a cover-up that reached all the way to Israel’s Supreme Court. Now, shocking evidence reveals a web of lies, destroyed phones and possibly a staged suicide attempt, all pointing to deep dysfunction and politicization inside Israel’s law enforcement elite. Legal scholar Yonatan Green joins Basic Law to unpack the explosive implications for civil-military relations, judicial supremacy and the future of Israeli democracy.
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    37 mins