SPECIAL: Hope in Collapse: Yehuda Shaul on Democracy, Occupation, and Moral Clarity

In this episode, I speak with Yehuda Shaul, longtime activist and co-founder of Breaking the Silence. Yehuda has spent years challenging the Israeli occupation from within — gathering testimonies from soldiers, advocating for accountability, and speaking to international audiences about the moral cost of ongoing violence.Today, he co-directs Ofek: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs, a progressive think tank committed to ending the occupation and promoting a political future based on equality and dignity for both peoples.We talk about what remains after October 7th — for activism, for democracy, and for Israelis and Palestinians who still believe in justice. Yehuda reflects on how Israel’s civic space has contracted, how his work has shifted, and why international pressure is more important than ever.He also shares what it means to be called a “traitor” by your own society, how he holds onto hope, and why giving up was never an option.A special thank you to OFEK: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs!Thanks to Simon Eichinger for post-production, Jordi Kuragari for video snippets, and Lea Volz and 365 Sherpas for editorial support.This podcast is a project of Gesellschaft im Wandel gGmbH, funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.Thanks for listening — please subscribe and share with your friends and family!In dieser Folge spreche ich mit Yehuda Shaul, Mitgründer der Organisation Breaking the Silence. Seit Jahren setzt er sich für ein Ende der israelischen Besatzung ein und sammelt Zeugnisse von israelischen Soldat:innen. Heute leitet er die progressive Denkfabrik Ofek: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs.Wir sprechen über den Zustand von Israels Demokratie nach dem 7. Oktober, über die Rolle internationaler Akteur:innen, die Reaktionen auf seinen Aktivismus – und darüber, warum er nicht aufgibt.Guest: Yehuda ShaulHost: Shai HoffmannLinks:🔗 https://www.ofekcenter.org.il/eng/🔗 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthesilenceisrael🔗 https://herzl.cuni.cz/HERZL-62.html🔗 https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena-israelpalestine/246-stemming-israeli-settler-violence🔗 https://ngo-monitor.org/ngos/breaking_the_silence_shovirm_shtika_/Produced by Gesellschaft im Wandel gGmbH and funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.Special thanks to OFEK: The Israeli Center for Public Affairs, Simon Eichinger (post-production), Lea Volz & 365 Sherpas (editorial support) and Jordi Kuragari (video), 🔗 Links⁠Haaretz (2018)⁠⁠972Mag⁠⁠Haaretz (2025)⁠⁠Jewish Voice for Labour⁠______________________________________