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Earlier this week, Israel held its second national election in five months after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a governing coalition in April. On this week’s episode, Times of Israel political correspondent Raoul Wootliff joins us to recap the complicated election results and help us understand what they mean for Israel’s future. Then we speak to Sarah Hurwitz, former head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, to discuss how she rediscovered a connection to Judaism, the focus of her new book, Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There). Finally, Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Life/Features Editor at The Forward, joins us to discuss the recent spate of attacks against Orthodox Jews in New York.

For years, the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and other countries have called all of Hezbollah what it really is: a terrorist organization. The group’s self-portrayal as a legitimate Lebanese political party notwithstanding, no amount of spin or reorganization can overshadow Hezbollah’s destructive and lethal organized crime operation around the world.

Despite claims to the contrary, shutting out Hezbollah in its entirety will not destabilize the Lebanese government, and does nothing to combat ISIS.

Full designation of the complex group is possible and beneficial to Lebanon. Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into violent maelstroms that led to the destruction of infrastructure, damage to the Lebanese economy and the loss of human life, in complete contradiction to the interests of the Lebanese government.