How much longer can Israel sustain the war it started?

About this episode

The episode discusses the ongoing conflict initiated by Israel and its impact on Israeli society and public opinion.

It has been a month since Israel, along with the US, launched strikes on Iran, leading the Middle East into yet another conflict it tried to avoid. Iran has responded by firing waves of missiles and drones, mostly towards its Gulf neighbours but also at Israel, where attacks have become increasingly disruptive. While the American public are largely divided over the war, in Israel, surveys showed the majority were in favour, at least in the beginning. But weeks later, the cost is mounting. Some of the attacks have caused damage, injuries and deaths. People’s daily routines and livelihoods have been affected. Meanwhile, Lebanon has once again been drawn into conflict. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the effects of the war on Israeli society and the state, and asks whether public support is starting to wane. She speaks to The National’s Jerusalem correspondent Thomas Helm, Tel Aviv-based political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin and Danny Citrinowicz, senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies.

People in this episode

Host: Nada AlTaher

Guests: Thomas Helm, Dahlia Scheindlin, Danny Citrinowicz

Topics covered

• Israel
• Iran
• Middle East conflict
• public opinion
• war impact
• Israeli society

Keywords

• Israel
• Iran
• war
• public support
• Middle East
• conflict
• society
• drones
• missiles

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The National

Places: Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Middle East

More episodes of Beyond the Headlines

• Are the US and Israel still fighting the same war? · June 12, 2026 · 26 min
• The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup · June 5, 2026 · 23 min
• Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza? · May 29, 2026 · 21 min
• More weapons, less action: What are the Houthis up to? · May 22, 2026 · 19 min
• Where does China stand in US-Iran conflict? · May 14, 2026 · 14 min
• Your move: What next in battle for Strait of Hormuz? · May 7, 2026 · 22 min