Israel defines itself as both a Jewish state and a democratic one. But balancing those two identities raises fundamental questions about equality, national identity, and who gets to define what it means to be a Jewish state.

On this episode of Disputed Territory, we're bringing in Israel Policy Forum's heavy hitter Chief Policy Officer Michael Koplow to help us try to answer this question. A longtime analyst of Israeli politics and American Jewry, Michael writes the weekly Koplow Column and contributes to publications including Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and frequently appears on Vox's Today, Explained, NPR, War on the Rocks, and in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Jewish Insider, and more.

Together, they explore what makes Israel both Jewish and democratic, where those commitments come into tension, and what Israel's Jewish identity means for its non-Jewish citizens. They also examine Israel's relationship with Jews around the world and who ultimately gets a say in shaping the country's identity.

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