Daniel Polisar

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Oct 27, 2024, 10:21 PM

Simchat Torah, Terror, Tears, and Resilience

On the morning of last October 7th, which coincided with the festival of Simchat Torah, most Israelis became aware something was wrong when they heard the air raid sirens triggered by rockets Hamas fired at the country’s population centers,...

Oct 7, 2024, 12:43 AM

‘The front is not there or here, but inside each of us’

Prime Minister and Minister of Defense David Ben-Gurion with IDF Commander of the Jerusalem District Colonel Yossef Nevo and Jerusalem Mayor Mordechai Ish-Shalom at an army post on Jerusalem border, Musrara, West Jerusalem, beginning of August 1962. (PD David Harris via Wikimedia)

How well have Israelis handled the war over the past year? By the measures David Ben-Gurion set forth, very well indeed

Sep 30, 2024, 9:49 PM

The IDF donors who just won’t quit

The war is expanding, the donors are tired, and it’s hard to blame them. With the conflict in Gaza still raging and the fighting with Hezbollah escalating, the needs of IDF units in harm’s way are growing substantially while donor...

Jun 13, 2024, 11:13 PM

‘I love the IDF with a fierce and profound love’

Soldiers in the IDF Golani Brigade hold a swearing-in ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on February 6, 2020. (Israel Defense Forces)

I've always respected Israel's army, but David Ben-Gurion's emotion-packed praise seemed over the top – until now

Mar 28, 2024, 9:36 PM

What if IDF donors get tired before Hamas does?

Soldiers of the Givati Brigade operate in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, in an image published February 4, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

To anyone who feels 'donor fatigue': Here's my case for why you should keep footing the bills for our soldiers' gear

May 4, 2022, 6:04 PM

There is no such thing as a lone soldier in Israel

In summer 2014, a friend with a reputation for being a tough guy was on the verge of tears when he handed me a picture taken at the Jerusalem funeral of Max Steinberg, a member of the storied Golani...

May 27, 2021, 10:42 AM

Eilat Mazar, one of Israel’s founders

Archaeologist Eilat Mazar in the 2018 winter Ophel Excavations in Jerusalem. (YouTube screenshot)

Mazar's excavation found compelling evidence of a 10th cent. BCE Israelite kingdom that just might have been David's. Here's the story of how she got started

Jun 10, 2016, 7:37 PM

Palestinian public opinion is behind Tel Aviv terror attack

Palestinian opinion polls prove the Sarona gunmen could rest assured that they'd be hailed as heroes

Aug 28, 2014, 1:54 AM

Despite the fog of ceasefire, Israel has emerged stronger from the war

Despite the fog of ceasefire, Israelis should have a sense of accomplishment and heightened confidence

Aug 20, 2014, 1:23 AM

Why Hamas leaders are blind to Israel’s real strength

They made the mistake of equating democracy and a love of life with weakness

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About Me

Dr. Daniel Polisar is executive vice president of Shalem College in Jerusalem. He researches and writes on Zionist history and thought, Middle Eastern politics, rhetoric, and higher education. Since October 8, his three sons have been fighting with the IDF in Gaza and he has been leading an initiative to provide essential gear for Israeli soldiers. He and his teammates recently completed a campaign in which they raised $12 million to supply soldiers in northern Israel and they have embarked on a follow-up effort to assist additional units that have entered the fighting. Donations can be made using information at tinyurl.com/IDFGearCampaign. Polisar can be reached at dpolisar@shalem.ac.il or via WhatsApp at +972-50-795-9474.

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