Israelis vote on October 27, after years of war, trauma and a hostage crisis that Dr. Leshem lived through as an activist. He is a senior researcher in the psychology department at the Hebrew University and heads the International Hub for Hope Research. His book Revolution of Hope is out now in Hebrew, with an English translation planned.
In this conversation
Why hope has two dimensions, the expectation that something can happen and the wish that it will, and why the wish matters more for politics
How some leaders leave the future out of their rhetoric and keep citizens in a permanent state of crisis
His survey finding that “peace” was the warmest word for Jewish Israelis, warmer than agreement, accord or conflict resolution
Why he thinks peace advocates should focus on media and public discourse, rather than only top-down diplomacy or grassroots work
What the LGBT movement’s shift toward pride and celebration offers other causes
Younger Israelis, the way October 7 gets told, and why extremists fear moderates more than each other
Viktor Frankl’s story of a prisoner whose hope had an expiration date, and what it means if the election goes the wrong way
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:28 What hope research is
03:37 Leaders who erase the future
06:15 Hope and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
08:28 The two dimensions of hope
14:24 Does leadership matter?
18:29 Can you say “peace” in Israel today?
24:07 Reaching beyond your own camp
27:54 The younger generation
33:25 Why moderates get attacked
35:26 What if Netanyahu wins again?
39:33 History’s tricks
