Listen "Rep. Adam Smith on What Must Come After the Ceasefire"
Episode Synopsis
This week on Word on the Street Live, we spoke with Congressman Adam Smith – Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee and one of the most thoughtful foreign policy voices in DC – about what comes next after the ceasefire.
The conversation was frank, forward-looking and packed with insight. Congressman Smith calls this a “transitional moment” – one where US policy, Israeli politics and regional dynamics are all shifting in real time.
We explored:
What the ceasefire means for Gaza’s future.
Why support for Israel has dropped significantly in the US – and what that means for the relationship going forward.
Whether sanctions or even arms restrictions in the West Bank might be necessary tools to influence a right-wing Israeli government.
How conditioning US aid to Israel, once a political third rail, is now part of the mainstream debate.
And the big question: Can Israel truly thrive on the world stage without ensuring rights and dignity for Palestinians?
We’re not going back to the October 6th way of thinking. So what’s the new path – for Israel, for the US and for those of us who still believe in a just and secure future for both peoples? Tune in.
The conversation was frank, forward-looking and packed with insight. Congressman Smith calls this a “transitional moment” – one where US policy, Israeli politics and regional dynamics are all shifting in real time.
We explored:
What the ceasefire means for Gaza’s future.
Why support for Israel has dropped significantly in the US – and what that means for the relationship going forward.
Whether sanctions or even arms restrictions in the West Bank might be necessary tools to influence a right-wing Israeli government.
How conditioning US aid to Israel, once a political third rail, is now part of the mainstream debate.
And the big question: Can Israel truly thrive on the world stage without ensuring rights and dignity for Palestinians?
We’re not going back to the October 6th way of thinking. So what’s the new path – for Israel, for the US and for those of us who still believe in a just and secure future for both peoples? Tune in.
More episodes of the podcast J Street Conversations
Life and Death in Gaza Since October 7
10/10/2025
Life in the Occupied West Bank
18/09/2025