Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

In part two of Dan’s conversation with political scientist Yascha Mounk, the two discuss identity politics, its growing influence on the American left, and the danger this trend poses to pluralistic societies.
They examine why identity politics is so seductive, how it reshapes government, schools, and civic  institutions, and why Mounk believes it ultimately undermines both individuality and democratic cohesion. The conversation also turns inward, exploring Jewish identity: where it strengthens pluralism, where it becomes politicized, and why Jews, in particular, should be cautious about abandoning universal principles for group-based power.
In this episode...
- Why liberalism today feels unrecognizable
- What identity politics is and why it’s so appealing
- How universalism gave way to group-based politics
- When inclusion turns into segregation
- Jewish identity and the limits of identity-based politics
- Why free speech remains essential for a pluralistic democracy
From the episode:
- Listen to Yascha’s podcast The Good Fight
- Subscribe to Persuasion
- Purchase Yascha’s book, The Identity Trap
More Ark Media:
Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch
Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

Is Antizionism the new common denominator of the left? Political scientist Yascha Mounk, founder of Persuasion and author of The Identity Trap, joins Dan to discuss whether the rise of Zohran Mamdani is indicative of a growing connection between socialist causes and hostility towards Jews. Drawing on his personal history, Mounk explains the different iterations of Antisemitism on the left and discusses with Dan whether it is categorically different from what we’re increasingly seeing on the American right.
The conversation went longer than normal, so stay tuned for part 2 in which Dan and Yascha discuss how identity politics consumed America and Jews should be wary of falling into the same trap.
In this episode...
- Yascha’s political upbringing
- The history of Antizionism on the left 
- What would Mamdani compromise on?
- Is the IHRA’s definition of Antisemitism dangerous to free speech? 
- The Western left’s silence on repression in Iran
This episode was sponsored by Maimonides Fund: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBack
From the episode:
- Listen to Yascha’s podcast The Good Fight
- Subscribe to Persuasion
- Purchase Yascha’s book, The Identity Trap
More Ark Media:
Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch
Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

This is a sneak peek from a recent conversation on Inside Call Me Back, the members-only edition of the podcast. Dan takes listener questions with Ilan, starting with reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu may have urged President Trump to delay a strike on Iran. They also touch on Saudi Arabia’s opposition to an attack, the link between conspiracy thinking and antisemitism, and whether there’s a path back to bipartisan support for Israel in American politics. To hear the full conversation, become a member by following the link in the description or visiting arkmedia.org.
More Ark Media:
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch
Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

While President Trump has made multiple threats against the Islamic Republic’s regime due to its violent crackdown against protesters, the world still waits to see whether the United States will indeed follow through. Karim Sadjadpour, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Ark Media contributor Nadav Eyal join Dan to discuss what shape might an American attack take, whether it has in fact already started, how Iran might retaliate, and whether this could be the end of the Ayatollah regime.
In this episode...
- Under the communications shutdown, can we know what’s happening in Iran?
- Israel expects an American action… But of what kind?
- Is the Ayatollah regime crumbling? 
- Is the United States already operating within Iran?
- Getting into the mind of the Supreme Leader
- How is Israel preparing? 
- What should the West do?
- Understanding Reza Pahlavi’s role
This episode was sponsored by Birthright: Invest in the Jewish future today at onetripchangeseverything.com.
From the episode:
- Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.
- Nadav’s latest newsletter on Iran
- Read Karim’s latest piece in Foreign Affairs
More Ark Media:
Subscribe to Inside Call me Back
Listen to For Heaven's Sake
Listen to What’s Your Number?
Watch Call me Back on YouTube
Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal
Instagram | Ark Media | Dan
X | Dan
Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel
Get in touch
Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Pattricio Spadaveccia, Yuval Semo

Subscribe to Inside Call me Back https://inside.arkmedia.org
Gift a subscription of Inside Call me Back: https://inside.arkmedia.org/gifts
Read Karim's piece in Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/autumn-ayatollahs
Subscribe to Nadav Eyal’s Substack: https://nadave.substack.com/
Subscribe to Amit Segal’s newsletter ‘It’s Noon in Israel’: https://arkmedia.org/amitsegal/
Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/
Ark Media on Instagram: https://instagram.com/arkmediaorg
Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor
Dan on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dansenor
To order Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdn
Today’s Episode: 
As Iran enters another week of unrest, protests have continued to spread across the country, with demonstrations reported in multiple major cities. The regime has responded by sharply restricting internet and cellular access, making it difficult to assess the full scale of the crackdown as regional tensions rise and President Trump warns that the United States could intervene if protesters are killed.
To discuss what this moment could mean for Iran’s future, Dan was joined by Karim Sadjadpour, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a recurring guest on the podcast. Karim examines whether Iran may be nearing a tipping point, how the regime is attempting to suppress dissent, and what the fall of the Islamic Republic could look like, including the risks and challenges of political transition.
CREDITS:
ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor
ADAAM JAMES LEVIN-AREDDY - Executive Producer
BRITTANY COHEN - Production Manager
MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor
MARIANGELES BURGOS AND PATRICIO SPADAVECCHIA - Additional Editing
YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer