Summary4 min read

Call Me Back – with Dan Senor

Episode: Sneak Peek: Dan on Guardrails Protecting Jews from Mamdani, and More...
Date: July 25, 2026
Host: Ark Media
Participants: Dan Senor (A), Ilan Benatar (B)

Episode Overview

This members-only sneak peek episode of Call Me Back focuses on the rising concerns facing Israelis and Jews in New York City and beyond, especially in light of divisive political maneuvers and broader shifts in public sentiment around Israel. Host Dan Senor addresses pressing listener questions about Jewish safety, the political climate post-primary elections, and the complexities of international alliances involving Israel, with special reference to recent controversies in New York and the possibility of Israel pivoting toward China.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Reaction to Neil Ferguson's Episode and the "Horseshoe Theory"

Dan and Ilan discuss the overwhelming listener response to their earlier episode with historian Niall Ferguson.
- Dan notes the profound impact Ferguson had by clearly outlining the merging of political extremes and the dangers of historical amnesia concerning events like the Holocaust.
- Quote:
  
  "The way he framed the challenge...I just think he presented it in such stark and vivid terms that I'm just struck by the reaction it's gotten."
  — Dan, [01:35]
- Ilan adds that Jews have always been early indicators ("canaries in the coal mine") of coming societal dangers.

2. Jewish Safety and Political Stunts by NYC Officials

Listener Question (Cameron, NYC): "What should Jewish New Yorkers be doing to fight this?" ([02:52])
- Dan identifies the core dilemma many Jewish Democrats feel regarding their place in the party following recent primary results.
- Focus on Mamdani's "Stunt":
  - Mamdani, a NYC official, threatened (then publicly walked back) to arrest the Israeli Prime Minister for "war crimes" during a UN visit—an act Dan describes as a political stunt with no legal standing.
  - The real danger, Dan argues, is not the stunt itself but its intended effect: amplifying anti-Israel and potentially anti-Jewish sentiment, making Jews in NYC feel less safe.
  - Quote:
    
    "He is making life less safe for [Jewish New Yorkers]...He's contributing to an environment by inveighing against Israel in this way and inveighing against Israelis in this way...He's making life less safe for them. That's his choice. He knows what he's doing."
    — Dan, [06:15]
- Guardrails and Accountability:
  - Dan urges listeners to hold not only Mamdani accountable but also those in his administration—and broader Democratic leadership—who claim to be "guardrails" for responsible governance.
  - Quote:
    
    "...We should also hold a lot of people accountable who claim that they're around Mamdani and they have some role to keep up some guardrails, prevent things from really spiraling out of control."
    — Dan, [05:54]
  - He notes a dangerous shift where public officials allow anti-Israel rhetoric to spill into everyday dangers for Israeli and Jewish New Yorkers.
- Memorable Moment (Tone):
  - Dan candidly accuses Mamdani of spreading "lies" and calls out the performative nature of the episode.
    
    "There’s no factual basis upon which to...to back them up. But using this issue, this very provocative issue about arresting the leader of Israel...has had great effect."
    — Dan, [04:53]

3. Israel’s Strategic Alliances: US vs. China

Listener Question (Michael from “somewhere in the U.S.”): Should Israel consider pivoting away from the U.S. and toward an alliance with China? ([07:04])
- Dan gives a direct answer: No, China is not a reliable partner for Israel.
  - The US-Israel relationship is founded on deep, long-standing shared interests and values, even amid current political volatility.
  - China, he says, is strategically opportunistic, maintaining ties with Israel’s adversaries (Iran, North Korea, Russia), making it an unreliable and potentially dangerous partner.
  - Quote:
    
    "Even with our political problems and the jarring swings back and forth on our politics...the US is still a lot more reliable than any whimsical tactical alignment in the moment that Israel could hope to get from China."
    — Dan, [08:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the state of the Democratic Party for Jews:

"The question you're asking, or version of it, is basically what I hear more than almost any other question these days from my fellow New Yorkers..."
— Dan, [03:10]
On holding 'guardrails' accountable:

"All these people who are assuring us that they're going to be the guardrails—well, guess what? What Mamdani is doing right now is making life less safe for Jewish New Yorkers."
— Dan, [06:00]
On US–Israel vs. China–Israel relations:

"In that battle, which is much bigger than Israel, Israel needs to stand firmly on one side, and that's with the United States."
— Dan, [08:20]

Timestamps for Important Segments

[01:35] – Discussion of audience reaction to the Niall Ferguson episode and the “horseshoe theory”
[02:52] – Listener question on the Democratic Party, Mamdani’s stunt, and implications for Jewish safety in NYC
[05:54] – Discussion of political “guardrails” and accountability within city and state Democratic leadership
[07:04] – Question about Israel potentially aligning with China instead of the US
[08:20] – Dan’s strong stance on the strategic necessity of US-Israel ties

Summary Verdict

This episode is a pointed, clear-eyed look at the challenges facing Jewish and Israeli communities in NYC and the US broadly, focusing on the impact of political performativity that heightens risks for Jews, the reliability (or not) of political “guardrails,” and the enduring, if sometimes fraught, necessity of the US–Israel alliance in a shifting geopolitics. Dan’s tone is direct and urgent, with a blend of historical awareness and practical caution—as well as a call to scrutinize not just the provocateurs, but also those who claim to “contain” them.

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Transcript11 lines

[00:00]
A
Hi, it's Dan. Over the past couple of years, CallMeBack has grown into something much bigger than we ever expected. A place for clarity, context and honest conversations at a time when those things can seem hard to find. That's what ARC Media is all about. Building a truly independent voice, which means no one shaping what we say or how we say it. To help support our rapidly expanding operations, we created Inside Call Me Back, our members only feed. If Call Me Back has been meaning meaningful to you and you want to be part of what we're building, I hope you'll join us. Your contribution goes a long way in helping us show up when it matters most. You can subscribe@arc media.org or through the link in the show notes and to our insiders. Thank you. You are listening to an art media podcast, foreign.
[01:03]
B
Welcome to Inside Call Me Back, our members only edition where we open the door and let you shape the conversation. Thank you for subscribing to the show and supporting the Call Me Back podcast and everything we do here at ark. I want to encourage you to submit your questions@ark media.org and please keep them short. It will increase the chances of them being asked on the show. My name is Ilan Benatar, the producer of Call Me Back. And today in the hot seat addressing your questions and personal dilemmas is my partner in crime, ARC Media's very own Dan Senor. Hey, Dan, how you doing?
[01:36]
A
All right. It's been interesting. I'm sure you're experiencing this too, hearing the feedback from our episode with Neil Ferguson about the death of history and what was interesting, and you and I have been talking about this for years, talking about, with Jonah Goldberg, the whole horseshoe theory about the extremes kind of merging on a set of issues. The, the way he framed the challenge. I think even people who aren't shocked by this concept that he was presenting, I just think he presented it in such stark and vivid terms that I'm just struck by the reaction it's gotten. I'm hearing from people that are just completely rattled by what he laid out.
[02:14]
B
Well, the Jews have always been the proverbial canaries in the coal mine of history. Right, Right.
[02:20]
A
But it's just interesting. Here's Neil, who's a non Jewish Scottish historian who as a student of great power history and a student of military history, he has always been deep, deep, deep on the Holocaust, on the Shoah, on how it happened and what the lessons are. So in that sense, because that's been a big part of his life's work, the degree to which we're in this moment now, becoming desensitized to that historical event is even jarring to someone like him who's not a member of our community.
[02:47]
B
Yeah. Well, with that, let's jump into some of the questions we got from our community.
[02:51]
A
Lighter stuff.
[02:52]
B
Lighter stuff. Okay. Cameron from New York City. Hi, Dan. I'm a lifelong New York City Democrat who is frightened over the primary election results. I'm struggling to identify where I fit in this party. Can you unpack what Jewish New Yorkers should be doing to fight this?
[03:11]
A
Cameron, thank you for this question. The question you're asking, or version of it, is basically what I hear more than almost any other question these days from my fellow New Yorkers when I'm just speaking to people, people in my Jewish community in New York, when I speak at events. And the answer is, right now, I don't have a good answer. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention what we're dealing with right now, and I'm sure this is on your mind, is this stunt that Mamdani has architected and implemented, which is this threat to threat. And then walking down from the threat, but still making a searing statement, the threat to arrest the Prime Minister of Israel for war crimes when he comes to New York City for the UN General Assembly. I'm watching a lot of the reaction to what Mamdani has done, and I do have two immediate reactions. The first reaction is none of this should surprise us. He was very clear in the campaign that this was an issue he was going to pursue. I never believed he was actually going to pursue it. I never believed he was actually going to instruct the NYPD to arrest a visiting leader of a foreign country when they're New York City for the unga. I never believed he was going to do that. It was a stunt. And I'm sure he knew what I knew and what most of our listeners know, which is that he has no jurisdiction, he has no authority to do that. He knew that. But I still think it allowed him to accomplish other objectives of his, which is the continued demonization of Israel, the continued demonization of Israeli Jews. And embedded in his statement, when he announced that he wasn't going to pursue the arrest of Netanyahu, he laid out a series of charges against Netanyahu, against Israel, that are just lies. I'm going to say it. They're lies. They're just f. Factually. There's no factual basis upon which to. To back them up. But using this issue, this very provocative issue about arresting the leader of Israel, which that statement alone has gotten him more Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and YouTube impressions and views than anything else this man has done at any time since he ran for mayor or has become mayor. So in that sense, this whole stunt has had great effect. I see a lot of people, and I'm sure you're in this category, Cameron, that are extremely upset and are furious at him. And I get it. I feel the same way. My only cautionary note is I would direct some of that anger and energy not at Mamdani, only because we expected that from Hamdani and we should confront it and we should hold him accountable. But we should also hold a lot of people accountable who claim that they're around Mamdani and they have some role to keep up. Some guardrails prevent things from getting really spiraling out of control. And I'm talking about people we hear who are the responsible officials in his administration. And we hear this from people who claim to be the responsible Democrats, Democrats in the City Council who are going to help contribute to the guardrails. We heard this from Governor Hochul and her people who convey through background quotes and articles that they're there to make sure things don't get out of control with Mamdani. So all these people who are assuring us that they're going to be the guardrails. Well, guess what? What Mamdani is doing right now is making life less safe for Jewish New Yorkers. That's what he's doing. He's contributing to an environment by inveighing against Israel in this way and inveighing against Israelis in this way, including isra. Israelis who live in New York City and don't have the diplomatic immunity of the Prime Minister of Israel. They're everyday New Yorkers who are Israeli, who've served in the idf, who are good law abiding citizens who are contributing to the economic vitality of New York City and they're working in businesses in New York City and they're teachers in New York City. He is making life less safe for them. That's his choice. He knows what he's doing. My question is, what about everyone else? What is everyone else around him doing when he is contributing to an environment that I think is contributing to a real safety issue for so many of us.
[07:04]
B
Okay, Michael from somewhere in the US this is how he put it in. Dan. I'm not making this up. Michael from somewhere in the U.S. dan, call me back. And the other Arc Media podcasts are a regular part of my morning routine. Simply put, you are the single best source of news and thoughtful discussion on the issues of the day. My in light of what appears to be a generational shift in support for Israel across the political spectrum in the US has the time come for Israel to give strong consideration to forming an alliance with China? Would the Chinese, who have no history of institutionalized antisemitism and who respect Jews as fellow ancient peoples, trade the Iranian regime for the tech savvy and militarily prominent Israel? After all, Chairman Xi cares little for how Israel deals with terrorists.
[07:53]
A
It's a fair question, Michael. My very short answer in the interest of time is I don't think China is a reliable partner for Israel for a variety of reasons. I think the US And Israel have shared interests in the region, shared interests globally. They have shared values. When I say interest, by the way, they have shared security interests and they have shared economic interests. And as we've talked a lot about on this podcast, as Neil Ferguson talks a lot about the US and China are in the throes of Cold War 2 Cold War 2.0. In that battle, which is much bigger than Israel, Israel needs to stand firmly on one side, and that's with the United States. The United States, even with our political problems and the jarring swings back and forth on our politics and the changing nature of the US Israel relationship, it's still because of these shared interests that go deep, deep, deep in our respective histories and deep, deep, deep within the systems of the two governments are still a lot more reliable than any whimsical tactical alignment in the moment that Israel could hope to get from China, who at any given moment is also managing relations with countries ranging from Iran to Russia to North Korea. That's it for our sneak peek today. If you want to catch the full episode, please subscribe to Inside. Call me back by following the link in the description or by going to arcmedia. Org. That's Ark Media. Org. Your support is what allows us to do what we do here at ARC Media. I hope to see you there.