In this episode of Promised Land: A Bulletin Miniseries, host Mike Cosper visits Ashkelon, home of the ancient Philistines, just a few miles north of the Gaza border. Through conversations centered around Barzilai Medical Center, Cosper explores why the West requires Israel to play by different rules when it comes to defense and modern warfare. Weaving history with present day narratives, he posits compelling questions: Why is the West so quick to blame Israel for colonialism? Why does compromise on both sides – Israeli and Palestinian – often feel like treason? What are the stories each side is telling about themselves and about the other? And, can peace ever be achieved when one side becomes the absolute victim? Listen in for compelling commentary on the history of this contested land, a land where everyone claims to be a refugee. Promised Land is a limited series exploring the moral, spiritual, and political challenges presented by the Israel-Hamas War. Host Mike Cosper (The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill) takes listeners with him to locations across the U.S., Israel, and Palestine, bringing you into the homes, lives, and stories of people for whom this conflict is their everyday experience.  Executive Produced by Erik Petrik Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Mike Cosper Field Recording by Michael Winters Additional Production by Matt Stevens and Clarissa Moll Music By Dan Phelps Additional Music By David LaChance, Jr. Theme Song “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” performed by Sandra McCracken Listen to More in This Bonus Series: Making Sense of the Israel-Hamas War Antisemitism and the Jewish Identity Hamas and the Laws of War Terrorism and the Road to War It’s Complicated The Zionist Story Rocks in Hard Places: From the Foundation Stone to Living Stones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Israel-Palestine conflict is a collision of competing stories, each with claims on the land connected to faith, history, and Justice. On this episode of Promised Lands, we explore the Palestinian story — or rather, several Palestinian stories, from Christians and Muslims in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Guests include a Muslim scholar and member of the Waqf — the council overseeing Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Palestinian Christian theologians, and an evangelical Palestinian pastor from Bethlehem. They discuss the importance of Al Aqsa to Muslims, their vision of pluralism, life under occupation, the Christian presence in the Holy Land, and various visions of a path to peace. Promised Land is a limited series exploring the moral, spiritual, and political challenges presented by the Israel-Hamas War. Host Mike Cosper (The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill) takes listeners with him to locations across the U.S., Israel, and Palestine, bringing you into the homes, lives, and stories of people for whom this conflict is their everyday experience. Executive Produced by Erik Petrik Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Mike Cosper Field Recording by Michael Winters Additional Production by Matt Stevens and Clarissa Moll Some Production coordination and assistance provided by The Philos Project Music By Dan Phelps Additional Music By David LaChance, Jr. Artwork by Rick Szuecs Theme Song “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” performed by Sandra McCracken Listen to More in This Bonus Series: Promised Land Part One: It’s Complicated Promised Land Part Two: The Zionist Story Making Sense of the Israel-Hamas War Antisemitism and the Jewish Identity Hamas and the Laws of War Terrorism and the Road to War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Promised Land, host Mike Cosper visits Shalom Hotel in Jerusalem to meet with Zionist Jews who have fled their homes after October 7. Digging beneath the facade of popular thought, Cosper explores the roots, identity and inspiration of Zionism. Interviews with Yossi Klein Halevi, author and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Michael Oren, Rabbi Yehiel Poupko, and others paint a fuller picture of Jewish connection to the land of their ancestors – and why this longing often has sparked controversy. Promised Land is a limited series exploring the moral, spiritual, and political challenges presented by the Israel-Hamas War. Host Mike Cosper (The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill) takes listeners with him to locations across the U.S., Israel, and Palestine, bringing you into the homes, lives, and stories of people for whom this conflict is their everyday experience.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happened on October 7 changed everything for Israelis. We visit Kfar Aza to understand why.  Promised Land is a limited series exploring the moral, spiritual, and political challenges presented by the Israel-Hamas War. Host Mike Cosper (The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill) takes listeners with him to locations across the U.S., Israel, and Palestine, bringing you into the homes, lives, and stories of people for whom this conflict is their everyday experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices