Mael Time With Daniel Mael

A few thoughts from inside the courtroom.

A quick rundown of what went wrong with the Blue Square Alliance's failed Super Bowl ad.

On this edition of the Mael Time Podcast, Daniel Mael speaks with Tzur Goldin about the long and painful journey to bring home the body of his brother, Hadar Goldin, and the lessons that journey has revealed. Beyond the personal story, the conversation focuses on clarity gained through hardship: how Israel can sharpen deterrence, restore moral consistency, and ensure that the principle of “no one left behind” is not just a slogan but a policy. Goldin offers a forward-looking framework for how Israel must reposition itself—strategically, diplomatically, and morally—so that fallen soldiers are honored not only in memory, but in action.

The Mael Time Podcast is joined by Lauren Conlin of Los Angeles Magazine for an on-the-ground breakdown of the Alexander Brothers trial. After spending multiple days inside the courtroom, Conlin brings a perspective that goes beyond headlines — how the testimony actually lands, the tone in the room, and the subtle moments jurors see that never make it into write-ups. Together with Daniel Mael, the conversation cuts through media narratives to examine witness credibility, coercion claims, and the real burden facing prosecutors in a case where perception and proof are constantly colliding.

On this episode of The Mael Time Podcast, Daniel Mael sits down with FDD’s Jonathan Schanzer for a clear-eyed conversation about Israel’s hostage war and the deeper question of what victory really means. They unpack Qatar’s pivotal role in hostage negotiations, Iran’s central responsibility for regional instability, and Hamas’s strategy of leveraging civilians and captives, while also exploring how hostage families influenced Israeli decision-making and how U.S. policy uncertainty shapes the battlefield. The discussion extends beyond Gaza to the cultural and narrative war playing out on social media, where Jewish identity in America is increasingly under pressure. This episode confronts a conflict fought on multiple fronts — military, diplomatic, and ideological — and asks the hardest question of all: how does a war like this actually end?