The Honest Report

Masha Kleiner is a Vancouver-based software engineer, writer, blogger and rock climber. She had her hands full. But after Hamas' October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, she found more time to do more, because more needed to be done.Since then, she has become a one-woman activist organization, spearheading pro-Israel rallies, direct action, educational and advocacy campaigns, petitions, counter-protests, stickers, and more.Masha's efforts, ranging from showing up to the University of British Columbia with a sign that says "I am a Zionist, ask me a question," to showing Canadian support for Israel in downtown Vancouver, have redefined pro-Israel efforts in the city, making them more vocal, more present, and more powerful.The lessons from her activism have also uncovered a truth unreported in the media: that small anti-Israel protests do not reflect the will of Canadians, as she has learned first-hand.Masha's story isn't just about one person, but about what others can do when they see a need not being addressed, and they step up to address it. Masha joins us as our guest this week.

After brief but intense skirmishes between India and Pakistan, a tense quiet has taken hold over South Asia as the two powers agreed to a US-backed ceasefire.Those battles came in the aftermath of a bloody terrorist attack in northwestern India on April 22 which killed dozens of people at the hands of Islamic terrorists.That attack was not an isolated massacre, but just the latest salvo from Islamic fundamentalists in the region. While thousands of kilometres may separate Israel and India, both countries face similar threats from similar fanatical extremists hell-bent on murdering as many people as possible.To help us make sense out of this story and what is not being reported by the news media, we are joined by Guneet Singh. He is the founder of the CanAm Network, an independent news media outlet based in Vancouver.

While they may seem like two separate issues, anti-Israel disinformation in the news media and anti-Jewish hate crimes are actually very much intertwined.Thanks to the incessant anti-Israel propaganda frequently disseminated by news media outlets, a message continues to be made to Canadians: that Israel, the Jewish State, is a genocidal regime, and by extension, its supporters are culpable too.But not only is this factually wrong, it's a hateful defamation, and joining us to help us understand this linkage is Richard Robertson, the Manager of Research for B'nai Brith Canada, which recently released its annual audit of anti-Jewish hate crimes.

A recent explosive exposé in Blacklock's Reporter, an Ottawa-based news outlet, unmasked that the federal government in early 2024 spent nearly $130,000 on monitoring pro-Israel social media accounts, ostensibly under the guise of monitoring right-wing extremism.Tom Korski, the news outlet's managing editor, was our guest this week to discuss how they uncovered this story, what it means for Canadians, and the lessons for news media outlets across the country.

In the first episode of our two-part series on the Nova Exhibition now in Canada, we spoke with Michal Ohana, a survivor of the Nova Festival massacre in southern Israel, who was shot in the leg by Hamas terrorists that day.In today's episode, part two, we speak with Shalev Moshe. Shalev is not a survivor of the Nova massacre, but his 27 year-old brother Eden was murdered on that day. Eden was an electrical engineering student who was at the festival with four friends. All five were murdered.We met with Shalev at the Nova Exhibition in Toronto, which he is also accompanying, and he recounted for us in harrowing detail his family's experiences on that dark day.

On April 23, the Nova Exhibition opened in Toronto. The event space is modeled after the Nova Festival, the outdoor concert in southern Israel which, on October 7, 2023, was attacked by Hamas terrorists, who proceeded to murder hundreds of mostly young attendees, and take countless more hostage.The program is part tribute and memorial, and partly a historical record of the horrific massacre. Prior to opening, I visited with my colleague, Digital Director Rick Firth, as part of the exhibition's media day, where we saw thousands of real-items found at the site, including a child's backpack with a bullet hole, an inverted red triangle necklace found on the body of a Hamas terrorist (the same red triangle that appears at pro-Hamas rallies), and much more.The exhibition wasn't just a static event space; traveling from Israel were also a number of people with direct connections to what happened at the Nova Festival 18 months ago. Among them was Michal Ohana. Michal is a young Israeli woman who was at the festival on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists shot her in the leg, yet she miraculously survived the ordeal. I spoke with Michal about what happened to her that day, and she joined us as our guest this week.Next week we will speak to another individual visiting Canada as part of the Nova Exhibition.Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

In the immediate aftermath of Hamas' massacres on October 7, 2023, the world heard and saw the stories of the Israeli hostages who were ripped from their homes and forcibly brought to Gaza.But after 18 months, their stories are all but ignored, even as dozens of them remain trapped in the hell that is Hamas captivity.Maureen Leshem knows that reality all too well. The Toronto woman is a cousin of Romi Gonen, who was among those kidnapped and shot 18 months ago, and released earlier this year as part of a hostage-prisoner exchange.Given her close proximity to the plight of hostages, Maureen has harsh words for the failure of the news media to tell the stories of those kidnapped.

Another tumultuous academic year is coming to a close for college and university students across Canada, with pro-Hamas groups continuing their efforts to harass and intimidate students and to silence opponents.How has the last year looked on Canadian campuses? Has anything changed since the previous year, and what has been the impact on the majority of students who do not share the pro-Hamas extremism of these anti-Israel groups?To give us a behind-the-scenes look, we are joined by Daniel Koren. He is the executive director of Allied Voices for Israel, or AVI, an organization which unites students of all backgrounds against anti-Jewish hatred.Daniel joins us as our guest this week.

Following the Hamas-Israel war, the Canadian government has offered 5,000 temporary resident visas to Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.While offering sanctuary from warzones is a largely noncontroversial topic, in Gaza, which is ruled by a banned terrorist entity and where radicalism remains high, there are significant concerns about whether Ottawa can, or will, ensure proper vetting is taking place so that extremists and Hamas supporters cannot land on Canadian soil.Despite the significance of these concerns for Canadians, the news media has remained almost entirely silent on this matter, leaving it up to immigration lawyers like Betsy Kane, part of a group called Lawyers For Secure Immigration, to raise awareness about this.Betsy joins us as our guest this week.

Faezeh Alavi, an Iranian-born researcher and artist based in London, is challenging the narratives imposed by the Iranian regime by openly advocating for dialogue between Iranians and Israelis. Alavi is also a vocal critic of the Islamic Republic, believing that reshaping relationships with Israel is key for a successful future for 90 million Iranians.Despite facing backlash and violent threats, including a group of screaming protesters during an appearance by Alavi in London recently, she has not relented from her pursuit of dialogue and relations.Faezeh joins us as our guest this week to help us understand her motivations and as she introduces us to the reality that the vast majority of Iranians are eager for relations with Israel.

While small in size, anti-Israel rallies over the last 17 months have become extraordinarily successful in gaining coverage from the news media. But these rallies, far from being general marches for peace in the Middle East, have been largely characterized by support for Palestinian terrorism, glorification of violence and the hateful rejection of Israel.But rather than exposing these pro-Hamas rallies to Canadians, most Canadian news media outlets have instead given them largely sympathetic coverage, whitewashing their most extreme elements.To help us understand what this looks like, we are joined in this week's podcast by Tristin Hopper. He is a reporter and columnist at the National Post, and an outspoken critic of coverage of these demonstrations.

Over the last 16 months, many corners of the Canadian news media have portrayed Israeli society in very broad, generic terms, frequently depicting them, or at least large swathes of them, as seeking to-settle Gaza, for example, and to expel Gazans. But hardly surprisingly, it turns out that such views are remarkably marginal in Israel, though news coverage has suggested otherwise. In so doing, news outlets have framed Israelis as being extremist and fanatical, when the reality is very different. To help us wade through the truth about Israelis, and what much of the Canadian news media either doesn't know or otherwise has shown little interest in explaining, we are joined by Yair Ettinger. He is an Israeli journalist with a focus on religion in Israeli society, a former fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, and the author of the book Frayed: The disputes unraveling religious Zionists. Yair joins us as our guest this week.

In the late 1940s, nearly a million people indigenous to the Middle East were effectively exiled from their homes and faced violent repression, simply for who they were. But if you think their story has been told by the news media, think again. They were Jews from Arab lands and Iran, numbering some 800,000 strong. And although their stories vary, their history is as relevant today as it was 75 years ago. To help us delve deeper into these Jews and their largely untold story, we are joined by Martin Himel. Martin is an award-winning filmmaker, and he joins us to discuss his new film, The Forgotten Exodus: Jews from Arab Lands, which tells the story that the news media has forgotten. Thank you for tuning into The Honest Report podcast. We invite you to become a subscriber, offer your feedback through a review, and spread the word about our series.

Recent months have seen a number of people in Canada suspected of planning mass casualty terrorist attacks identified, from a father and son allegedly members of the Islamic State, to a man attempting to cross into the United States from Quebec, allegedly trying to bomb a Jewish centre in Brooklyn. So what exactly is happening behind the scenes on the legislative, legal and other levels to strengthen Canadians against extremism and terrorism? To help give us an inside look, we are joined by Sheryl Saperia. She is the chief executive of Secure Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating terrorism and extremism by creating innovative and transformative laws, policies, and alliances that strengthen Canada's national security and democracy.

Yipeng Ge is an Ottawa physician. He is also a supporter of terrorism, having praised Hamas multiple times on social media, and following the terrorist pogrom in Amsterdam, posted an approving image to his followers. He may be the most infamous, but he's far from the only person in Canadian medicine to glorify Hamas and to demonize Israel. How deep is this rot, how did it happen, and what will it take for the news media and the relevant medical bodies to take notice? To help us understand the depth of the problem and what can be done about it, we are joined by Dr. Yoni Freedhoff. He is an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, and founder and medical director of the Bariatric Medical Institute, a weight management clinic. He is also an outspoken advocate for Israel and against Jew-hate. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

For the casual observer, it can be difficult to keep track of events in the Middle East. After October 7, the war seemingly was between Hamas and Israel, before Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen and other groups joined in. But all these terrorist groups are not independent, but mere proxies, often called tentacles of the same octopus: the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hezbollah, by far, is the strongest of these terror proxies, and while it has suffered many setbacks in recent weeks, it remains a serious threat to Israel. So what, if anything, will force Iran to cease its relentless war against Israel? To help navigate this complex reality behind the headlines, we are joined by Hanin Ghaddar. She is a journalist and the Friedmann Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics, where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

The last year has unmasked for all to see the level of infiltration by anti-Israel and anti-Jewish extremists, in multiple areas: in the news media, in politics, in universities, and even in public schools. But noticing a problem and doing something about it are two different things. That's where JEFA has come in. JEFA, or Jewish Educators and Families Association, which also counts many non-Jews among its ranks, was founded in the wake of October 7 and has since become a powerful resource gathering students, educators and faculty members in schools across Canada to help combat the insidious and hateful campaign being waged there. Thank you for tuning into The Honest Report podcast.

After ignoring a year of incessant Hezbollah terrorism on Israel, the news media is now devoting extensive news coverage to it as a result of Israel responding. Against Hezbollah, what can be the end game for Israel, particularly in light of discussions around a truce being pushed by Washington? And with news coverage portraying Israel, and not the terrorist group, as the aggressor, what is the path for peace? To help us untangle fact from fiction, we are joined by Michael Rubin. He is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where his expertise focuses on Iran, Turkey and the broader Middle East. A former Pentagon official, he has lived in post-revolution Iran, Yemen, and both pre- and postwar Iraq. Michael joins us as our guest this week. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

Israeli misdeeds, knowing that they will be rarely challenged by news media outlets. But that doesn't make their claims any closer to the truth. Andrew Fox knows that well. Having served three tours in Afghanistan, as well as in Bosnia, northern Ireland and elsewhere in the Middle East, he is a former major in the British military who served as a paratrooper and a senior lecturer at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he currently is a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. As an expert on urban warfare, he is also an outspoken advocate seeking to ensure that media outlets articulate the truth, and not just Hamas propaganda. Major Andrew Fox joins us as our guest this week. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

A year after Hamas' genocidal massacres on October 7, and the world has long forgotten, at least much of it. It has forgotten not just the brutality and the demonic viciousness, but the deliberate randomness of it, how Hamas terrorists intentionally went after civilians, young or old, it didn't matter. But the world cannot forget, and Igal Hecht, a Toronto filmmaker and creator of Chutzpa Productions Inc, is releasing a new film, The Killing Roads, telling the stories of the highways and roads where Hamas terrorists massacred unsuspecting motorists during their invasion. The film will be released for free across social media, as well as at thekillingroads.com, on October 1, and Igal joins us as our guest this week. Thank you for tuning into The Honest Report podcast.

In South Asia, Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country with a sizeable Hindu minority, which in recent weeks has suffered an outburst of violence, in just the latest chapter of harassment going back more than 100 years. And, like Israel, the news media has often downplayed the concerns of Hindus in Bangladesh, and that's when the story gets reported at all. To help us understand this context more deeply, we are joined by Rishabh Sarswat, the president of CoHNA, the Coalition of Hindus of North America. Thank you for tuning into The Honest Report podcast.

There have been many impacts following the October 7 massacres. And while the negative side is well-established: Israel at war against an increasingly aggressive array of Iranian-backed terrorist groups, anti-Jewish hatred, Israel under attack diplomatically, and much more, there are also many uplifting stories. Stories like Justin Chow's: On October 6, he was a university student in Canada, from Hong Kong, minding his own business and pursuing his academic career. But the next day, everything changed for him. A light went off, so to speak, and suddenly, a conflict on the other side of the world, one which he had no personal connection with, became immensely personal to him. Justin, who just graduated from the University of Toronto, is a recent HRC/AVI Campus Media Fellow, and is now an Allyship Advisor with Allied Voices for Israel (AVI), and he joins us on our podcast this week. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

The now-dismantled anti-Israel occupations on some Canadian university campuses may have garnered public attention, but they were just the latest manifestation of anti-Israel propaganda on universities. For years, anti-Israel activists, whether in the classroom as professors, in student government, or playing roles elsewhere in faculty have used and abused their authority to promote a fanatical anti-Israel agenda, often veering into Jew-hate. On an institutional level, what steps can be taken to help address these challenges? The University of Ottawa recently appointed Artur Wilczynski, a former Canadian ambassador to Norway and longtime senior national security official in the federal public service, as the university's first special advisor on antisemitism. It is believed to be the first such position at a Canadian university. Artur Wilczynski joins us to discuss what the role entails, what his goals and deliverables are, and the message it sends to Canadian Jews, and the wider public at large. 

Across the Middle East, Christian populations are falling everywhere, from Egypt to Syria, Lebanon to the Palestinian territories, except for one place: Israel. Israel's Aramean Christians link their origin to the founding of Christianity, and today, the bulk of their population is in northern Israel, in the direct shadow of Hezbollah. In this week's podcast, we sit down with Shadi Khalloul from his home in the village of Jish, just four kilometres from the Lebanese border. He is the president of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, and he joins us to discuss his community and its deep involvement in Israeli society today, his fears for other Christian communities in the Middle East, and why he refused to leave his home, even despite Hezbollah threats. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

For many years, anti-Israel activists have attempted to turn Zionism into a dirty word, reframing it from the Jewish People's national movement of self-determination in their historic homeland into a mishmash of everything that is wrong with the world. But Zionism is not just for Jews. In fact, anyone who recognizes the reality that the Jewish People are owners, not occupiers, of the land of Israel can be reasonably called a Zionist. Recognizing this is not only an embrace of historical reality, but it also can inspire other groups around the world, including right here in Canada. In this week's podcast, we sit down with Karen Restoule. She is a member of the Dokis First Nation from northern Ontario, and a self-described Zionist, for her take on what national liberation movements mean from Canada to Israel, and her thoughts on how anti-Israel groups have sought to hijack First Nations terms for their own benefit. Thank you for tuning into The Honest Report podcast. We invite you to become a subscriber, offer your feedback through a review, and spread the word about our series.

One of the most dishonest and yet widespread lies parroted by anti-Israel detractors is the claim that there is famine in Gaza, an allegation spread by news media outlets, non-profit organizations, and more. But the simple, uncontestable, data, tells the truth: there is more than enough food coming into Gaza daily, plus food cultivated within the territory, to feed the entire population with sufficient calories, not just to survive, but to thrive on a Western diet. In this week's podcast, we sit down with two professors at Columbia University, Awi Federgruen and Ran Kivetz, who penned a study which evaluated all available data, and found what any observer knows to be true: that claims of famine in Gaza are nothing more than dishonest propaganda. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

One of the many lessons of the post October 7 world is how vicious anti-Israel propaganda is being pushed, not just in the same places as always, but in venues, platforms and areas which are often least expected. And in the Canadian context, that means small towns and provinces, where anti-Israel activists have attempted to harass, intimidate and bully in order to get their way. But in New Brunswick, they have faced stiff resistance from one vocal provincial politician. Dominic Cardy is a Member of the Legislative Assembly, or MLA, for the riding of Fredericton West - Hanwell, and has made a name for himself by being a strident advocate for Israel, for the province's  small but growing Jewish population, and indeed, for the Canadian values under assault by anti-Israel extremists. Dominic joins us as our guest this week. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

For months, anti-Israel activists have been cynically using the term "anti-Palestinian racism" as an effort to stifle legitimate criticism of pro-Palestinian propaganda, effectively labeling anyone who refuses to adhere to their radical ideology as a racist. The latest front for this battle is inside school boards, where anti-Israel radicals are trying to force their ideology into the classrooms, or more accurately, to strengthen the anti-Israel propaganda that is often already quite present in the classroom. To help us understand this insidious attempt, and how it can be combated, we are joined by Dr. Casey Babb. He is a Senior Fellow with the Macdonald Laurier Institute, an International Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, and an Associate Fellow with the Royal United Services Institute in London. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast.

If you're reading the headlines, or the chatter on social media, it would be easy to conclude that for Jews in the Diaspora, it's little different than 1930s Germany: Brownshirts are on the move, and antisemites under every rock. But fortunately, that's not the truth at all, at least in Canada, according to a new study which examined recent data around antisemitism, and found - perhaps surprisingly - very positive results. While there has been a marked increase in antisemitic incidents, primarily graffiti and the like, the attitudes of Canadians towards Jews remains almost unchanged since October 7, with only a miniscule percentage of Canadians expressing anti-Jewish views. In this week's podcast, we sit down with Professor Robert Brym, one of Canada's leading sociologists and demographers studying the Canadian Jewish community, to discuss his new study which evaluated Canadian attitudes towards Jews and Israel, finding that anti-Jewish incidents emanate from a tiny proportion of society, and that overwhelmingly, Canadians do not embrace such hatred. Brym's study does not preclude the need to combat anti-Jewish hatred in society, but as he explains in the podcast, it should help to focus the Jewish community's energies. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that over the last eight months, there has been a marked increase in the amount of anti-Israel activism in the news media, on university campuses, and in many other fronts, much of it organized by pro-Hamas gangs. What about the efforts to combat those insidious hate campaigns, particularly on a grassroots level? In this week's podcast, we sit down with someone who didn't just see a problem and complain about it, he took charge and created what is possibly the largest ongoing pro-Israel rally outside of Israel since October 7. Guidy Mamann is an immigration lawyer in Toronto by day and an active Israel advocate, serving as the president of the Toronto Zionist Council. Days after the October Hamas attacks, when the terrorist group declared a day of rage across the world, Mamann and a group of others launched a weekly pro-Israel rally in uptown Toronto, which has continued now for nearly 40 weekends in a row without interruption. Guidy joins us as a guest to explain not just his initiative, but how it can serve as an inspiration for others to take responsibility, too. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

While it rarely makes headlines in the Canadian news media, Israel is facing an onslaught from multiple terrorist groups at once. Not just Hamas, Yemen's Houthi movement, and Islamist groups in Iraq. But without question, the most capable of the terrorist groups is Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which, like the others, receives extensive training, weapons and funds from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hezbollah, like Hamas, is a genocidal Islamic terrorist group. But it is far more powerful, and is deeply embedded within the Lebanese government. Since October 7, it has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, and has forced upwards of 60,000 Israelis from their homes for more than eight months, with no end in sight. To help us understand the Hezbollah threat, and Israel's options, we are joined by Sarit Zehavi. Sarit is the President and Founder of the Alma Research Center, a nonprofit and an independent research and education center specialized in Israel's security challenges on its northern border. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

The Islamic Republic may be a theocratic totalitarian regime which executes homosexuals, persecutes women, and attempts to destroy Israel, but those fanatical ideologies are not shared by a large majority of Iranians, either in Iran, or in Canada, home to one of the world's largest Iranian diaspora communities. Contrary to the fanaticism of the Islamic Republic's leaders, most Iranians oppose the regime's existence, as well as its dangerous murderous support for terrorist organizations. In this week's podcast, we sit down with Negar Mojtahedi, a Vancouver-based journalist with Iran International, to offer her insights into the mood on the street among Iranians in Iran, and here in Canada. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

How quickly the world has forgotten October 7. Not just the brutality and bloodthirsty massacres of the Hamas terrorist attacks, but the significance of them: unmasking the Palestinian terrorist group for all to see, not as a party that can be reasoned or negotiated with, but as a party with whom there can be no compromise because it seeks nothing less than the total destruction of Israel. In early May, I visited Israel alongside a group of Canadian journalists in a weeklong program organized by the Exigent Foundation. While there, we were able to get a first-hand look at the Israeli communities massacred on October 7, which remains closed to the general public, as well as visit Israel's north, battered by attacks from Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist organization which fires rockets into Israel on a daily basis. In this week's episode, rather than a guest, I reflect on the lessons gleaned from our visit to Israel, seeing what too many news media outlets have chosen to forget. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

The facts are as undeniable as they are unreported by the news media: that Israel has done more to protect civilians in war, particularly in an urban warfare setting, than any other military in the history of warfare. Despite a widespread and well-funded disinformation campaign, from actors ranging from South Africa to the Islamic Republic of Iran to professional protesters, Israel is not only definitively not guilty of the crimes it is accused of, but it has taken extraordinary steps to protect civilians in Gaza, going far beyond what is required by international law. Israel has paid for this care dearly, losing more than 270 soldiers fighting Hamas terrorists in close combat, rather than - doing as virtually any other country would do - minimizing risk to soldiers and simply using overwhelming aerial firepower. To help us understand Israel's extensive protections of civilians in Gaza, we are joined by John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, and one of the world's top experts in urban warfare. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

This much is clear: in far too many corners of the news media, attention spans are short. The moral clarity that existed in the immediate aftermath of Hamas' October 7 massacres have dissipated in many places, replaced by a desire to draw a moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas. But the October 7 terrorist attacks aren't just a singular event; they make clear Hamas' motivations, tactics, inhumanity, and perhaps above all: the fruitlessness of negotiating with a group that will commit such acts. In this week's podcast, we speak with Warren Kinsella, a lawyer, political strategist, and columnist at the Toronto Sun, who was recently in Israel with a group of journalists, as well as HonestReporting Canada's assistant director, Robert Walker, to get a first-hand look at Israel, and to understand what the news media should be reporting, but often isn't. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

Israeli society has often been called one big family, where in times of crisis, all segments of society come together to pull for the common good. Since Hamas' massacres of October 7 and the subsequent months, that common mission has been on full display, despite Israeli disagreements over politics, religion and more. As the war began seven months ago, launched by Hamas on a Jewish holiday, Israel was in turmoil. Shock and anger soon gave way to a realization that the country was unprepared to take care of its front-line defenders, those soldiers fighting Hamas. One organization was soon born, Soldiers Save Lives, which worked to help equip those on the front lines, even when seemingly other safety nets failed. In this episode of The Honest Report podcast, we sit down with Ike Bodner, the organization's COO. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

Anti-Israel and antisemitic hate mongers have rarely sought to hide their true feelings, a reality that has been readily apparent for the last 6.5 months around the world. But the response to it by Jewish and pro-Israel organizations have left much to be desired; beyond social media condemnations, little more has been done. Fortunately, there are many options available. Howard Levitt is a senior partner at Levitt Sheikh LLP, and a prominent media commentator on issues of combating antisemitism and anti-Israel hate using legal means, and he joins us on this week's podcast to discuss his template for creating a muscular, assertive and successful campaign, and why it's long overdue to be implemented. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

It's a claim that is taken almost as an unassailable truth by a huge number of news media outlets around the world: that some 33,000 people died in Gaza, and that two-thirds of them are women and children. While the source of that claim is Hamas, and its "Gaza Ministry of Health," which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants, or those killed by Israel or by errant Palestinian rockets, there is an even more fundamental way to recognize the data is unreliable: by statistics. Abraham Wyner, a professor of Statistics and Data Science at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, recently penned a report where he pointed out that Hamas' casualty numbers don't add up, just from a statistical perspective, rendering them extraordinarily unlikely to be true. Professor Wyner joins us as a guest to walk us through his research showing how statistics have shown Hamas' claims to be propaganda. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

For years, Israel has accused UNRWA, the disgraced United Nations agency, of ties to Palestinian terrorism and incitement and glorification of violence. But only after the massacres of October 7 did the UN agency, officially tasked with providing aid to Palestinians, get into the larger spotlight. Israel has accused - and provided evidence for - UNRWA staff of participating in Hamas' massacre, and has pointed to a huge Hamas data centre built directly underneath the agency's Gaza City headquarters, as well as satellite photos of schools built on top of Hamas bunkers, and much more. Every year, UNRWA receives funding from international donors, including Canada, meaning Ottawa effectively is funding Hamas terrorism. As a result, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) recently announced it was taking legal action against the Trudeau government, saying funding UNRWA contravenes Canadian anti-terrorism legislation. Richard Marceau, CIJA's VP and General Counsel, joins us as a guest. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

Ian Ward is a Councillor in Colwood, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island, a suburb of Victoria, population just under 20,000 people. He has also become a leading voice of moral clarity, advocating for both Israel and the Jewish People, even though as an elected official in a municipality with a relatively small Jewish community, there is little electoral benefit in doing so. Ian joins us as a guest on this week's podcast to discuss what prompted him to become so vocal, the feedback he has been getting from constituents, and why he thinks more municipal politicians need to stand up and make their voices heard. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

In the immediate aftermath of Hamas' invasion of southern Israel on October 7, it became evident that Israel lacked the ability to scale up its procurement of military and civilian gear, both for the IDF in its operations, and for Israeli civilians forced from their homes and displaced refugees in their own country. In the face of fast-changing events, one Israeli man, Michael Freedman, saw an opportunity to help. The Israel-based businessman quickly launched what became known as Project Shushan, a complex effort to deliver much-needed gear to Israel, working faster than official channels could provide. Michael joins us as our guest this week. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

It's a fact largely ignored by anti-Israel activists: that 20 percent of Israel's population are Arabs, largely Muslim. They enjoy the same democratic rights as Israeli Jews, can vote and stand for election, and hold citizenship as Israelis. The Bedouin of Israel's south are part of this population, and they are unique in their own right, distinct from the Bedouin in Israel's north, the Druze community in Israel, and the Jewish majority. In this week's podcast, we are joined by Ariel Viesel, the CO-CEO of Desert Stars, an Israeli organization that works to provide educational, vocational and other opportunities to members of Israel's Bedouin population in the country's south, and in so doing, help further integrate them into Israeli society, benefiting them, and Israel at large. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

It is very easy to consume news in a bubble. Human nature is to read, listen and watch information that fits our preconceived ideologies and ideas. Breaking out of that bubble is easier said than done, and when it comes to the hundreds of millions of Arabic-speakers around the world, getting accurate information about Israel can be next to impossible. Rawan Osman is looking to change that. Following October 7, the Syrian-born, Lebanese-raised commentator, now based in Germany, became an outspoken advocate for Israel and the Jewish people. Through her active social media presence, including her accounts, Arabs Ask, Osman has used her native Arabic language to share the truth about Israel to audiences who rarely had the opportunity to get that perspective. Osman joins us as our guest this week. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

October 7 was more than just a terrorist attack, or even the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. It represented, perhaps more than any other event, the truest opportunity to see the real face of Hamas, not just its rhetoric, but its actions. Not only the rapes, murders, tortures, and kidnappings, but the gleeful manner in which they were carried out, filming it all for posterity and out of pride. But October 7, now more than five months ago, seems like ancient history, certainly to much of the news media, which now has widely lost interest, including in the Israeli hostages still in Gaza. Seeing the sites of Hamas' massacres first-hand help to bring the reality home, not just of what happened that day, but of the moral necessity in fighting Hamas. In late January, Toronto businessman Larry Maher brought a group of Canadian journalists to Israel for a short visit, where they bore witness to what Hamas carried out, and he joins us to discuss why he brought these individuals, and what he wants such a visit to achieve. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

Over the last five months, Rahim Mohamed has become one of Canada's most recognizable opinion columnists. The Calgary-based commentator, writing in The National Post, has also made a name for himself as a vocal advocate for Israel and a harsh critic of the moral turpitude that has allowed disinformation to fester. While commentators are entitled to their own views, but not their own facts, that simple yet profound difference has been nevertheless been lost by so many reporters and columnists alike, regardless of the platform. In this week's podcast, Rahim joins us to discuss his perspective on the state of the news media when it comes to covering the Hamas-Israel war, how he would rate their coverage, and what his predictions for the news media in the near future look like.  Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

As the war rages in the Middle East between Hamas and Israel, following the simple narrative is easy. And that narrative, that Israel is a murderous state hell-bent on genocide, may be a simpler message to understand, but it is an inversion of reality. While some politicians take the easy path, others put facts before ideology. In recent weeks, Kevin Vuong, an independent Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York, located in downtown Toronto, has become one of the country's most vocal supporters, both of Israel, and of Canada's Jewish community at large. He joins us as our guest this week to discuss what prompted him to become such a stalwart ally, his message for other politicians, and what the feedback from his constituents has been like. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

Egypt plays a towering role in the Middle East. Not only is the country the most populous in the region, home to more than 100 million people, it is also the first Arab state to make peace with Israel, in 1979. Egypt also plays a critical role in the current war between Israel and Hamas, bordering Gaza. What is Cairo looking for in its relationship with Israel, with Hamas, and what role is it trying to play in the Middle East at large? To share his expertise in the area, we are joined by Dr Ofir Winter. Dr. Winter is a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, where he specializes in Arab-Israeli relations and contemporary Egypt. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

In the current Hamas-Israel war, things are very different than before. In previous conflicts, Israel practiced what was called "mowing the lawn," which meant degrading Hamas' capabilities, but avoiding all-out war. That is no longer the case. But in an asymmetric war, how does that look long-term, and what power vacuum will take hold if and when Hamas is no longer in charge in the Gaza Strip?   To provide insight, we interview Efraim Inbar, President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.   Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

For scores of Israelis, the horrors of Hamas' genocidal October 7 massacre didn't end four months ago; it continues every single day. Not just for the Israelis who continue to endure rocket fire, or who lost loved ones fighting the terror group in Gaza, but also for the families of the remaining 136 hostages in Gaza. There are now negotiations for a possible release of this last group of hostages being coordinated by Qatar, the oil-rich Persian Gulf kingdom, which is playing a central role. Qatar, while being home to senior Hamas leadership, is also working to secure the release of these kidnapped Israelis. This past Friday, at Qatar's Embassy in Ottawa, a gathering took place to show support for these efforts and to apply some pressure on Qatar to ensure the hostages are released. Jodi Green, Communications and Advocacy Specialist at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, who helped organize the gathering, joins us as our guest this week. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

Since October 7, posters showing the faces and names of the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas have become ubiquitous around the world, reminding the public about the true nature of the terrorist group and showing the reality of Israel's suffering. Grotesquely, these same posters are also being widely torn down by anti-Israel activists, who oppose the humanization of Israelis, and beyond publicly naming and shaming these vandals, there wasn't much that could be done. One Canadian mayor thought otherwise. In early November, Mayor Jeremy Levi of Hampstead, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal, announced that his town would adopt a by-law penalizing the removal of the posters with a $1,000 fine. He also added that the monies raised would be donated to Israeli charities. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message

What exactly is the explanation for antisemitism? No matter what excuse is cited by those seeking to demonize Jews, it fails to explain the pervasiveness and intensity of Jew-hatred, both from the extreme right and the extreme left. But despite the inherent illogic in antisemitism, there remains a tendency to attempt to explain it and categorize it. Our guest this week is attempting to put all that to rest. Alex Ryvchin is co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, and an author whose recent book, The 7 Deadly Myths: Antisemitism from the time of Christ to Kanye West, seeks to guide readers through the specific myths underlining antisemitism, and in turn, help offer Jews & their allies, the news media, and the public at large the tools to understand and combat it. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. Please subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share our show. If you are interested in sponsoring a podcast, please click here. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message