Podcast appearances and mentions of Jonathan Freedland

This week, Yonit and Jonathan sit down with acclaimed military and intelligence analyst Amos Harel to discuss his new book 6:29  -Anatomy of a Failure — a devastating, meticulously reported account of October 7th and the collapse that preceded it. Drawing on internal investigations, intelligence materials, battlefield testimony and conversations with senior officials, Harel reconstructs how Israel failed at every level: intelligence, operations  - and strategy. They discuss the “Walls of Jericho” Hamas attack plan that Israeli intelligence possessed years in advance; the SIM card warnings and the signs missed in the final hours before the massacre; the operational chaos that left communities abandoned for hours; and why Harel believes October 7th could likely have been prevented. The conversation also examines Benjamin Netanyahu's role in the years leading up to the attack: the Qatar cash pipeline to Hamas, the belief that the Palestinian conflict could be indefinitely “managed,” the judicial overhaul crisis, and the refusal — still now — to establish a state commission of inquiry. Plus: why Hezbollah's hesitation on October 7th may have prevented an even greater catastrophe, whether Israel has actually learned the lessons of that day, and why Harel believes the battle over the public memory of October 7th may define Israel's coming elections. ⏱ CHAPTERS: [00:00] 6:29 — anatomy of a failure [06:55] The Intelligence Failures Leading to October 7th [21:05] “Where Was the Army?” — The Operational Collapse [32:10] Netanyahu, Qatar, and the Strategic Failure Before the War [41:40] Hezbollah, Iran, and the Attack That Could Have Been Bigger [45:25] Can Israel Prevent Another October 7th?

A US-Iran deal appears to be taking shape — and Israel isn't in the room. As diplomatic back-channels buzz and American strikes on Iran continue under a ceasefire that apparently requires bombing to maintain, Netanyahu finds himself watching from the outside: no seat at the table, no answers on the nuclear file, no movement on proxies. Meanwhile, two hostage parents — whose sons were held in Gaza at the same time — are entering Israeli politics from opposite ends of the spectrum, a story that says more about where the country is heading than any poll. Plus: the Caroline Glick appointment, the Israel Solidarity Parade in New York, antisemitism in London's British Museum, and a Chutzpah award for a congressman whose concession speech managed to be both funny and deeply troubling. This week's Mensch of the Week will leave you wanting to move to Tel Aviv. Note: The name of the Republican congressman challenged by Dan Bilzerian in Florida is, in fact, Randy Fine. Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/HB5rkBNCeEY

Franklin Foer is the man who declared that the golden age of American Jewry is over - or at least ending. Two years on — in the aftermath of October 7th and the Gaza war, collapsing bipartisan support for Israel, a wave of antisemitism from both left and right, and a military misadventure in Iran — he thinks he underestimated the problem. This week, Yonit and Jonathan sit down with Foer, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the landmark piece that became required reading in Jewish communities across America. They discuss whether the anti-AIPAC pledge that has become a feature of Democratic primaries is classical antisemitism in new clothing; how a forgotten Jewish genius from Odessa might explain what American Jews are supposed to do now; and why Foer refuses — loudly — to bow to fatalism. Also: Bob Dylan's existential crisis, Abraham Joshua Heschel's ode to the Sabbath, and how soccer helps explain at least one aspect of modern Jewish life. Guest: Franklin Foer, staff writer, The Atlantic ⏱ CHAPTERS: [00:00] Intro — Franklin Foer joins Unholy, The golden age Jewish Americans, what it was, why it's ending [04:46] The Impact of October 7th on American Jews [11:25] The Connection Between Israel and American Jewish Identity [22:32] Fatalism vs. persuasion — the Cold War argument  [28:35] How do you persuade non-Jews that antisemitism is bad for them? [32:56] Top 3 Jewish Americans: Pichelis, Dylan, Heschel

This week Jonathan is in celebratory mode—and no, it's not only because it's the festival of Shavuot, but because his beloved Arsenal finally won the Premier League, sparking a spontaneous tribal gathering of ‘marauding revellers' in North London. Meanwhile, Yonit and Jonathan unpack the volatile situation with Iran, and ask where President Trump's vague threats of a renewed strike are heading. Then, it's wall-to-wall condemnation for National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose grotesque 56-second video taunting Gaza flotilla detainees was a nightmare for Israel's defenders especially. And Jonathan describes his visit to the Nova exhibition in London, which offers a powerful, heart-rending glimpse of the human faces of the October 7th massacre and the shocking refusal of much of the world to look directly at what happened on that day. Plus: a musical mensch for the ages. Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRENGUF2AAI   ⏱ CHAPTERS: [00:00] Shavuot: Celebrating the Unsung Holiday  [09:20] Iran's Threats and Trump's Unpredictability [17:00] Israeli Politics: Elections and Coalition Dynamics [23:12] Ben-Gvir's Controversial Video: A PR Nightmare for Israel  [29:15] The Political Landscape in Israel [39:02] The Impact of the Nova Exhibition [45:30] Chutzpah and Mench  

Two and a half years after October 7th, the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children has published its comprehensive report — 300 pages of meticulously corroborated evidence documenting what was done to women, men, children, and hostages on that day and in captivity since. This week, Yonit and Jonathan speak with Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, the founder and chair of the Commission, 2024 Israel Prize laureate, and expert in international law and human rights — the woman who spent more than two years immersed in 10,000 photographs and videos and 430 testimonies so the world could not look away. They discuss what the evidence reveals about the scale and calculated nature of the atrocities, why so many feminist organisations around the world fell silent, the new legal concept of “kinocide” that the Commission had to coin because no existing term could capture what had happened to families — and what it means that the person who stared deepest into this abyss still believes in peace. Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpNOrhqCJ6E 00:00 Introduction 00:43 The scale and scope of the evidence 02:55 The 13 documented patterns of abuse 06:18 What Hamas intended — terrorizing a nation for generations 09:15 How the evidence points to deliberate strategy, not random violence 10:50 Coining “kinocide” — when existing legal language wasn't enough 14:21 Destroying family bonds: the most intimate atrocities 16:26 Gathering evidence when so much was destroyed and victims were silenced 19:39 Institutional denial — UN Women, Judith Butler, and feminist silence 22:30 Why colleagues looked away: antisemitism and dehumanization 24:38 The report as legal and historical document 27:46 The New York Times report and the question of diversion 31:07 The personal toll — two and a half years immersed in the evidence 34:15 Can this wound ever heal? 35:21 After everything: still a believer in peace

Democrats think they can flip the Senate blue in November, and they're hoping a group of interesting characters will help them do it. This week, Jonathan Freedland is joined by Jonathan Martin of Politico to discuss the chances of such an upset and what it would mean for the president to lose the upper chamber

Yonit and Jonathan discuss a week brimming with unresolved questions. Did Benjamin Netanyahu really travel to the UAE during the war with Iran? Why would he leak it now, and what led the UAE to issue such a quick denial? After a trip to China, where is Donald Trump heading on Iran? And inside Israel, as the political drama intensified with United Torah Judaism threatening to break ranks with the coalition over the draft bill's failure, could elections be held in September? And what role could be played by a possible plea bargain for Netanyahu? Finally, there's a crowded field for our mensch award this week – who will come out in front: a 100 year old international treasure or a newborn baby? Watch us on YouTube:  ⏱ CHAPTERS: [00:00] Intro — Netanyahu, Trump, and the week in news [00:43] Yonit's book in Hebrew — "Don't Feed the Lion" lands in Israel [05:13] Jonathan's Jewish tour of Porto — and the cross that means Jewish house [09:29] Netanyahu's secret UAE visit — what really happened [13:10] The UAE denial — implausible deniability explained [15:10] Iran ceasefire suspended animation — everyone preparing for the next round [16:01] Trump in China — could Beijing unlock the Iran deal? [17:20] Lebanon vs. Iran at the UN — the embryo of a new Middle East [20:13] Israeli elections — United Torah Judaism breaks with Netanyahu [22:36] Will Netanyahu even run? The plea deal question [24:10] Western Wall bill — criminalizing non-orthodox practice [27:15] Gaza: Hamas not disarming, humanitarian aid down 37% [33:38] Nick Kristof's NYT piece — the controversy explained [40:40] Chutzpah: Miki Zohar blames October 7th on Bennett-Lapid [43:02] Mensch: Tom Holland on antisemitism [44:20] Mensch: David Attenborough turns 100 [46:48] Mensch: Abe Foxman, the last Jewish pope [47:30] Baby Aviv — Unholy's first baby

Maoz Inon lost his parents on October 7th. They were in their safe room, 200 meters from the Gaza border wall, when Hamas came. Aziz Abu Sarah lost his brother — the person who raised him — after he was tortured in an Israeli prison during the First Intifada. Two days after October 7th, Aziz wrote Maoz a letter. Maoz wrote back. That exchange became a friendship, a journey across the Holy Land, and now a New York Times bestselling book: "The Future Is Peace." This is not a polemic. It is not a policy paper. It is an invitation — to sit with grief that belongs to both sides, to doubt the narratives handed to you, and to imagine that the conflict will end. Because, as Maoz says, it will. The only question is when and how many more lives are lost before it does. Yonit and Jonathan talk with them about Hamas, religious extremism, on what peace would actually look like, on whether Israelis have any reason to trust again.    Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/0nJ3q4kvVPs ⏱ CHAPTERS: [00:00] Intro — who are Aziz and Maoz? [00:47] Maoz: the last phone call with his parents on October 7th [02:57] Aziz: losing a brother who was his parent [04:34] The kind of people Maoz's parents were [08:12] Aziz reaches out — what the letter said [09:47] Why Aziz wanted to learn Hebrew [14:23] Are they the minority? How do you make peace mainstream? [16:36] What would peace actually look like? [20:18] Yonit pushes: what about Hamas, what about religion? [24:44] The travelogue — hospitals, holy sites, and shared grief [26:38] Do Israelis and Palestinians have to give up their narratives? [33:27] What do Aziz and Maoz still disagree on? [38:48] Closing — the book, the journey, the invitation

Jonathan Freedland speaks to the law professor and author Leah Litman about the conservative-leaning court's decisions this legislative session, cases to come and why some are arguing it is now a political institution, not a legal one

The Iran war may be over — or it may not. In the space of a few hours this week, Washington ordered warships into the Strait of Hormuz, paused the operation, threatened to resume bombing at higher intensity, and then declared peace was near.  Yonit and Jonathan cut through the chaos — and ask the question the ceasefire deal still hasn't answered: what happened to Iran's nuclear stockpile?  Also this week: Bezalel Smotrich calls October 7th "a tactical failure" and says including Arab parties in government would be a thousand times worse. Gadi Eisenkot and former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen join forces. Netanyahu's plea deal murmurs get louder. The UK goes to the polls with antisemitism front and center. And the Chutzpah and Mensch awards both go to the same unlikely figure: Nick Cave, who told a hostile fan to go F himself — and blamed his wife's absence. Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/R-2p4tL6e7E [00:00] Intro — Jewish American Heritage Month [06:54] Iran ceasefire chaos — what is Washington actually doing?  [10:14] The nuclear question the deal still hasn't answered  [15:21] Israeli politics: Bennett-Lapid merger recap  [17:43] Eisenkot + Yoram Cohen join forces  [21:10] Smotrich calls October 7th a "tactical failure"  [26:46] Netanyahu: plea deal or Saudi peace card?  [31:05] UK local elections — Jews as political football [37:05] Chutzpah & Mensch: Nick Cave vs. Lee from Bournemouth [41:10] Ted Turner — a different kind of media owner

Forty days of war with Iran. Four weeks of an uneasy ceasefire. And one verdict that nobody in Washington wants to say out loud: the Islamic Republic came out of this stronger. Dr. Suzanne Maloney, Vice President of the Brookings Institution's foreign policy program and one of America's most trusted voices on Iran, joins Yonit and Jonathan as US warships attempt to escort vessels through a Strait of Hormuz that Iran still effectively controls. They get into whether the ceasefire can hold, why the nuclear threat was never really addressed, who is actually making decisions inside Tehran now that the supreme leader is gone, and what a realistic deal — if one exists — might look like. Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/D_P_lca1OzQ Unholy Conversations drops every Tuesday. Listen to the regular episode on Friday to get the full Two Jews on the News Experience  

In the second part of this two part pre-recorded interview, award winning journalist and podcaster, Jonathan Freedland discusses with SBS the high-stakes landscape of Israeli politics ahead of the looming election, that is anything but routine. As the country stands at a critical crossroads, this vote is widely seen as a defining moment that will not only impact the country, but also the Middle East and the rest of the world. Freedland most pressingly points out that “democracy is on the ballot”.

A 31-year-old man has been charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, after a thwarted attack at Saturday's White House correspondents' dinner. Immediately after this, conspiracy theories spread online that the assassination attempt was fake. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Rachel Leingang about why conspiracy theories such as this about the US president are so prevalent

In the first part of this two part pre-recorded interview, award winning journalist and podcaster, Jonathan Freedland speaks with SBS Hebrew about the recent surge in attacks targeting Jewish communities in London - not including the latest stabbing attack which took place in London this week. Freedland not only looks within confines of the UK, but also discusses attacks on Jewish people everywhere from Manchester to Bondi. He reflects on the growing sense of vulnerability felt by many and simultaneously examines the social and political currents driving this rise in hostility. We also hear Freedland offering a personal perspective on what it means to be an openly and proudly Jewish journalist at a time of heightened tension.

As stabbing against Jews in Golders Green rises up, again, the question of security of Jewish communities around the world,  Israel starts the countdown: 6 months to the elections. Yonit and Jonathan discuss the Golders Green knife attack and the wave of antisemitism hitting Britain since October 7th; the Bennett–Lapid merger and what it means for Israel's October elections; whether the Iran–Israel war is on pause or simply reloading; Jake Sullivan's bombshell statement on arms sales to Israel; and — in the awards — Israeli police cutting a Palestinian flag from a Jewish man's kippah, and King Charles delivering a Magna Carta reminder to Congress that Democrats jumped to their feet for.  Watch us on youtube: https://youtu.be/tCqzaU-DlPM This week on Unholy Conversations - Howard Jacobson: https://youtu.be/aB-eNbxb41w

It was a historic day for King Charles as he became the first British monarch to address a joint session of Congress in 35 years, before enjoying a lavish dinner at the White House. There were jokes, subtle digs, and the supposedly apolitical monarch even appealed to Donald Trump on Nato and Ukraine – but how did the US president react? Helen Pidd speaks to the Guardian columnist and host of Politics Weekly America, Jonathan Freedland – watch on YouTube Listen to the latest episode of Politics Weekly America: ‘The Trump purge: is the FBI's Kash Patel next?'. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Howard Jacobson has screamed "liar" at the BBC, lost friends over a newspaper article, and started asking his wife whether it's still safe to live in London. Now he's written a novel about all of it. *Howl* is the story of Ferdinand Draxler — Jewish headmaster, reluctant marcher, man on the edge — who watches the world he believed in applaud the October 7th massacre and descends into a rage that may or may not be madness. Jacobson says he borrowed quite a lot from the last two years of his life. In this Unholy Conversations episode, Jacobson talks with Yonit and Jonathan about the ungovernable anger behind the novel, why he chose comedy as the only honest vehicle for it, the friends who wrote accusing him of celebrating Palestinian deaths, the Manchester synagogue where he was bar mitzvahed and which was attacked on Yom Kippur, and the question he can't shake: what would we have done in Berlin in 1932?   Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/aB-eNbxb41w

Three cabinet secretaries have left – or been pushed out – of the US administration since the start of March. Recent reporting suggests more could soon find themselves on the chopping block. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the MS NOW White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López about why Donald Trump is more ruthless in his second term

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1RBYWVXGom0 Follow Unholy and learn more about the pod: https://unholy-podcast.lovable.app/ Join our Patreon community to get access to bonus episodes, discounts on merch and more: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon Listen to Aner Shapira z"l and Yehudit Ravitz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1XbaGln45Q Pre-order "Zariz" by Adeena Sussman: https://www.adeenasussman.com/zariz Israel's 78th Independence Day arrives in the shadow of a three-year war — and a nation more divided than ever. As US-Iran talks stall and the Lebanon ceasefire holds by a thread, Yonit and Jonathan take stock of where Israel stands: from the parallel ceremonies splitting the country, to Rahm Emanuel's seismic break from past support for Israeli military aid, to Ezra Klein's "one state reality" argument — and why Yonit thinks it misses half the picture. Then: a joyful detour. Adeena Sussman, author of the forthcoming Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes, joins to talk about cooking through a war, the fusion of Jewish and Israeli identity on the plate, and why every pot of Sabbath stew is a political act.

Jonathan Freedland on what Keir Starmer said – and didn't say – to the House of Commons about the Mandelson vetting failure. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/HFowIpBxqKs  Rachel Goldberg-Polin has stood before the UN, met with presidents, and worn a number on her chest every single day until there were no more hostages in Hamas captivity. Now, months after Hersh was murderd, she sat down and wrote a book. When We See You Again is not a hostage story and not a political reckoning. It is, as Rachel describes it, a painful love story — a grief memoir written "with one finger from underneath a truck," with no distance, no perspective, and no pretense that any of that is coming soon. In this conversation with Yonit and Jonathan, Rachel talks about the moment a released hostage told her Hersh had heard her voice in captivity, why she refused to name the officials who promised and delivered nothing, the 87 pages she cut and called "the suitcase," and how Hersh's memory will become a "revolution for go.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

No matter how much Donald Trump outrages his opponents, nothing ever seems to stick. But what about his own base? With controversies surrounding the Epstein files, his war on Iran, and now a ‘blasphemous' post depicting the president as Jesus, could Maga finally be pulling away? Jonathan Freedland speaks to Rolling Stone's Nikki McCann Ramírez about the string of scandals dogging Trump, the Maga big beasts biting the hand that fed them, and what happens when a personality cult loses its personality

Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/1GIuMFYYX1E Get more Unholy content: https://unholy-podcast.lovable.app/   As Israel marks one week out of 40 days of missiles from Iran, Yonit and Jonathan take apart the week's impossible contradictions: Netanyahu delivering a triumphalist Yom HaShoah speech while 400 kilograms of enriched uranium remain intact in Iran; a fragile Lebanon ceasefire that almost no one trusts; 40 Democratic senators voting against arms transfers; and Italy's far-right prime minister — until now Israel's last ally in Europe — quietly moving toward the exit. They also clock a historic election in Hungary, what Orban's fall means for the Israeli opposition, and whether Gadi Eisenkot is the figure who finally changes the picture.   CHAPTERS: [00:00] Intro  [02:30] Two kinds of sirens — explaining Yom HaShoah to kids during active war  [05:00] Yom HaShoah: the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and why Israel chose this date  [06:00] The war breakfast menu — 40 days and no off switch  [08:44] Iran ceasefire: fragile, murky, and far from over  [14:42] Netanyahu's Holocaust Day speech — and what it got wrong  [20:47] Israeli elections: Eisenkot, Bennett, and the Orban lesson from Hungary  [27:00] Democrats break with Israel: Slotkin, 40 Senate votes, and who lost America  [33:45] Italy's Meloni shifts — even the far-right is moving  [40:41] Chutzpah Award: JD Vance tells the Pope to be careful about theology  [43:30] Mensch Award: Parents Circle joint Israeli-Palestinian memorial ceremony   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melania Trump made a surprise appearance at the White House on Thursday to announce that she ‘never had a relationship' with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. Her address has seemingly put Epstein back on the political agenda when focus had been firmly on the US and Israel's war in Iran. The intervention came at a difficult time for her husband, Donald Trump, as the fragile ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran seemed to be at risk of falling apart, and as US lawmakers are raising the alarm over the president's mental stability. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian US editor, Betsy Reed – watch on YouTube Jonathan Freedland on Politics Weekly America with the Guardian's Washington bureau chief David Smith on whether Trump could be forced out of office – listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

This week, despite securing a temporary ceasefire with Iran, there were calls from both the left and the right to invoke the 25th amendment of the US constitution to remove Donald Trump from office. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian's Washington bureau chief, David Smith, about the various ways Congress could remove Trump from the White House

Follow Unholy and learn more about the pod: https://unholy-podcast.lovable.app/ Join our Patreon community to get access to bonus episodes: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon Day 40 of the US-Israel war on Iran — and it's ceasefire. But the relief is complicated: Israeli bombardment of Hezbollah in Lebanon has already shifted the world's anger from Washington back to Jerusalem. Bret Stephens, opinion columnist at the New York Times and one of the conflict's most prominent intellectual defenders, joins Yonit and Jonathan to take stock — was it worth it, what was actually achieved, and what does an inconclusive ending mean for Israel's standing with a younger American generation that's turning away. Then: the death penalty bill that slipped through the Knesset on Erev Pesach. Dr. Amir Fuchs of the Israeli Democracy Institute was inside those committee rooms. He explains what passed and who it targets. ⏱ CHAPTERS:  [00:00] Ceasefire — Yonit wakes up after 40 nights of sirens in Tel Aviv  [02:10] Kids, lunchboxes, and parenting during wartime  [05:45] Why Israel is now the global target instead of Trump [19:24] Bret Stephens: Was the Iran war worth it?  [23:11] Senior Israeli official admits objectives weren't achieved  [26:23] Iran's nuclear program — degraded, not destroyed  [29:52] The Strait of Hormuz: Iran's trump card  [34:08] Israel's American support — how worried should we be?  [37:07] Israel's intelligence credibility post-October 7th  [40:33] Young Americans and the erosion of support for Israel  [54:28] Dr. Amir Fuchs — inside the Knesset committee rooms What the death penalty bill actually says  [1:02:30] Will the Supreme Court strike it down?  [1:06:42] Ben-Gvir's trap — win-win by design  [1:10:36] Yonit: Judaism doesn't celebrate death  [1:11:53] Jonathan: the synagogue sermon about spilling wine on Passover  [1:14:38] Hungary elections — Orban vs. Magyar  [1:16:52] Chutzpah Award: Kanye West banned from Britain  [1:21:25] Mensch: Colette Avital, 86-year-old Holocaust survivor, still protesting  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the end, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge, sort of just … fizzled out. So did Musk save the taxpayer any money? What happened the people who lost their jobs in the mass bureaucratic culling? What services were affected? Will Americans ever trust their government again? Jonathan Freedland speaks to author Sasha Abramsky about his new book, American Carnage: How Trump, Musk, and DOGE Butchered the US Government, and about what lasting legacy of Doge will be

As thousands of US soldiers and marines arrive in the Middle East, Iran is accusing Washington of privately plotting a ground assault while publicly touting ceasefire talks. Donald Trump threatened to ‘obliterate' Iran's energy infrastructure, said his ‘preference would be to take the oil' in Iran and that US forces could seize the regime's export hub on Kharg Island, while also claiming he was in talks with a new ‘reasonable regime'. Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi forces have also entered the conflict, bringing the threat of further damage to the global economy.Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian columnist and host of Politics Weekly America, Jonathan Freedland

As thousands of US soldiers and marines arrive in the Middle East, Iran is accusing Washington of privately plotting a ground assault while publicly touting ceasefire talks. Donald Trump threatened to ‘obliterate' Iran's energy infrastructure, said his ‘preference would be to take the oil' in Iran and that US forces could seize the regime's export hub on Kharg Island, while also claiming he was in talks with a new ‘reasonable regime'. Yemen's Houthi forces have also entered the conflict, bringing the threat of further damage to the global economy. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian columnist and host of Politics Weekly America, Jonathan Freedland – watch on YouTube. And listen to Politics Weekly America here, or wherever you get your podcasts.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Donald Trump says the US has won its war with Iran. Iranian officials responded to this by mocking him. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Susan Glasser of the New Yorker about analysis suggesting Trump is losing his touch when it comes to sealing the deal, winning elections or just having the energy to run the White House

Please note that an (authentic!) alert sound is heard twice throughout the episode. Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/UdhHLAquwgs Follow Unholy and learn more about the pod: https://unholy-podcast.lovable.app/ The fourth week of the war with Iran finds both sides insisting—loudly and contradictorily—that peace talks are either underway or nowhere in sight. In the meantime, Iranian missiles continue to hit civilian neighbourhoods across Israel, while rolling news blurs day into night, tracking both the war itself and the political manoeuvres that show little sign of slowing down. And in London, another antisemitic attack raises uncomfortable questions about double standards when it comes to hatred directed at Israel. This week, Yonit and Jonathan sit down with Jake Sullivan, who puts it bluntly: this war should not have started. Sullivan lays out three reasons why the decision was flawed, argues that Donald Trump's “appetite grew with the eating” from the 12-day war to the current escalation, and offers an alternative path—a renewed nuclear deal backed by long-term deterrence. He also raises a troubling possibility: could this conflict increase the likelihood of Chinese action against Taiwan?   Plus: a rare look behind the scenes of Israel's most-watched news broadcast, as Yonit reflects on what it means to sit in the anchor's chair for hours on end—and the personal toll it takes.   00:00 Day 27 — Cluster bomb near Yonit's house  03:00 Life under sirens: sheltering in Tel Aviv  19:48 The Rubio remark: did Israel drag America into war? 23:28 Yonit on anchoring Israel's news during a war she's living 31:23 Jonathan: global antisemitic attacks since the war began  42:06 Jake Sullivan: deal or escalation? 1:15:16 Chutzpah & Mensch Awards Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donald Trump has told his Nato allies: ‘We don't need you.' He also threatened to ‘massively blow up' the world's largest gasfield, despite Americans already having to deal with higher prices. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Kamala Harris's former national security adviser, Philip Gordon, about what this all means for the Iran war and Trump's ‘America First' policy

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HeoVvd294Ww Follow us on social media and join Patreon to get more of Unholy: https://unholy-podcast.lovable.app/ Day 20 of the US-Israeli war on Iran — and it's becoming a war of attrition.  In the meantime, Europe refuses to lend its ships, daylight emerges between Trump and Netanyahu, and Joe Kent's antisemitic conspiracy theory gets the full debunking it deserves. Amos Harel, Haaretz's military affairs correspondent, joins Yonit and Jonathan for a deep dive. What does the assassination of Ali Larijani — Khamenei's right-hand man — actually achieve? Is the war drifting from plan A toward something no one planned at all? And why is Netanyahu now talking less about regime change and more about Israel as a "world superpower"? And we turn to you, our listeners, with your most pressing questions about anything between life and war. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Since coming back into office, Donald Trump has sent troops to Venezuela, Iran and US cities. He has threatened to deploy them to Greenland in order to get what he wants. But what do the people who serve think of their commander-in-chief? If they wanted to, could they disobey his orders? This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Janessa Goldbeck, a former Marine and the chief executive of Vet Voice Foundation

Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/vQ0o0F07o2k Subscribe to get bonus episodes, read more about the team, and catch us on every platform we're on! > https://bit.ly/unholy-podcast Naomi Alderman on Substack: look at me. I'm here. I'm the ultimate product of Hitler's defeat: https://naomialderman.substack.com/p/look-at-me-im-here-im-the-ultimate Day 13 of the war with Iran — and the conflict just got bigger. Overnight, 200 rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon. Hezbollah, which many believed had been neutered, is back.  This week, Yonit and Jonathan take stock of a war that is growing, not winding down. They're joined by General David Petraeus — former CIA Director, commander of coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and one of the most clear-eyed voices on American military strategy. Petraeus breaks down what the US and Israel have actually achieved so far: missile launches are down over 90%, air defenses have been dismantled, and over 6,000 targets hit. But the new Khamenei? "We wanted a Delcy Rodriguez," he says. "We got a young Kim Jong-un." And he's blunt about what comes next: Iran's a million men under arms, and nobody has a clean exit. Then: a very different conversation. Jonathan talks to novelist and broadcaster Naomi Alderman about why she thinks Marty Supreme is the most intensely Jewish movie she's ever seen.  Plus: the Mensch and Chutzpah awards return. The Academy of Hebrew Language gets hacked by Iranians. Their response? Perfect. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zNwIQcrIMDs Recent update episodes: War with Iran day 4 - Living under fire (March 3) Khamenei Is Dead. What Now for Iran? - with Dr. Suzanne Maloney (March 1) US and Israel strike Iran; Khamenei reported dead - with Amos Harel (Feb 28) America and Israel are at war with Iran. non-stop sirens in Tel Aviv, the Gulf states are under fire, and the Trump administration is hit by a barrage of tough questions in Washington. This week, Yonit and Jonathan take stock of a historic and disorienting first week. Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times, joins to assess the war from the outside: Trump shifting justifications for war, Israel's military logic-- and who will fill the regional power vacuum if Iran is weakened. And: Jonathan reports from Sydney, where he visited Bondi Beach and spoke to a Jewish community still shaken by the shooting in December — and Yonit, running on five nights of no sleep, describes what it's actually like to stop your car on the side of a highway when the sirens go off. Also: a wedding in a shelter, four floors underground. 0:00.000 Chapter: US & Israel war against Iran - day 6 22:31.671 Chapter: Shifting Justifications for War 25:22.534 Chapter: Israel's Strategic Calculus 28:27.274 Chapter: Changing Dynamics in American Support 31:12.981Chapter: The Role of Allies in a New World Order 34:19.257 Chapter: Future of Regional Powers in the Middle East 37:16.299 Chapter: The Complexity of Regime Change 40:07.423 Chapter: Responses from Gulf States and the Path Forward 42:47.830 Chapter: Understanding the Iranian Threat 42:56.867 Chapter: Current Events in the Middle East 43:59.964 Chapter: Reflections on the Conversation and Future Outlook     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The US and Israel's war with Iran is nearing its first full week, and after throwing the region into chaos, it is starting to spread beyond the Middle East. Washington and Israel are now vowing to strike ‘deeper' targets in Iran, after a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka. Guardian columnist and Politics Weekly America host Jonathan Freedland joined Reged Ahmad in the Sydney studio to discuss what might force Donald Trump to end the war, and the repercussions for world order

The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, is widely regarded as one of the Democratic party's leading contenders for the 2028 presidential election. He has also published a new book, Young Man in a Hurry, reflecting on his childhood and his path to the governor's mansion. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Newsom about why he believes the Democrats suffered such heavy losses in 2024, why the party needs to be less judgmental, and whether he intends to run for president in 2028

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aPuKq78g6X4   Follow us on social media and join Patreon to get more of Unholy: https://linktr.ee/unholypod     As the US–Iran talks in Geneva keep the region on edge, Yonit  is joined by journalist Matti Friedman, to make sense of Israel's uneasy calm — daily life continuing under the knowledge that everything could change in minutes. They reflect on Purim anxiety, old antisemitic tropes resurfacing, and Narendra Modi's unusually warm visit to Israel, set against Knesset infighting.  They also dive deep into the evolving India–Israel relationship with former ambassador Alon Ushpiz: affection, technology, security interests, and how much (or little) Islam really drives the alignment. Plus: the backlash to Hugh Laurie's mourning of Tehran producer Dana Eden, a Chutzpah award for Tucker Carlson and Mike Huckabee, and a Mensch salute to Israel's women's hockey team. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, he vowed to kill off ‘woke' in America. From the Kennedy Center to the Smithsonian museums and the Stonewall national monument, the Trump administration has imposed its values on American culture and history. Jonathan Freedland and the Guardian's Washington bureau chief, David Smith, discuss the consequences for millions of Americans of Trump reimagining history and culture in his image

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with Unholy podcast hosts Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland. In this episode, Channel 12 news anchor Levi and Guardian columnist and BBC Radio 4's Jonathan Freedland look back on five years of podcasting together on "Unholy: Two Jews on the News," their weekly show that offers the perspectives of a Jewish Israeli and a Diaspora Jew. Freedland and Levi discuss their intention to foster dialogue between Israel and the diaspora at a time when those conversations have become increasingly difficult. They delve into the types of conversations carried out on "Unholy" following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, and how the podcast became a lifeline for them as much as their listeners, as the Jewish community worldwide has grappled with the massacre, bereavement, hostage crisis, and the war in Gaza. The two hosts discuss their own approaches as Levi is a Jewish Israeli who spent a portion of her childhood in the US, and Freedland is a British Jew who views Judaism and Israel through his own lens. They also chew over the intimacy of the podcast medium for them, particularly given Levi's usual role as a popular news anchor, with her face and voice familiar to most of the Israeli public. The podcast has created a setting that offers a different kind of opportunity for Levi and Freedland, their guests, and their listeners, with the capacity to foment real conversation and debate. Levi and Freedland reminisce about earlier, favorite episodes and the years when the podcast tackled other subjects, such as musicals or literature, and with different kinds of guests, including Etgar Keret, Howard Jacobson, and Helen Mirren. They talk about the books they each published this past year, including Freedland's 14th, a non-fiction historical thriller, "The Traitors Circle: The True Story of a Secret Resistance Network in Nazi Germany—and the Spy Who Betrayed Them." Levi's book, her first, was written with her friend and CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga. "Don't Feed the Lion" is for middle-grade readers and Levi talks about how young people grapple with antisemitism. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Jonathan Freedland, left, and Yonit Levi are the hosts of podcast 'Unholy: Two Jews on the News' (Courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of negotiations, threats and refusals, Bill and Hillary Clinton have finally agreed to testify in front of Congress as part of a Republican-led investigation into the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Politico Magazine columnist and former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori about why Donald Trump thinks it is a ‘shame' the Clintons have been forced to testify

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/m6zjJCUxC28Follow us on social media and join Patreon to get more of Unholy: https://linktr.ee/unholypod As the world waits to see the outcome of talks between Washington and Tehran, Israel finds itself grappling with upheaval at home.This week on Unholy, Yonit and Jonathan focus on two starkly different fault lines in Israeli society. First, rising violence in the Arab community: more than 30 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been murdered since the start of the year, as organised crime tightens its grip and trust in the police and the state continues to erode. What lies behind this horrific toll, and why has it been allowed to become grimly routine?Then, another front in the culture wars. Israel's right-leaning Channel 14 turns its fire on women serving in combat roles in the IDF, questioning their very presence. What does this campaign say about power, fear and the boundaries of belonging in Israeli public life?Our guest is Coleman Hughes, one of the most prominent young intellectuals in the United States. He joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about race, antisemitism in America and the direction of Donald Trump's domestic agenda — and what all that might mean far beyond the US. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TcIvsLyyFMM Follow us on social media and join Patreon to get more of Unholy: https://linktr.ee/unholypod As Israel receives the body of Rani Gvilli, the last remaining hostage held in Gaza since October 7, a painful chapter closes — and a new, uncertain one begins: for the first time since 2014, there are no Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Meanwhile, the world looks to Washington, waiting to see when, where and whether Donald Trump will order a strike against Iran. Yonit and Jonathan unpack what this new reality means — for Israel, for the region and for a war that refuses to end cleanly. They also examine Benjamin Netanyahu's latest accusation - that Israeli soldiers lost their lives because of what he called an “arms embargo” imposed by Joe Biden - and why he made it now. Plus: Listeners' Therapy returns. Unholy is joined once again by renowned psychotherapist Dr Orna Guralnik for a second session — this time with Lee and Marion, an American-Israeli couple wrestling with a question that has become agonisingly familiar to many Jewish families: where should we raise our children? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donald Trump's maximalist approach to foreign policy reached a crescendo this week, with the US president dominating proceedings at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Trump rescinded his threat to seize the Danish territory of Greenland, and launched his so-called board of peace for Gaza. It's been a chaotic week in Trumpworld – but there is increasing resistance from other world leaders, and signs of an emergent new world order. The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has warned that ‘the old order is not coming back … We shouldn't mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy.' Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/GNEwMea20H4Catch Jonathan on tour in AustraliaGreenland, Gaza and the brand-new “Board of Peace”: Donald Trump goes to Davos to unveil his gold-plated rival to the UN and ambitious new blueprint for post-war Gaza. Yonit and Jonathan unpick what it means in practice, how Qatar and Turkey's involvement is unsettling for Israelis - and why Benjamin Netanyahu may find that being in the hands of Donald Trump is no more comfortable than being in the hands of the UN. Plus, Dr. Orna Guralnik of the TV hit Couples Therapy joins Unholy for an experiment in “listeners therapy”, listening to two teenage friends from Copenhagen, Albert and Benjamin, as they have a raw and unexpectedly hopeful conversation, each determined to stay close to the other even as they disagree fiercely about Israel and the Palestinians.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We have a new bonus episode out! find it in your feed, or here: https://bit.ly/49pirZ1Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ICs1pgQgCbYFor more Unholy content, social media, etc: https://linktr.ee/unholypodIran is burning, the world is watching – and, as ever, everyone is waiting to see what Donald Trump does next. As mass protests face a ferocious crackdown that may already rank among the bloodiest in the region's modern history, Yonit and Jonathan speak to scholar of Iran Dr. Suzanne Maloney about the possibility of an eventual regime change in Tehran, Washington's options and Israel's concerns.In the UK, a police chief is urged to quit as the truth emerges of his ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, there's a Mensch award for sporting excellence  - and in the midst of it all, Unholy turns five. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist, broadcaster, and author of the widely acclaimed book The Escape Artist which tells the remarkable story of Rudolf Vrba and fellow inmate Alfred Wetzler who became the very first Jews to successfully escape Auschwitz. In October 2025 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss his new book, The Traitors Circle, an astonishing story from the same era. This is a story of a group of rebels within Germany who had secretly opposed the Nazi regime for the best part of a decade, operating in the shadows, performing perilous acts of resistance, saving lives. It is also the story of their betrayal. In conversation with Jenny Kleeman, Freedland uncovered this almost forgotten story of resistance, bravery and its profound message about choosing to stand up to tyranny, which has a deep moral resonance for our own time. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist, broadcaster, and author of the widely acclaimed book The Escape Artist which tells the remarkable story of Rudolf Vrba and fellow inmate Alfred Wetzler who became the very first Jews to successfully escape Auschwitz. In October 2025 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss his new book, The Traitors Circle, an astonishing story from the same era. This is a story of a group of rebels within Germany who had secretly opposed the Nazi regime for the best part of a decade, operating in the shadows, performing perilous acts of resistance, saving lives. It is also the story of their betrayal. In conversation with Jenny Kleeman, Freedland uncovered this almost forgotten story of resistance, bravery and its profound message about choosing to stand up to tyranny, which has a deep moral resonance for our own time. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode taped live onstage in New York, John interviews his pal Jonathan Freedland – Guardian political columnist and co-host of the Unholy podcast – about his new book, “The Traitor's Circle: The True Story of a Secret Resistance Network in Nazi Germany – and the Spy Who Betrayed Them.” Freedland, the author of nine thrillers under the pen name Sam Bourne, describes how "The Traitor's Circle," like its predecessor “The Escape Artist,” marries rigorous research with the techniques of genre fiction to create a serious work of historical non-fiction that reads like an Agatha Christie mystery. The two also discuss how pop culture has processed the Holocaust, from “Shoah” to “The Odessa Files” and “Inglorious Bastards.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices