With barbecues, the annual Air Force flybys and other festivities - Israel celebrated its 75th birthday, but not without a noticeable rift in the nation, as well. Yonit and Jonathan talk recent updates as the status of the judicial overhaul remains unclear, and revisit Netanyahu's foreign press campaign.
And, we are joined by Semafor and BuzzFeed co-founder, Ben Smith, to discuss the seismic sacking of Fox News' controversial host Tucker Carlson, and whether the abrupt dismissal indicates even Murdoch’s network felt its biggest star was becoming a liability. 
Plus, a homage to the 17-year-old who moved Israelis to tears at the annual torch lighting ceremony. 
Pre-order Ben Smith's book, Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/678592/traffic-by-ben-smith/
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75 and counting - with special guest Ben Smith

Yonit Levi of Israel's Channel 12 News and Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian are two of the most prominent journalists in the world today. They are also Jews. Each week, join what MSNBC's Rachel Maddow calls "two great, smart smart smart hosts" as they dissect and debate current events shaping Israel, Jewish life - and the wider world.
Their blend of nuanced discussion and sparkling conversation, featuring a dazzling range of guests, is why New Yorker editor David Remnick calls himself a “proud, avid listener," why Ira Glass says he "completely enjoys this show" and why Malcolm Gladwell calls it an "incredibly fun podcast".
For a weekly fix of globally informed talk – including nominations for the greatest act of chutzpah and outstanding mensch of the previous seven days – there’s only one destination. Make every Friday morning Unholy. 
 

News

In an episode recorded before Israel’s reported targeting of Iranian sites in the early hours of Friday morning, Yonit and Jonathan discuss the ongoing fallout from Iran’s attack on Israel six days earlier — assessing the arguments and dilemmas that have gripped Israel’s policymakers. Plus: a conversation about the future for Israelis and Palestinians when the current war in Gaza is finally over, with Israeli scholar and thinker Fania Oz-Salzberger and Palestinian writer and analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib. And, of course, some thoughts for the seder table as Pesach, or Passover, approaches
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The 11th Plague - with Fania Oz-Salzberger & Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

Yonit and Jonathan talk through an unprecedented night in which Iran launched a direct attack on Israeli territory for the first time - and in which a series of Arab nations joined the US, UK, France and Israel itself in protecting the country from a sustained Iranian drone and missile attack. How will - and how should - Benjamin Netanyahu respond? Is there a way to retaliate without triggering a wider regional war? And what are the implications for both Israel's battle against Hamas and its place in the Middle East? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Urgent Update: Iran Attacks

Israeli writer and satirist Etgar Keret and US broadcasting legend Ira Glass have been friends for two decades - but October 7 put that friendship under strain. They found themselves seeing the same events differently. Like Yonit and Jonathan, one was inside, the other outside. The four of them talk about that, about grief, friendship - and much else. Plus an update on the looming threat from Iran and the state of the war in Gaza — and there are some choice nominees for the chutzpah and mensch awards See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Jewish Life: A Conversation with Ira Glass & Etgar Keret

The war that began on October 7 is six months old: to mark the occasion, a special episode with three unique voices. Yonit and Jonathan hear from Israel's pre-eminent military analyst, Amos Harel, on the state of the conflict in Gaza - what's happened, what might come next and the prospects for a wider clash with Iran and Hizbullah. They speak with Rabbi Angela Buchdal of New York about how October 7 shook the Jewish diaspora, and how Judaism might serve as a consolation in these dark days. And they hear from CNN's BIanna Golodryga about the hostages taken that day and the challenge of keeping global attention on their increasingly desperate fate. Plus: some award winners - and an unexpected moment of song. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Six Month War - With Amos Harel, Angela Buchdahl and Bianna Golodryga

In a week when the US withheld its protective veto at the UN Security Council, leaving Israel isolated, Yonit and Jonathan discuss the deteriorating state of the US-Israel relationship - and what logic might be steering Benjamin Netanyahu to risk such a rupture with Washington. Plus: the looming battle over the ultra-orthodox and military service, and a farewell to two pioneers - one a groundbreaking economist, the other the Jewish vice president who never was.
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75 and counting - with special guest Ben Smith

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