It’s New Year's Day 2026. My first guest for the 2026 episode is Dr. Ofir Haivry, my regular guest and a renowned Israeli political scientist and commentator. Do you have a New Year's resolution? There has been a lot at the end of 2025, and I’d like to cover more by inviting guests from different backgrounds.

To me, 2026 is a year of hope and change. I plan to expand my newsletter beyond my exclusive articles to a space for free speech, where I can cover various affairs and invite guests to write articles or join Q&A sessions.

By the way, Israel recognized Somaliland on December 26th, 2025. Did you know about Somaliland? I asked Dr. Ofir Haivry to talk about Somaliland to the Japanese public, who had never heard of it. The recognition of Somaliland is a historic moment. What do you think it means to the neighboring region, or geopolitically, not only for Israel?

Also, to many Japanese, it may be confusing why the Bondi Beach massacre is Antisemitism. Some news media had a very misleading description as if the Bondi Beach massacre was the result of the ongoing operation in Gaza by the IDF.

This, in fact, is a preaching, not a fact. Australia has very strict gun laws, just like Japan. Then, why did such a tragedy happen? It’s long overdue for the Japanese public to stop listening to Hamas narrative of Zionism and also Antisemitism. Israel bias.

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