n 1948, Stan Andrews left a comfortable postwar life in Los Angeles to travel to the war-torn Middle East, where a four-front Arab invasion threatened to destroy the newly-declared State of Israel. There he joined the Israeli Air Force and became one of its first fighter pilots. Andrews was an unexpected volunteer for the fight for a Jewish state. He was many things-an artist, writer, assimilated Jew, ladies' man, pilot, and combat veteran of the Pacific War. He had previously been aloof from the struggle for Jewish independence but found himself so roused by the anti-Semitism of 1940s America that he decided to go to Israel and risk everything.

Jeffrey and Craig Weiss have documented Stan's extraordinary story and I will speak with Jeffrey Weiss about Stan Andrews, a Jewish hero who has become the stuff of legend.
[Full interview]

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Hirsh Naftali is the author of "Saving Abigail: The True Story of the Abduction and Rescue of a Three-Year-Old Hostage," which chronicles the harrowing ordeal her great-niece endured after being orphaned and taken hostage in Gaza for 51 days. The unimaginable tragedy struck her family on October 7, 2023, when her niece and nephew were murdered in front of their three young children in Kfar Aza. Liz’s commitment as a hostage advocate and humanitarian began in those agonizing hours and grew more impactful from her strenuous efforts to see all the hostages freed from the clutches of Hamas.
[Full interview]

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alyza Lewin is the recently appointed President of U.S. Affairs for the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), where she leads strategic engagement with government, educational and civic institutions nationwide. She previously served as President of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, where she spearheaded landmark legal efforts protecting the civil rights of Jewish students and employees across the U.S.

We examine the spate of antisemitism today with a particular focus on Australia and the emergence of virulent antiZionism - an especially insidious form of antisemitism.
[Full interview]

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alyza Lewin is the recently appointed President of U.S. Affairs for the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), where she leads strategic engagement with government, educational and civic institutions nationwide. She previously served as President of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, where she spearheaded landmark legal efforts protecting the civil rights of Jewish students and employees across the U.S.

We examine the spate of antisemitism today with a particular focus on Australia and the emergence of virulent antiZionism - an especially insidious form of antisemitism. (0:27-25:07)

Liz Hirsh Naftali is the author of "Saving Abigail: The True Story of the Abduction and Rescue of a Three-Year-Old Hostage," which chronicles the harrowing ordeal her great-niece endured after being orphaned and taken hostage in Gaza for 51 days. The unimaginable tragedy struck her family on October 7, 2023, when her niece and nephew were murdered in front of their three young children in Kfar Aza. Liz’s commitment as a hostage advocate and humanitarian began in those agonizing hours and grew more impactful from her strenuous efforts to see all the hostages freed from the clutches of Hamas. (25:07-42:31)

In 1948, Stan Andrews left a comfortable postwar life in Los Angeles to travel to the war-torn Middle East, where a four-front Arab invasion threatened to destroy the newly-declared State of Israel. There he joined the Israeli Air Force and became one of its first fighter pilots. Andrews was an unexpected volunteer for the fight for a Jewish state. He was many things-an artist, writer, assimilated Jew, ladies' man, pilot, and combat veteran of the Pacific War. He had previously been aloof from the struggle for Jewish independence but found himself so roused by the anti-Semitism of 1940s America that he decided to go to Israel and risk everything.

Jeffrey and Craig Weiss have documented Stan's extraordinary story and I will speak with Jeffrey Weiss about Stan Andrews, a Jewish hero who has become the stuff of legend. (42:31-57:29)

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia has experienced one of its deadliest mass shootings in its history on Sunday when two gunmen opened fire on the first night of Chanukah at Bondi in Sydney. 16 people are dead, including one of the attackers. At least 38 people were injured, including two police officers.

I spoke with Jillian Segal, the envoy appointed by the Australian government to combat antisemitism. We considered the spate of antisemitism in Australia and I probed into the work that Jillian Segal has been doing, considered the report she has produced and what she is trying to achieve in her role.

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ola Najami is the Director for the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace, which operates under the guise of Givat Haviva, the Center for a Shared Society, founded by the Havatzelet Group, a civic organization for social change working to promote a model society in Israel, with an emphasis on creating a shared society for Jews and Arabs. 

Ola was previously a Co-Deputy Executive Director for Abraham Initiatives and worked for the Women Against Violence Association for eight years. She is keen to boost the representation of women in decision-making roles in society.

[Full interview]

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just over a month ago senior fellow of Strategic Analysis Australia Anthony Bergin had returned from a trip to Israel when he together wth his director Peter Jennings penned an article for The Australian titled ‘In Israel, Australia’s betrayal is evident everywhere you go’. Both had travelled to Israel to participate in the Australia-Israel Strategic Dialogue with the support of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council.

I spoke with Anthony about impressions he gleaned from his recent trip to Israel, the deterioration of the relationship between Israel and Australia, the Liberal Party's tepid response to 'Jewish' issues at the moment and how Israel can best manage its strategic interests going forward.

Anthony has just today had another article 'We should work with the US to make the Gaza plan work' published in The Australian newspaper.

[Full interview]

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel's Arameans are a small, indigenous Christian minority reclaiming their ancient Semitic heritage, preserving Aramaic in their liturgy and culture.

As founder and chairman of the Israeli Christian Aramean Association, Shadi Khalloul's life’s work has focused on empowering Israel’s Christian Aramean minority and reviving traditions lost to history. His experience as an IDF paratrooper, combined with deep cultural roots, gives him a unique perspective on coexistence and democracy in Israel. His mission is to build bridges between Christians and Jews and to promote military integration for young Aramean Christians.

Shadi’s leadership in achieving official Aramean Christian recognition, his ongoing language revival efforts, and his commitment to interfaith dialogue made for a thoughtful conversation.
[Full interview]

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel's Arameans are a small, indigenous Christian minority reclaiming their ancient Semitic heritage, preserving Aramaic in their liturgy and culture.

As founder and chairman of the Israeli Christian Aramean Association, Shadi Khalloul's life’s work has focused on empowering Israel’s Christian Aramean minority and reviving traditions lost to history. His experience as an IDF paratrooper, combined with deep cultural roots, gives him a unique perspective on coexistence and democracy in Israel. His mission is to build bridges between Christians and Jews and to promote military integration for young Aramean Christians.

Shadi’s leadership in achieving official Aramean Christian recognition, his ongoing language revival efforts, and his commitment to interfaith dialogue made for a thoughtful conversation. (0:27-29:06)

Just over a month ago senior fellow of Strategic Analysis Australia Anthony Bergin had returned from a trip to Israel when he together wth his director Peter Jennings penned an article for The Australian titled ‘In Israel, Australia’s betrayal is evident everywhere you go’. Both had travelled to Israel to participate in the Australia-Israel Strategic Dialogue with the support of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council.

I spoke with Anthony about impressions he gleaned from his recent trip to Israel, the deterioration of the relationship between Israel and Australia, the Liberal Party's tepid response to 'Jewish' issues at the moment and how Israel can best manage its strategic interests going forward.

Anthony has just today had another article 'We should work with the US to make the Gaza plan work' published in The Australian newspaper. (29:12-57:36)

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In The Australian Senator Sarah Henderson is "demanding an urgent Senate inquiry into the ABC, claiming the public broadcaster’s editorial division has been allowed to run wild and is no longer “fit for purpose” as a taxpayer-funded source of trusted news and current affairs".

In last week's Australian Jewish News the first three pages were devoted to the community's concerns over what is perceived as the "ABC's Israel Problem".

Today there was a session at Senate Estimates where the ABC  fronted with their news and current affairs editor expected to be in the firing line. However disappointingly Senator Henderson did not raise a solitary 'Jewish' issue.

To put all of this into perspective I will have ILTV editor-in-chief Maayan Hoffman joining me in the studio and participating in the conversation will be Adam Lippman, who has been involved in compiling a 142 page submission (shared with Senator Henderson) together with a group of like-minded people, which has been active in exposing the malfeasances of the ABC.(0:27-27:01)

Other israel-related issues (27:08-52:41)

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.