Mike and Laureen break down the week's most pressing developments in the Middle East — where narratives and realities collide on the world stage. The hosts tackle and debunk false genocide accusations leveled against Israel, while the dramatic walkout of world leaders during Prime Minister Netanyahu's UN address underscores the deep divisions at the international level.

They track the controversial Gaza flotilla — 50 vessels carrying some 500 activists, including Greta Thunberg — now moving under Italian and Spanish naval protection. The discussion then turns to reports of a Trump-Netanyahu meeting outlining a 21-point plan to end the Gaza war, featuring proposals for Gaza's future governance, the release of hostages and a phased IDF withdrawal. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair even emerges as a potential leader of a new Gaza International Transit Authority.

Media bias also comes into sharp focus as CNN's Jake Tapper interviews Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, who challenges the framing of Israel's military restraint. And in a powerful conversation with Ben Mulroney, Brooke Goldstein of The Lawfare Project dismantles claims of a Gaza food shortage, exposing how UN aid often empowers Hamas instead of reaching civilians.

As we mark Yom Kippur, we wish our listeners a meaningful fast and G'mar Chatima Tovah — may you be inscribed in the Book of Life for good.

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