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Unholy: Two Jews on the News

Unholy: Two Jews on the News

Unholy Media 310 Episodes Aug 20, 2026

Yonit Levi of Israel's Channel 12 News and Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian, two prominent journalists who are also Jewish, host this weekly podcast. They dissect and debate current events shaping Israel, Jewish life, and the wider world, featuring a range of guests. The show is praised by figures like Rachel Maddow, David Remnick, Ira Glass, and Malcolm Gladwell for its nuanced discussion and sparkling conversation. Each episode includes nominations for the greatest act of chutzpah and outstanding mensch of the week.

Episodes

Bibi's Primary Battles, Gaza Deadlines, and the Plus-sign "Plot"
Bibi's Primary Battles, Gaza Deadlines, and the Plus-sign "Plot" Aug 20, 2026 00:44:08 Send us your questions at: https://www.speakpipe.com/Unholy Visit our website to learn more about Unholy and become a friend of the pod: www.unholy-podcast.com   Sixty-eight days from the election, the hardest problems on Benjamin Netanyahu's desk are arriving from Washington. Jared Kushner is meeting Hamas directly, and the Gaza withdrawal deadlines he is carrying — thirty, sixty and ninety days
The Middle East Cauldron - with Simon Sebag Montefiore
The Middle East Cauldron - with Simon Sebag Montefiore Aug 18, 2026 00:36:40 Acclaimed historian Simon Sebag Montefiore returns to Unholy to discuss his sweeping new book, The Cauldron: A History of the Middle East between 1900 and 2026. He tells Yonit and Jonathan that understanding the region today requires starting at the dawn of the 20th century — thanks to the long shadow still cast by the Ottoman Empire and its collapse. They talk of the often underestimated signific
Clash with the White House, clash on the West Bank
Clash with the White House, clash on the West Bank Aug 13, 2026 00:52:00 Benjamin Netanyahu has said no to Donald Trump's 15-point Gaza plan, and the refusal is flat rather than fudged. In the West Bank, extremist settlers have besieged two Palestinian families in the village of Qusra, apparently hoping to take their homes. The IDF went in but came away with mission very much unaccomplished. With Yonit away, Jonathan is joined by Hadley Freeman, columnist for London’s
The mediaeval image of the Jew - and why it’s lasted. With Miri Rubin
The mediaeval image of the Jew - and why it’s lasted. With Miri Rubin Aug 11, 2026 00:36:05 Three of the oldest myths about Jews — relating to money, blood and the way they look — were forged in medieval Christian Europe, mostly in places where there were almost no Jews to observe. Miri Rubin, professor of medieval and early modern history at Queen Mary University of London, tells Jonathan how each one of those myths was built — and explains how that medieval way of seeing Jews often rem
Trump moves on Gaza, Netanyahu moves on his opponents
Trump moves on Gaza, Netanyahu moves on his opponents Aug 6, 2026 00:51:37 With Yonit away, Jonathan is joined by Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent of the Economist, as they discuss the muted reaction to the announcement made by Donald Trump of what he hoped would be hailed as a breakthrough in Gaza. It turns out that most people in the region are waiting to see if Washington’s hopes turn into anything more concrete.   Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu is setting about en
Heather Reisman on How Canada's Jews Became a Target
Heather Reisman on How Canada's Jews Became a Target Aug 4, 2026 00:40:16 Just over 400,000 Jews call the country home, a community that lived through what many call a golden age of acceptance before watching it fracture. Jewish Canadians, under 1% of the population, are now the target of the large majority of religiously motivated hate crimes in the country. This week, Heather Reisman — founder and CEO of Indigo, Canada's largest book, toy and lifestyle retailer, and c
Likud against the world, Democrats against each other
Likud against the world, Democrats against each other Jul 30, 2026 00:42:34 Ninety days before Israel votes, the campaign is revealing much about both the candidates and the country. The defense minister boasts about applying different detention rules to Jewish and Arab citizens — at a primary event, into a microphone. Two sets of pollsters are predicting completely opposite outcomes, and someone smashed Channel 12's doors and left death threats for the second time in a m
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel Jul 28, 2026 00:45:53 Fresh off his tour of Israel and Europe, this week on Unholy Conversations, Yonit and Jonathan speak to Rahm Emanuel—former Chief of Staff, Congressman, Chicago Mayor, Ambassador to Japan and perhaps future presidential nominee. They dive into his recent charged conversation with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, his take on Israel’s current choices, whether he considers himself a Zionist, and if he’
Trump’s Saudi nuclear deal, Israeli elections get real
Trump’s Saudi nuclear deal, Israeli elections get real Jul 23, 2026 00:40:45 A nuclear deal between Washington and Riyadh breaks overnight — and Israel learns the terms from the same press release as everyone else. This week, Yonit and Jonathan dig into what the US–Saudi agreement does and doesn't include, why the normalization clause that was supposed to be attached appeared to be missing - before it was hastily added by Donald Trump, after the event - and what a nuclear-
First Time Voters in Israel
First Time Voters in Israel Jul 21, 2026 00:43:43 This week, Yonit and Jonathan sit down with three first-time voters — Aviv, Yael and Dror — to talk about the topics that will shape these election - the judicial overhaul, whether Arab parties belong in a coalition, and the draft bill. October 7th moved each of them, but not the same way — one drifted toward the center, another sharply to the right. What they do agree on might be the most interes
Espionage in Iran, election manoeuvres in Israel - and unlikely football glory
Espionage in Iran, election manoeuvres in Israel - and unlikely football glory Jul 16, 2026 00:48:06 The US-Iran war is back on. The ceasefire has collapsed, the naval blockade is reimposed, and Israel is asking if a moment is coming when the missiles turn its way. With Yonit away, Jonathan is joined by New Yorker writer Ruth Margalit to make sense of a dizzying week: a jaw-dropping report that the Mossad cultivated Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — yes, that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — as an asset in a failed plo
Jews and Football: a forgotten story - with David Bolchover
Jews and Football: a forgotten story - with David Bolchover Jul 14, 2026 00:35:14 As football fans across the globe gear up for the World Cup final on Sunday, Jonathan talks to the author of a new book that uncovers a hidden story: the Jewish players who were once football’s biggest stars. David Bolchover reveals how it was Jewish footballers that dominated some of Europe’s best teams, reinventing much of the way the game is played - until they were brutally murdered in the Hol

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