This week brought the strongest signal yet that a breakthrough in Saudi-Israeli relations is coming - with heavy hints from Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman and Joe Biden. Yonit and Jonathan break it all down - and point to the man who’s likely to be the big winner. 

Plus: a conversation with American TV royalty, veteran CBS News correspondent, Lesley Stahl on covering Israel, the challenge of social media and the rise of the octogenarian in US media - and politics. 

And in this new year season, two very different styles of festive greeting win our chutzpah and mensch awards.

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This week brought the strongest signal yet that a breakthrough in Saudi-Israeli relations is coming - with heavy hints from Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman and Joe Biden. Yonit and Jonathan break it all down - and point to the man who’s likely to be the big winner. 
Plus: a conversation with American TV royalty, veteran CBS News correspondent, Lesley Stahl on covering Israel, the challenge of social media and the rise of the octogenarian in US media - and politics. 
And in this new year season, two very different styles of festive greeting win our chutzpah and mensch awards.
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Follow us on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/">https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/</a> and X: <a href="https://x.com/2jewsonthenews">https://x.com/2jewsonthenews</a> Join our Facebook group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142</a>

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. 

Contact us via: unholy@unholy-media.com

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. 
Contact us via: <a href="mailto:unholy@unholy-media.com">unholy@unholy-media.com</a>

Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland on a weekly podcast discussing Israel and the Jewish world, inside and out

Unholy: Two Jews on the News

Yonit Levi of Channel 12 Israel and Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian are two Jews on the news. Each week Levi in Tel Aviv and Freedland in London will give their take on developments in politics and life in Israel, the US, the UK and around the world. Since they’re Jews, you can expect to hear far more than two opinions at any given time.

Unholy

Normalize This: Saudi Breakthrough - with Lesley Stahl

As a veteran of Israel's security establishment, a former defence minister with roots on the Israeli right, says Israel is engaged in "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza, there's renewed talk of a deal to secure a hostage release and ceasefire before Donald Trump takes office in January. Yonit and Jonathan discuss all that - and they speak with Yael Alexander, whose son Edan is still held captive and was this week shown alive in a video released by Hamas. There's a bulging list of chutzpah nominees, stretching from Rumania to New Jersey, and big news about Unholy itself - with a chance for listeners to join the Unholy family. 

Subscribe to our new Patreon community

Social media links (Instagram, X, Bluesky, Youtube and Facebook) available here

Our membership tiers:

$8/month (Friend of the Pod): Get 2 bonus episodes a month, early access to event tickets, discounts on merch, and access to a members-only chat room.

$25/month (Family Member): Enjoy everything in the Friend tier, plus a live Zoom call with us once a quarter and a limited-edition tote bag at no extra cost.


Special Holiday Promotion: Sign up for the Family Member tier now and get 80% off your first month!

As a veteran of Israel's security establishment, a former defence minister with roots on the Israeli right, says Israel is engaged in "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza, there's renewed talk of a deal to secure a hostage release and ceasefire before Donald Trump takes office in January. Yonit and Jonathan discuss all that - and they speak with Yael Alexander, whose son Edan is still held captive and was this week shown alive in a video released by Hamas. There's a bulging list of chutzpah nominees, stretching from Rumania to New Jersey, and big news about Unholy itself - with a chance for listeners to join the Unholy family. 
<a href="https://patreon.com/Unholypod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink">Subscribe to our new Patreon community</a>
<a href="https://linktr.ee/unholypod">Social media links (Instagram, X, Bluesky, Youtube and Facebook) available here</a>
Our membership tiers:
$8/month (Friend of the Pod): Get 2 bonus episodes a month, early access to event tickets, discounts on merch, and access to a members-only chat room. $25/month (Family Member): Enjoy everything in the Friend tier, plus a live Zoom call with us once a quarter and a limited-edition tote bag at no extra cost.
 Special Holiday Promotion: Sign up for the Family Member tier now and get 80% off your first month!

Sounding the Alarm - with Yael Alexander

Marker 01

As a ceasefire with Hizbollah brings an anxious quiet to the north of Israel, Yonit speaks with the US diplomat who brokered the deal, Amos Hochstein. Plus, a conversation with the man who ordered an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon a quarter century ago: former prime minister Ehud Barak. In a wide-ranging discussion, Barak shares with Yonit and Jonathan his views on how to end the war in Gaza, the ICC arrest warrants - and why Israel may have to learn to live with a nuclear Iran. Plus: a Latin American mensch and a serial winner bags the chutzpah award

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You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/SKqZ6Ms2xBM

Subscribe to our Substack: https://unholypodcast.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

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As a ceasefire with Hizbollah brings an anxious quiet to the north of Israel, Yonit speaks with the US diplomat who brokered the deal, Amos Hochstein. Plus, a conversation with the man who ordered an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon a quarter century ago: former prime minister Ehud Barak. In a wide-ranging discussion, Barak shares with Yonit and Jonathan his views on how to end the war in Gaza, the ICC arrest warrants - and why Israel may have to learn to live with a nuclear Iran. Plus: a Latin American mensch and a serial winner bags the chutzpah award
--
You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel: <a href="https://youtu.be/SKqZ6Ms2xBM">https://youtu.be/SKqZ6Ms2xBM</a>
Subscribe to our Substack: <a href="https://unholypodcast.substack.com/">https://unholypodcast.substack.com/</a>
Follow us on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/">https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/</a>
X: <a href="https://x.com/2jewsonthenews">https://x.com/2jewsonthenews</a>
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Join our Facebook group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142</a>

Deal with it - with Ehud Barak

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israel’s current Prime Minister and a former Defence Minister, adding yet another layer of complexity to an already fraught geopolitical landscape. Meanwhile, speculation grows about a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, aimed at bringing a fragile quiet to the north.

Yonit and Jonathan are also joined by two widely admired journalists: Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times, who says the second Trump presidency could spell either opportunity or disaster for Israel, and Ilana Dayan of Israel's Channel 12, who gives an exclusive, English-language reading of a landmark speech she delivered last week at the Weizmann Institute to huge acclaim.

Plus: this week’s mensch award nominee is brave - and the chutzpah award is fruity.

--

You can watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/POZkVIhTwHM

Subscribe to our Substack: https://unholypodcast.substack.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenews

Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israel’s current Prime Minister and a former Defence Minister, adding yet another layer of complexity to an already fraught geopolitical landscape. Meanwhile, speculation grows about a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, aimed at bringing a fragile quiet to the north.
Yonit and Jonathan are also joined by two widely admired journalists: Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times, who says the second Trump presidency could spell either opportunity or disaster for Israel, and Ilana Dayan of Israel's Channel 12, who gives an exclusive, English-language reading of a landmark speech she delivered last week at the Weizmann Institute to huge acclaim.
Plus: this week’s mensch award nominee is brave - and the chutzpah award is fruity.
--
You can watch the full episode on YouTube: <a href="https://youtu.be/POZkVIhTwHM">https://youtu.be/POZkVIhTwHM</a>
Subscribe to our Substack: <a href="https://unholypodcast.substack.com/">https://unholypodcast.substack.com/</a>
Follow us on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/">https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/</a>
X: <a href="https://x.com/2jewsonthenews">https://x.com/2jewsonthenews</a>
Join our Facebook group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142</a>

Normalize This: Saudi Breakthrough - with Lesley Stahl

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