Peter Beinart on Epstein's Religion| Israel’s Iran Influence | Judaism at a Breaking Point

I sat down again with Peter Beinart to talk through what feels like a rapidly escalating and confusing moment — not just politically, but inside Judaism itself. We start with a question I’ve been asking a lot of people lately: how to talk about the Jeffrey Epstein files honestly, without dodging it, but also without feeding into something darker. That opens into a broader conversation about antisemitism, where the line is now, and whether that line has been blurred beyond recognition.From there we get into Judaism as religion vs ethnicity, the weird tension that creates, and how that plays into conversations about power, responsibility, and group identity. We talk about the Talmud, some of the passages that are going viral right now, and why pulling lines out of context is both dangerous and, at the same time, something people are obviously going to keep doing. We also come back to real-world experiences — synagogues, Israeli flags, community pressure, and what it actually feels like to navigate that space right now.At the end we zoom out to Israel, Iran, and where all of this might be heading. Beinart makes the case that you can talk about power, influence, and what Israel is doing without falling into antisemitic thinking — but also acknowledges how hard that’s becoming in the current climate. I’m trying to push on these questions as directly as I can, because I don’t think ignoring them is going to end well.00:00 Coming Up...02:10 Intro to Peter Beinart and Why I Keep Asking about Epstein's Religion06:49 A Flashback to "Not being and A$$hole"13:00 Where Are We Now (Let's Talk Epstein's Religion22:18 Jewish Doctrine and Harm23:19 An Attack on "Jewish Ambulances"30:50 The Talmud Says Some Crazy Stuff38:13 What if a Synagogue Supports Israel Publicly40:55 Religion and Dealing With Having Power46:00 Israel Leading America to War with Iran51:20 Why Didn't Epstein's Jewishness Help Him Not Do Harm?57:22 How Does the War on Iran Affect Jewish Conversation1:00:02 Jewishness as "Ethnicity, Race, Nationality, Religion"BECOME A MEMBER - MONTHLY MEMBERS ONLY LIVESTREAM https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5NIku35U9thGG9WBJjE0sw/joinFor more from Jay visit whatjaythinks.com