State of Tel Aviv, Israel Podcast

In this special three-part series, we explore the increasingly contentious place of media superstar Piers Morgan and his YouTube show, Uncensored. Morgan has always inclined to the sensational, but in recent months he has perhaps gone too far – in terms of platforming some of the most hateful, uninformed antisemites and anti-Zionist voices in the world. Repeatedly. As he reminds us often, millions watch his show and engage on social media. So, he reasons, he must be doing something right. Well, perhaps not. Clicks and views may validate his mass appeal. But they also raise the question: To whom does he appeal? Why is he platforming and amplifying such hateful, uninformed people on the anti-Israel “side”, and putting them on the same show with some of the brightest, most articulate minds who support Israel? The result – particularly in the last month or so – has been many things but certainly not enlightening discussion or debate. To explore this issue I decided to speak with some past, ongoing and – never gonna happen – guests of Piers Morgan Uncensored. What began as one episode became a three part series. Because each of the five people with whom I spoke had such thoughtful and strong insights. And I belielve that the conduct of media- MSM and independents – is hugely important. When a media giant with global influence like Piers Morgan repeatedly platforms extreme haters – he legitimizes and amplifies their voice and reach- exponentially. Does he have a responsibility to society? Or is it just about the numbers?I discuss this and more with my five superb guests. In Part I we feature Lt. Col. (Res.) and Senior FDD Fellow, Jonathan Conricus, as well as Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli. Both appeared last week on Uncensored. And they have a lot to say.Part II of this series will be out on Sunday and features British-Israeli comedian, actor, writer and – in my view – serious social commentator – Lee Kern. When Uncensored seemed to veer off in a very concerning direction in recent weeks, Lee Kern posted a searing indictment of Piers Morgan and Uncensored on X. His commentary certainly got my attention and I assure you - his interview does not disappoint. It’ll be out on Sunday.Part III of the series features two exceptional and very different voices. Emily Schrader, journalist, and activist – and frequent guest on Uncensored – gets into how the show has changed recently. She is savvy and has a keen understanding of all media. Emily explains the value in appearing on his show, but also gets into some troubling aspects of how it has been going lately. Emily is a massive influencer on social media – and she has some strong views on that world as well. Also in this episode is Ridvan Aydemir, aka the ApostateProphet on YouTube to his more than 500,000 followers. Raised in a strict Muslim home while navigating the very liberal society of modern Germany, Ridvan no longer identifies as a Muslim and he is a fierce critic of Islamist antisemitism and anti-Zionism. He also falls into the category of one who will never appear on Morgan’s show – and shares with us why.All three segments in this series are super interesting and I expect you will learn a lot about the “behind the scenes” workings of today’s media and why we should all – consumers and creators of content – pay careful attention to what is going down. Independent media is the wild west today. Query whether it should remain that way.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast Notes:* I encourage all listeners/viewers to peruse the X accounts of the participants in this series. It is an eye-popping rabbit-hole (weird metaphor but kinda’ works), no matter where you start. All roads, as they say, lead to Rome – in this case that would be Piers Morgan and Uncensored.Instagram:Conricus: @jconricusChikli: @amichaichikliLee Kern: @leekern13Apostate Prophet: @realapostateprophetEmily: @emilykschraderX (Twitter):@jconricus@AmichaiChikli@leekern13@emilykschrader@apostateprophet * I am posting here the full links to the most recent Uncensored episode in which Jonathan Conricus appeared, as well as the episode featuring Minister Amichai Chikli. Both ran last week. If you go to Piers Morgan’s personal X account you will find numerous clips that he considered post-worthy from these episodes. You watch. You decide.* Below is the full text of the post of Minister Chikli’s on June 4 that seemed to have triggered Piers Morgan and led to Chikli being invited to appear on Uncensored. * Guest BiosJonathan Conricus is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. He served in the IDF for 24 years, four of them as spokesman during the intense 11 days of the Guardian of the Walls Operation between Israel and Hamas. Now a reserve officer with the rank of Lt. Col., he is a sought-after speaker internationally and is frequently seen on major television news shows. Jonathan was born in Jerusalem to a Swedish father and an Israeli mother and spent his formative years in Sweden.Amichai Chikli is an Israeli politician who serves as the Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism & the BDS movement.In the past he worked as an educator and social entrepreneur.Chikli was born in 1981 in Jerusalem. He served as an officer in the elite units in the Golani brigade.Following his IDF service, Chikli earned a bachelor's degree in security and Middle Eastern studies from Haifa University and a master's degree in security studies and diplomacy from Tel Aviv University.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Ya’akov Katz and I get into the dramatic overnight developments in the Middle East and brace for the possible scenarios that may unfold. We discuss the US military action, Iranian retaliation so far, and how this global conflict may escalate, or resolve.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriberYaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

OK. Tonight I really. Must sleep.I spoke last night with Beni Sabti, an Iranian-born expert on security, culture and politics of his native country. BenI has been going night and day since Friday morning, being one of the most highly regarded Iran experts in the world. So I was thrilled to finally have some time to speak with him Wednesday night. We both signed off, exhausted, around midnight. Five minutes later the first alarms went off in central Israel, where he lives. This morning, multiple targets were hit by Iranian missiles, including Be’er Sheba’s Soroka Hospital. We begin with a brief report on that, but this podcast is really devoted to Beni’s insights about the psychology of Iranian leadership. Western analysts tend to extol the savvy Iranian negotiation strategy, but Beni is far less reverential. He thinks that the leaders of Iran have made a hash of nuclear negotiations. As well, the overwhelming majority of the population loathes this regime and is desperate for change. It’s a fascinating exploration of a country and culture under siege and how they might react in the coming days.You may want to watch this one on YouTube - there are some interesting visuals throughout but especially for the first five minutes or so. State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast NotesBeni Sabti is an Iran expert at the INSS. Sabti was born in Iran in 1972 and raised primarily under the Islamic Revolution regime. After escaping Iran to Israel in 1987, he served in the IDF, primarily as a researcher, mostly in projects relating to Iranian culture and influence on cognition, decision-making, and media. One of the flagship projects he led was the establishment of the IDF Spokesperson’s platforms in Persian, designed to address the Iranian people directly.Sabti holds an M.A in political science and public communications from Bar Ilan University, and was a research fellow at JISS in Jerusalem. Sabti gives lectures about many issues related to Iran and is a commentator on Iran for media outlets in Israel and abroad. He was also one of the cultural advisors to the series “Tehran,” broadcast on Apple TV and Israel’s Channel 11. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

It has been a five-day blitz of attacks by the Israeli Air Force over Iran. The IDF has taken out many key Iranian military and other strategic sites and capabilities. Civilians are very deliberately not targeted. In recent days Tehran has been evacuated—responding to IDF warnings. Based on photos we have seen, it is a ghost town. And now we are waiting to see what happens next. The nuclear centrifuges—located deep underground in a mountain bunker at Fordow, Iran—must be destroyed to truly end the country’s nuclear ambitions. State of Tel Aviv and Beyond regular (and military expert) Ya’akov Katz gets into the details of what may be the next move in this critical military operation. Will the U.S. step in and finish off Fordow? Or will Israel continue to bear the burden, largely alone?For those of you continuing to enjoy our podcasts and articles—if you have not yet done so—please consider supporting our work with a paid subscription. We’re going 24/7 here, getting very little sleep and continuing to bring you reports. Because we believe it is important to get quality information out there. And if you’re here, then you agree. We are independent and supported by our listeners and readers. Please show your appreciation today. Many thanks.Also, there are some good visuals in the YouTube version of this podcast that you shouldn’t miss. So consider watching/listening there—in particular, today. Podcast NotesState of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

For four days, Israel and Iran have engaged in direct, intense conflict. For Israel, destroying Iran’s nuclear weapons and capability is a matter of survival. For the ruling Islamist regime in Iran, resisting Israeli power is also a matter of survival. The deeply unpopular theo-fascist rulers are clinging to power by fear and oppression. Israeli attacks are pulverizing the nation’s ability to fight back. This could be a very quick and decisive conflict that resets the geopolitical global reality with lightning speed. Within days. We were are still are braced for weeks of war. But it’s beginning to look like it may be much shorter. Listen to this fascinating discussion from earlier today with Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus, a good friend of State of Tel Aviv and brilliant analyst of the situation.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. He served in the IDF for 24 years, four of them as spokesman during the intense 11 days of the Guardian of the Walls Operation between Israel and Hamas. Now a reserve officer with the rank of Lt. Col., he is a sought-after speaker internationally and is frequently seen on major television news shows. Jonathan was born in Jerusalem to a Swedish father and an Israeli mother and spent his formative years in Sweden.Jonathan Conricus on X: @jconricus This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

In recent days Hamas has shifted all of its attention to controlling the food supply for civilians in the Gaza Strip. They continue to hoard aid meant for the needy and then resell it at extortionate prices. The last two weeks have been especially chaotic as the food supply diminishes, and people are living meal to meal. Concerns regarding famine are real and the involvement of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is intended to address the food scarcity. But the rollout of this new initiative has been a mess. Shootings. Chaos. People walking 20k to arrive at one of the few distribution centers to find that there is no food left. State of Tel Aviv regular guest, Ya’akov Katz, joins us to get into the detail of what is going on in the Gaza Strip and why everything seems to be going so wrong. We discuss Hamas, criminal clans, hostages and more. Before wrapping we touch on the surge of Jewish vigilantism in the West Bank and why this seems to continue, uninterrupted.And you will probably be relieved to know we don’t even mention Greta. I’ll leave that to Piers Morgan.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast NotesYaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Jonathan Conricus, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former IDF spokesman, dives into the complex issues surrounding food shortages in Gaza. He challenges prevalent narratives claiming Israel withholds aid, shedding light on media inaccuracies and the role of organizations like the BBC in spreading misinformation. Conricus discusses the moral dilemmas of food as a weapon in conflict and critiques the difficulties of delivering humanitarian aid amidst political tensions. His insights unpack the tangled relationship between activism, media, and humanitarian aid in crisis zones.

On October 7, 2023, 19-year-old Itay Chen was serving in the IDF on the border with Gaza. His father, Ruby, recalls the agonizing wait until the IDF concluded that he had been taken hostage by Hamas. Not until March 2024 did they return to tell the Chen family that, based on intelligence they had gathered, the military declared that Itay had been killed. To this day the family has no concrete evidence that Itay is alive. Or not. And so they live with a sliver of hope and face each day with courage and tenacity, fighting for the release of every single hostage. Ruby speaks about the attention and compassion shown to the hostage families by Presidents Biden and Trump and the staff in their administrations. In contrast, he has had virtually no contact with Israeli government officials. Watching Ruby (and so many traumatized families) continue to mobilize to ensure that awareness of their loved ones languishing in captivity remains in the forefront of public awareness is inspiring and heartbreaking. In addition to my interview with Ruby, I also include some “in the moment” reporting from today at the Sha’ar HaNegev junction in southern Israel, where people demonstrated, quietly, lining the highway with yellow flags. It was at this intersection that Hamas massacred so many on that horrible morning before continuing to the nearby town of Sderot, which they occupied for two days. It is 600 days later, and in many ways we are standing still.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

In this second episode of my recent interview with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, we begin by discussing his reaction to the horror of October 7. Within minutes of hearing and reading reports of the Hamas atrocities, he said he knew that this would result in total disaster for Hamas as well as the people of the Gaza Strip. He decided to pivot in his very comfortable life and job to immerse himself in explaining and advocating the conundrum of Gazans. Alkhatib is adamant that the majority of the people living in the Strip hate Hamas. And now they are suffering immeasurably because of Hamas. He refuses to despair, and he refuses to accept that Palestinians cannot and will not be self-governing. He also refuses to blame Israel for the disaster that has befallen the people of the Gaza Strip - including many members of his family and personal friends. This is what we talk about. That horrible day. What has ensued... and what may transpire. Ahmed is determined and hopeful.As a postscript to our discussion, I would be remiss if I did not mention the tragedy that occurred yesterday. Nine children of a female pediatrician who was working in a hospital were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Understandably, the international community is outraged. So are many Israelis. These tragedies... at this point there has just been too much pain and death and destruction for all. I am also confident that Ahmed would allow himself to feel immense sorrow but would temper it with his signature rationalism. We must, he would maintain, find a way to end this endless conflict and suffering.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib leads Realign For Palestine, a groundbreaking new project at the Atlantic Council. This project challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel-Palestine discourse and develops a new policy framework for rejuvenated pro-Palestine advocacy. Realign For Palestine aims to cultivate a new generation of Palestinian voices committed to a two-nation solution, nonviolence, and radical pragmatism.Alkhatib serves as a resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs, where he writes extensively on Gaza’s political and humanitarian affairs, is an outspoken critic of Hamas, and a promoter of a radically pragmatic approach to peace and Palestinian statehood as the only path forward between Palestinians and Israelis. His writing and opinions have been published and featured across the US, Israeli, and international press, and his views are prominently featured across social media platforms, with his accounts that have tens of thousands of engaged followers.Alkhatib holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in intelligence and national security studies. He grew up in Gaza City and left Gaza in 2005 to attend college in the United States as an exchange student. Much of Ahmed’s experience is influenced by having grown up in Gaza during the Oslo peace process, and the difficulties resulting from Oslo's failure, and the rise of Hamas and Islamism in Gaza.Following the deadly October 7 massacre, Alkhatib’s life was deeply impacted when three different airstrikes killed 33 of his immediate and extended family members. Still, he has made a deliberate choice to be part of breaking the cycle of dehumanization and defying the cycle of hatred, incitement, violence, and revenge. In his presentations to students, policymakers, and thought leaders, Alkhatib exemplifies how others can exercise individual responsibility, spread empathy, and engage peacefully in the often-divisive Israel and Palestine discourse. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Like so many of us, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib’s life took a hairpin turn on October 7, 2023. Until age 15, he lived in the Gaza Strip. He then attended high school in the U.S. on an exchange program and has never left. Ahmed has returned to Gaza often over the decades and still has many family members living there. After October 7, he left his old life in California and relocated in Washington D.C. Since that time he has emerged as a leading intellectual activist articulating an alternate Palestinian view, which he says is far truer to reality. Ahmed openly loathes and criticizes Hamas, believing their destructive ideology to have brought ruin and misery on his people. That was true before October 7, he says, but has been more egregious since. He writes, speaks, engages; all in the hope of forging and finding a better way forward for Palestinians and Israelis. In Part I of our conversation, Ahmed discusses how he moved from aligning with a more simplistic and hateful view of Israel and Jews to what he calls radical pragmatism. I call it moderate. See what you think. We are all so divided. And it is important, in my view, to engage outside of our opinion silos, whatever our comfort zone might be. Ahmed does that. And he has a lot of very interesting things to say. Part II drops tomorrow. We get into October 7. And all that has followed. Thanks for listening.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib leads Realign For Palestine, a groundbreaking new project at the Atlantic Council. This project challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel-Palestine discourse and develops a new policy framework for rejuvenated pro-Palestine advocacy. Realign For Palestine aims to cultivate a new generation of Palestinian voices committed to a two-nation solution, nonviolence, and radical pragmatism.Alkhatib serves as a resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs, where he writes extensively on Gaza’s political and humanitarian affairs, is an outspoken critic of Hamas, and a promoter of a radically pragmatic approach to peace and Palestinian statehood as the only path forward between Palestinians and Israelis. His writing and opinions have been published and featured across the US, Israeli, and international press, and his views are prominently featured across social media platforms, with his accounts that have tens of thousands of engaged followers.Alkhatib holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in intelligence and national security studies. He grew up in Gaza City and left Gaza in 2005 to attend college in the United States as an exchange student. Much of Ahmed’s experience is influenced by having grown up in Gaza during the Oslo peace process, and the difficulties resulting from Oslo's failure, and the rise of Hamas and Islamism in Gaza.Following the deadly October 7 massacre, Alkhatib’s life was deeply impacted when three different airstrikes killed 33 of his immediate and extended family members. Still, he has made a deliberate choice to be part of breaking the cycle of dehumanization and defying the cycle of hatred, incitement, violence, and revenge. In his presentations to students, policymakers, and thought leaders, Alkhatib exemplifies how others can exercise individual responsibility, spread empathy, and engage peacefully in the often-divisive Israel and Palestine discourse. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe