I'm Jonathan Sacerdoti

Does God exist, and can we prove it?Donate to support these interviews.There is a growing assumption in modern Western life that science has settled the question of God. That belief rests less on settled knowledge than on cultural habit, reinforced over generations of intellectual fashion and institutional authority. What once presented itself as liberation from superstition has, in many cases, hardened into a new orthodoxy, one that treats materialism as neutral and belief as deviation.Yet the scientific story itself has not remained static. Developments in cosmology, physics, and biology have introduced new tensions into that confidence. Questions of origin, order, and fine tuning continue to resist reduction to simple mechanism. The deeper the inquiry goes, the more the underlying assumptions begin to matter.In this conversation, Jonathan Sacerdoti speaks with Michel-Yves Bolloré, co-author of God, the Science, the Evidence, a book that has reached a wide audience across Europe and now enters the English-speaking world. Bolloré approaches the question not as a theologian, but as a proponent of a cumulative case built from scientific and philosophical developments over the past century. His argument rests on the claim that the balance of evidence has shifted, and that materialism now requires greater leaps of faith than it once did.The discussion moves between first principles and contested conclusions. Bolloré distinguishes sharply between the existence of a creator and the claims of organised religion, treating the former as a question of reason rather than revelation. At the same time, he extends the argument into moral philosophy and history, suggesting that questions of good and evil, as well as the endurance of certain civilisations, cannot be understood within a purely material framework.What emerges is a live dispute about the nature of explanation itself. Scientific models, philosophical commitments, and human intuitions about meaning are all in play. The conversation exposes the fault line between competing accounts of reality, each claiming rational authority, each carrying profound implications.👁‍🗨 Watch if you want to understand how modern science is being used to challenge materialism and reopen the question of God’s existence.💬 We Discuss:🔬 Why recent developments in cosmology and physics are being interpreted as evidence for a creator rather than a self-contained universe🧠 How materialism functions as a belief system with its own assumptions, rather than a neutral scientific default🌌 The implications of the Big Bang and why a universe with a beginning raises deeper questions about causation⚖️ The distinction between probability and proof, and how scientific reasoning is applied to metaphysical questions🧩 Fine tuning and whether the precision of physical constants points to design or coincidence🧪 The unresolved problem of how life emerges from non-life and why this remains a critical gap in scientific explanation📚 The relationship between science, philosophy, and religion, and whether they can coherently point in the same direction🧭 The argument that morality requires a source beyond human preference and legal convention📖 The role of historical continuity, including the survival of the Jewish people, in arguments about divine intention🧍 Human freedom, suffering, and the persistent question of evil in a world that may or may not be created with purpose🔔 Subscribe for more serious, unflinching conversations about belief, power, and the foundations of modern civilisation.📲 Follow JonathanOn XOn InstagramOn Substack👇 Comment below — does the accumulation of scientific evidence strengthen belief, or does it simply expose the limits of what science can explain?

Donate: https://jonathansacerdoti.com/donateSuleiman Maswadeh is Israel’s most visible Palestinian Arab television correspondent, a regular presence on the national news, speaking fluent Hebrew to a country that rarely hears an Arab accent in that role. His career sits inside one of Israel’s deepest contradictions, two communities living side by side, sharing streets and history, yet separated by language, schooling, and fear, with the public story of the conflict often shaped by the absence of ordinary contact.Jonathan Sacerdoti meets Suleiman Maswadeh in person to trace how a Palestinian Arab man raised in an observant Muslim family taught himself Hebrew as an adult and entered Israel’s mainstream media. He describes the practical mechanics of East Jerusalem’s isolation, the misinformation that flourishes when people cannot speak, and the personal cost of crossing over, including ostracism, threats, and the dislocation of being trusted by Hebrew speaking viewers while remaining contested at home.👁‍🗨 Watch if you want to understand how language, media, and intimidation shape the conflict more quietly than slogans ever will.💬 We Discuss:🧭 What it means to grow up minutes from Jewish neighbourhoods and still live in a different world🗣️ How learning Hebrew became a route into work, citizenship, and a wider reality🪪 The lived politics of taxes, representation, residency status, and unequal civic investment🧠 How misinformation about history takes hold when education and contact collapse🪖 Why the only “relationship” many Palestinians have with Israelis is through soldiers and raids📺 How Arab and Israeli media each fail audiences, especially under the pressures of war🧩 The psychological strain of living between identities, languages, and public expectations🕯️ October 7 as personal grief, public rupture, and a harder test for anyone arguing for contact🗳️ How fear polices civic participation, including threats against Palestinians who try to run locally🌱 Why change driven by ordinary people, language learning, and education may outlast leadership cycles🔔 Subscribe for more unflinching conversations about Israel, Palestinians, media, power, and the moral condition of the West.📲 Follow JonathanOn X: https://x.com/jonsacOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathansacerdoti/On Substack: https://jonsac.substack.com👇 Comment below — what breaks first in a divided society, trust, language, or the courage to tell the truth out loud?

If you value these interviews, please consider donating: https://jonathansacerdoti.com/donateMajor General Yaakov Amidror argues that wars in the Middle East are never truly concluded. They are managed, suppressed, and deferred. Born on the day Israel declared independence and shaped by decades at the heart of its security establishment, he views October 7 not as an aberration but as the cost of strategic hesitation. The dismantling of Iran’s crescent, the degradation of Hamas, and the weakening of Hezbollah mark a significant shift in Israel’s position. None of it is final. Each front remains unfinished. Each contains the seeds of the next confrontation.In this conversation, Amidror lays out a doctrine grounded in vigilance, pre-emption and strength. Israel cannot transform the political culture of the region or impose a permanent settlement on its enemies. It can only ensure that when one war ends, preparation for the next is already under way. The question is whether the post–October 7 strategy has internalised that lesson, and whether coordination with the United States will reinforce Israeli security or restrain it at a decisive moment.👁‍🗨 Watch if you want to understand how Israel’s post–October 7 strategy is being recalibrated around pre-emption, American coordination, and the permanent management of existential threats. We Discuss:🛡️ Why dismantling Iran’s “ring of fire” has changed the strategic map, yet left unfinished fronts in Gaza, Lebanon and beyond🎯 The case for restoring pre-emptive war as a legitimate and necessary Israeli tool after years of strategic hesitation🇺🇸 How far Israel should defer to the United States on Gaza, Iran and Hezbollah, and when it must ultimately act alone🔥 Whether Hamas can ever be disarmed without direct IDF force, and what happens if American diplomacy fails🚀 The military lessons of October 7, from munitions stockpiles to manoeuvre divisions and long-range strike capacity🌍 The emerging Turkish–Qatari–Saudi alignment and what it means for Syria and the regional balance of power⚖️ Why Israeli resilience rests on necessity, mobilisation rates, and a cultural understanding that survival has no substitute📉 The limits of international legitimacy, European reliability, and Israel’s ability to influence rising antisemitism abroad🔄 What a “visible victory” truly means in a region where threats regenerate unless actively suppressed🔔 Subscribe for more serious conversations about Israel, geopolitics, security, and the future of Western civilisation.📲 Follow JonathanOn X: https://x.com/jonsacOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathansacerdoti/On Substack: https://jonsac.substack.com👇 Comment below — Has Israel achieved a decisive strategic shift since October 7, or is this merely the opening phase of a longer and more dangerous cycle?

Donate at https://jonathansacerdoti.com/donateBenny Sabti, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, joins me at a moment of acute strain for the Islamic Republic. He argues that Tehran’s diplomatic posture follows a familiar pattern: delay, repackage old positions, concede nothing essential, preserve enrichment capability and the infrastructure of coercion. This time, Washington appears less willing to indulge the ritual, framing negotiations as a final test before more forceful options are considered.Are the renewed student protests, including at the Sharif University of Technology, a sign of genuine internal fracture or another uprising destined to be crushed? Does the re-emergence of figures such as Ali Larijani signal consolidation, desperation, or preparation for succession? Could someone like Hassan Rouhani serve as a transitional figure if pressure intensifies? And if confrontation comes, would it accelerate regime collapse or entrench it through violence? These are the questions Sabti addresses as we assess how narrow Tehran’s room for manoeuvre has become.👁‍🗨 Watch if you want to understand whether Iran stands at the brink of war, internal upheaval, or a managed transformation that reshapes the Middle East.💬 We Discuss: ⚖️ Why Tehran’s negotiating pattern reflects a long institutional culture of delay without substantive concession 🧭 How the Trump administration’s approach seeks legitimacy before escalation 🎯 The erosion of Iran’s regional terror network and what that means for deterrence 📉 The regime’s domestic crisis, from inflation shocks to collapsing public trust 🎓 Why renewed campus protests at Sharif and beyond matter strategically 🛡️ Whether elements of the IRGC could favour controlled transition over ideological collapse 👑 The symbolism of exiled opposition figures and the limits of monarchical nostalgia 🔄 Regime change versus regime management, and what history suggests about transitions from revolutionary states 🌍 What retaliation against Israel or US allies would mean for the regime’s survival 📊 How internal legitimacy and external pressure now converge on Tehran’s future🔔 Subscribe for more serious, unflinching conversations about geopolitics, security, antisemitism, and the future of Western institutions.📲 Follow JonathanOn X: https://x.com/jonsacOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathansacerdoti/On Substack: https://jonsac.substack.com👇 Comment below — is Iran approaching genuine transformation, or merely another cycle of tactical retreat designed to preserve the regime for another generation?#JonathanSacerdoti #BennySabti #Iran #MiddleEast #Geopolitics #RegimeChange #NuclearNegotiations #IRGC #WesternSecurity

Julia Hartley-Brewer is one of the most outspoken voices in British broadcasting. In this conversation she defends Israel with unapologetic force, describing her recent visit as life changing and arguing that after October 7 the country acted with remarkable restraint under existential threat. She says Britain and America would have responded far more ruthlessly.But this discussion goes far beyond Israel.She explains why she would now have voted for Donald Trump, why she believes lockdown was a historic political and moral failure, and why trust in government, science and the BBC has been permanently damaged. She argues that Britain has talked itself into cultural self-doubt, tolerated intolerance in the name of liberalism, and failed to defend its own borders or values.From mass immigration and deportations, to media bias over Gaza and Iran, to the psychological impact of Covid on a generation of children, this is a conversation about strength, sovereignty, and whether Britain still has the will to govern itself.👁‍🗨 Watch if you want to understand why she believes Britain is drifting, institutions are failing, and political courage is in short supply.🇮🇱 Why she says Israel showed extraordinary restraint after October 7 and has been misrepresented in Western media🇺🇸 How Donald Trump's strength is essential to deterrence📺 BBC amplification of Hamas narratives and hesitation over Iran protests🧠 Why lockdown policies shattered public trust and damaged children, families and the economy🛂 Why illegal immigration requires mass deportations and a hard reset on border control🇬🇧 Why she believes British liberal culture is superior in its freedoms and should be defended without apology🗣️ The danger of suppressing dissent while tolerating extremist rhetoric on Britain’s streets📱 How social media broke the information monopoly of legacy broadcasters⚖️ Whether Britain needs a leader willing to make deeply unpopular but necessary decisions🔔 Subscribe for more serious, unflinching conversations about Britain, Israel, free speech, and the future of Western democracies.📲 Follow JonathanOn XOn InstagramDonate👇 Comment below — has Britain lost the will to defend its values, or is a political reckoning on the horizon?This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.💬 We Discuss:

Jonathan Sacerdoti travels into the Gaza Strip, embedding with the IDF along the new front line that now divides the territory.Months into the Trump brokered ceasefire, Israel holds 58 per cent of Gaza behind what they call the 'yellow line'. Hamas remains in control of the rest and declares it will not disarm. Sniper fire, tunnel discoveries and daily ceasefire violations continue, even as aid enters through Israeli controlled crossings.From fortified positions overlooking the central refugee camps to staging areas where humanitarian supplies are transferred, this on the ground report examines how Israel is enforcing its security doctrine just a kilometre from its own civilian communities.Speaking with the IDF’s international spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, Jonathan explores Hamas’s continued tunnel building, guerrilla attacks during the ceasefire, disputed casualty figures, and the strategic calculation behind holding a majority of the Strip.The question hanging over the quiet landscape is whether this is containment, or simply the interval before renewed war.👁‍🗨 Watch if you want to understand how a ceasefire operates when territory is divided, weapons remain in place, and both sides prepare for what may come next.💬 We Discuss:🟡 Why Israel is holding 58 per cent of Gaza and what the yellow line represents in practice🔫 How Hamas continues sniper attacks and guerrilla operations during the ceasefire🕳️ The scale and persistence of the tunnel network beneath Gaza📦 How humanitarian aid is transferred across the border under Israeli control🏘️ The strategic importance of Gaza’s central refugee camps⚖️ The dispute over casualty figures and the politics of wartime information🛡️ Whether demilitarisation is achievable under the current agreement🌍 The prospects for international forces replacing the IDF presence🔔 Subscribe for more serious, on the ground reporting and analysis on Israel, Gaza and the wider Middle East.📲 Follow JonathanOn X: https://x.com/jonsacOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathansac...On Substack: https://jonsac.substack.com/👇 Comment below — will this ceasefire endure without Hamas disarmament, or is renewed conflict inevitable?

Mordechai Kedar, Israeli scholar of Islamic culture and political Islam, offers sharp analysis on Hijrah as a political model and why migration narratives can translate into authority. He discusses implications for New York’s recent Hijrah reference, clashes between Islamic practice and Western norms, Gaza’s governance options, clan-based emirates, and Iran’s regime dynamics.

Dr Thamar Eilam Gindin, specialist in Iranian language, culture and political mythology, explains signs of deep strain inside Iran. She outlines the surge in executions, use of foreign militias against protesters, mosque burnings and funerals turned into rallies. She discusses why removing one leader may not end the system, how Western narratives misread events, and why crowds rally around Reza Pahlavi.

Col Richard Kemp, former British Army colonel and commander in Afghanistan, shares strategic clarity on Iran and the wider Middle East. He discusses prospects of US strikes, possible targets and risks of regime collapse. Conversation covers how Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis shape escalation, Israel’s likely role, and Britain’s shrinking defence posture and strategic consequences.

Jeremy Dein KC, a senior criminal barrister with decades defending serious cases, warns that proposed reforms would gut jury trials and concentrate power in the state. He discusses why juries are a constitutional safeguard, why cutting juries will not fix court backlogs, how appeal rights and policing failures harm trust, and why intimidation of Jewish communities exposes deeper institutional breakdowns.