Jonny Gould's Jewish State

On my TalkTV show, I spoke with Orit Meir, mother of Almog, 21, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7th, then seen in a Hamas propaganda video shortly after.Nothing has been heard or seen of him since. Orit says he MUST remain front of mind amid the release of other Hamas hostages.I can’t remember conducting a more emotional interview in all my years in broadcast journalism. This is a vital message to transmit through a mother’s agony and anxiety as you’ll hear.Bring Them All Home Now.Jonny Gould’s Jewish State is proudly supported by Dangoor Education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aside from producing 🎙️Jonny Gould’s Jewish State, I also host live shows at Talk TV and was delighted to be asked to produce and present a Special, “How to Make Peace in the Middle East”.This was the opportunity to bring guests from the podcast over the years to a mass English speaking audience around the world.Joining me for this three-hour show were guests of the highest calibre: Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, Dr Einat Wilf, leading Zionist thinker, writer and former member of the Knesset, Ruth Wasserman Lande, advisor to the late President Shimon Peres, Loay Al Shareef, prominent voice from the UAE, Egyptian journalist, dissident and Hebrew speaker, Moataz Khalil, Dr. Youssef Choueiri, a pro-Palestinian anti-Zionist and Jonathan Paris, who’s consulted for the White House as an expert on Iran and the Arab world.I’ll never forget the goodwill from our viewers and listeners, so much of it instantly via social media - and for the expertise of peace and understanding from these outstanding world class guests. I thank them all for joining me on the show and to TalkTV, who couldn’t have been more supportive in efforts to make this 🙏 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest is Chaim Oren, an expert on resilience, wellbeing and high performance, who advises professional sportspeople and leading CEOs on fulfilling their human potential.When it comes to strengthening personal resilience, Chaim quotes Victor E. Frankl, Auschwitz survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning: “If you have the why you can endure any how”.Frankl, who conceptualised “logotherapy” a therapeutic approach to find personal meaning in life, believed anyone, anywhere could “rise up to any challenge”. “If you develop a life meaning you can overcome any difficulties, dangers and hardships".Chaim is the son of two Holocaust survivors who arrived in British mandate Palestine on the Exodus ship in 1947. His late uncle Dov Shilansky, the 12th speaker of the Knesset, was a close confidant of Menachem Begin. He’s famous for saying, "we don't have another choice, we must fight for our life. I won't put up my head in the handing rope again."We develop our conversation into how Israel comes together in times of existential crisis and how the intense unity has followed on from intense political divisions, created by the upheaval to reform the judiciary. Stories of great personal courage have emerged amid Hamas’ savagery and brutality on October 7th.Listen now for a story of incredible heroism from an everyday Israeli, Rachel Edri, who kept Hamas fighters at bay for hours and hours and saved her own and her father’s lives. Chaim has a wealth of anecdotes and quotes in a rich conversation.I hope you enjoy Chaim Oren’s company as much as I did.Jonny Gould’s Jewish State is supported by Dangoor Education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In these times of danger in the Middle East, even on one’s own doorstep, it was both heartening and morale boosting for everyone who attended a Parliamentary reception at the Palace of Westminster.Led by Elnet UK with United Hatzalah of Israel and World Jewish Relief, we learned of support on the ground for victims in the Ukraine and Israel. Meant to mark the 600th day since the war started in Ukraine, the Hamas terror attacks meant the focus shifted - though we were urged not to forget the war in Europe.In both conflicts, we were reminded of the “sickening suffering” inflicted on innocent civilians. And not just of concern to Israel, but wars for the future of good overcoming evil. Shocking testimonies don’t seem to get easier to hear. We heard Noam Sagi’s heartfelt story of his mother’s kidnap from her kibbutz Nir Oz home.He gave a news conference to London-based media. It’s coming up. I hosted the panel discussion with Assaf Admoni of United Hatzalah, Marta Kubica, chief executive of Elnet (Central and Eastern Europe), and Beth Saffer, head of older peoples’ programmes at World Jewish Relief. We’ll also heard from Minister for Immigration, Robert Jenrick MP, Wayne David MP, Shadow with responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa and Lord Stuart Polack.But first to introduce the whole evening, Joan Ryan, CEO of Elnet UK. This episode is brought to you with Elnet UK, dedicated to strengthening relations between the UK, Europe and Israel based on shared democratic values and strategic interests. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Words are important. In times of war, their importance is magnified. Never has my mission for Jonny Gould’s Jewish State seemed more urgent: to combat the slurs, the lies and the distortions of history which threaten Israel and Jewish people.The media has a responsibility - at the very least - not to fan conjecture and untruths, because it comes with a by product: incitement.And the media column seems found to be woefully short of moral purpose. Hundreds of thousands Britons felt emboldened to head for Central London in support of Hamas, which prompted a disagreement between the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman and the chief of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley about the small amount of arrests.We hear from Sir Mark outside the Home Office as he left the meeting. As the weeks went by the protests, which became weekly got bigger, swelling from 100,000 to over 350,000 by week 4. Ms. Braverman eventually lost her job, describing the anti-Israel rallies as “hate marches” in a Times newspaper article.We hear from UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak confirming the media’s scandalous rush to parrot Hamas’ claim that Israel bombed a Gazan hospital as a lie.Mr Sunak visited Jerusalem to show moral support for Israel to meet his opposite number, Benjamin Netanyahu. We hear from both at a news conference.And when the world’s lead international politician finds a way to blame Israel for the massacres perpetrated against them, you might wonder whether the world is ranged against Israel, holding the Jewish state to a different standard. UN secretary general Antonio Gutteres said Hamas’ butchery didn’t come “in a vacuum”.The butchery, rape, kidnapping is given reason by the UN. The resolve to destroy Hamas amid calls for “proportionality” and a ceasefire have caused outrage in Israel. You’ll also hear from Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen.If you enjoy my podcast and you’d rather it existed than not and that I kept doing it - you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/jonnygould because it really helps! Tell your friends, subscribe now if you haven’t already and scroll back through the 120 previous episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel’s collective spirit is rekindled.After eight months of street protests, of political turmoil and the societal divisions it scored arising from judicial reform proposals, the nation has responded in unity to the terror committed by brutal Hamas murderers, rapists and kidnappers on October 7th.The people have risen “ground up, not bottom down” in the best ideals of Israeli and Jewish society. The IDF, the collective “us” has brought Israelis together once more.And it’s a phenomenon our guest today says will change both the Middle East and Israel for good. Benny Davidson is an Entebbe hostage survivor.Now aged 60, Benny was just 13 when he and his family were among those rescued in the legendary Israeli raid in July 1976. He gives talks across the world on hostage trauma and says he’d go anywhere to do so.This episode is his insight into what the hostages are going through and what can and should be done to get over 200 babies, the elderly and whole family groups out of hell. He calls for more support for hostage families, which he and his brother Ron have already started to do.His parents are still with us, in their late 80s - and he pays them a stirring tribute in love and respect. It was their quick thinking under pressure at Entebbe, which he says helped to form him. Benny also pays a deeply emotional eulogy to Yoni Netanyahu, brother of the Prime Minister, Benjamin, who commanded the elite Sayeret Matkal unit at Entebbe.He gave his life that day.🎙️LISTEN to the stirring words of Benny Davidson.Jonny Gould’s Jewish State is proudly supported by Dangoor Education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel is heartbroken, the house of Israel is heartbroken. Israel is at war again fighting genocide. It’s resilient people are traumatised by shock, horror and grief. A quiet Shabbat morning, also the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah where Jews celebrate finishing reading the Torah and then start to read it again, “In the Beginning”, was shattered by a mass invasion of Hamas terrorists, smashing through the concrete border wall, paragliding into Israel, before rampaging through a music festival killing 364, machine gunning people at the bus stop and in their own homes in Sderot and on kibbutzim. Gruesome videos and pictures swiftly circulated on X, horror one can never unsee. The elderly and babies slaughtered, women raped, bodies taken in to Gaza paraded and desecrated, mothers with children in their arms abducted are all now hostages in Gaza’s terror tunnels and tower blocks. Depravity and barbarism reminiscent of the European Holocaust and Russian pogroms. How did Israel’s famed security services miss this evil plan fermenting? Can Israel contain this war to just one front? Or when Benjamin Netanyahu says retaliation will change the Middle East does that mean going to the source of this terror, Tehran? Is the long anticipated attack from Hezbollah about to happen? And what catastrophe would this wrought on Israel’s towns and cities? Hundreds of Israeli hostages were taken on October 7th.Is a ground invasion the answer? How will Israel prevail? These are questions for Israel’s former deputy national security adviser, Chuck Freilich, author of "Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change" and his latest, "Israel and the Cyber Threat: How the Startup Nation Became a Global Cyber Power." This episode also includes moving testimony from Michal Maayan, speaking in New York as Israel's permanent deputy representative. Let’s take a step back here, with someone I’ve come to know over the last couple of years, Chuck Freilich.Support Jonny's ongoing coverage of October 7th from Israel's perspectives by donating here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special episode featuring a competition winner from North West London Jewish Day School, who won the chance to make an episode of Jonny Gould’s Jewish State with me.I ran it for Year 6 pupils and was delighted when 11-year-old Bella Bolot stepped up to the plate and secured us an interview with Bill Browder.Bill is a London-based American-born financier, the CEO and co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management, once the largest foreign portfolio investor in Russia.On discovering that taxes he was paying to the Russian exchequer were being stolen by middlemen officials, he started to expose large scale systemic corruption in the country. With his Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, he took on large companies like Gazprom and Sidanco. But as they confronted faceless power, the consequences were fatal.In retaliation, in November 2005, Bill was refused entry to Russia, deported to the UK, and declared a threat to Russian national security.But Sergei was tortured and murdered in prison for testifying on Bill’s behalf. He takes responsibility for this terrible crime and it totally changed the trajectory of his life, both private and commercial. Bill now heads the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign.He gives us a snapshot of what Russia’s become under Vladimir Putin and how life isn’t just made up of comfortable decisions. Sometimes we have to take a stand. My thanks to Miss Caplan and Mr Radomsky at North West London Jewish Day School.Listen here to Bella’s interview with Bill Browder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our two guests today make their first appearances on the “podcast of record”, and you might say after 120 plus episodes of Jonny Gould’s Jewish State, they’ve been a rather glaring omission. They are two of British politics' biggest supporters of Israel and opponents of antisemitism.The Right Honourable, Lord Eric Pickles and the Right Honourable, Joan Ryan are in conversation. We focus on the future of Holocaust remembrance, including a serious attempt to get to the bottom of what actually went on in the only concentration camp built on British soil by Hitler, at Alderney in the Channel Islands. We also discuss the UK government bill to quell the racist endeavours of BDS. The Anglo-Jewish community owes a debt to those in our political class who stood up to the growing scourge of antisemitism which followed Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party. And typically, proof that the “oldest hatred” stands above party politics is the cooperation, even camaraderie, which exists right across party lines. Joan’s Labour, Eric’s Tory. Once again, I handover the interview microphone for a deeper conversation between these two comrades. The Rt Hon. Joan Ryan in conversation with Lord Eric Pickles is brought to you with Elnet UK, dedicated to strengthening relations between the UK, Europe and Israel based on shared democratic values and strategic interests. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help support Jonny's coverage of Israel and the Jewish diaspora by making a donation here or buying him a coffee here.Let’s confront the latest expression of antisemitism: that which hates Jewish people for the State of Israel. I’m delighted that Jake Wallis Simons has given his first interview about his new book to Jonny Gould’s Jewish State, “Israelophobia: The Newest Version of the Oldest Hatred and What To Do About It”.We can’t really have a conversation about Jew-hate in the 21st century without confronting those who try to separate anti-Zionism from antisemitism.Because 9/10 Jews say Israel is key to their Jewish identity and it never takes long for antisemitism to spring from slurs which start with Israel. Enter Jake, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, who also writes for the Spectator, the Telegraph and you’ve seen him on Sky News reviewing the papers. He also spent time overseas as a foreign correspondent.The time is ripe to discuss Israelophobia, the newest mutation of the oldest hatred. Jake’s book is out on 7th September and you can preorder it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Israelophobia-Newest-Version-Oldest-Hatred/dp/1408719274?nodl=1&dplnkId=67bc639c-0008-4097-a727-7d2f69c64ad5Jonny Gould’s Jewish State is proud to be supported by Dangoor Education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices