The Western Spirit - With Ariel Whitman

In this episode of The Western Spirit, British broadcaster and political commentator Alex Phillips discusses the dramatic political, cultural, and demographic changes taking place in the United Kingdom — and why many leaders refuse to speak openly about them. A former Member of the European Parliament and one of the most outspoken voices in British politics, Phillips explains how identity politics...

In this episode of The Western Spirit, actor, writer, and outspoken Israel advocate Jonah Platt breaks down what he believes most media outlets, universities, and cultural institutions refuse to say about the Israel-Palestine narrative. Jonah Platt , known for his work in television, film, and Broadway, and as the host of his podcast Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, has become one of the most vocal...

In this episode of The Western Spirit, Tal Oran from The Traveling Clatt explores the overlooked story of Middle Eastern and North African Jews — often referred to as “Mizrahi Jews” — and why their history challenges dominant narratives in the Arab world. From Iraq and Yemen to Morocco and Iran, nearly one million Jews were expelled or forced to flee Arab countries in the 20th century. Yet their s...

In this episode of The Western Spirit, Belgian MP Sam Van Rooy discusses the dramatic transformation taking place across Europe — and why political leaders refuse to acknowledge what is happening. From mass immigration and demographic shifts to the growth of parallel societies and Islamist networks, Van Rooy argues that many European cities are changing in ways that ordinary citizens can see — but...

In this episode of The Western Spirit, Iranian-born politician and human rights advocate Goldie Ghamari breaks down what is happening inside Iran today — and why the world is looking away. As protests erupt across Iran and the Islamic Republic of Iran intensifies its crackdown, thousands of Iranians have been arrested, tortured, or killed. Yet Western governments, media outlets, and human rights o...

In this episode of The Western Spirit, Rob McCoy, pastor, cultural commentator, and founder of TPUSA Faith, joins the show for a frank conversation about the growing fractures inside the conservative movement. McCoy is a close friend and longtime pastor to Charlie Kirk, and he offers a rare insider perspective on the ideological chaos, infighting, and cultural pressures reshaping the American Righ...

In this explosive episode of The Western Spirit, Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel delivers a blunt warning to Western democracies.“This is suicide.”Haskel argues that Europe, the UK, Australia, and parts of the United States are surrendering their identity, values, and security by appeasing radical Islamists and aligning with extremist ideologies. What begins as antisemiti...

In this episode of The Western Spirit, journalist Nupur Sharma explains why Jews and Hindus are targeted by the same ideological forces — and why the hatred directed at both communities follows the same patterns across the world. Sharma is the Editor-in-Chief of OpIndia, one of India’s largest digital news platforms, and the founder and project director of the Hinduphobia Tracker, which documents...

In this episode of The Western Spirit, investigative journalist Chanel Rion reveals how foreign influence operations are quietly reshaping American politics — and why Israel has become a key target. Rion is the host of Fine Point on One America News Network (OANN) and a former White House correspondent who has covered U.S. national security, China, and intelligence operations for years. She explai...

In this episode of The Western Spirit, Lucy Connolly tells the shocking story of how a single tweet led to her arrest, pre-trial detention, and a 31-month prison sentence in the United Kingdom. Lucy is a British mother with no criminal background who suddenly found herself jailed under modern speech and public order laws. Her case has become a symbol of how quickly free expression can turn into a...

In this powerful episode of The Western Spirit, world-renowned scholar Judea Pearl explains how the language of “human rights” and “social justice” has been weaponized against Jews and against Israel. Judea Pearl is a Turing Award–winning computer scientist, UCLA professor, and the father of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was murdered by Al-Qaeda in 2002. Since then, he has become one of the most im...

Olga Deutsch, Vice President of NGO Monitor, joins The Western Spirit to expose how international aid organizations operating in Gaza have become deeply entangled with Hamas — politically, financially, and operationally. Deutsch explains how billions of dollars in humanitarian funding flow into Gaza with little oversight, how NGOs shape global media narratives, and how terror-linked actors exploit...

Andrew Fox, a former British Army officer and current military analyst at the Henry Jackson Society, joins The Western Spirit to share what he personally saw on the ground in Gaza — and why he believes much of the media narrative about the war is deeply misleading. Fox has spent months researching urban warfare in Gaza and the northern front, speaking with Israeli commanders and soldiers, and anal...

Joel Berry, Managing Editor of The Babylon Bee, joins The Western Spirit to break down what he sees as a major shift inside conservative media — and why figures like Tucker Carlson and the “America First” ecosystem are starting to lose cultural and political influence. Berry explains how audience incentives, online radicalization, antisemitism controversies, and internal fractures on the right are...

British writer and creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd, Graham Linehan, joins The Western Spirit for a raw conversation about what he describes as the rapid collapse of free speech in the UK and across the West. Linehan recounts being detained by armed police at Heathrow Airport over tweets, and told he could be arrested for comments criticizing transgender activism, including statements opposi...

Ami Kozak, host of Ami’s House and one of the sharpest voices analyzing the American right, joins The Western Spirit to explain what he believes is really behind Megyn Kelly’s sudden turn against Israel — and why it signals something much bigger happening inside conservative media. In this conversation, Kozak breaks down how antisemitism is being normalized on parts of the right, how influencers c...

Younes Sadaghiani, an Iranian political analyst and dissident voice, joins The Western Spirit for a stark and sobering assessment of the state of the Islamic Republic of Iran — and why the regime may be facing its most dangerous moment yet. In this conversation, Sadaghiani explains why Iran’s leadership is losing control internally, why repression is no longer restoring stability, and why the regi...

Revital Moses, creator of the YouTube channel Moses in Israel, shares the remarkable and little-known story of the historic friendship between Jews and India — and how, during times of persecution and exile, India gave shelter to Jewish refugees and allowed Jewish communities to live with dignity, security, and freedom. In this conversation, Revital talks about:• The long history of Jewish life in...

John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, joins The Western Spirit for a powerful and candid discussion about leadership, faith, security, and the cultural crisis facing the West. Anderson argues that many Western leaders are too afraid to speak honestly about radical Islamist ideology, political intimidation, and the growing moral confusion inside modern democracies. He warns that...

Soraya Deen is a Muslim lawyer, speaker, and interfaith activist — and in this powerful conversation, recorded in Jerusalem, Israel during her recent visit, she explains why she identifies as both a Muslim and a Zionist, and why she believes supporting Israel is consistent with her values and faith. Soraya is a co-founder and former president of the Interfaith Solidarity Network (ISN) in Los Angel...

Dr. Alan Mendoza, one of Britain’s leading national-security and policy analysts — and Chief Advisor on Global Affairs to Nigel Farage — joins The Western Spirit for a wide-ranging conversation about the crisis facing modern Britain. In this interview, Dr. Mendoza discusses:• The rise of identity-bloc politics and community-power mobilization• Claims of two-tier policing and political intimidation...

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, Senior Rabbi of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York, reflects on the shock many American Jews experienced after October 7 — and why so many felt abandoned by the very liberal institutions they helped build. Rabbi Hirsch argues that October 7 did not create antisemitism — it revealed attitudes that were already there. He describes the sense of betrayal Jewish communitie...

Ada Lluch, a Spanish commentator and rising political voice, joins Ruh Ma’aravit (The Western Spirit) to explain why discussing mass immigration, Islamism, and cultural change in Europe now gets you instantly branded a “fascist.”After visiting Israel following October 7, Ada shares how seeing the country up close — including the Nova Festival site and affected communities — completely contradicted...

Justine Brooke Murray, host at the Media Research Center (MRC) and conservative commentator, breaks down the growing civil war inside the MAGA movement — and why it’s becoming one of the most consequential fights on the American Right. In this conversation, Murray explains:• The internal split between pro-Israel conservatives and the Tucker/Fuentes wing• How anti-Israel rhetoric is being repackage...

Dr. Nikos Sotirakopoulos — academic, political theorist, and Associate Fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute — explains why he spent years supporting the “Free Palestine” movement, how he was swept into it emotionally, and what finally made him walk away. Nikos breaks down:• Why he grew up hating Israel without knowing anything about it• How the “Free Palestine” movement functions like a cult, not a ca...