Unholy: Two Jews on the News

The battle for Israeli democracy, to quote the opponents of Benjamin Netanyahu's "judicial reform" plan, moved to a new front this week - with an effort to enlist the Jewish diaspora into the protest movement. Yonit and Jonathan speak to writer and journalist Matti Friedman about his "Open Letter to Israel's Friends". Plus an update on the earthquakes that shook the Middle East and a chutzpah awar...

A letter signed by top Israeli economists, warning against the financial implications of the judicial reform, featured the name of one of the country's only Nobel Prize winners - world-renowned professor Daniel Kahneman, pioneer of behavioral economics. This week, he joins our hosts to discuss the responses to his description of the reform as "the worst threat to Israel's existence to date", and w...

In the week of Holocaust remembrance, Yonit and Jonathan talk to one of the country’s finest, funniest writers, Etgar Keret - to reflect on his late mother, a survivor of the Shoah who never wanted that label, and give his take on the political turmoil. Plus, classic chutzpah and mensch awards – and a look at the gap between what Brits say and what they actually mean (also known as: the guide to u...

Israel's constitutional crisis deepens. As the country's Supreme Court tells Binyamin Netanyahu to fire one of his most senior ministers, we hear from one of Israel's leading jurists, Professor Michael Karayanni of the Hebrew University - about how he - and his fellow Arab citizens of Israel - see the stand-off between the judges and the government. Plus: Mel Brooks, the girls who defied their rab...

The judicial reform announced last week in Israel sparked a protest this week - as it continues to draw international attention. Yonit and Jonathan are joined by three-time Pulitzer winner, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, to discuss US reception to the law revolution, why he eulogized the Israel he once knew, and what peace prospects might come out of the new government.  And on a lighter n...

It's been one week since Netanyahu began his sixth stint in office - but boy, has it been a heck of a week, one our hosts are here to unpack. Ben Gvir's ascent to the Temple Mount already had international attention leveled towards the new coalition in Israel, only to have it shift to the government's judicial reform - labeled by some as a constitutional revolution and conveniently announced the d...

Benjamin Netanyahu returned to his old office this morning, taking his place as Israel's prime minister - again - with the formation of his sixth government. Following several weeks of negotiations, Netanyahu's coalition - comprised of right-wing allies - was sworn in yesterday, kicking off Israel's most conservative leadership yet. In the hours leading to the ceremony, Netanyahu handed Likud memb...

If you’re a regular podcast listener, chances are you’ve heard of Rachel Maddow’s Ultra, the chart-topping podcast that takes the audience back to the 1940s, when the Nazi regime managed to infiltrate the top branches of the U.S. government. This week, we’re delighted to be joined by Maddow herself, to discuss how she uncovered this largely forgotten threat to American democracy and the parallels...

What do British people bring up in a conversation when they need to change the subject? The weather, of course. The rare occurrence of heavy snowfall this week provided not only a means of alternate topic for our co-host’s nation - but rather headlined UK news, with many unable to afford to heat their home due to the soaring prices caused by Europe’s energy crisis. Israel, on the other hand, has b...

President Herzog is expected to grant Prime Minister-delegate Netanyahu a two week extension to tie things up with his coalition partners - but the agreements reached until now between said parties have already been a source of much dispute. From giving the authority of the Civil Administration in the West Bank to Smotrich, to supplying extremist Avi Maoz with access to the Ministry of Education,...

Tel Aviv had to forfeit a crown yesterday - one it wasn’t quite proud of - after this year’s ranking of the most expensive cities in the world moved it from the top spot to third place. But anyone living in the Israeli financial capital can tell you that that cost of living hasn’t gotten any cheaper - it’s just that two other cities became significantly more expensive. And while Tel Aviv was dethr...

Following yet another stall in the negotiations between designated PM Netanyahu and his presumptive partners, it seems the parties are slowly heading towards agreements on key issues. But while the important ministerial offices seem to be assigned, it may take some more time until all demands are settled - ranging from a judicial reform to new conversion laws.  And interior matters aren’t the only...

In a time when Twitter is the main source of information for many people, Malcolm Gladwell remains on a near-celebrity status by doing the exact opposite: publishing lengthy, thought-provoking examinations of human behaviors and, most recently, historic events. His name is regularly etched in the New York Times best seller list, the podcast company he heads garners millions of listens, and theorie...

Benjamin Netanyahu may have coasted into a clear victory in the fifth Israeli election round last week, but for Israel’s closest ally, the United States, the midterms have been startlingly close, with control of both chambers of Congress remaining up in the air as of this morning. And although Democrats have been breathing a sigh of relief after avoiding the sweeping midterm losses that were forec...

May three and a half years of political turmoil conclude with Israel’s fifth election - and the forming of the most right-wing government in its history? With the majority of the votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be on a course for an even bigger victory than yesterday’s initial exit polls suggested, his bloc currently projected to win 65 seats in the Knesset. And with the leftist Meretz...

Elections are supposed to be a special occasion, but Israelis already know the drill. Wake up on a Tuesday, proceed to the ballots, drop their selected note into the box, turn on the television at 10PM - and, if things go as usual, learn yet again that there is no conclusive outcome due to another deadlock. But as the clock ticks by, the candidates are making their final attempt to garner more vot...

Israeli politics nearing the finish line - 11 days to go till the country’s fifth election in three and a half years. But, political turmoil, it appears, is not exclusively Israeli: as many ask if Yair Lapid’s tenure as Prime Minister can be the the shortest in Israeli history, the U.K. raises the stakes - and in a breathtakingly rapid fall from power, Prime Minister Liz Truss resigns after only 4...

Eighteen days to Israeli elections – recent polls show the far right Legislator Itamar Ben Gvir gaining momentum, at the expense of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party. We discuss the possible ramifications of Ben Gvir's ascension inside and outside Israel. And, on a lighter tone – Yonit is giving Jonathan a behind the scenes look at her preparations for the upcoming election night broadcast. I...

The holiday season is no excuse for the news cycle to stop turning, and boy - did it turn! From the maritime talks between Israel and Lebanon that are causing a skirmish, through protests on the streets of Iran, to a new political autobiography on bookshop shelves - there’s a lot to catch up on, and luckily we’re here to fill you in.  Our special guest this week is financial columnist for the New...

These are days of reflectiveness, between the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah, and the holiest day of the Jewish calendar- Yom Kippur.  Yonit and Jonathan are joined by acclaimed author Nicole Krauss, for a discussion about Judaism that reverberates throughout her work, writing in the voice of a woman and a of a man, the place of Israel in her works and in her life, and what has changed in the lit...

Rosh Hashanah is right around the corner, and like almost every new Hebrew year lately, the upcoming one already has an Israeli election set in its calendar. The fifth round in three and a half years raises a lot of questions, the salient one being: will it be the last? That’s why we partnered up with The Center for Jewish Impact, to host a live event in which Yonit and Jonathan answer questions s...

While coverage of the Queen's death continues to dominate British news outlets, Yonit and Jonathan dive into the relationship between the Royal Family and the Jewish community - which may see the taking of a long-awaited step with a new king on the block.  Also this week, we explain how the political aspect of applying the core curriculum to Haredi students in Israel coincides with a New York Time...

For seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II was a symbol of stability not only in the commonwealth but on the world stage as well, helping to navigate her country through a series of shifts that rattled Britain in the twentieth and twenty first centuries, and placing the royal family as a fortress of reassurance in a time of upheaval. Yonit and Jonathan speak about the end of an era in the UK - from the...

August has come to an end, schools have reopened and Jonathan has landed safely from vacation - which means Unholy is back! If you chose to spend your summer break in Israel, you might have met two issues - the first being the high price tags, and the second the extensive construction all around. We also hope you weren’t too bothered by the political situation here - which took quite a few turns w...

What better way to spend the last days of summer break than by soaking up the sun… and listening to a rerun of a conversation we love? While our beloved British co-host is still away, he and Yonit made sure our listeners are reminded of some of our favorite conversations, before they return for a brand new season next week.  For the last week of August, Yonit and Jonathan revisit a conversation wi...