Unholy: Two Jews on the News

We truly hope that by the time you’re reading this, you’re on a beach somewhere, or sipping an alcoholic drink in a European city. We can tell you that our own host, Jonathan Freedland, is probably doing one of the aforementioned activities - but only after he and Yonit made sure our listeners won’t miss out every Friday. For the third week of August, our hosts reminisced on their episode with Pro...

Following Operation Breaking Dawn, Yonit and Jonathan are back from break with an emergency episode to speak on the recent conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. After nearly seventy hours of clashes, a ceasefire was announced - and while it holds, for now, both sides know that it may only be a matter of time before the situation escalates again. Listen to hea...

Jonathan may be away, sitting on a lounge chair positioned on a sandy beach somewhere, but it doesn’t mean Unholy listeners will be deprived of their weekly podcast fix. This summer break, we’re taking you back to some of our favorite conversations with outstanding guests.  In this episode, Yonit and Jonathan revisit their discussion with one of America’s most accomplished journalists, David Remni...

Last episode of the season - and before we pack our suitcases and bring out the bathing suits, we're closing off with an extra long episode. But don't worry - although we'll officially be back in September, we've got some surprises that will keep you entertained all through August. And for this episode: his predecessor may have maintained warm relations with Russia - but the man who now holds the...

Israelis usually flee to Europe during hot summers to experience European weather - but this week’s heatwave made the blistering temperatures here seem normal. But whether or not the countries are well equipped with air conditioning, it seems none are particularly ready with a plan for the effects of climate change. And to another hot topic- the U.S involvement in the Middle East and Israel, in pa...

Armed vehicles, numerous flags and even a presidential menu - after much preparation, President Joe Biden landed in Israel this Wednesday, kicking off his Middle East visit with a jam-packed schedule in the Holyland. But a moment before leaving for Jerusalem, Biden sat down with our host, Yonit Levi, for a one-on-one, exclusive televised interview - the first ever for a foreign network. In this we...

Roll the red carpet and get the cameras ready - in less than a week, the leader of the free world will make his way to Israel, only to be greeted by a freshly-appointed Prime Minister of a caretaker government. Yonit and Jonathan are joined by the New York Times’ Chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker, to discuss the objectives of the visit, the upcoming midterms and the American relations w...

The term Prime Minister Yair Lapid may take some getting used to - but don’t take too long, as it’s paired with “interim”. After dissolving the Knesset and bidding farewell to his coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, Lapid embarked on his spell as head of a caretaker government - but all heads are turned to the fifth election round, which will determine whether the late-night host turned premier wi...

If you look up the words “Israel” and “Elections” in any search engine at any given time during these last three years, chances are you either saw articles about upcoming ballots - or results of a recent round. That’s why this week’s results won’t come as a surprise. This week, Bennet and Lapid themselves hammered the final nail into the coalition’s coffin - sending Israelis to vote yet again. Yon...

This week's guest is someone Unholy listeners are quite familiar with - our very own co-host (and bestselling author) Jonathan Freedland! In this episode, Yonit gives him the tried and tested interviewee treatment as they discuss his new book, The Escape Artist, which details the all but unknown story of Rudolf Vrba. Vrba is one of only four Jews to escape Auschwitz, and is credited with publishin...

On the same night and only twenty minutes apart, members of parliament from two different countries cast votes which would determine the fate of their current head of government. On one end, lawmakers voted against a bill that represented their opinions just to wound the coalition, and on the other - a Prime Minister rejoiced even though nearly half of his party voted in favor of outing him. Sound...

We’re celebrating - and you’re all invited! After all, it only took sixty episodes of Unholy - and seventy years on the throne - to convince Jonathan to discuss the monarchy favorably. This week’s special guest, Ira Glass, set the gold standard for podcasts with his award winning "This American Life", he is the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize - but if you ask him, he doesn’t really consider himsel...

In the aftermath of the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, Yonit and Jonathan discuss how Israel, compared to the U.S. is both well-armed and at the same time well- regulated when it comes to guns. This week's episode also features a discussion about the reality television episode of "Married at First Sight" that made LGBTQ history, with two men under the Jewish wedding canopy, shattering the glass (both l...

Israel's PM Naftali Bennett hoped to silence his government’s swan song - but the music is getting louder by the moment, with a surprising exit stage left of the coalition, possibly giving Netanyahu the one-up he needed. We discuss the great replacement theory, how the world viewed one funeral in Jerusalem, and why everyone is talking about AIPAC. And this week we are joined by special guest Mayim...

The death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an IDF raid in the Palestinian city of Jenin has shifted the international spotlight back on Israel. Yonit and Jonathan discuss the contradicting narratives and the implications of this tragedy for both sides. In the meantime, the Bennett-Lapid coalition is keeping its head above water for now, but the answer to whether it makes it to saf...

**This episode was recorded before the terror attack in central Israel** On Israel's Independence Day, Yonit and Jonathan talk to award winning author Matti Friedman about his new book, "Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai", in which he details the extraordinary episode of Cohen's musical tour during the Yom Kippur war. In the shadow of the Roe v. Wade row in the U.S. - how do Judaism and Isra...

Yonit and Jonathan are back from Passover break and seder with a lot on their plate – We tackle Israeli PM Naftali Bennett's huge takeout bill, the results of the French Presidential election through the eyes of French Jews and French expats in Israel, and our mutual addiction to the series WeCrashed about Israeli entrepreneur Adam Neumann. We're joined by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ronan F...

Just before they return from Passover break, Yonit and Jonathan revisit their conversation with Kara Swisher, the most influential tech journalist in the world. They discuss the big tech companies and their accountability (or lack thereof), U.S. politics, the success of Israeli tech companies, and tips on how to co-host a podcast… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 💛 Become a fr...

For Passover, Yonit and Jonathan revisit their conversation with intellectual icon Yuval Noah Harari. They discuss the future of humans, pandemics, climate change, corporations vs. governments, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, trans rights, and Yuval shares his secret of success… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 💛 Become a friend of the pod: Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatr...

**This episode was recorded before the terror attack in Tel Aviv**  A week of political turmoil in Israel, Yonit and Jonathan are joined by Amit Segal, political analyst and bestselling author who broke the story that Naftali Bennett's coalition is now hanging on by a thread. They discuss the different scenarios that can unfold, Bennett's biggest mistake, and what are the chances for Benjamin Neta...

As Israel faces a new wave of terror attacks, Yonit and Jonathan are joined by Ehud Barak, former Israeli Prime Minister. He shares his insights: what can be done to break the cycle of violence, and why he is still optimistic about peace even though the signs point in the opposite direction. We discuss Israel's moral ambiguity on Ukraine, and what Barak Thinks should be the global plan to prevent...

Yonit and Jonathan discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's speech to the Israeli parliament: he thought lawmakers weren't doing enough, they thought he said too much. Why the whole world should be concerned about the influence ISIS has on one terrorist in Be'er Sheva, and is this week's deadly attack a precursor to a new Intifada. In the mensch category we'll say goodbye to a venerated d...

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stepping up his mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine; the Biden Administration intensifying its crackdown on Oligarchs; and the internal debate in Israel rages on the issue of accepting Ukrainian refugees.   Yonit and Jonathan are joined by journalist and author Oliver Bullough, an expert on financial crime, to discuss Russian Oligarchs in Israel. We...

As the war in Ukraine intensifies, Yonit and Jonathan are joined by Pulitzer Prize winning author Anne Applebaum to discuss Zelenskyy, Putin, Bennett and the high stakes everyone is playing for. In this episode we also give a nod to Israel and Turkey's old-new bromance; we go to great depths to give a mensch award; and a chutzpah award you probably weren't expecting… -- Follow us on Instagram: htt...

Yonit and Jonathan are joined by Professor Scott Galloway, marketing guru and bestselling author, to talk Ukraine and Russia, U.S. and Israel, angry young men and big tech. And, as Jonathan braves a covid diagnosis, our chutzpah and mensch nominees this week are inevitably tied to Ukraine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 💛 Become a friend of the pod: Patreon: https://bit.ly/U...