Unholy: Two Jews on the News

Latest Episodes:

Trump’s Losses, Netanyahu’s Gains Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

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 forecasted, Republicans could still be edging toward a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. This week, Jonathan joins us from DC, to detail his take-aways from a few weeks following the campaign, where he hopped from one key state to another, attended political rallies of former Presidents and even ushered in Shabbat at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

In Israel, despite the aforementioned win on Netanyahu’s end, the road to forming a right-wing government isn’t exactly a smooth one, with demands from every faction of the bloc and a series of controversial statements from members of the Religious Zionist party. Yonit and Jonathan analyze the potential landmines of the apparent coalition, and the implications of the leftist parties’ downfall.

Plus - which fast food restaurant chain offered a bargain this week that left a bad taste?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Special Edition: Israeli Election Results Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

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 party laying below the election threshold, the other parties that form the current coalition are left wondering about the future of the Israeli left. In this special update, Yonit and Jonathan summarize up everything you need to know about Israeli politics at this point - and fill you in on what is expected to happen upon Bibi’s return to power.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Election Countdown Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

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 votes - even on behalf of other parties in their bloc. Yonit and Jonathan discuss last-minute mishaps amongst the parties, and the unlikely scenarios that could tip the scales come election night.

But while next week’s elections may result in an Israeli prime minister exchange- at least Downing 10 is no longer vacant. After its former resident resigned with a mere forty four days spent in office, and a cat became its most permanent resident, the official home of the British leader this week was entered by Rishi Sunak, the UK’s third prime minister in two months.

Plus, whether you pronounce it Adi-das or A-didas, there’s no question if the sports retailer should have dropped Kanye West, adding to the list of affiliates who cut ties with the rapper after a series of antisemitic remarks. But while some attribute the rant to mental illness, it seems the intolerance in the US towards Jews may be more evident than ever.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

No Prime Minister Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

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 44 days in office. Yonit and Jonathan discuss the non-stop political news from London and Tel Aviv.

A week after Kanye West was removed from social media due to antisemitic remarks he since has doubled down on, yet another high level personality banned from social media - former US President Donald Trump - writes that American Jews “have to get their act together [...] before it is too late”, and despite the fallout between them in the past, former Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is there to defend him.

Not one - but two Israeli politicians make our chutzpah award nominee list this week, and find out why Jonathan was compared to Mel Brooks!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hate, Truth and Denial - with Deborah Lipstadt Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

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.

Israel and Lebanon are on the verge of signing a maritime border agreement, and now that the political dust has settled - what is actually in the deal, and what does each side set to gain and lose.

Our special guest this week is Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. She Joins Yonit and Jonathan for a conversation about ways to counter anti-Semitism - old and new, from the right and from the left, and shares her thoughts about Kanye West's anti-Semitic outburst.

Finally, what country hits our chutzpah award list, and one courtroom in Connecticut that can restore your faith in the power of truth.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/
and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenews
Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142

Subscribe to our blog: https://unholypodcast.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Too Big To Fail - Again? with Andrew Ross Sorkin Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

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 York Times, anchor for CNBC and Emmy award winner Andrew Ross Sorkin. He joins Yonit and Jonathan for a conversation about the global economic crisis and will it develop into a total crash in the markets, the sustainability of the high cost living in Israel and the U.K., and of course - Jewish mothers, because no guest on this podcast gets a waver from that question.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/
and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenews
Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142

Subscribe to our blog: https://unholypodcast.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Burden and The Gift - with Nicole Krauss Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

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 literary world since she wrote her first novel at the age of 25.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/
and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenews
Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142

Subscribe to our blog: https://unholypodcast.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Unholy Live: Diplomatic Salon Sep 23, 2022

Show notes

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 sent in by foreign diplomats and Jewish organizations from all around the world.

Plus, we talk about the speech that made headlines even before it was even uttered in the UN general assembly, and the leader who just keeps ending up as the recipient of our Chutzpah award.

So, whether you’re ironing your white shirt or setting the dinner table for the holiday, we humbly suggest you let the sound of our special episode accompany you - and of course wish those celebrating a happy, and politically stable, new year. Shana Tova!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Earth, King and Fire - with David Wallace-Wells Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

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 Times piece on the funds invested in Ultra Orthodox schools in Brooklyn.

And, as Europe nears a hard winter, Yonit and Jonathan are joined by one of the sharpest minds writing on climate change, David Wallace Wells, to discuss the impending and devastating dangers of our current trajectory but also underscore that we can still avert a total catastrophe.
Plus - our host / opinion columnist / author adds yet another title to his expanded resume - debuting a new play on the roots of antisemitism in Britain.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/
and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenews
Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142

Subscribe to our blog: https://unholypodcast.substack.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W

🎙️ THE HOSTS

Yonit Levi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/

X: https://x.com/LeviYonit

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/

Jonathan Freedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com

🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Elizabethan Era Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

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 announcement from Buckingham Palace that every news outlet in Britain braced for - but dreaded having to bear - to the late Queen’s influence on her subjects and on modern history.

Plus, Haaretz Military Correspondent Amos Harel joins our hosts to discuss the IDF’s investigation into the death of Palestinian journalist Shireeb Abu Akleh, and about whether it affects the relationship between Jerusalem and Washington.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.com

💛 Become a friend of the pod:

Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon

📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/

X: https://x.com/unholypod

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social

🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W