Unholy: Two Jews on the News

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Recent update episodes:

War with Iran day 4 - Living under fire (March 3)

Khamenei Is Dead. What Now for Iran? - with Dr. Suzanne Maloney (March 1)

US and Israel strike Iran; Khamenei reported dead - with Amos Harel (Feb 28)

America and Israel are at war with Iran. non-stop sirens in Tel Aviv, the Gulf states are under fire, and the Trump administration is hit by a barrage of tough questions in Washington.

This week, Yonit and Jonathan take stock of a historic and disorienting first week. Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times, joins to assess the war from the outside: Trump shifting justifications for war, Israel's military logic-- and who will fill the regional power vacuum if Iran is weakened.

And: Jonathan reports from Sydney, where he visited Bondi Beach and spoke to a Jewish community still shaken by the shooting in December — and Yonit, running on five nights of no sleep, describes what it's actually like to stop your car on the side of a highway when the sirens go off. Also: a wedding in a shelter, four floors underground.

0:00.000 Chapter: US & Israel war against Iran - day 6

22:31.671 Chapter: Shifting Justifications for War

25:22.534 Chapter: Israel's Strategic Calculus

28:27.274 Chapter: Changing Dynamics in American Support

31:12.981Chapter: The Role of Allies in a New World Order

34:19.257 Chapter: Future of Regional Powers in the Middle East

37:16.299 Chapter: The Complexity of Regime Change

40:07.423 Chapter: Responses from Gulf States and the Path Forward

42:47.830 Chapter: Understanding the Iranian Threat

42:56.867 Chapter: Current Events in the Middle East

43:59.964 Chapter: Reflections on the Conversation and Future Outlook

 

 

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Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/hcbffED7ISw

Recent update episodes:

Khamenei Is Dead. What Now for Iran? - with Dr. Suzanne Maloney (March 1)

US and Israel strike Iran; Khamenei reported dead - with Amos Harel (Feb 28)

 

Day 4 of the Israel–Iran war: What does life look like inside Israel right now?

Yonit and Jonathan reconnect for the first time since the beginning of the war with Iran.

What does war feel like minute-by-minute?

What does it mean when sirens sound every hour and a half — day and night?

What happens to a society when workplaces close, schools shut, airports empty, and families move between safe rooms and bomb shelters as routine?

Yonit describes the exhausting rhythm of preliminary alerts, the psychological strain of constant disruption, and the quiet resilience of Israeli civilians navigating a conflict that feels both immediate and existential.

They discuss:

▶︎ The difference between June’s confrontation and this new phase

▶︎ The strategy behind Iran’s high-frequency missile fire

▶︎ The role of deterrence — and whether this is the beginning of the end for the Iranian regime

▶︎ The balance between exhaustion and resolve inside Israel

▶︎ And ultimately: who decides when this ends?

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Context of the Conflict

00:43 Living Under Fire: Daily Life in Israel

04:10 The Psychological Impact of Constant Alerts

10:29 Public Sentiment and Resilience Amidst Conflict

15:28 The Role of Leadership and External Influences

22:29 Looking Ahead: The Future of the Conflict

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As reports confirm that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, Yonit is joined by Dr. Suzanne Maloney for a searching conversation about what this moment means for Iran and the wider Middle East. They examine Khamenei’s worldview in the years leading up to his death, the ideological roots of the regime’s hostility toward the West, and the deep divisions within Iranian society. The discussion turns to the question now confronting Tehran — who can succeed a figure so central to the system — and to the profound uncertainty facing Iran as it enters a post-Khamenei era with no clear path forward.

 

Chapters

00:00 The Legacy of Khamenei

02:54 Post-Khamenei Iran: What Lies Ahead?

05:42 The Future of the Islamic Republic

08:23 Regional Implications of Khamenei's Assassination

10:59 The Divided Iranian Society

13:58 Transitioning to a New Era

 

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Jonathan is joined by military analyst Amos Harel to assess the latest Israeli and US strikes against Iran — and what may come next. Together they examine the logic behind the operations, the degree of coordination between Jerusalem and Washington, and how Iran is likely to respond next. They also ask the harder questions now hanging over the region: whether this marks a turning point for the Iranian regime itself, how far escalation could go, and what the strikes reveal about the shifting balance of power in the Middle East.

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As the US–Iran talks in Geneva keep the region on edge, Yonit  is joined by journalist Matti Friedman, to make sense of Israel’s uneasy calm — daily life continuing under the knowledge that everything could change in minutes. They reflect on Purim anxiety, old antisemitic tropes resurfacing, and Narendra Modi’s unusually warm visit to Israel, set against Knesset infighting. 

They also dive deep into the evolving India–Israel relationship with former ambassador Alon Ushpiz: affection, technology, security interests, and how much (or little) Islam really drives the alignment. Plus: the backlash to Hugh Laurie’s mourning of Tehran producer Dana Eden, a Chutzpah award for Tucker Carlson and Mike Huckabee, and a Mensch salute to Israel’s women’s hockey team.

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