State of Tel Aviv, Israel Podcast

Just last week, PM Benjamin Netanyahu spent three very full days in Washington DC conferring with President Trump and overseeing his most senior advisers get down to brass tacks with their US counterparts. The expectation – fed by repeated statements made by the President – was that a deal to end the war with Hamas and free the remaining hostages was close. So close. The families of those in captivity dared to allow themselves to feel hopeful. Until the PM returned to Israel. And suddenly, there was yet another impassable breach. This time? Israel cannot agree to withdraw from the Gaza Strip on the terms acceptable to Hamas. Each side blames the other. And at this point, Israelis are so worn out they don’t care. More than 75% of Israelis want this war to end now. More than 60% of voters who supported the government coalition want this war to end now. And they all want every last hostage returned to Israel. Now. Not tomorrow. Or the day after. Now. And PM Netanyahu seems impervious to this very grim and determined national mood. Morale has nosedived in recent days and State of Tel Aviv and Beyond’s superb military and political analyst, Ya’akov Katz, joins me today to untangle this mess.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

In this final episode in our three part series focusing on Piers Morgan and his YouTube show, Piers MorganUncensored, we speak with two tough people about how to handle this new wild west of independent media. First up is Emily Schrader, journalist and activist with particular expertise on Iran. She also has a huge social media following, and for good reason. A regular guest on Uncensored, Schrader has gone head-to-head with some of the most vicious antisemitic and anti-Israel personalities out there. Sharp as a tack, unflappable and ever cool, Schrader explains the value she sees in going on a show like Uncensored and also discusses the conundrum of possibly legitimizing extremist voices by merely agreeing to appear alongside them.Ridvan Aydemir has more than 500,000 followers on his YouTube channel, where he is known as the ApostateProphet. Raised in a strict Muslim home, Ridvan left the religion and is a fierce critic of many of the values he learned as a child. He is also no fan of Piers Morgan or his work, having been shunned by his show after explaining to Morgan’s staff that he’d go on but only to discuss some of the thornier issues relating to Islamism. This led to a clash between Ridvan and Morgan on X, and here we are. Morgan had his say on X. Ridvan has his here. Like Lee Kern in part 2 of this series, Ridvan Aydemir dismisses Piers Morgan as someone chasing clicks and attention. Nothing more.We think this man and his show are very important. Many people out there look to Piers Morgan and his show as a source of news and information. Is it?State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast NotesEmily Schrader is an American-Israeli journalist, human rights activist, and the founder of the Israel Iran Women’s Alliance. She is an an anchor at ILTV News, a writer at Ynet, the co-host of The Quad on JNS, and the host of ILTV’s Viewpoint. Emily also sits on the executive board of the Institute for Voices of Liberty, a think tank focused on European and American Iran policy, and has advised lawmakers across North America and Europe on Iran policy, specially related to Tehran’s terror proxies in the Middle East. In addition to her work as a journalist, she is the author of the book, 10 Things Every Jew Should Know Before They Go To College, and the winner of the 2023 Nefesh b’Nefesh Bonei Zion award for outstanding immigrants to Israel.Born in Germany, Ridvan Aydemir is known by his handle ApostateProphet to the many fans of his YouTube show. As a former Muslim with deep knowledge of the religious texts and practices, Ridvan brings huge credibility to his positions. He can discuss Islam, Islamism, Islamists and everything in between. His voice is clear and unwavering. And it’s safe to say that he wil never appear on any show hosted by Piers Morgan.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Today we bring you the second of our three part series taking a close look at celebrity media host Piers Morgan and his show Uncensored. Viewed by millions daily, Uncensored has focused intensely on the Israel-Hamas war, Israel-Iran war, and really pretty much all things related to Israel. Somewhat unceasingly. In this interview with Lee Kern, we get into his thoughts on why Uncensored is not just unbalanced but does not even qualify as a serious news or political program. Lee’s insights and comments are sharp, incisive and unsparing. He lives the reality of post October 7 life in Israel – based in Tel Aviv – and has strong views on Piers and his show – which are also set out in two long X posts he wrote on June 4. You can read those in the Podcast Notes, as well as Morgan’s cheeky response. The issues raised by Lee Kern are serious. We should all be concerned about what passes for media and the fact that independent media are held to no standards of accountability – just ratings. And yes. That is a problem. A very big problem. Have a listen.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast Notes1) Two part post on X, June 4, 2025, by Lee Kern:The Piers Morgan show has repeatedly asked me on as a guest. Their first request was on November 1st 2023 - three weeks after the muslim terrorists Hamas raped and kidnapped hostages. I declined and have done ever since. Their most recent request was this April. The reason why I declined is because of something Piers tweeted in those early days of the war started by Hamas. Whilst we in Israel and the Jewish world were grieving - real grief - because people had been raped, people had been murdered, people had been kidnapped - women, children and babies - whilst we were doing this Piers Morgan was boasting. He was celebrating. He was celebrating how well his viewing figures were doing in his episodes talking about the massacre. “Six million” he bragged in one of his tweets. At the time I glibly I said to myself, “I’m glad someone’s doing well out of the rape and kidnaps.” But it truly was despicable and it really gets to the heart of the man. He has no real moral code or value system other than attention. He’s an archetypal, soulless media w***e. His show is not designed to illuminate. It is to simply create a freak-show of vapid conflict that appeals to people who simply want a verbal fistfight. Pigs fighting in s**t is Piers’ idea of journalism. In truth he knows what he does isn’t journalism. At best he might think what he does is entertainment. But it isn’t that either. It’s simply shitting excrement into public discourse. And the reasonable and legitimate outrage people feel when s**t is pumped into conversations that have real life or death ramifications - Piers - in his misplaced pride - will mistake - or pretend to mistake - for a journalistic job well done. None the less, when his people first wrote to me i thought maybe i could guide Piers into doing some real journalism that would allow the public to weigh up primary evidence for themselves.I replied: “I can’t speak this week. Also I don’t think I should be a priority. I’m very much in favour of letting people directly affected be pushed to the front of the conversation. Yesterday I met a lady in Sderot who is probably the most perfect and energetic guest Piers could ever engage with - and she was directly in the middle of a battle that lasted 36 hours.” This opportunity to provide viewers with primary evidence and a firsthand account of the massacre didn’t happen. There was no serious interest in understanding this conflict. I imagine this applies to any other topic that might be covered. Persistent, his people tried to get me on the show again a few days later. I replied: “I know you’re keen to have me. I’m doing something unfashionable that maybe lots of people don’t do anymore: I’ve come here to actually see where the atrocities happened for myself and to speak to survivors so I’m not just some random internet guy mouthing off. Please let me know when you’ve spoken to ——-. I’ve told her you will be in touch. I don’t want to give her false hope because she’s someone who has been part of horrific things and is grieving for her community. Please don’t let me be involved in adding to her roller coaster” It didn’t happen. His people wrote to me again a few days later to try and get me on the show. I continued to believe that if the public were to be illuminated, then the testimony of an actual survivor was more important than my opinions. So I replied firmly: “What happened with ——- appearing on the show? She’s a clear coherent voice who experienced a massacre first hand. Her entire community are now refugees spread across a country. You should be interviewing her.” His team replied: “We couldn’t make it work, we’ve lots of guests and little time alas. Keen to have you on.”I replied:“Why couldn’t it work? She’s still alive. What’s tangibly preventing you from getting her on this week or next? She’s an eloquent real person who has been in a massacre and continues to be affected by what you want to report on.“ They ignored this. “Lots of guests and little time?” Well here I was offering to step back to give them a real story. But they weren’t interested. They wanted me because I say the words “s**t” and “f**k” and have a comedy background that allows me to be engagingly garish. I’m self aware. I own what I do. But I still seemed to have more of a journalistic value system than Piers and his team and still seemed to believe education and illumination on this horrible situation was more important than just getting on high octane personalities who would argue so that Piers could get more attention and money. And yet again, a few weeks later, they requested me on as a guest. And they sent me eight more requests over the following months that I didn’t reply to. So I’ll wind this up by saying Piers Morgan isn’t going to make or break what happens in this conflict. It won’t end until the Islamic fundamentalists Hamas release the hostages and their jihadist tyranny over the population of Gaza - which has included control over their food supply - ends. Finally, seeing as Piers Morgan has shown himself to be demonstrably thin skinned and I’ll most likely be blocked by him if he sees this, I may as well finish on the most important point. This is what society knows. This is what even his viewers know. And it’s worth us stating even though it’s a given: The most objectionable and off putting thing about any Piers Morgan show is Piers Morgan and the poorly crafted simulation of a personality that he has constructed for himself. Piers Morgan as a human being is so very clearly, and so very palpably, a bloviating toad. You couldn’t put together a less charming conglomeration of DNA in the rough approximate shape of a human being. He is a slimy bog creature.A toadstool dwelling peasant, high on the methane emitted from his own arsehole. More prolapsed rectum than a man, his anus of a mouth emits half digested ideas like loose excremental sludge. He is a sloshing barrel of smugness and pus. Every pore in his bloated face oozes misplaced arrogance. Misplaced because nothing about his presentation or content merits any kind of pride.In short, ladies and gentlemen, Piers Morgan is a man who can only be described as the Manchester United of c***s.* Piers Morgan’s riposte to Lee Kern’s post.* Profile of Lee Kern published on May 24, 2025, on ynetnews.com* Lee Kern’s Substack - check it out. leekern.substack.comState of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

In this special three-part series, we explore the increasingly contentious place of media superstar Piers Morgan and his YouTube show, Uncensored. Morgan has always inclined to the sensational, but in recent months he has perhaps gone too far – in terms of platforming some of the most hateful, uninformed antisemites and anti-Zionist voices in the world. Repeatedly. As he reminds us often, millions watch his show and engage on social media. So, he reasons, he must be doing something right. Well, perhaps not. Clicks and views may validate his mass appeal. But they also raise the question: To whom does he appeal? Why is he platforming and amplifying such hateful, uninformed people on the anti-Israel “side”, and putting them on the same show with some of the brightest, most articulate minds who support Israel? The result – particularly in the last month or so – has been many things but certainly not enlightening discussion or debate. To explore this issue I decided to speak with some past, ongoing and – never gonna happen – guests of Piers Morgan Uncensored. What began as one episode became a three part series. Because each of the five people with whom I spoke had such thoughtful and strong insights. And I belielve that the conduct of media- MSM and independents – is hugely important. When a media giant with global influence like Piers Morgan repeatedly platforms extreme haters – he legitimizes and amplifies their voice and reach- exponentially. Does he have a responsibility to society? Or is it just about the numbers?I discuss this and more with my five superb guests. In Part I we feature Lt. Col. (Res.) and Senior FDD Fellow, Jonathan Conricus, as well as Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli. Both appeared last week on Uncensored. And they have a lot to say.Part II of this series will be out on Sunday and features British-Israeli comedian, actor, writer and – in my view – serious social commentator – Lee Kern. When Uncensored seemed to veer off in a very concerning direction in recent weeks, Lee Kern posted a searing indictment of Piers Morgan and Uncensored on X. His commentary certainly got my attention and I assure you - his interview does not disappoint. It’ll be out on Sunday.Part III of the series features two exceptional and very different voices. Emily Schrader, journalist, and activist – and frequent guest on Uncensored – gets into how the show has changed recently. She is savvy and has a keen understanding of all media. Emily explains the value in appearing on his show, but also gets into some troubling aspects of how it has been going lately. Emily is a massive influencer on social media – and she has some strong views on that world as well. Also in this episode is Ridvan Aydemir, aka the ApostateProphet on YouTube to his more than 500,000 followers. Raised in a strict Muslim home while navigating the very liberal society of modern Germany, Ridvan no longer identifies as a Muslim and he is a fierce critic of Islamist antisemitism and anti-Zionism. He also falls into the category of one who will never appear on Morgan’s show – and shares with us why.All three segments in this series are super interesting and I expect you will learn a lot about the “behind the scenes” workings of today’s media and why we should all – consumers and creators of content – pay careful attention to what is going down. Independent media is the wild west today. Query whether it should remain that way.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast Notes:* I encourage all listeners/viewers to peruse the X accounts of the participants in this series. It is an eye-popping rabbit-hole (weird metaphor but kinda’ works), no matter where you start. All roads, as they say, lead to Rome – in this case that would be Piers Morgan and Uncensored.Instagram:Conricus: @jconricusChikli: @amichaichikliLee Kern: @leekern13Apostate Prophet: @realapostateprophetEmily: @emilykschraderX (Twitter):@jconricus@AmichaiChikli@leekern13@emilykschrader@apostateprophet * I am posting here the full links to the most recent Uncensored episode in which Jonathan Conricus appeared, as well as the episode featuring Minister Amichai Chikli. Both ran last week. If you go to Piers Morgan’s personal X account you will find numerous clips that he considered post-worthy from these episodes. You watch. You decide.* Below is the full text of the post of Minister Chikli’s on June 4 that seemed to have triggered Piers Morgan and led to Chikli being invited to appear on Uncensored. * Guest BiosJonathan Conricus is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. He served in the IDF for 24 years, four of them as spokesman during the intense 11 days of the Guardian of the Walls Operation between Israel and Hamas. Now a reserve officer with the rank of Lt. Col., he is a sought-after speaker internationally and is frequently seen on major television news shows. Jonathan was born in Jerusalem to a Swedish father and an Israeli mother and spent his formative years in Sweden.Amichai Chikli is an Israeli politician who serves as the Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism & the BDS movement.In the past he worked as an educator and social entrepreneur.Chikli was born in 1981 in Jerusalem. He served as an officer in the elite units in the Golani brigade.Following his IDF service, Chikli earned a bachelor's degree in security and Middle Eastern studies from Haifa University and a master's degree in security studies and diplomacy from Tel Aviv University.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Ya’akov Katz and I get into the dramatic overnight developments in the Middle East and brace for the possible scenarios that may unfold. We discuss the US military action, Iranian retaliation so far, and how this global conflict may escalate, or resolve.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriberYaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

OK. Tonight I really. Must sleep.I spoke last night with Beni Sabti, an Iranian-born expert on security, culture and politics of his native country. BenI has been going night and day since Friday morning, being one of the most highly regarded Iran experts in the world. So I was thrilled to finally have some time to speak with him Wednesday night. We both signed off, exhausted, around midnight. Five minutes later the first alarms went off in central Israel, where he lives. This morning, multiple targets were hit by Iranian missiles, including Be’er Sheba’s Soroka Hospital. We begin with a brief report on that, but this podcast is really devoted to Beni’s insights about the psychology of Iranian leadership. Western analysts tend to extol the savvy Iranian negotiation strategy, but Beni is far less reverential. He thinks that the leaders of Iran have made a hash of nuclear negotiations. As well, the overwhelming majority of the population loathes this regime and is desperate for change. It’s a fascinating exploration of a country and culture under siege and how they might react in the coming days.You may want to watch this one on YouTube - there are some interesting visuals throughout but especially for the first five minutes or so. State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast NotesBeni Sabti is an Iran expert at the INSS. Sabti was born in Iran in 1972 and raised primarily under the Islamic Revolution regime. After escaping Iran to Israel in 1987, he served in the IDF, primarily as a researcher, mostly in projects relating to Iranian culture and influence on cognition, decision-making, and media. One of the flagship projects he led was the establishment of the IDF Spokesperson’s platforms in Persian, designed to address the Iranian people directly.Sabti holds an M.A in political science and public communications from Bar Ilan University, and was a research fellow at JISS in Jerusalem. Sabti gives lectures about many issues related to Iran and is a commentator on Iran for media outlets in Israel and abroad. He was also one of the cultural advisors to the series “Tehran,” broadcast on Apple TV and Israel’s Channel 11. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

It has been a five-day blitz of attacks by the Israeli Air Force over Iran. The IDF has taken out many key Iranian military and other strategic sites and capabilities. Civilians are very deliberately not targeted. In recent days Tehran has been evacuated—responding to IDF warnings. Based on photos we have seen, it is a ghost town. And now we are waiting to see what happens next. The nuclear centrifuges—located deep underground in a mountain bunker at Fordow, Iran—must be destroyed to truly end the country’s nuclear ambitions. State of Tel Aviv and Beyond regular (and military expert) Ya’akov Katz gets into the details of what may be the next move in this critical military operation. Will the U.S. step in and finish off Fordow? Or will Israel continue to bear the burden, largely alone?For those of you continuing to enjoy our podcasts and articles—if you have not yet done so—please consider supporting our work with a paid subscription. We’re going 24/7 here, getting very little sleep and continuing to bring you reports. Because we believe it is important to get quality information out there. And if you’re here, then you agree. We are independent and supported by our listeners and readers. Please show your appreciation today. Many thanks.Also, there are some good visuals in the YouTube version of this podcast that you shouldn’t miss. So consider watching/listening there—in particular, today. Podcast NotesState of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

For four days, Israel and Iran have engaged in direct, intense conflict. For Israel, destroying Iran’s nuclear weapons and capability is a matter of survival. For the ruling Islamist regime in Iran, resisting Israeli power is also a matter of survival. The deeply unpopular theo-fascist rulers are clinging to power by fear and oppression. Israeli attacks are pulverizing the nation’s ability to fight back. This could be a very quick and decisive conflict that resets the geopolitical global reality with lightning speed. Within days. We were are still are braced for weeks of war. But it’s beginning to look like it may be much shorter. Listen to this fascinating discussion from earlier today with Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus, a good friend of State of Tel Aviv and brilliant analyst of the situation.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. He served in the IDF for 24 years, four of them as spokesman during the intense 11 days of the Guardian of the Walls Operation between Israel and Hamas. Now a reserve officer with the rank of Lt. Col., he is a sought-after speaker internationally and is frequently seen on major television news shows. Jonathan was born in Jerusalem to a Swedish father and an Israeli mother and spent his formative years in Sweden.Jonathan Conricus on X: @jconricus This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

In recent days Hamas has shifted all of its attention to controlling the food supply for civilians in the Gaza Strip. They continue to hoard aid meant for the needy and then resell it at extortionate prices. The last two weeks have been especially chaotic as the food supply diminishes, and people are living meal to meal. Concerns regarding famine are real and the involvement of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is intended to address the food scarcity. But the rollout of this new initiative has been a mess. Shootings. Chaos. People walking 20k to arrive at one of the few distribution centers to find that there is no food left. State of Tel Aviv regular guest, Ya’akov Katz, joins us to get into the detail of what is going on in the Gaza Strip and why everything seems to be going so wrong. We discuss Hamas, criminal clans, hostages and more. Before wrapping we touch on the surge of Jewish vigilantism in the West Bank and why this seems to continue, uninterrupted.And you will probably be relieved to know we don’t even mention Greta. I’ll leave that to Piers Morgan.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast NotesYaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

So many times since October 7, the UN and many governments have raised alarms regarding imminent and mass starvation in the Gaza Strip. It never materialized. But recently a serious crisis with respect to food availability has developed there. The causes of this food scarcity are not as simple as the media and many national leaders would have us believe. There have been rash and constant allegations smearing Israel, alleging that food deliveries were withheld in order to starve the civilian population. Not only is that a very distorted—and untrue—version of reality, but it has become gospel to so many. Based on facts? No. The BBC—once the gold standard of journalism—is leading the pack of purveyors of misinformation but has plenty of company among big mainstream media and all manner of smaller publications. But it is the BBC that has had to crawl back and retract several reports recently on the basis that they were unfounded. Same with UN Head of Aid and former UK diplomat Tom Fletcher. So—what the heck is going on in the Gaza Strip? I discuss this issue in depth with frequent State of Tel Aviv guest, Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus, Senior Fellow at FDD, high-profile TV commentator, and public speaker. It’s been a while since he has joined us, but it’s wonderful to have him back.Below, we offer a small sample of the gusher of information that is available. Sifting through what’s real and what is not is super challenging. In this context it is compounded by the manner in which the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit has approached this communications and humanitarian crisis. We discuss it all. Podcast Notes:* Jerusalem Post article regarding UN Head of Aid, Tom Fletcher’s, Unfounded Claim that 14,000 babies would die within 48 hours.* Example of BBC “verification” of already published information which they cannot, well, verify.* Report on UN Head of Aid Tom Fletcher’s comment regarding 10,000 trucks of food being denied entry to Gaza by Israel* BBC article. This article is a strange one. BBC presents it as if it refutes the accusations made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt regarding BBC reports having been retracted/corrected. However, if you read the BBC response to Leavitt, they just muddy the waters. Bottom line? They pounced to report without clear evidence to support their claims that were originating and in a highly volatile environment. Judge for yourself.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. He served in the IDF for 24 years, four of them as spokesman during the intense 11 days of the Guardian of the Walls Operation between Israel and Hamas. Now a reserve officer with the rank of Lt. Col., he is a sought-after speaker internationally and is frequently seen on major television news shows. Jonathan was born in Jerusalem to a Swedish father and an Israeli mother and spent his formative years in Sweden.Jonathan Conricus on X: @jconricus This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe