Our Political Moment with Bret Stephens and Mijal Bitton

Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist, was murdered at a campus event in Utah on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 10th, 2025. As Americans reckon with this horrific act of political violence, many are alarmed at the grim message it offers about the state of our politics and where our democracy is headed. In a special SAPIR conversation with SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Maimonides Fund scholar-in-residence Mijal Bitton held days after this tragic event, they discuss the implications of these events for America and American Jews. 

Do we still expect journalists—and the outlets they represent—to be objective? Or have we come to accept that much of today’s media falls into the realm of activist journalism? What are the consequences when activist journalism and objective reporting become indistinguishable? On Monday, June 30 at 12:00 PM ET, SAPIR Institute Director Chanan Weissman moderated a conversation between SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens and Amit Segal, chief political analyst for Israel’s Channel 12 News. Together, they discussed the merits and pitfalls of activist and objective journalism in the United States and Israel, going deeper into their most recent SAPIR essays.Can the Media Keep Kosher? (Stephens)If Not Now, When? (Segal)

In a time of rising antisemitism, extremism, and anti-Zionist sentiment, are we too discerning about our allies? Or does the moment demand that Jews hold fast to our values and insist that our partners share them? On Monday, June 9, essayist David Hazony and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs Amy Spitalnick joined SAPIR’s Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens for a conversation about the challenges and opportunities of forging alliances and building coalitions in a post-10/7 world.Read Hazony's most recent essay in the latest edition of SAPIR.