South Africa, Media, and the War on Truth

In this episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with journalist and commentator Rolene Marks for a wide-ranging and timely conversation on Israel, South Africa, media, and modern antisemitism. Drawing on her background as a South African-born Israeli journalist, Marks offers sharp insight into the deteriorating relationship between South Africa and Israel, the political motivations behind Pretoria's hostility, and the broader international forces shaping anti-Israel narratives.

In this timely episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz speaks with Iran expert Beni Sabti for a timely and deeply personal conversation recorded from near Tel Aviv in the midst of missile sirens and shelter runs. Sabti, born in Iran and now a leading researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, brings a rare lens shaped by lived experience under the Islamic Revolution and decades of work analyzing Iranian culture, propaganda, and regime behavior.

IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz welcomes Amit Meir, CEO & Founder of Adam V'Adama, a Jewish National Fund-USA high school network launched with Hashomer HaChadash, another of the organization's affiliates, to strengthen Israeli agriculture and deepen young Israelis' connection to the land. Speaking from one of their campuses in Israel's South, Meir traces his journey from a farming family and an elite Israel Defense Forces Search & Rescue unit to building a bold alternative to traditional schooling—one rooted in responsibility, leadership, and Zionist purpose.

IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz speaks with Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, about what FDD calls the "axis of aggressors" — China, Russia, and Iran — and how Iran's internal turmoil could reshape the Middle East. Schanzer describes Iran's long-running protest cycle, severe economic collapse, and the regime's vulnerability after major Israeli and U.S. strikes, then outlines three possible U.S. paths: renewed diplomacy, degrading Iran's military capabilities, or pursuing full regime decapitation. They discuss whether Iran's military will fire on its own people, and the regime's reliance on proxy forces. Schanzer explains Iran's global networks, including links through Venezuela and Hezbollah's illicit finance routes, and argues Iran's "axis of resistance" is unusually weakened. The conversation also covers shifting regional power dynamics, Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords (including Indonesia), concerns about Egypt and Jordan, and confusion over President Trump's "Board of Peace." They close on the value of history, anti-Semitism's recurring patterns, and Schanzer's book on Gaza as a warning sign.

Author Izabella Tabarovsky—a scholar of Soviet antizionism and contemporary antisemitism, writer, journalist, and the author of Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student's Survival Guide—joins host Steven Shalowitz from her home in Jerusalem to explore the Soviet origins of modern anti-Zionism and why those ideas echo so loudly on campuses today. Born in 1970 and raised in the USSR, Tabarovsky recounts what it meant to live with state-sponsored "anti-Zionism" that functioned as a sophisticated system of discrimination against Jews, from schoolyard humiliation to university and career barriers.

In this episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with acclaimed author and historian Uri Kaufman to unpack the ideas behind his powerful new book, American Intifada: Israel, the Gaza War and the New Antisemitism. Kaufman, whose previous work on the Yom Kippur War was named one of the Financial Times' best history books of the year, offers a sharp and thought-provoking analysis of why so much mainstream discourse about Israel has become detached from historical fact.

In this must listen episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Pastor Dumisani Washington—founder of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel—for a wide-ranging and deeply thoughtful conversation about faith, history, and moral clarity in turbulent times. Drawing on his personal journey, scholarship, and leadership, Pastor Washington explores the enduring bonds between the Black and Jewish communities, rooted in shared biblical narratives, lived struggle, and a profound connection to the land and people of Israel.

In this powerful episode of IsraelCast, host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Dr. Naya Lekht, a leading scholar, educator, and writer who is reshaping how we understand Zionism, Jewish identity, and today's wave of antizionism. Drawing on her background as a Soviet-born Jew and her PhD research on how the USSR erased Holocaust memory and reshaped Jewish identity, Naya explains why antizionism is not "just politics" but the newest form of Jew hatred—and how the slogans shouted on campuses and streets today were carefully engineered in Moscow decades ago.

In this powerful IsraelCast episode, host Steven Shalowitz speaks with Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi live from the Jewish National Fund-USA Conference in Hollywood, Florida. Davidi paints a vivid picture of Sderot—a resilient, diverse community just 700 meters from the Gaza border, long celebrated for its music and warmth but also burdened by decades of rocket fire. He shares the personal toll of life under constant threat, recalling how his own seven children have sprinted to shelters thousands of times with only seconds to spare.

At the Jewish National Fund-USA 2025 Global Conference, IsraelCast host Steven Shalowitz interviewed Australian journalist Erin Molan, who shared her transformation from sports anchor to global advocate for Israel and Western values. Deeply influenced by her late father, Major General Andrew Molan, Erin described how the reaction to Hamas's October 7 attacks compelled her to speak out against terrorism, despite severe backlash and death threats. She warned that the conflict extends beyond Israel, reflecting a broader struggle for democracy and moral clarity across the West. Molan condemned biased media coverage and rising antisemitism in Australia, calling for everyday people to speak truth and challenge misinformation. Reflecting on her visits to Israel, she praised Israelis' resilience and compassion, sharing moving encounters that reaffirmed her mission. Now hosting The Erin Molan Show on the Salem Network, she continues to champion Israel and the values her father taught her: "Even if it's hard, always do what's right."