Jonny Gould's Jewish State

Is Benjamin Netanyahu approaching the end of his extraordinary political career — or is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister about to pull off yet another remarkable comeback?

With Israel heading towards a defining election, the stakes could scarcely be higher. The shadow of October 7th, the confrontation with Iran, Donald Trump’s unprecedented backing of Netanyahu, and the growing economic burden of Israel’s security challenges are all weighing heavily on the electorate.

But is there a credible alternative? Could Naftali Bennett or Gadi Eisenkot succeed where so many others have failed? And could Netanyahu win the most seats yet still lose power?

Joining me in London is Dr Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), an Israeli think tank specialising in national security, Middle East geopolitics and international diplomacy.

We discuss the battle for Israel’s political future, the consequences for Jewish communities around the world, and why Dan believes Israel’s standing is rising in the Middle East even as its reputation suffers in the West.

Is this simply another Israeli election — or a historic turning point for the Jewish state?

Jonny Gould’s Jewish State is proudly supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet, promoting philanthropy.

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Since October 7, 2023, antisemitism has erupted across some of America’s most prestigious university campuses. But why have the institutions supposedly dedicated to intellectual freedom and critical thinking struggled to confront it?

My guest is Professor Shai Davidai, the Israeli social psychologist who became one of the most prominent voices challenging the explosion of antisemitism at Columbia University.

In his book, American Intellectual Antisemitism, Shai argues that anti-Jewish prejudice has acquired a new intellectual respectability, wrapped in the language of social justice, anti-colonialism and academic scholarship. He challenges university leaders over their response to hostility towards Jewish students, the treatment of Israel and the ideological conformity that, he believes, has displaced open inquiry.

We discuss what happened on American campuses after October 7, the difference between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism, the failure of university leadership, and the personal cost of speaking out when silence is the easier option.

Who is holding our universities accountable? Where should free speech end and intimidation begin? And can institutions that have failed so many Jewish students recover their moral authority?

A compelling conversation about antisemitism, academic freedom, moral courage and the battle for truth.

Listen now to the latest episode of Jonny Gould’s Jewish State, proudly supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet.
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For 20 years, Avi Issacharoff has been an accomplished Israeli author and journalist and now he's emerged as the internationally renowned television drama producer, the co-creator of hit TV series of Fauda.
How has October 7th changed Israel? Every family has been affected and Israel has become one big family. Avi’s Fauda family too.
Do we have the stomach for another series, isn’t it just too close to home?
And while the world from the White House down to the United Nations and the depths of the BBC is seemingly waged against the Hamas endgame, Avi restates Israel’s position: the war could be over now.
Fauda’s cut through about Israel’s plight to a watching world more strongly than any factual news report seems to.
What does Avi put that success down to?
And who is Fauda’s best actor? Find out right here!
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Find all of Jonny's latest articles and over 220 podcast interviews recorded over seven years via his ⁠Substack⁠.

What should Israel’s long-term security strategy actually look like?

For nearly 80 years, Israel has fought wars, responded to terror and dealt with one existential threat after another. Many of these conflicts are called “operation something or other”, and are often forgotten by the blinding lights of bigger wars fought either side of them. Nevertheless, they are still part of the same war.

But unlike countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom, Israel has never adopted a formal National Security Doctrine.

So, as the Jewish State approaches its 80th anniversary, is it finally time to define one?

My guest is Or Yissachar – one of Israel’s sharpest strategic thinkers. He’s a geopolitical and security analyst, the host of the Underscore podcast, and co-founder of the David Institute for Security Policy with the Israel Defense and Security Forum, IDSF.

Together with a team of experts, Or has helped produce a proposed Security Doctrine for Israel. It’s about much more than military strength. It asks what kind of country Israel wants to be, exploring everything from education and national identity to strategic alliances, energy and manufacturing independence, and the enduring relationship with the Jewish diaspora.

We’ve always kept in touch over the years, so it was a real pleasure to sit down with Or in London during his busy schedule. I think you’ll find this a fascinating conversation about Israel’s future—not just how it survives, but how it thrives.

Jonny Gould is supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet, promoting philanthropy.

Find all of Jonny's latest articles and over 220 podcast interviews recorded over seven years via his ⁠Substack⁠.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Find all of Jonny's 200+ podcasts recorded from 2018 to the present day on his Substack.

It is the privilege of my journalistic life to bring you stories of courage, resilience and extraordinary bravery that have emerged from the atrocities of October 7th—the day that changed Israel and the Jewish world moving forward.

As you scroll back through my podcast archive, you’ll find conversations with survivors, bereaved families, soldiers and hostages whose experiences bear witness to that day and its aftermath.

In this episode, let’s speak with Moshe and Shira Shapiro, the parents of Aner Shapiro, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists at just 22 years old.

Aner was among dozens of young people sheltering inside a concrete roadside bunker after terrorists overran the Nova Music Festival. As grenade after grenade was hurled into the confined space, Aner repeatedly picked them up and threw them back outside, trying to save the lives huddled behind him. He continued until he no longer could. Eventually, the terrorists overwhelmed the bunker, and Aner was murdered alongside many of the people he had been trying to protect.

His courage has become one of the defining stories of October 7th, but for Moshe and Shira, it is the story of a beloved son whose values were revealed in the most unimaginable and frankly, impossible circumstances.

I met them at the Nova Music Festival Exhibition and Memorial when it came to London in the summer of 2026.

My thanks to Gail Davidson for making this and so many other conversations possible. And, as always, thank you to Dangoor Education and UK Toremet. Without their support, I simply couldn’t bring you Jonny Gould’s Jewish State.

Find all of Jonny's 200+ podcasts recorded from 2018 to the present day on his ⁠Substack⁠.

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