Israel Uncensored

May

2019

Did Israel Benefit from Hosting Eurovision?

Over 200 million television viewers had their eyes on Tel Aviv over the weekend as Israel hosted the 2019 Eurovision Song Competition. But was hosting the event a victory for Israel’s PR efforts? Avi Abelow, founder of 12 Tribe Films and the Israel Video Network joins Israel Uncensored’s Josh Hasten on this week’s show to discuss. Abelow thinks that while Eurovision provided some PR benefit, he believes that Israel might have missed the boat in using the competition to truly sanctify the Jewish Nation.

May

2019

The Eurovision War

On today’s Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten, over 700 rockets were fired at Israel over the weekend resulting in the death of four Israelis. Was Israel too quick to seek a cease fire with Hamas? Doesn’t Israel have a policy of not negotiating with terrorists? Could Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be looking for quiet as Israel gets ready to host Eurovision? Also on the show Marc Prowisor Director of Security for the One Israel Fund reports from down south where he is busy providing necessary equipment to the security chiefs and medics in full anticipation that this “cease fire” won’t last long.

Apr

2019

Poway and the New York Times

The anti-Semitic cartoon which appeared this past week in the New York Times, may or may not have been seen by the terrorist who murdered a Jewish woman and injured three others in a Poway, California Synagogue, but the overall mainstreaming of anti-Semitism, just 70 years after the Holocaust, certainly played a role. On today’s Israel Uncensored, Josh Hasten discusses the Poway terror shooting, with a focus on the heroism displayed by that congregation’s worshipers in saving lives. Josh then ties in the now infamous anti-Semitic New York Times cartoon, which ran this week, with reactions and condemnations abound.

Photo Credit: Facebook Profile Photo – Congregation Chabad of Poway

Mar

2019

The Significance of the Golan

On today’s Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten, an interview with Yisrael “Winkie” Medad – Jerusalem Post columnist and Research Fellow at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, on President’s Trump’s tweet indicating that it’s time for the United States to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Medad explains from a historical, legal, and security perspective why the Golan should always be in Israeli hands. Also on the show, Josh shares his reactions to this morning’s terrorist rocket attack from Gaza in which seven Israelis were wounded in a community north of Tel Aviv.

Mar

2019

Two Jews Murdered in Ariel Attack

On today’s Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten, Hasten discusses yesterday’s murderous Jihadist attack, which claimed the lives of two Israelis while another is fighting for his life. In the stabbing/shooting near Ariel, the two Israelis murdered were Rabbi Achiad Ettinger a father of 12 from Eli, and 19-year-old IDF Sgt. Gal Keidan. Hasten says that while the Jews have been targeted by their enemies for thousands of years, now that we have a State, and an army, it’s time for a leader to emerge who will show strength, and create deterrence so our enemies know not to start up with the State of Israel and the Jewish People.

Mar

2019

Stand Up Against Anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party!

On today’s Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten, an interview with Daniel Seaman the Middle East Forum’s Israel Director, and former head of the Israel Government Press Office. Seaman pulls no punches in letting the American Jewish community know what he thinks they should be doing in response to anti-Semitic tropes from Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and the overall failure of the Democrats to pass a resolution exclusively condemning the hatred of Jews. Seaman also gives his thoughts on a new Israeli election poll which shows that PM Netanyahu’s Likud is gaining on the Blue and White party of Benny Gantz.

Mar

2019

“Why Are We Still Afraid?”

On today’s Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten a very special interview with Mark Lavie, who has been a journalist covering Israel and the Middle East since 1972. Lavie’s new book, “Why Are We Still Afraid” insists that while Israel today has many enemies, the Jewish State faces no existential threats. Lavie says that we should therefore focus on fixing our societal problems instead. Lavie also says that the BDS movement might be noisy, but has done very little harm over the past decade, as Israel continues to expand into many markets around the globe.

Feb

2019

Why Go after Netanyahu’s Bread and Butter?

On today’s Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten, an interview with renowned journalist Ruthie Blum. Blum criticizes Israel Resilience Party leader Benny Gantz for his attacks on Prime Minister Netanyahu. Instead of focusing on issues he has with the PM’s policies, Blum explains that for some reason Gantz decided to attack Netanyahu for his strengths – namely speaking English at a mother tongue level, and his diplomatic prowess on the world stage. Also, while Blum says that Netanyahu’s decision to partner with the Otzma Party may or may not harm him come election day, she explains that like them or not, Otzma was in fact permitted to run in the elections by Israel’s courts.

Feb

2019

No 2 BDS!

On today’s Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten an interview with Gedaliah Blum co-founder of Dapei Katom – the Orange Pages (similar to the Yellow Pages), which lists thousands of small businesses in Judea and Samaria. Blum is also at the forefront of the social media battle against the BDS Israel haters through his @no2bds handle on twitter. He discusses his strategies towards combating the anti-Israel sentiments on social media through sharing the truth about Israel, from Israel. He also discusses The Judean Roundtable initiative (which Hasten is a part of), in memory of Ari Fuld HY”D which is a regularly scheduled Facebook video-show bringing together some of the most active public diplomacy Anglos in Israel, who share the realities about life in the Jewish State.

Feb

2019

Unity and Deterrence Needed to Defeat Evil

On today’s Israel Uncensored with Josh Hasten an interview with Marc Prowisor, Director of Security for the One Israel Fund. Prowisor discusses the horrible murder of 19-year-old Tekoa resident Ori Ansbacher HY”D at the hands of a Hebron Arab. Her body was found on Thursday in a Jerusalem forest. Prowisor says that in order to defeat this evil, the first thing we need in Israel is unity. He says we also need an effective method of deterrence so that our enemies will think twice, before starting up with the Jews of Israel.