Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis
Weekend Edition – October 18, 2025
Host: Bill O’Reilly
Guests: Liz Hirsch Naftali, Tim Graham, Eric Bolling

Overview

This episode of No Spin News centers on two dominant themes: the human cost and aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack in Israel, and the shifting political, media, and geopolitical landscape following recent hostage releases and U.S. military action. Bill O’Reilly talks to Liz Hirsch Naftali, aunt of one of the child hostages, about the harrowing events, trauma, and recovery process. The episode also analyzes media behavior during this geopolitical crisis, then pivots to a debate on American foreign policy isolationism, featuring Eric Bolling.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Story: The Abduction and Rescue of Abigail Moore Idan

Featuring Liz Hirsch Naftali (00:07–11:11)

Context:
O’Reilly introduces Liz Hirsch Naftali, aunt of Abigail Moore Idan, whose story is central in Naftali's new book, Saving Abigail.

• Retelling the Attack (02:07–03:06)

  • The terrorist attack on October 7, 2023: Liz recounts how her niece tried to shelter her three children (ages 3, 6, and 9) amidst incoming missiles.

  • Both parents were murdered in front of the children. The 6- and 9-year-olds hid in a closet for 14 hours; Abigail, age 3, was taken hostage and spent 51 days in Gaza.

    “They murdered her in front of the three kids, 3, 6 and 9... He was murdered by the terrorists, fell onto Abigail and a six and nine year old brother and sister ran back to their home and hid in a closet for 14 hours next to their mother's dead body. And Abigail we thought had been killed, but she had actually miraculously survived and then was taken as a hostage.”
    —Liz Hirsch Naftali [02:19–03:06]

• Rescue and Aftermath (03:10–05:26)

  • The older siblings were rescued by Israeli special forces (Navy SEALs).

  • Abigail was eventually released after international negotiations.

    “Abigail was a hostage for 51 days with women and children. ...there was a deal that was done by the Biden administration, brokered by the Qataris and by the Egyptians. ...Then nothing happened until 2025 when President Trump came in and he was able, with Steve Witkoff and his team to get that next deal, which we saw at inauguration time, started to bring home more hostages.”
    —Liz Hirsch Naftali [03:51–04:25]

  • Abigail and her siblings are being cared for by their aunt and uncle in a new community, as their original one remains destroyed.

• Trauma and Healing (05:42–07:47)

  • Long-term trauma: The children, especially Abigail, bear lasting scars.

    “Here she is now a five year old, and she goes to school, but everything that she has is based on a trauma of October 7th that she will carry with her for the rest of her life.”
    —Liz Hirsch Naftali [05:42–06:09]

  • Manifestations: Startle responses to loud noises; memories of deprivation.

    “She knows she was a hostage. She knows that she was starved. She knows she was kept in the dark... when she hears a loud boom and a loud sound, she does go like this.”
    —Liz Hirsch Naftali [06:22–06:49]

    “We had popcorn one day, and she said, I got to eat popcorn one time in Gaza. And you think to yourself, that was her memory. That one day she got to eat popcorn in Gaza.”
    —Liz Hirsch Naftali [06:49–07:16]

• Therapeutic Support and National Trauma (07:47–08:24)

  • All affected children in Israel are assigned therapists; widespread trauma across the nation.

    “All children that were affected by October 7th in Israel, thousands and thousands of children all have therapists, as do my family, the adults.”
    —Liz Hirsch Naftali [07:47–07:57]

• On U.S. Campus Protests and Public Perception (08:24–09:48)

  • Naftali addresses her reaction to anti-Israel demonstrations and defacement of posters—emphasizes the importance of rejecting hate and fostering peace.

    "We have to reject hate and that is hateful. What is going on in those campuses is hateful. ...We are coming together, which is saying enough hate and how do we move forward and bring peace to the region?"
    —Liz Hirsch Naftali [09:14–09:48]

• On Persuading Opponents and Truth (10:08–10:51)

  • Naftali chooses dialogue with truth-seekers, regardless of politics or religion, and stresses the universality of the suffering and terror of October 7.

2. Media Coverage and Bias During the Hostage Crisis

With Tim Graham, News Buster Executive Editor (13:22–20:44)

• ABC’s Mary Bruce Coverage (14:01–15:19)

  • Media’s reluctance to credit Trump for the hostages' release; attempts to create equivalency in coverage.

    “They have to both sides everything. ...Most of these Israelis were captured at a concert or something. A bunch of the Palestinians that were in prison were in prison for violent crime. ...You can't really balance those two out.”
    —Tim Graham [14:01–15:09]

• Reporting Tone on a ‘Good News Day’ (15:19–16:11)

  • Graham criticizes attempts to “rain on the parade” during hostages’ homecoming.

    "It's a good news day. ...So to try to rain on that parade, it's not the right day."
    —Tim Graham [15:44–16:11]

• CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Controversy (16:11–18:28)

  • Amanpour made on-air comments suggesting Israeli hostages might have been treated better than Gazan civilians, for which she later apologized.

    “She actually said that the Israeli hostages were probably treated better than the average Gazan. Again, tortured, starved, many of them ended up dead. Just astonishing.”
    —Tim Graham [17:23–17:47]

• O’Reilly’s Media Analysis (19:13–20:44)

  • O’Reilly predicts media attacks on Trump will soon resume. Discussion of persistent negative coverage and failing public trust.

    “We have seen, you know, over 10 years, this whole pattern of network news coverage of Trump is usually 89, 90, 91, 92% negative all the time. ...The media obviously has declined in a unbelievable way. I've been in the business 50 years and this is the end of it.”
    —Bill O’Reilly [19:49–20:44]

3. GOP Isolationism and U.S. Foreign Policy

With Eric Bolling (24:24–37:23)

• Debate on Striking Iran (24:49–28:16)

  • O’Reilly and Bolling discuss Republican division over Trump’s authorized airstrikes against Iran.

  • Bolling explains initial opposition due to risk to American pilots; wanted Israel to handle strikes independently.

  • After witnessing the precision of the strike and its effects, Bolling supports it "if it goes no further."

    “Now I look back at so far, we're what, 36 hours out and it looks like a surgical strike. ...If it goes no further, Bill, I'm absolutely for it...”
    —Eric Bolling [27:05–27:21]

• Isolationism in the Ukraine and Taiwan Context (28:16–30:57)

  • Bolling rejects U.S. funding for Ukraine, focusing on American self-sufficiency (the “America First” argument), especially regarding semiconductor manufacturing.

  • O'Reilly counters with concerns about emboldening Russia and China, warning of global destabilization.

    “If Putin's allowed to take over Ukraine, then China will march into Taiwan. That's what will happen 100%.”
    —Bill O’Reilly [29:40–29:59]

• Debating the Limitations of Isolationism (30:57–36:27)

  • O’Reilly strongly refutes isolationism, invoking history and arguing that worldwide chaos would result from American withdrawal.

    “Isolationism has never worked, particularly in a society now that's intertwined planet wise.”
    —Bill O’Reilly [29:59–30:57]

  • Bolling clarifies he’s “anti-war, America First,” not strictly an isolationist.

• GOP/MAGA Movement Split (33:09–34:38)

  • Discussion on internal divisions—up to half of “MAGA” (Trump’s Republican base) split over foreign military action.

    “I think there's a split in MAGA...maybe 60-40 in favor of what Trump did, maybe 70-30 in favor.”
    —Eric Bolling [33:56–34:07]

• Long-Term Consequences and the Need for Strong Leadership (36:02–37:23)

  • Both agree on the necessity of strong leadership in the face of global threats and contesting “evil” figures like Putin.

    “...when you see how psychotic that man is that we need a strong leader and there have been accusations that Trump is too soft about Putin. ...So we're never going to have a peaceful world.”
    —Bill O'Reilly [35:43–36:02]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the horror faced by Abigail and her siblings:

  “She knows she was a hostage. She knows that she was starved. She knows she was kept in the dark.”
  —Liz Hirsch Naftali [06:22]

• On public division and hate:

  “We have to reject hate and that is hateful...We are coming together, which is saying enough hate and how do we move forward and bring peace to the region?”
  —Liz Hirsch Naftali [09:14–09:48]

• On media bias during crisis:

  “Most of these Israelis were captured at a concert or something. A bunch of the Palestinians that were in prison were in prison for violent crime. ...You can't really balance those two out.”
  —Tim Graham [14:01–15:09]

• On U.S. media decline:

  “The media obviously has declined in a unbelievable way. I've been in the business 50 years and this is the end of it. I think it's the end of network and cable news.”
  —Bill O’Reilly [20:29–20:44]

• Isolationism vs Global Engagement:

  “If Putin's allowed to take over Ukraine, then China will march into Taiwan. That's what will happen 100%.”
  —Bill O’Reilly [29:40–29:59]

  “I'm a anti war America first human being.”
  —Eric Bolling [31:06]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Liz Hirsch Naftali recounts October 7 attack: [02:19–03:06]
• Rescue and hostage release details: [03:51–04:25]
• Discussion of trauma and healing process: [06:09–07:47]
• On campus protests and hate: [08:24–09:48]
• Media coverage of hostage release: [14:01–16:11]
• CNN’s Amanpour remarks and apology: [16:11–18:28]
• Media and Trump relationship: [19:49–20:44]
• Debate over U.S. airstrike on Iran: [24:49–28:16]
• GOP divide over foreign policy: [33:09–34:38]
• Discussion of strong leadership against global threats: [35:43–37:23]

Episode Takeaways

• The aftermath of the Hamas attack remains deeply traumatic on both an individual (Abigail’s story) and societal level.
• The complexity of negotiating hostage releases is compounded by international politics, media narratives, and changing U.S. presidencies.
• Widespread distrust in mainstream media persists, with O’Reilly and guests critiquing the media’s tendency toward bias and false equivalence.
• There is a growing and vocal divide within the American right, especially regarding isolationism vs global interventionism, as highlighted in the heated debate between O’Reilly and Bolling.

For those seeking an unfiltered examination of the raw human cost of terrorism, the intricacies of hostage diplomacy, and the heated debates shaping U.S. foreign policy, this episode offers compelling firsthand accounts and trenchant media analysis, all in O’Reilly’s signature, uncompromising style.