The Karol Markowicz Show: Exploring Israel Through Journalism with Lahav Harkov

Summary

Summary of "The Karol Markowicz Show: Exploring Israel Through Journalism with Lahav Harkov"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
• Episode: The Karol Markowicz Show: Exploring Israel Through Journalism with Lahav Harkov
• Release Date: July 18, 2025
• Description: Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics, and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

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Introduction

In this episode of The Karol Markowicz Show, host Carol Markowitz engages in an in-depth conversation with Lahav Harkov, a senior political correspondent for Jewish Insider. The discussion delves into the complexities of covering Israel through journalism, the challenges of representing Israeli perspectives to an international audience, and the personal experiences of journalists in times of conflict.

Coverage of Israel in International Media

[03:08] Carol Markowitz: "So these days I work for Jewish Insider and it's very much for an American audience, mostly a Jewish American audience, but not only..."

Carol highlights the primary audience of Jewish Insider, emphasizing its focus on American and particularly Jewish American readers. She contrasts this with her previous experience writing for the Jerusalem Post, which catered more to English-speaking audiences within Israel.

Disconnect Between Internal and External Narratives

[04:00] Carol Markowitz: "...the government is on the verge of like collapse, which is not like. I mean, it's happened."

Carol discusses the significant disconnect between the news consumed within Israel and that reported internationally. She points out that while Israel faces severe internal challenges, such as governmental instability, international media often portrays it through a different lens, sometimes oversimplifying complex issues.

Lahav concurs, noting that headlines outside Israel often miss the nuanced stories happening within the country.

Misrepresentation and Prejudices in Media

[07:39] Carol Markowitz: "I think that the international media, you know, and the big American and British media outlets, they have, like, prejudices and sort of preconceived ideas of what the story should be..."

Carol articulates the challenges journalists face when international media outlets hold inherent biases or preconceived notions about Israel. This often leads to unequal treatment of stories, especially when balancing narratives between Israel and organizations like Hamas.

[08:34] Carol Markowitz: "Any headline that's like Hamas says, like Hamas says, who cares what they say? It's complete nonsense."

She criticizes the superficial reporting that gives undue credibility to terrorist organizations, undermining the complex realities of the region.

Personal Experiences in Journalism

[06:32] Lahav Harkov: "How did you get into being a journalist in the media world?"

Carol shares her journey into journalism, influenced by her grandmother, also a journalist, and her desire to accurately represent Israel, especially during tumultuous times like the Second Intifada.

[09:44] Carol Markowitz: "So this was in April... my husband, because it was my birthday, he flew out to spend the weekend with me because he knew I was gonna have a day where I'm not actually doing any work."

Carol recounts a memorable experience during a trip to Hungary with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, highlighting the unpredictable nature of journalism and the personal sacrifices involved.

Impact of Ongoing Conflict on Society and Family

[16:18] Carol Markowitz: "So we are in a really long war... Israeli society is incredibly resilient. But like this is the biggest taking a toll."

Carol expresses her concerns about the prolonged conflict's impact on Israeli society, families, and especially her husband, who is serving in the IDF reserves.

[17:25] Lahav Harkov: "Are you optimistic about Israel's future?... I can't say that even two years later, it was still feeling that way."

The conversation touches on the national resilience post the October 7th attacks, comparing it to the aftermath of events like 9/11 in the U.S., and the importance of unity and purpose in sustaining hope.

Advice and Reflections

[21:20] Carol Markowitz: "The advice that I really needed at that time was not to sell myself short... to actually listen when people talk to you."

Reflecting on her personal growth, Carol advises her younger self and listeners to recognize their worth and the importance of active listening, especially when engaging with differing viewpoints.

Travel Recommendations in Israel

[23:11] Carol Markowitz: "It's an interesting question... you can get desert and you can get forests... archaeological sites like Masada and the City of David offer unique experiences."

Carol provides insightful recommendations for visitors to Israel, highlighting the country's diverse landscapes and rich archaeological heritage, emphasizing that there's much more to Israel than the conflict often portrayed in the media.

Closing Thoughts

[25:38] Carol Markowitz: "Listen, you have to not just think that you're listening, but, like, actually try to listen and hear what people are saying."

In her final advice, Carol underscores the importance of genuine listening and understanding diverse perspectives, a skill essential for both personal growth and professional journalism.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Carol Markowitz [07:39]: "The international media... they have, like, prejudices and sort of preconceived ideas of what the story should be..."
• Carol Markowitz [08:34]: "Any headline that's like Hamas says, like Hamas says, who cares what they say? It's complete nonsense."
• Carol Markowitz [16:18]: "Israeli society is incredibly resilient. But like this is the biggest taking a toll."
• Carol Markowitz [25:38]: "You have to not just think that you're listening, but, like, actually try to listen and hear what people are saying."

Conclusion

This episode offers a profound exploration of the intricacies involved in reporting on Israel, the divergences between internal and external narratives, and the personal toll of conflict on journalists and their families. Carol Markowitz and Lahav Harkov provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of Israeli society, the challenges of international media representation, and the enduring spirit of resilience amidst adversity.

Transcript

[Carol Markowitz]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Carol Markowitz]

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[Lahav Harkov]

Hi, and welcome back to the Carol Markowitz show on iheartradio. My guest today is Lahav Harkov. Lahav is senior political correspondent for Jewish Insider. Hi, Lahav. So nice to have you on.

[Carol Markowitz]

Hi, Carol. Thanks for inviting me.

[Lahav Harkov]

So you cover Israel in English. Is that the correct right? Am I summing up? But it's not necessarily for an American audience or is it for an audience outside of Israel?

[Carol Markowitz]

So these days I work for Jewish Insider and it's very much for an American audience, mostly a Jewish American audience, but not only. It's like a very Washington based publication that a lot of people read on the Hill and in policy circles. So those, those are like the main audiences, but it's not as many readers in Israel. I used to write for the Jerusalem Post for many years and then it was for people who speak English, but in Israel it was a daily print newspaper.

[Lahav Harkov]

Do you feel like there's a disconnect between the news that people get in Israel and the news that we get outside of Israel? Like, I, I feel like a lot of the time it's not the same stories.

[Carol Markowitz]

Absolutely. There's a huge disconnect. I mean, right now the government is on the verge of like collapse, which is not like. I mean, it's happened.

[Lahav Harkov]

You guys went through like five of those in a few years.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah, yeah. And you know, I don't know what people are talking about. Like Greta Thunberg, you know.

[Lahav Harkov]

Right.

[Carol Markowitz]

Not that Israel's about to have an election, probably. I mean, not for sure. It ain't over till it's over, but.

[Lahav Harkov]

Right. What do you feel like people outside of Israel misunderstand about the country?

[Carol Markowitz]

I mean, so much. Right. I think right now we're in the middle of Israel's longest war. It's a serious and it's a real war. But what. Even when we weren't. Right. People seem to look at it as like a continent war zone. When actually, I mean, it's a country, a very vibrant country. Right. Like huge tech scene, one of the most advanced in the world. Huge. Like foodie seed.

[Lahav Harkov]

Right. Restaurant culture, for sure. Yeah.

[Carol Markowitz]

It's like, I find it to be like Tel Aviv is like one of the funnest cities in the world. I've done a lot of travel. I've lived in other places. Unfortunately, people associate it so much with conflict. You know, I hope that the day will come that that's not the top story about Israel. I really, I hope the day will come that people don't talk about US so much that that would be great.

[Lahav Harkov]

Oh, yeah, that's actually a really good point. I frequently am like, oh, Israel's trending on Twitter or X. Like, I wish. I wish it wouldn't. Yeah, right. Find something else to talk about. But I had John Andrasik from Fight for Fighting on this show, and he performed in Israel the night of the Iran attack. And he said that, you know, I asked him, like, were you scared? And he's like, of course I was scared. He's like, but the people I were with were like, we have restaurant reservations that we can't miss. And, you know, like, time's ticking. We gotta go to the restaurant. We have a reservation. And that's just the way it goes. And he was like, I wanted to go home and, like, hide under my bed. But Israelis were like, no, life goes on.

[Carol Markowitz]

I mean, that's definitely the vibe here. Unfortunately, we, you know, every couple of nights have to deal with air raid sirens because of missiles being shot by the Houthis from Yemen. Iran was different, right? Like, that was like hundreds of missiles. And we all had to sit in the shelters for, like, over an hour, where Normally it's like 10 minutes. But on the other hand, like, I let my kid have a sleepover that night. I was like, every house, practically, in Israel, every house, right, has a 1990s, right, has a safe room. I was like, she can either be in the safer with me, or she'd be in the safe room with her friends. And, like, you know, they sent us pictures.

[Lahav Harkov]

I love it. I love Israelis. That's just crazy. How did you get into being a journalist in the media world?

[Carol Markowitz]

So the. The big answer, the initial answer, was that my grandmother was a journalist, and she was still. Is. She's still alive, thank God. The most interesting person I know, I mean, she just had amazing stories. She met incredible people. And from a very young age, I was like, I want to do that, too. That's so cool. And I was like a big reader, you know, but then also, like, at the age when I started to become aware of politics and news and things like that, the second Intifada was happening in Israel, and I grew up in the US but my mother and her whole side of the family are Israeli. And I realized how much Israel is being misrepresented in the news in America. And I wanted to be someone to tell the real story of Israel. And so those two sort of different factors came together, and what I. It's what I ended up doing with my life.

[Lahav Harkov]

What's the Biggest challenge to telling that story.

[Carol Markowitz]

Well, I think that the international media, you know, and the big American and British media outlets, they. They have, like, prejudices and sort of preconceived ideas of what the story should be, and it's often wrong. They often trust people who are not trustworthy out of this idea that they want to be fair and, and even handed. But like, to be even handed between a terrorist organization, for example, and liberal democracy, it doesn't actually make that much sense, you know, which is not to say that they shouldn't talk about the Palestinian side of the story at all, but to sort of treat terrorists credulously is. Is often just at the core of why so many stories are wrong.

[Lahav Harkov]

Right? I mean, any headline that's like Hamas says, like Hamas says, who cares what they say? It's complete nonsense.

[Carol Markowitz]

So, like, you're. It's like an uphill battle because when you're dealing with people who like, such a basic, like, idea of what is actually fair and how to actually get at the truth is far into them, you know, you really have to get to the basics to get the real story out.

[Lahav Harkov]

What would have been like a plan B for you if you didn't go into journalism? What other thoughts did you have on what you would do with your life?

[Carol Markowitz]

Interesting. Well, first of all, like, I wanted to be a journalist from a really young age, and I started working at it for a really young age. But I did briefly study economics. I studied political science. I did, like, I worked a little bit in a sort of political activist space in college before I got my first paid journalism job. So maybe that's where I would have got.

[Lahav Harkov]

Do you find it to be a job that is exciting as you imagine? Like, I'm thinking, and I'm sure it is exciting, but, like, is it exciting and not the ways you thought? Like, for example, I know you were on a trip with the Prime Minister Netanyahu, and he decided to take a side trip, or I think it was to Hungary maybe. I might be getting the details wrong.

[Carol Markowitz]

So correct me in Hungary. And then while he was in Hungary, Trump was like, president Trump, come on by.

[Lahav Harkov]

And so you just went, you went, and it's like you have kids at home, but. And I don't even know if you packed, you know, for a longer trip. Tell us this story. I want to hear it.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah. So this was in April. First of all, it was the week before Passover, and for listeners who are not Jewish, like, the week before Passover, craziest week of the year for Jewish families, because you, you basically do spring cleaning, but it's like a religious element of spring cleaning. So everybody is just completely intensive.

[Lahav Harkov]

Yeah.

[Carol Markowitz]

So for starters, I had to not be in the country that week. It was supposed to be a four day trip to Hungary. It was basically Thursday, Friday, Saturday, return on Sunday, and my birthday was that weekend. And the prime minister doesn't, I mean, he works on Saturday, he's the Prime Minister, but he doesn't have like public meetings or a public schedule on Saturday, which is the Jewish Sabbath, like out of respect for Jewish tradition. So my husband, because it was my birthday, he flew out to spend the weekend with me because he knew I was gonna have a day where I'm not actually doing any work. So he was staying in the hotel with me in Hungary. In Budapest. Yeah. Which is a beautiful city, highly recommend. You can spend a really nice weekend with your spouse there. But over that weekend we suddenly got the news that I have to continue on to Washington. And I sort of said to my husband, like, I'm glad that you were here to witness this because it's so crazy that it's like almost unbelievable.

[Lahav Harkov]

Yeah, it's because if you have to call him and be like, hey, I have to go to America, it's like it doesn't have the same. He doesn't know the insanity that you felt in that moment and the way that it all developed.

[Carol Markowitz]

Right. And he saw, I mean, he saw me running into like my colleagues in the lobby and all of us being like, oh my God, what is happening?

[Lahav Harkov]

So I have to go buy underwear.

[Carol Markowitz]

100%. Actually, one of the people who's like on TV news literally said on the news that he is washing his underwear and then just say about the tavern, I was like, I cannot believe he said that on tv. He said it on one of the, like more light hearted programs, you know.

[Lahav Harkov]

Amazing. Yeah. So you did continue on to America and how was it?

[Carol Markowitz]

It was, it was good. It was very interesting. It always is. It's always interesting to know the Trump White House. It wasn't, I've now, I was in the White House twice this year. So in February, when this thing I went, there was like this very long Oval Office and very long press conference where Trump answered so many questions. You know how sometimes he just does that and he just rolls with it? Yeah, yeah. This time was like sort of more formal and it didn't last as long, but he did answer a bunch of questions. And it's always like, it's always a cool experience. I mean Again, like, I grew up in the U.S. so like, I have so much respect for that office and like, feel very privileged to have been able to go there so many times.

[Lahav Harkov]

So is it exciting? Is it like you thought it would be?

[Carol Markowitz]

It is, it is. And it's beyond what I thought it would be, you know, like, because I have been, like, have had been had the opportunity to go so many places and meet so many things that I don't think that even when it was my ambition to be a journalist, I'd be able to do like, being able to say that, like, I've been to the White House so many times and that I've interviewed multiple Israeli prime ministers. One of my favorite things I ever did is that I got to go to a royal dinner, like in a palace for the kids.

[Lahav Harkov]

Which royal family? Oh, nice.

[Carol Markowitz]

Norway for Shimon Paris, who was president at the time. So I'm really aging myself here. But yes, I was reporting it was actually his final trip as president. So, you know, I was not yet a reporter at the beginning of his presidency, but that was really cool. You know, it's like I, people ask me, I always say that that was one of like the coolest things I got to do as a reporter.

[Lahav Harkov]

We're going to take a quick break and be right back on the Carol Markowitz Show.

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[Lahav Harkov]

Ah, come on.

[Carol Markowitz]

Why is this taking so long? This thing is ancient.

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[Lahav Harkov]

Whoa, this thing moves.

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[Carol Markowitz]

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[Carol Markowitz]

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[Lahav Harkov]

What do you worry about?

[Carol Markowitz]

So we're talking at a time that my husband is in IDF reserve duty. He's done over 200 days and he's now at the beginning. It's going to be a long stretch through August. So I really worry about him all the time, but in a sort of larger scale. Like, I think my worries about him are also worries about the country in the sense that like we are in a really long war. I don't want to get to the politics necessarily, but like as a society where we have so many people fighting this war coming back from the war, so many families that are apart right now, Israelis are incredibly resilient. But like this is the biggest taking a toll. Yeah. And so I worry about it as a society. I worry about my kids and I worry about the kids all around us, you know. So I just hope that we all sort of have the strength to be able to move forward from this. And I know, I mean you've written and talked so much about like Covid. So I also think about how like I have a son who's just turned six and like his life was Just Covid. And then war.

[Lahav Harkov]

War, yeah.

[Carol Markowitz]

Kids have that experience in Israel.

[Lahav Harkov]

Are you optimistic about Israel's future? Like, I know that there's a large pendulum swing. It could happen at any moment.

[Carol Markowitz]

But right now, do you feel good, optimistic about Israel? Because I think that the way the country rallied after October 7th, like that. The months before October 7th were really difficult months in Israel where people were really divided over politics and there were all these protests in the. Things got really, really ugly. But then the country really rallied and got together after this horrible, horrible attack on us. And I think that, you know, the politicians are saying ugly things to each other again. But I think that when you're.

[Lahav Harkov]

It's almost like back to normal. That's like. Is that bad necessarily?

[Carol Markowitz]

You know, because when you talk to normal people, regular Israelis, they still. I think that this has given us such a sense of, like, why we're here and what we're fighting for, you know, the. That, you know, we would be lost, bereft entirely without the Jewish state. You know, of course, so many people, I mean, there was like this song that came out a few months after the war that was like a hit here. It was like, it was like a rap song, but like a soft rap song, so to speak, where they said, you know, like the, the teacher and the guy selling you vegetables in the supermarket and your dentist, and they're all fighting in the war. They're all like superheroes, you know, and you really feel that, you know, like, that we've all come together and are doing something for the greater good and for each other as a society.

[Lahav Harkov]

It's a great feeling, actually. It's very hard to maintain. I was in New York on 9, 11, and that lasted for a little while, but I can't say that even two years later, it was still feeling that way. I think by 2003, that had faded in a big way. And the fact that Israel still, you know, kind of united and in a good place and optimistic about the future, it's a positive.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah, I was in New York then too, so it is a good point. I think the, the starting point of Israel being like, of the Jewish people start with that. And what Israel means to the Jewish people is a strong sort of starting point. So I, I'm optimistic about us continuing to be able to rally.

[Lahav Harkov]

I love it. I love your optimism because I, you know, I, I root for Israel, but some days are harder than others. I definitely feel not great on some days when I read some news and about an internal strife and that kind of thing. Even though again, I do think it's normal. I think it's normal for politicians to yell at each other. We're recording this shortly after Elon and Trump had their big blow up and then they're very public making up. So yeah, you know, maybe that's a sign of normalcy that isn't so bad.

[Carol Markowitz]

Maybe, maybe I'm like seeing things through rose tinted glasses a little too much. But I do feel like the current polarization both in the US and in Israel is like really extreme and that like, maybe it wasn't always like that, but people always also look at the past and think about the good old days. So I don't.

[Lahav Harkov]

Wait, so what's the rose colored glasses part? I thought you were going to tell me how great everything is.

[Carol Markowitz]

Oh, okay, I see like being like, oh, it wasn't this bad before.

[Lahav Harkov]

Right.

[Carol Markowitz]

I covered the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Right. For, for eight years. And I, I did feel like it got uglier over time. There were some ups and downs. But like, I feel like now we're at an uglier place than we were when I started, which was in 2011.

[Lahav Harkov]

Interesting. Okay. All right, we'll see what happens, I guess. What advice would you give your 16 year old self? Like what does 16 year old Lahav need to know? And also, where were you at 16?

[Carol Markowitz]

So at 16 I was going to high school in Manhattan, Jewish high school and you know, doing the school newspaper.

[Lahav Harkov]

And you really did always want to be a journalist. Wow.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah. You know, I was trying to get into colleges like any other kid, most of the kids. I think like the advice that I really needed at that time was not to sell myself short. I think I was not. So like as a kid I didn't have a lot of confidence and I think that I could have like tried more things, done more things, also socially sort of put myself in better situations. And I think that that's in general, a lot of people, you know, don't understand their own worth. So that probably would have been my advice to myself though. The other thing that I think is important to tell most teenagers, including myself, is to actually listen to other people. I mean, maybe not everyone, but like actually listen when people talk to you. People have interesting things to say and you have a lot of things that you can learn and know everything.

[Lahav Harkov]

Yeah, I feel like teenagers don't really want to hear that. I had my question authority, you know, button that I wore.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah, exactly.

[Lahav Harkov]

Punk rock was what it was all about. But that's interesting. That you would sell yourself short. I feel like I can't imagine you doing that. I think of you as pretty confident and, you know, sure of yourself.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah, I don't. It took time. I know. It's funny. Like, people who knew me growing up and people who know me as an adult, I feel like they have very different ideas about me, kind of, but. And I can't even, like, put my finger on what it was and what changed. But just over time, I definitely felt a lot more, like, stable and sure of myself that, you know, I actually have something to offer to the world.

[Lahav Harkov]

You know, I was thinking. I don't know, that I have had somebody who lives in Israel on the show. I'm trying to think, but what advice would you give to my audience if they're visiting Israel? Like, what should they not miss?

[Carol Markowitz]

What.

[Lahav Harkov]

What. I mean, other than the, you know, the kind of. The main. The main things.

[Carol Markowitz]

It's an interesting question for, I think, like, people who like nature and like hiking. Like, it's a really good trip for nature because you could get a lot of really cool things in one trip. You can get desert and you can get forests, and you could get. Well, you could get kayaking. It's not. I grew up in New Jersey. The kayaking in the Delaware was better than here. So maybe not that, but you could get all kinds of nature in one place because Israel is the size of New Jersey and you have skiing all the way up north and desert in the south. Really? Skiing? Yeah. It's not, like. Also not amazing skiing. So if you're a skier, I don't recommend doing that in Israel. But in terms of the variety of what you can get here, you know, into such a small place, you can come for a week and see snow and desert, although not in the summer. There's no snow in the summer, but. So that's one thing. Like, if people love nature, there's, like, really cool stuff to see also. Just the archaeology is really cool. And it's not just. There's archaeological sites all over that you can visit. The classic one that everyone goes to is Masada. But there's a lot of, like, projects and things. Like, you could do sifting, or you could see, like. If you really like mosaics, there's all kinds of cool ancient mosaics that if you want to see what houses look like, there's really. You could. It's, like, very varied. There's a biblical archeology also, you know, Old Testament, New Testament, and all kinds of crusader sites. Like, it's it's really. There's so much history here that you could think about all different time periods that someone might have a special interest in and see really interesting things.

[Lahav Harkov]

I had Daron Spielman on the show. Maybe he lives in Israel, but he wrote when the Stones speak about City of David.

[Carol Markowitz]

So the City of David is one of these places. That's really cool because you're like, okay, I'm visiting an archaeological site, but you can do a water hike. There's a tunnel with water in it.

[Lahav Harkov]

Really?

[Carol Markowitz]

And you would see the road they excavated, the road that people would walk to the holy temple. It's really cool. Not just like, I'm going to go in and look at some rocks, you know?

[Lahav Harkov]

Right. It's really unique. I didn't do the water, whatever, but I feel like that has to come back to that. Yeah. Amazing. Well, I've loved this conversation. You're always been somebody that I'm interested in. End us here with your best tip for my listeners on how they can improve their lives.

[Carol Markowitz]

You know what? I'm going to go back to the tip that I give teenagers and give it to everyone and say, listen, you have to not just think that you're listening, but, like, actually try to listen and hear what people are saying. And I think it's something that served me really well as a journalist because I'm. I'm mostly a reporter. It's rare that I write opinions. And so I have to look at someone who I might disagree with or might just have a totally different idea of things from and actually try to understand where they're coming from. You know, And I find that, that, that I've learned so much and it's opened my mind to so much over the years by sort of forcing myself to actually listen to other points of view. Is not always easy.

[Lahav Harkov]

No, it's not.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah. That's my. I think best advice that people should try to listen, really, really listen to people who are different from yourself.

[Lahav Harkov]

All right. I'm gonna do my best, but it's. It's not one of my strong, strong. She is Lahab Harkov. Check her out at Jewish Insider. Thank you so much for coming on.

[Carol Markowitz]

Thank you.

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[Carol Markowitz]

Ah, come on. Why is this taking so long? This thing is ancient.

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This thing moves.

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[Carol Markowitz]

This is an iHeart podcast.