Podcast Summary: "Unholy: Two Jews on the News"

Episode: US-Iran talks, women in the Israeli military and antisemitism in America - with Coleman Hughes
Date: February 5, 2026
Hosts: Yonit Levi (Channel 12, Israel) & Jonathan Freedland (The Guardian, UK)
Guest: Coleman Hughes (American writer & public intellectual)

Episode Overview

This week’s episode covers three major topics shaping headlines in Israel, the US, and global Jewish life:

• The uncertain trajectory of US-Iran relations amid volatile Trump-era diplomacy
• The mounting violence in Israel’s Arab sector and debates over representation
• Deepening divides over the role of women in the Israeli military
  The episode also features an extended and insightful interview with Coleman Hughes exploring the changing faces of antisemitism in America—both left and right wing—along with a meta-discussion of how media, politics, and identity interact.
  The trademark chutzpah and mensch awards close out the show with pointed commentary on news media and Jewish achievement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Literary Start: The National Library in Jerusalem

[00:54-04:47]

• Yonit shares her overdue visit to the new National Library, marveling at its architectural beauty and symbolic placement near Israel’s Supreme Court and parliament.
• The building physically embodies Israel's diversity: “Inside...all walks of Israeli life are in there, thousands of students every day. But also...the Jews, the Arabs, the religious, the secular, all of them kind of coming together.” (Yonit, 01:27)
• Anecdote about the legal ritual of depositing books by Israeli authors, sparking a lighthearted exchange over who’s followed the rule.

2. US–Iran: “A Nervous Holding Pattern”

[07:08-14:47]

• Current negotiations in Oman between US advisors (Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff) and Iran’s foreign minister recall the genesis of the JCPOA but come with massive skepticism over genuine progress.
• Trump’s unpredictability is a running theme:
  • “He gives conflicting signals day by day, hour by hour...you just have to wait till the actual thing happens rather than trying to interpret the tea leaves...” (Jonathan, 09:09)
  • Yonit: “Sanity is quite 2015, don’t you think?...Trumpology needs to be a whole new analysis...”
• The Israeli perspective:
  • Even minor US moves against Iran risk triggering direct attacks on Israel.
  • Iran is currently weaker, having lost about 50% of its precision missiles and launchers since June, but that could make its responses unpredictable.
• US pressures Israel to open the Gaza-Egypt Rafah crossing for medical evacuations—resulting, so far, in just a handful of patients assisted. According to the WHO, the impact is “a drop in the ocean compared to the 18,500 Gazans who they say need medical evacuations.” (Jonathan, 16:26)
• Hamas is rapidly reasserting itself as Gaza’s de facto authority, seen even at medical evacuation points, underlining the limits of externally imposed new governance structures.

3. Israeli Society’s Internal Faultlines

Arab Sector Violence [19:56-29:17]

• Israel’s Arab community is facing a dramatic surge in violent crime: “35 Arab Israelis have been murdered since the beginning of the year—only three this morning.” (Yonit, 19:57)
• Blame is often placed on far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, whose neglect or calculated indifference is suggested as a cause:
  • “The murder rate in the Arab community has doubled since Ben Gvir became National Security minister...248 murders last year.” (Jonathan, 21:12)
• Demonstrations in both Arab towns and Tel Aviv signal a push for deeper integration, political participation, and safety—yet major obstacles persist, including reluctance by mainstream Jewish parties to partner with Arab politicians.
• Anecdote: Nas Daily (Nuseir Yassin) “told us that the first time he actually met Jews was when he went to Harvard”––underscoring the lack of integration between Arab and Jewish sectors. (Yonit, 25:37)

Women in the IDF [29:17-33:05]

• Right-leaning media launches a new campaign against women in combat roles, singling out the veritable hero Lt. Col. Orban Yehuda (first female commander of a mixed battalion, who helped repel Hamas at Sufa base).
• Yonit points out the persistence of this debate: “Why are we having this argument? Like that combat ship has sailed...There have been...60,000 women in combat roles...you’re opening up the issue of women’s votes, right? This discussion will actually outlive Netanyahu because the fault line here is between the very religious or the devout religious and the secular." (Yonit, 29:59)
• The absence of women in Israeli political party leadership diminishes advocacy for such issues.
  “Politics does make a difference. The fact that there aren’t women leading those political parties means there isn’t an obvious locus for this point…in the political arena.” (Jonathan, 32:20)

4. Antisemitism in America – Interview with Coleman Hughes

[33:33-60:01]

Origins and Expressions from the Left

• Distinguishes “old” right-wing antisemitism (familiar, Faurean) from the newer resurgence on the left:

  • “The source of it is this philosophy ... intersectionality ... which says...the way you have to understand the entire world is through the lens of race, gender and sexuality...The first and last question you ask is, who is the oppressor and who is the oppressed?” (Coleman, 34:54)
  • Within this framework, “For them, Jews are white people and Palestinians are people of color. And that is all you need to know...That’s how they come to the issue.” (Coleman, 36:52)

• Notably, this logic fails to activate moral outrage against nonwhite-on-nonwhite violence (e.g., Iran’s regional actions): “Intersectionality would say, well, that’s people of color killing other people of color. And therefore it’s all a bit too confusing.” (Jonathan, paraphrasing Coleman, 38:25)

The Right’s Resurgence

• Historically, the American right harbored antisemitic pockets, but “guardrails” in media kept such voices marginalized (e.g., William F. Buckley blocking bigots).
• The internet has enabled a new unfiltered marketplace of ideas, favoring the rise of conspiracists and antisemites:
  • “What we’re learning is that when you get rid of guardrails on the right, what’s left is that people do gravitate in great numbers towards conspiracy theories and anti Semitism...” (Coleman, 44:12 & [00:02])
  • “As media opens up, you have to take the good, the Coleman Hughes with the bad, Alex Jones...” (Yonit, 44:21)

On “Moral Equivalence,” Israel and Journalism

• Hughes rejects the rhetoric of genocide against Israel, arguing that the evidence from how the war ended disproves it:
  • “The moment Trump was able to secure a deal in which Hamas ... agreed to give back the hostages while the war ended. What does that tell you? ...the goal of this war was getting the hostages home and disarming Hamas so it could never again do an October 7th. That was the goal. ...It proved all of the critics wrong.” (Coleman, 45:54)

American Progressives and “Jim Crow” Analogies

• Hughes unpacks why the American left is drawn to see Israel/Palestine in terms of America’s civil rights history.
• Emphasizes disanalogies:
  • In the US, “there was never ... an organized black political movement which sought to take control of the entire country ... never a sense that violence against civilians was a totally legitimate tactic.”
  • Those projecting this historical lens on Israel “are bound to misfire and actually become useful idiots as a result...” (Coleman, 50:34 – 56:45)

On Trump, Policy, and the 2024 Election

• Hughes voted for Democrats twice in 2024, sat out Harris v. Trump as “unconvinced” by either. Assessment:
  • “Trump has been...a little better on foreign policy than I expected and worse on domestic policy than I expected. ...His ego and incompetence and self-aggrandizement leads him to push it so far that he actually loses popularity.” (Coleman, 56:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Media & Antisemitism: “When you get rid of guardrails on the right, what’s left is that people do gravitate in great numbers towards conspiracy theories and anti Semitism, which is the mother of all conspiracy theories.” (Coleman Hughes, [00:02]/44:12)
• On Gaza Aid: “We are talking about a trickle of a trickle. This is a tiny, tiny thing that’s happened. It’s symbolic really more than anything.” (Jonathan Freedland, 16:36)
• On Iranian Threats: “If the US jabs even lightly at Iran, it’s Israel that gets punched in the face.” (Jonathan, 12:18)
• Israeli Social Fabric: “It’s really within reach. And that is why I think the protest, as you say, in Tel Aviv, was so important.” (Yonit, 25:37)
• On Women in the IDF: “That combat ship has sailed...There have been in this war...60,000 women in combat roles...this whole argument is in the past. ...I think what we need to be looking at...is between the very religious or the devout religious and the secular. And that is a conversation and an argument that will continue long after Netanhayu.” (Yonit, 29:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• National Library anecdote: 00:54–04:47
• US–Iran, Trump unpredictability: 07:08–14:47
• Gaza/Rafah opening & Hamas vacuum: 15:00–19:55
• Arab sector violence & political consequences: 19:56–29:17
• Women in IDF debate: 29:17–33:05
• Interview: Antisemitism in America (Coleman Hughes): 33:33–60:01
  • Left-wing antisemitism: 34:29–39:12
  • Right-wing, media guardrails: 39:36–44:12
  • Israel, Gaza, war and journalism: 45:14–49:25
  • American civil rights analogies: 50:34–56:45
  • US politics, Trump/Harris: 56:45–59:54

Awards

Chutzpah of the Week:

• Jeff Bezos for laying off a third of Washington Post journalists, including the entire Middle East desk, despite vast personal wealth.
  “He is among the two or three richest people in the world. There is no way that he can’t afford to maintain...a newspaper like the Washington Post...” (Jonathan, 62:21)

• Runner-up: Gregory Bevino, US Border Patrol, for reportedly anti-Semitic comments—mocking an orthodox prosecutor for keeping Shabbat. “Remember, I’m available 24/6.” (Jonathan, 67:15)

Mensch of the Week:

• Steven Spielberg for finally achieving EGOT status–– “And we also need to mention that out of 22 people who won the EGOT, nine were Jews. So good for us.” (Yonit, 68:23)

Episode Tone

Lively, incisive, at times wry. The hosts blend gravity and humor, balancing sharp concern for justice and democracy with their ongoing, friendly banter. The guest interview is rigorous but accessible, offering frameworks to make sense of headline issues for both Jewish and broader audiences.

For New Listeners

This episode is a rich, nuanced primer on pressing faultlines in Israeli and American politics, with a particular focus on the evolving nature of antisemitism and the interplay of identity, media, and power. If you’ve missed recent developments—or want a clear, thoughtful, and sometimes funny guide—you’ll find it here. The timestamps make it easy to dip into areas of special interest.