Behind The Headlines

When the toll of war came to Israel, Lyana Rotstein could have retreated into grief. Instead, she and a growing network of more than 200 volunteers chose service. Every week they prepare and deliver meals to soldiers defending Israel in Gaza and along the northern border, transforming heartbreak into action and loss into purpose. In this deeply moving conversation, Lyana shares her family's personal tragedy, the emotional toll of a...

Jerusalem Post News Editor Alex Winston joins Behind The Headlines to discuss the gap between how Israel is portrayed internationally and the realities experienced on the ground. From war reporting and media narratives to regional politics and Israeli society, Winston offers a front-row perspective on one of the world's most contested stories.

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involve...

On October 7, 2023, Amir Tibon was trapped with his family in their safe room at Kibbutz Nahal Oz as Hamas terrorists swept through southern Israel. In this compelling and deeply personal conversation, Tibon recounts the events of that day, the extraordinary rescue led by his father, retired IDF General Noam Tibon, and the broader story of a nation still grappling with trauma, war, and political division. This episode explores Isra...

In this compelling conversation, Alessandra Steele - CEO of the Jewish Centre for Law and Justice - talks about the legal, cultural and institutional failures that have allowed antisemitism to flourish in Australia and what must happen next. Drawing on her work supporting victims, pursuing strategic litigation, and contributing to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, Alessandra examines the growing gap betwee...

In one of the most powerful and revealing conversations yet on the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, ECAJ Co-CEO Peter Wertheim joins Adam Slonim and Gareth Narunsky to discuss what the Commission is uncovering about modern Australia. From searing testimony of fear, exclusion and trauma, to the role of universities, media, social media radicalisation, Islamist extremism and the anti-Israel far left, Wertheim a...

In this wide-ranging and deeply provocative conversation, Adam Slonim speaks with British-Australian documentary filmmaker Hugh Kitson about his landmark film series Whose Land? an exploration of the historical and legal foundations of the modern State of Israel. From the 1917 Balfour Declaration and foundational 1920 San Remo Conference to the present, and the competing narratives surrounding Pa...

In this deeply confronting and historically rich conversation, award-winning journalist and author Yardena Schwartz joins Behind The Headlines to unpack the 1929 Hebron Massacre — a largely forgotten atrocity that continues to cast a long shadow over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Drawing on years of archival research and firsthand reporting, Schwartz explores how disinformation, religious incitement, denial of history, an...

If you want to understand where the world is really heading and what it means for Australia, this is one of the most important conversations I’ve had. From Iran and China to social cohesion at home, Senator Raff Ciccone - Chair of the Australian Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence & Security - lays out the pressures building beneath the surface and why they matter more tha...

In this gripping conversation, Ambassador Michael Oren reframes the Iran conflict in stark terms: Israel fights for victory, its enemies fight simply to survive—and that changes everything. We explore whether this is a war that can be won or only managed, why Iran sits at the centre of every battlefield from Gaza to Lebanon, the limits of American support, and the resilience—and strain—within Israeli society after...

We examine a case that goes far beyond the courtroom. When the phrase “All Zionists are terrorists” was amplified in a charged public setting, it forced a precise legal question: where does free speech end and incitement begin? But as this conversation with Menachem Vorchheimer unfolds, something deeper emerges. This is not only about law — it is about the power of language to shape emotion, behaviour, and ultimat...

One of Australia's greatest raconteurs, Andrew Landeryou, delivers a blunt assessment of a political system in flux and the rise of a more volatile, fragmented electorate. urning to the global stage, he frames the Israel–US–Iran conflict as a genuine strategic turning point, with the potential to reshape regional power and test Australia’s alliances, warning that we may be entering a far more uncertain and consequ...

As Israel moves rom managing the Iranian threat to removing it, former Australian Assistant Defence Minister and soldier Mike Kelly provides a hard-headed assessment of the escalating conflict involving Israel, Iran, Hezbollah and the United States. What are the real military and geopolitical stakes of this war, and how far could it spread? We examines the strategic objectives of Israel ...

Israel is fighting a large scale war with Iran—the power that has spent decades trying to encircle it with proxy armies and missiles. In this episode I interview David Horovitz the founding editor of The Times of Israel, one of the world’s most widely read English-language publications covering Israel and the region. David tells us how the war is proceeding, how Israel is coping and what is happening across the reg...

In this episode of Behind The Headlines, I interview Avital Shapira, International Director of the Histadrut, Israel’s national trade union federation representing over 800,000 workers. What follows is a conversation that decisively dismantles one of the loudest accusations made against Israel. We examine how colle...

In a world where 'Globalise the Intifada' is considered radical chic, it is timely to recall what that actually looks like in practice. This episode reprises an interview with Captain M of IDF Intelligence whose story of what happened on Oct 7 tells us all we need to know about real courage and heroism in the face of an  actual Intifada.

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

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In this episode of Behind The Headlines, I am joined by journalist Julie Szego for a clear-eyed examination of how Australia’s arts and cultural sector — once proudly liberal and pluralist — has become a breeding ground for antisemitism. We explore how activist politics, moral absolutism and managerial cowardice have reshaped cultural...