The Comedy Cellar: Live from the Table

Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by return-guest, Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, for a wide-ranging debate about truth, propaganda, evidence, starvation and the Israel-Gaza war. The conversation focuses on John Mearsheimer’s claims about October 7, whether public intellectuals should lose credibility when they make unsupported accusations, disputed casualty reporting in Gaza and the role political bias plays in shaping what people choose to believe. Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is a general, trauma, and critical care surgeon in California. He is also a humanitarian surgeon, having worked most extensively in Palestine, but also in Ukraine, Haiti, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso. He has written and spoken extensively about surgical humanitarian work, the United States’ role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the political consequences of medical relief work. Twitter/X @FerozeSidhwa Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Twitter fights 08:14 Mearsheimer, October 7, and “good faith” arguments 15:25 Trump, Epstein, and blackmail claims 22:01 The Israel Lobby and the Iraq War debate 34:05 Germany comparisons and collective punishment 37:09 Netanyahu, “Amalek,” and genocide accusations 46:15 Dead children, crossfire, and moral responsibility 47:43 Gaza aid shootings and casualty reporting 50:02 The Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion controversy 55:11 Rashid Khalidi, sources, and historical credibility

Noam Dworman is joined by Professor Gerald Steinberg. Steinberg breaks down the hidden world of NGOs—what they are, how they gained massive global influence and why he believes many have drifted far from their original mission. From organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to their role at the United Nations, Steinberg argues that these groups now act as powerful political players shaping narratives around conflicts like Israel–Palestine.  Gerald Steinberg is founder and president of NGO Monitor and Professor at Bar Ilan University. His research focuses on Middle East diplomacy and Israeli security, and the politics of human rights and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Prestigious grants and prizes include Israel Science Foundation, Bonei Zion Prize (2017) and the Bernard Lewis Prize in 2025. https://x.com/GeraldNGOM

Andrew Fox joins Live From The Table to talk about personal courage, Gaza, Hamas casualty numbers, Israel’s military strategy, Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and what modern war actually looks like. Andrew Fox is a former British Army officer (three tours in Afghanistan), now a senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank. Fox has been to the frontlines in Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine. He wrote the first papers worldwide exposing the Hamas fatality figures manipulation in Gaza and showing how Israel actually fought on the ground in Gaza from a tactical perspective. mrandrewfox.substack.com https://x.com/mr_andrew_fox 0:00 Intro 1:00 Serving in Afghanistan 4:00 Looking back on the war 7:30 Hamas casualty numbers in Gaza 10:00 Why Andrew looked into the numbers 12:00 Hamas figures, IDF figures, and media coverage 15:30 Civilian casualties and Hamas’s strategy 18:15 Child fighters and Hamas 19:25 Why Andrew speaks up for Israel and Jews 22:00 Problems inside the IDF 28:40 Iran and the wider war 31:50 Why stopping Iran’s nuclear program matters 37:30 Strait of Hormuz 42:00 What kind of Iran deal would make sense? 47:20 Why this is different from the JCPOA 54:00 Gaza casualty ratios and urban war 57:00 Was the Gaza war worth it? 1:02:00 Why Israel went into Gaza first 1:04:30 Final thoughts

Separating Politics from Reality. Is the war going better than we realize?Eliot A. Cohen is a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is a professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University, the author of the forthcoming book The Strategist: How to Think About War and Politics, and a co-host of the Shield of the Republic podcast.

Jamie Kirchick joins the crew for a sharp discussion on ideology, hypocrisy and why smart people can still fall for bad ideas. A wide-ranging, no-filter conversation about Iran, nuclear tensions, global risk—and the dangers of antisemitism. They discuss everyone from Tucker Carlson and Daryl Cooper to Bryon Noem. This episode addresses serious geopolitical stakes and is part political analysis, part philosophical sparring and part classic around the table repartee. Jamie Kirchick is a journalist and the New York Times-bestselling author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington and The End of Europe: Dictators, Demagogues, and the Coming Dark Age. He is a contributing opinion writer to the New York Times and a writer at large for Air Mail. https://x.com/jkirchick

Are conspiracies and misinformation beginning to erode the basic assumptions on which public discussion depends? Trump. Israel. JFK. Epstein. Iran. Big Pharma. What is real, and what is conspiracy? In this episode of Live from the Table, we sit down with Gerald Posner to talk about the JFK assassination, conspiracy theories, misinformation, Trump, Israel, Iran, the opioid crisis, RFK Jr. and Jeffrey Epstein. The conversation moves from the enduring debate over whether Oswald acted alone to the ways conspiracy thinking spreads online, distorts public judgment, and reshapes political argument. It also turns to Posner’s reporting on Big Pharma, the Sacklers and the failures that fueled the opioid epidemic, along with his views on Epstein’s finances and the broader culture of suspicion surrounding high-profile events. Gerald Posner is the author of thirteen acclaimed books, including New York Times bestsellers Case Closed, Why America Slept, and God’s Bankers. A Pulitzer Prize finalist in History and contributor to Forbes, he has been called “a merciless pit bull of an investigator” (Chicago Tribune). His 2020 book PHARMA was praised by The New York Times as a “withering, encyclopedic indictment” of the pharmaceutical industry. https://x.com/geraldposner

Featuring Walter Russell Mead, this conversation dives into one of the most dangerous questions in the world right now: what happens if Iran gets the bomb—and is it already too late to stop it?  From the real stakes behind the Strait of Hormuz to the risk of a global oil shock, nuclear proliferation across the Middle East, and the limits of deterrence, Mead breaks down why the situation is far more complex—and more urgent—than most people realize.  The discussion explores whether war with Iran is avoidable, how U.S. politics and leadership shape these decisions, and why history suggests the cost of inaction could be far higher than we think. Mead addresses several important questions:   What happens the day Iran gets a nuclear bomb? Are we already too late to stop Iran? Would a nuclear Iran trigger World War III? Could one chokepoint crash the entire global economy overnight? Is doing nothing the most dangerous option of all? Walter Russell Mead is the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at Hudson Institute, the Global View Columnist at The Wall Street Journal and the Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft with the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida. He has authored numerous books, including the widely-recognized Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World. His most recent book is titled The Arc of A Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People. His recent piece in WSJ https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-is-surprisingly-good-for-the-world-b97e7b8e?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqecxWBrLmx573zbVo7yOBqntjzcRpFCYAQSv7RM5rosCy_YOIAMNCb6yOB0apk%3D&gaa_ts=69cddce9&gaa_sig=HpttmDViumH2cVRMuhAJiCGUkqg0x4FrdbN2ie-VtdgjgeCKjr5ZV_oW2JJzRYiKuyr-Nf6aGXt22IgzXXwylQ%3D%3D Walter Russell Mead on X: https://x.com/wrmead?lang=en

In a heated debate, Robert Pape argues that the current Iran crisis is not just about bombs, deterrence, or regime change. It is about an escalation trap. In this interview, Pape says there is no military solution to stopping Iran from eventually getting a nuclear weapon. He rejects the idea that bombing alone can topple the regime, dismisses hopes that outside pressure will trigger collapse from within, and argues that the only remaining path is diplomatic. His most controversial claim comes late in the conversation: if the United States wants diplomacy to have any chance, Washington may need to “contain” Israel by preventing further escalation. The debate turns on several hard questions: Can bombing actually work? Is the Iranian regime more fragile than Pape thinks? Is Trump driven mainly by MAGA domestic politics rather than an Israel lobby framework? And if military pressure cannot solve the problem, what leverage does America really have left? Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Robert Pape’s background 09:58 The Vietnam–Iran “escalation trap” analogy begins 16:10 Did Mossad “stir” Iranian protests? Source dispute and first big clash 19:35 When did the escalation really start? Israel, the U.S., and June 2025 24:15 Trump, MAGA politics, Mearsheimer, and the “someone else’s interests” tweet 28:25 What kind of Iran deal could still exist, and where Israel fits into it 30:57 Fordow, enriched uranium, and Pape’s long-running bombing model 33:35 Why Pape says bombing Fordow leads to pressure for later regime-change war 42:05 The deal Pape thinks Trump should have taken before the bombing 44:54 Direct question: stop Iran militarily or accept the diplomatic cost? 46:42 Pape: there is no military solution, only a diplomatic one 49:07 Are the Iranian people ready to turn on the regime? Protest debate 51:51 Pape’s core airpower claim: bombing alone has never toppled a regime 56:11 “Negotiation without leverage is begging” vs Pape’s leverage argument 56:55 What does “militarily contain Israel” actually mean? 59:05 Pape’s concrete proposal: a U.S. law cutting aid if Israel bombs Iran 01:00:11 Stage three of the escalation trap and warning about ground war 01:03:04 Noam’s challenge: how can you weigh costs without projecting future nuclear risk? 01:10:56 Final clash: what real strategy stops Iran from getting the bomb? 01:13:08 Pape’s closing position: the best remaining chance is “hemming in” Israel

The Table is joined by Professor Scott Sagan - leading scholar of nuclear security and international relations. Sagan explains that the biggest risk of Iran going nuclear is being missed. It's the threat of accidental explosion and even full-out nuclear war in the Middle East. In his view, this is especially true when small despotic nations get the bomb. Scary stuff.

Philip Klay is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He is an author, a journalist and winner of the National Book Award. He currently teaches fiction at Fairfield University and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and other esteemed publications. We discuss his recent piece in The New York Times, “Trump Has Made a Fundamental Miscalculation about Iran.” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/22/opinion/trump-iran-war-memes.html

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Tablet Magazine, Alana Newhouse. They discuss her recent piece, "Zionism is for Everyone."  Available on Tablet:  https://www.tabletmag.com/feature/zionism-for-everyone

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by social networking pioneer and entrepreneur, Andrew Weinreich. Weinreich is known for launching SixDegrees.com in 1997, which is recognized as one of the first social networking sites. He has been named #175 on the Forbes 250 list of America's Greatest Innovators.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Eric Kaufmann. Kaufmann is the author of multiple books, including The Third Awokening: A 12-Point Plan for Rolling Back Progressive Extremism. He is a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute and director of the Center for Heterodox Social Science.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman, and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Michaeleen Doucleff. Doucleff has a PHD in chemistry, has written for the NPR Science desk for 14 years, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Hunt, Gather, Parent. Her new book, Dopamine Kids, is out now.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by bestselling author and award-winning journalist, Jesse Brown. Brown is the founder and editor of Canadaland. He won the Hillman Prize for Investigative reporting for breaking the Jian Ghomeshi scandal and the Canadian Screen Award for Best Factual Series for the television documentary Thunder Bay. He is a bestselling author and reporter and host of the podcast, What Is Happening Here.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Beejhy Barhany. Hailed "Harlem’s queen of Ethiopian Jewish cuisine," Barhany is the owner of Tsion Cafe, the Ethiopian Jewish restaurant, where she recently ended dine-in service, due to anti-Israel harassment. She is also the author of Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond. The book has been heralded as one of the best cookbooks of 2025 by The New York Times and The Boston Globe.

While Noam is away, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by investigative journalist Michael Tracey to discuss the latest developments in the newly released Epstein files. Tracey asserts that the popular narrative of Jeffrey Epstein running a vast international sex trafficking ring—especially one involving “elite” clients—is not supported by credible evidence. He says that the factual record doesn’t substantiate claims of a sprawling organized network. They discuss ulterior motives, questions about victims and what's fact and what's fiction. Tracey has contributed to a wide range of publications across the political spectrum, from The Nation to The American Conservative, the New York Daily News to the New York Post, and many more.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Jason Zengerle, political journalist and author of “Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind.” Jason Zengerle joined The New Yorker in 2026, as a staff writer covering politics. He previously wrote for the Times Magazine, GQ, New York, and The New Republic. He is a winner of the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting and has been a New America fellow.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Michael Mazarr, Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation, author of 10 books including Leap of Faith: Hubris, Negligence, and America's Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy. Mazarr explains why the Iraq War was not an Israel-driven conspiracy but a catastrophic American decision born of post-9/11 panic, hubris, and bureaucratic failure. It’s a needed rebuttal to takes like Dave Smith’s, which mistake confident rhetoric for serious historical analysis. Leap of Faith available here:  https://a.co/d/06H6wnO1

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Jesse Arm, vice president of external affairs at the Manhattan Institute.  Jesse’s writing and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, New York Post, Fox News, City Journal, NPR and more.  How Dangerous are Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson?   What do Zoomers think? Can you trust Chat GPT?

Noam Dworman, Hatem Gabr and Periel Aschenbrand take calls and are joined by Adar Weinreb, former IDF soldier, committed to peace building.  Is Israel the most dangerous place for Jews to live?  Is the war in Gaza creating more anti semitism? Weinreb is an entrepreneur and social activist focused on peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. He’s the co-founder of HeadOn.ai a platform designed to help people engage productively across polarized conflicts.

Call ins, legal and civic positions on ICE shooting and Noam's take on Dilbert Cartoonist Scott Adams. Guest: Professor Robert Jan Van Pelt, the principal expert witness on Nazi gas chambers in the David Irving trial, joins. Robert Jan Van Pelt is one of the world’s leading experts on Auschwitz. An architectural historian who has taught at MIT and the University of Waterloo, he is best known for proving the reality of the gas chambers and crematoria. His work made him a central figure in the fight against Holocaust denial. He appeared in Errol Morris’s Mr. Death and served as a key expert witness in the landmark Irving v. Penguin & Lipstadt trial. He has received major honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a National Jewish Book Award.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are in-studio and taking calls. Is Dan disparaging the show? Should we cancel it entirely? Will Noam raise prices? A caller lecture us on pronunciation and Noam eviscerates John Mearsheimer.

Comic Ami Kozak joins Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand in-studio. They discuss the dangers normalizing anti semitism and take some calls from viewers.

Josh Hammer and the gang discuss the latest fallout from the Ben Shapiro speech. Is it full civil war on the Right? What is motivating Megyn Kelly? What can be done about Candace? And, is J.D. doomed in 2028...

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Adam Louis-Klein. Louis-Klein is a PhD candidate in anthropology at McGill University and has a BA in philosophy from Yale. He is a journalist for The Free Press and writes on Jewish peoplehood, antisemitism, and anti-Zionism.

🔴 James Lindsay: How the Woke Right Is Leading Conservatism Toward Collapse In this episode, Lindsay lays out how “wokeness” has re-emerged on the right in a new form — one defined by victimhood, forbidden knowledge, conspiratorial thinking, and identity-based power claims. Using concrete examples, he explains why this mindset undermines truth-seeking, corrodes political judgment, and ultimately leads to electoral defeat. Tucker, Candace, Fuentes, Mental Illiness, anti-Semitism... All of it. AI Chapters: 00:00 Introduction – James Lindsay and the Grievance Studies Affair 01:48 How Absurd Academic Hoaxes Got Published 06:12 The Dog Park Rape Paper Explained 09:56 Why Exposure Didn’t Lead to Reform 12:58 What Lindsay Means by “The Woke Right” 15:41 The Epistemology of Forbidden Knowledge 16:52 “Just Asking Questions” as a Worldview 18:06 Identity, Victimhood, and Resentment Politics 22:47 Conspiracy, Demons, and Fringe Beliefs Going Mainstream 27:10 Cult Capture, Narcissism, and Incentives 32:55 Nick Fuentes and the Acceleration Trap 37:58 Antisemitism, Immigration, and Scapegoating 44:38 The Political “Third Rail” Problem 49:22 Rogan, Podcasts, and Influence 01:01:35 Why This Leads to Electoral Defeat 01:10:48 The “Abscess” Metaphor – Internal Collapse 01:18:12 Final Warning and What Comes Next

Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Nate Soares, President of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) and author of the New York Times bestseller If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All. Prior to MIRI, Soares worked as an engineer at Google and Microsoft, as a research associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and as a contractor for the US Department of Defense.Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Nate Soares, President of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) and author of the New York Times bestseller If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All. Prior to MIRI, Soares worked as an engineer at Google and Microsoft, as a research associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and as a contractor for the US Department of Defense.

An Explosive Debate on Trump’s Brain. Dr. John Gartner, former Johns Hopkins psychiatry faculty member and a vocal critic of Donald Trump, joins Live From the Table. We challenge Gartner directly on his claims that Donald Trump is exhibiting malignant narcissism, psychopathy, and accelerating dementia. The debate spans science, politics, ethics, medical bias, and the media’s treatment of both Trump and Biden. This episode includes extended transcript-verified clips, counter-arguments, and some of the most heated exchanges we’ve aired. Chapters below. Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Who is Dr. John Gartner? 01:00 – Goldwater Rule & Diagnosing Public Figures 03:20 – Trump, Narcissism & Malignant Personality Disorders 07:00 – Is Trump a Psychopath? Criminality, Lying & Abuse 11:20 – Noam Pushes Back: What Counts as Evidence? 14:15 – The Dementia Question: Language, Gait & Decline 16:55 – “He’s Not the Same Man”: Claims From Former Officials 18:45 – Noam’s Counterargument: Bolton, Kelly, McMaster, Woodward 22:30 – Cognitive Decline vs. Strategy: What’s Real? 26:05 – Trump’s Speeches Examined: Word Salad or Something Else? 29:30 – The “Skedaddle” Story & Loose Associations 33:00 – Kamala Harris, Biden & Claims of Asymmetrical Scrutiny 37:10 – Debate Clips: Biden Then vs. Now, Trump Then vs. Now 41:50 – Variability & Sundowning: How Dementia Presents 45:00 – Trump’s Stamina vs. Trump’s Disorganization 48:20 – Is This Cognitive Decline or Just Aging? 52:00 – Impulsivity, National Security & Dangerous Decision-Making 56:10 – The Hakeem Jeffries “Very Nice Man” Story 59:00 – Biden Wandering Clips & Why the Medical Community Stayed Silent 1:02:00 – Is Medical Bias Real? Noam Pushes Gartner 1:04:00 – Would Trump’s Inner Circle Have Noticed Decline? 1:07:00 – Narcissism, Children & Why His Family Keeps Distance 1:10:00 – “Do You Feel Sympathy for Him?” 1:14:00 – Closing Thoughts & Invitation to Visit the Cellar

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Richard Hanania. Hanania writes a newsletter about American politics, ethics, international relations and culture. He is the author of Public Choice Theory and the Illusion of Grand Strategy and The Origins of Woke. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, The Economist, and other publications. His book, Kakistocracy: Why Populism Ends in Disaster, is forthcoming.

Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by former spokesman for the State of Israel, Eylon Levy. They discuss anti Zionism, anti Semitism, what Hamas really wants and Levy's hope for the future of Israel and Gaza.

While Noam Dworman is away, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by The Atlantic's Helen Lewis. They discuss The Riyadh Comedy Festival, Lewis's book, The Genius Myth and The Beatles. Then Sheba Mason drops by to talk about her play about her late father, The Jackie Mason Musical.

Were the Jews Really Behind the Iraq War? David Wurmser Responds. Dr. David Wurmser, former senior advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney and co-author of the infamous “Clean Break” memo, gives us a first-hand account. Wurmser addresses the persistent claim that Israel and “neocon Jews” manipulated the Bush administration into invading Iraq. The discussion expands to include Dick Cheney’s character, the psychology of 9/11, the myth of dual loyalty, and the new wave of anti-Semitism being mainstreamed by voices like Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and John Mearsheimer. 0:00 Intro – Who is David Wurmser? 1:18 Remembering Dick Cheney: The Real Man Behind the Myths 5:59 Israel, Iraq, and the Origins of the “Clean Break” Memo 8:21 Was the Iraq War Fought for Israel? 15:16 The Strategic Case for Israel as America’s Ally 17:19 Forgetting the Cold War: How the West Lost Context 22:05 Israel’s Strategic Genius and America’s Dependence 26:00 What the “Clean Break” Memo Actually Said 33:28 Sharon Warned Against the Iraq War—Why No One Listened 38:12 Were Jewish Advisors Too Influential? 43:25 9/11, Fear, and the Psychology of the Iraq War 50:05 WMDs and What the Bush Administration Really Believed 57:27 Why the Middle East Couldn’t Stay “Over There” 1:01:15 Dual Loyalty and American Jewish Patriotism 1:06:00 John Mearsheimer and the New Conspiracy Culture 1:14:00 The “Friendly Fire” Lie About October 7th 1:20:00 Israel’s Role in Protecting the West 1:26:00 Was Iraq a Mistake—or Just Done Wrong? 1:28:20 The Mainstreaming of Anti-Semitism 1:35:00 Why Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism Are Converging 1:47:00 Closing Thoughts: Gratitude, Patriotism, and Reality

While Noam is away, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand discuss free will (do we have it?), The Riyadh Comedy Festival, originality in comedy, trans girls and how Jewish is too Jewish when it comes to comedy shows.

Former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Yaakov Katz joins Noam Dworman and Dan Naturman to dissect the failures behind October 7, the moral and strategic crises of modern Israel, and the political culture that allowed catastrophe to take root. Based on his new book While Israel Slept, Katz lays out how a nation of elite intelligence, defense technology, and Iron Dome confidence was blindsided by its own assumptions. Buy Yaakov Katz’s book — While Israel Slept — on Amazon: http://bit.ly/4o3b7XE He addresses: Whether Israeli journalism should expose government failures during wartime The growing rift between American and Israeli public opinion Why Israel misread Hamas for decades Netanyahu’s political survival and the myth that Israel “built up” Hamas How AI is used in IDF targeting and whether it saves or costs civilian lives The accusations of an Israeli “stand-down” on October 7 The uncomfortable moral math of urban warfare in Gaza Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:10 – Journalism in wartime Israel: Patriotism vs Accountability 04:40 – Why Israelis didn’t see Gaza’s destruction 08:10 – Media bias and trauma after October 7 13:00 – AI targeting, 972 Magazine, and how truth gets distorted 21:10 – “While Israel Slept” – The Premise and Title’s Origin 22:30 – Israel’s strategic blindness: Containment and Complacency 26:50 – The myth that Israel “wanted” Hamas 30:00 – Netanyahu, Qatar, and paying for quiet 34:00 – The failure of imagination on October 6 35:10 – Hezbollah and the deterrence paradox 38:20 – Can Israel learn from this? Preemption vs Occupation 40:50 – The Right, the Left, and the Gray Zone 44:00 – Morality, civilian deaths, and propaganda math 50:00 – The antisemitism question and media narratives 56:00 – Netanyahu’s communications failure 57:20 – Conspiracy theories: the “stand-down” myth 01:00:00 – Friendly fire and the Hannibal Directive 01:03:20 – Why Israel must investigate itself 01:06:10 – Closing thoughts and the future of Israeli democracy

A Live Interview from Inside Gaza. In this exclusive Live From the Table conversation, we speak directly with Moumen Al-Natour, the Gazan lawyer and founder of the We Want to Live movement. Al-Natour describes daily life under Hamas rule, the corruption of aid, hunger during the war, and his escape from repeated torture. An unfiltered account of courage, suffering, and the fight for a peaceful future.

With his son Yoav Oren (former IDF special‑forces soldier) Ambassador Michael Oren (historian; former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.) sits down for anunvarnished assessment of the war what “victory” actually means. Highlights: Psychology of war & the IDF: A deep dive into moral erosion under prolonged combat; how rage, fear, and fatigue are managed; why some units choose capture‑over‑kill in close quarters; and the IDF practice of embedding psychologists with frontline units during Gaza operations to stabilize judgment in real time. Oren’s two‑line verdict: “Emphatically yes” on military success; “tragically no” because the fight mutates if Hamas retains weapons and cover. The “Hezbollah model” in Gaza: why a foreign peacekeeping shield + undisbursed weapons equals a forever threat. Hostages, Doha, and leverage: what actually forced movement — and what happens next if disarmament stalls. Gaza casualty math, explained from Oren’s perspective (the 1:1 claim and why the numbers are contested). How Hamas turns humanitarian aid into a war economy; the logistics and the alleged skimming. On restraint under fire: Yoav’s close‑quarters firefight, triage under fire, and the decision to capture, not kill. Anti‑Semitism’s uncensored return in the West — and why, according to Oren, arguments and “hasbara” often misfire. USS Liberty: Oren’s step‑by‑step rebuttal to the “deliberate attack” narrative. The strategic endgame: surgical strikes, cutting aid diversion, and whether disarmament is possible without a full re‑invasion. 00:00 Intro 01:50 Did Israel “win”? 04:30 Gaza’s tunnels and the unique urban fight 06:10 Multi‑front picture (Hezbollah, Iran, Houthis) 07:45 From battlefield gains to regional diplomacy 08:50 Hostages and the “diplomatic shield” 12:50 Why Hamas released hostages (and why it mattered) 15:10 Will Israelis accept another ground push? 15:40 Surgical strikes vs. re‑invasion 16:30 Aid diversion and UN logistics 23:00 Doha strike debate 32:10 IDF conduct under fire; Yoav’s firefight 41:00 Rules of engagement, restraint, and misinformation 55:20 Psych support embedded with IDF units 59:00 USS Liberty — the case against conspiracy 1:09:10 Closing thoughts: victory, vigilance, and what comes next

Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon joins Live From The Table to talk about the emerging splits on the political right—Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA, anti-Semitism, and the responsibilities that come with free speech. Topics (AI gleaned): The Babylon Bee and modern satire Trans debates and free speech Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, and Turning Point Anti-Semitism and cowardice on the right Religion, truth, and respect in public debate

Two years after October 7th, the Comedy Cellar hosts Bret Stephens (New York Times), Coleman Hughes (The Free Press), and Michael Moynihan (The Fifth Column) for a discussion of how the Hamas war against Israel ignited something larger — and perhaps more enduring. The panel explores: How sympathy for Israel inverted almost overnight into hostility toward Jews. The emergence of “October 8th Jews” and the new sense of isolation in America. The Plight of the Long Suffering Palestinians Double Standards The rise of conspiratorial right-wing rhetoric and the failure of moderates to confront it.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by NYC Mayoral Candidate and Founder of the Guardian Angels, Curtis Sliwa.  He addresses why he is the best candidate for the job and and why he will not bow out of the race.

The Moshes Brothers—Joshua and Benjamin—creators of Congestion-Pricing-Tracker.com, break down the latest developments in New York City’s grand congestion pricing experiment. What does the data suggest about whether this historic policy will succeed? And, why are two college kids the only ones tracking it?

Impossible choices haunt every war. John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute, joins Live from the Table to confront the hardest questions raised by Israel’s war against Hamas. How are civilian deaths justified in war? Can Israel defeat Hamas ? What does it mean to fight an enemy that will not protect its own people? Is Israel held to a different standard than other nations Difficult questions, no easy answers.

Charlie Kirk’s assassination has sparked a firestorm of conspiracies. The Live from the Table crew, joined by journalist Ross Barkan, exposes how antisemitic tropes are spreading on the right—from Candace Owens’ tweetstorms and Max Blumenthal’s “sources” to Holocaust denier Ian Carroll’s overt accusations. And why is Megyn Kelly - staunchly pro-Israel - hesitant to call out Candace Owens, even at times praising her, as Owens’ conspiracy talk spreads? Why has Kirk’s murder been reframed around his Israel stance?

Journalist Michael Tracey and Epstein mega-expert Michael Tracey stops in to tell us what is and isn't true about this remarkable story. Subscribe to Tracey's awesome Substack: https://substack.com/@mtracey

University of Chicago Professor Robert Pape maintains that Israel is passing "historic thresholds of civilian punishment" and is risking its own future existence. Please Note: This PDF contains the post-show conversation between Noam and Pape. It contains many links to articles and videos that Pape draws from. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rk9NJ6BEYx6qa7JUEjuwzKG7R2MUOus4/view?usp=sharing Here is Pape's recent article on the matter in Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/gaza-unparalleled-devastation-robert-pape ("The Unparalleled Devastation of Gaza")

Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Gregory Lyakhov, America's the youngest nationally syndicated columnist. He serves as a columnist for Newsmax, The Gateway Pundit, and Townhall Media, regularly contributing to major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, and The Hill. His work has appeared in dozens of other publications and has been cited by top institutions, including the White House. He shares his views on the war in Israel, anti Semitism and why he wants to be like Ben Shapiro when he grows up.  Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CE... and use code CELLAR and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup!

Social and political critic extraordinaire Richard Hanania joins us for a wide-ranging discussion on Israel, Epstein, and whatever else he's thinking about these days. 📖 Get his book The Origins of Woke: Civil Rights Law, Corporate America, and the Triumph of Identity Politics on Amazon: http://bit.ly/4lA4hH5 📰 Read his Substack: https://substack.com/@richardhanania 🐦 Follow him on X: https://x.com/RichardHanania

Suzy Weiss is a co-founder of The Free Press. Before that, she worked as a features reporter at the New York Post. There, she covered the internet, culture, dating, dieting, technology, and Gen Z. Her work has also appeared in Tablet, the New York Daily News, and The Wall Street Journal among others.

Matt Welch is the Editor-at- Large at Reason magazine and co-host of The Fifth Column podcast.

Omer Bartov discusses his recent article in The New York Times accusing Israel of genocide. A contentious conversation. Links: https://newrepublic.com/article/96369/hitler-wwii-middle-east-islam https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/2004/12/19/an-end-full-of-horror/f62352ab-2561-45bf-ad33-e1368d1e81cd/ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/opinion/israel-gaza-holocaust-genocide-palestinians.html https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/01/israel-south-africa-genocide-case-fake-quotes/677198/ (https://archive.ph/tnIVC) https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-human-rights-expert-william-schabas-a-strong-case-that-israels-response-constitutes-the-crime-of-genocide-a-da7e4524-ab3b-40e4-b409-f8fca9c081b8 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/13/world/middleeast/hamas-gaza-israel-fighting.html