97. Yael Bar Tur on Israel, Moral Cowardice, and Heroism Among Strangers

An air raid siren went off the moment we sat down to interview Yael Bar Tur.

“Give me five minutes,” said the co-host of the “Ask a Jew” podcast. “I have to go to the bomb shelter.”

An Israeli who lives in New York City, Yael was visiting her family in Tel Aviv when Hamas massacred 1400 Israelis and kidnapped 220 others on October 7. She has so far decided to stay, documenting the conflict and terror on her Twitter feed, which has become a must-read of incredible human drama and, sometimes, the world’s horrifying response to that.

“The thing about antisemitism is, there’s something for everyone,” she said. She also talks about:

• The eerie quiet of Tel Aviv

• Are Israelis united? You bet. Do they agree politically? Not so much.

• The Twitter story on Yael’s feed that brought Nancy and Sarah to tears

• WTF with people tearing down Israeli hostage posters?

• BDS should not be confused with BTS, the K-Pop band

• Viet Nguyen, an Open Letter supporting Palestine, and literary chaos at 92NY

• Should colleges even make public statements of political support?

• The celebrity who likes every one of Yael’s tweets

• Papa Joe, the most popular man in Israel

Also: Thomas Sowell is suddenly everywhere, a must-listen podcast, and a documentary that dares to humanize insurrectionists