Israel

Reed shares a message from a friend in Israel and some sound advice for action we can take in reaction to the Hamas attack and the attack on our democracy by the GOP here at home.

Will democracy and pluralism win?

Prolific and multi-award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney, who's responsible for the most impactful documentaries of our time -- i.e., Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, Totally Under Control, and MANY more --sits down with Rick Wilson to discuss his portfolio of work and how it reflects on the American character. Alex's most recent project, The Bibi Files, uses never-seen-before interrogation footage to tell the story of an investigation into Benjamin Netanyahu and his inner circle and provides an unflinching gaze into the private world behind the headlines. Petty vanity and a sense of entitlement lead to corruption and the unwillingness of the Netanyahus to give up power. The extreme right senses opportunity in Bibi’s weakness, and the dominos fall.

We're back with our last show of Joe Biden's presidency. Why Joe thinks the Gaza ceasefire is an American diplomatic triumph - not Trump's. And looking back at the last four years - why Joe Biden's grade is NOT an "incomplete." Trippi looks back and honestly grades the Biden presidency. And - looking back even farther - how do we make sure what happens next isn't just a flash in the pan? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stuart Stevens writes, "After I replied to Mr. Ackman’s post, he invited me to refute each of his 33 justifications for supporting Donald Trump. So, I did."

Navigating what it means to be Jewish in today's world is a nuanced conversation. In this episode Rick speaks with Noah Feldman, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard University. The conversation dives into Feldman's latest book, "To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People." They discuss the evolving perspectives within the Jewish community, the challenges facing Israel, and the complex relationship between American Jews and Israel. Additionally, Feldman offers insights into the current state of the U.S. Supreme Court, the impact of recent rulings, and the future of constitutional law in an era of political polarization. Noah's new book, "To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People," available now.

Fox News tried really hard to intimidate jurors on Trump's criminal hush money trial. Jesse Watters seemed to make it his personal mission to reveal the jurors identities. Tammy Bruce said the world was destroyed but Trump will save the world. Sean Hannity lied about our alliance with Israel. Charlie Hurt compared Trump's trial to O.J. Simpson's double murder trial and said the criminal trial would be a laugh riot. As usual it was a whole lotta stupid.

Will democracy and pluralism win?

Supporters of democracy have an opportunity to reject both extremes

Ruth Ben-Ghiat writes, "An eye for an eye blinds everyone, but terrorists, autocrats, and fundamentalists require hatred and conflict."

This week on The Enemies List, Rick Wilson is joined by Tom Nichols. Tom is a staff writer for The Atlantic, as well as a former professor. Together, they discuss the immaturity of most billionaires, why American colleges and universities feel the need to have corporate takes on controversial world events, what the faces of the Republican Party are keeping from the people, and more.

The GOP is completely derelict in their duty to America, to democracy, and our allies like Israel. Joe gets into the clear contrast between Joe Biden's clear moral leadership and the dysfunction and chaos in the MAGA GOP. Why Joe isn't surprised at Trump's reaction to Israel - but also why he doesn't think it's going to matter with his base. What's going on with the race for Speaker of the House? Why Joe thinks we aren't going to see a resolution anytime soon. And what the coverage of House dysfunction is missing -- why this very much isn't the same on both sides.

"(Hamas) has no interest in a two-state solution and peaceful coexistence. The only sort of peace they seek is a Carthaginian peace—one of the utter annihilation and slaughter of an entire people," write Robert McElvaine.

Reed Galen writes: "Remember that for MAGA, all is projection. What the Israelis and Ukrainians are fighting in their homelands is the same type of regime Donald Trump and his acolytes will impose on America should they return to power."

On this episode of The ZeroLine, Sarah Ashton-Cirillio connects with Resolute Square's Lisa Senecal. With Sarah reporting from Odessa, they begin with a detailed description of the recent drone attacks by Russia on the region the previous night. Sarah was on the ground and able to capture video footage of kamikaze drones indiscriminately hitting targets or being shot down by Ukrainian air defense forces. They discuss the horrific war crimes that took place in Bucha at the outset of the invasion, which leads to a substantive dialogue of the unprecedented attacks by Hamas against Israeli citizens and the crystallization of an axis of evil formed between Russia, Iran, and Hamas.

Reed shares a message from a friend in Israel and some sound advice for action we can take in reaction to the Hamas attack and the attack on our democracy by the GOP here at home.

Rick Wilson calls out the craven political opportunism of the GOP as they immediately focused on how they could benefit from Hamas' attack on Israel, including using it to defund Ukraine and hand it to Putin.

When the world needs American leadership the most, the GOP House is in shambles (serious, Gym Jordan for Speaker?), our military undermined by Republicans, and our foreign service is threadbare, and ego-driven conspiracy theorists like RFK, Jr. are mounting 3rd party bids. Fortunately, President Biden is the most experienced president in foreign policy in decades. Is it enough to fight the damage Trump and his autocratic movement are trying to inflict on global stability? Reed, Rick, Stuart, and Joe

"When strongmen leaders shake up the political landscape, normalizing extremists and modeling scorn for the rule of law, there is no return to the status quo," writes Ruth Ben-Ghiat. It's true of Netanyahu, just as it's true of Trump.