The Honest Take is HonestReporting's long-form interview series bringing together leading voices to examine how Israel and the Middle East are covered — and what goes into creating and feeding the narratives that target Israel.

Each episode features leading experts, analysts, researchers, and journalists who work on media bias, terrorism, NGO accountability, foreign influence, antisemitism, and international institutions. These are professionals directly involved in investigating how narratives are shaped, amplified, and protected across global newsrooms.

The conversations go beyond breaking news to unpack:
• Media bias and misinformation about Israel
• How terrorist organizations exploit humanitarian and civil society frameworks
• The role of NGOs and international bodies in shaping public perception
• Foreign state influence on Western media and education
• Why context disappears in reporting on Israel and the Palestinians

This series is for listeners seeking in-depth analysis, evidence-based discussion, and accountability in journalism on Israel and the Middle East.

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Latest Episodes

Who Will Keep Me Safe? What the First Election Since October 7th Really Means For Israelis | With Yaakov Katz

A good friend of Yaakov Katz spent a whole conversation complaining about the ultra-Orthodox: they block roads, they take too much government funding, they don't work ...

BONUS Introducing CHECKED: Brad Lander's Olive Harvest Post vs. What Actually Happened in the West Bank | With Joe Truzman

A bonus episode for Honest Take listeners: meet CHECKED, HonestReporting's new weekly live show. Every Wednesday, Ben Chertoff and Joe Truzman take apart the week's co...

America Is Not Zion: Why American Jews and Israelis Are Living Two Different Jewish Lives | With Daniel Gordis

Shortly after the war began, a European journalist wrote to Daniel Gordis. She wanted to interview the leaders of Israel's 2023 protest movement about the war, and she...

Hamas' Human Sacrifice: A British Commander on Why Gaza Is a War, Not a Genocide | With Richard Kemp

Almost everyone now has an opinion about how Israel fights its wars: mayors, cabinet ministers, courts, comment sections. Almost none of them have ever had to make the...

LIVE — Surviving October 7th: The Nova Festival Massacre and What Comes After It | With Shahar Horovitz

Recorded live on October 7, 2026, three years to the day. Shahar Horovitz was 22 and had just come home from nine months of backpacking in South America when she went ...

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