Third Opinion Podcast

01/10/2025

Walkouts, Warships and What Comes Next in Gaza

Mike and Laureen break down the week’s most pressing developments in the Middle East — where narratives and realities collide on the world stage. The hosts tackle and debunk false genocide accusations leveled against Israel, while the dramatic walkout of world leaders during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s UN address underscores the deep divisions at the international level.

They track the controversial Gaza flotilla — 50 vessels carrying some 500 activists, including Greta Thunberg — now moving under Italian and Spanish naval protection. The discussion then turns to reports of a Trump-Netanyahu meeting outlining a 21-point plan to end the Gaza war, featuring proposals for Gaza’s future governance, the release of hostages and a phased IDF withdrawal. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair even emerges as a potential leader of a new Gaza International Transit Authority.

Media bias also comes into sharp focus as CNN’s Jake Tapper interviews Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, who challenges the framing of Israel’s military restraint. And in a powerful conversation with Ben Mulroney, Brooke Goldstein of The Lawfare Project dismantles claims of a Gaza food shortage, exposing how UN aid often empowers Hamas instead of reaching civilians.

As we mark Yom Kippur, we wish our listeners a meaningful fast and G’mar Chatima Tovah — may you be inscribed in the Book of Life for good.

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26/09/2025

Fighting Lies with Facts: The War Against Jewish Truth

In this powerful episode, Mike and Laureen break down a heated debate where Ben Shapiro confronts Mohammad Hijab and Piers Morgan on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Citing the reality of hostages in Gaza, Hamas’ stranglehold on the region and repeated Palestinian rejections of statehood, Shapiro defends Israel’s right to exist and dismantles the narrative blaming Israel for the suffering in Gaza.

The hosts emphasize the urgent need to speak truthfully about what's happening on the ground — because no one else will do it for the Jewish community. They share an impassioned clip of Rabbi Shmuley Boteach addressing a Muslim audience at Oxford Union, offering a bold and respectful defense of Israel.

Mike and Laureen also raise concerns about rising antisemitism and threats to Jewish students on college campuses and they urge listeners to amplify the truth with facts — and not stay silent.

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19/09/2025

Debating Heroes, Antisemitism and Accountability

Mike and Laureen dig into the controversy around Charlie Kirk: was he standing up for the Jewish community or crossing a dangerous line? Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett appears on Sky TV, an Australian network, and clarifies the truth about the terrorist organization that is Hamas. And the hosts unravel a troubling story about a child’s death blamed on the IDF — a blood libel claim that turned out to be false.

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11/09/2025

False Scholars, Real Evidence: The Dynah Project and the War on Truth

YouTuber Oren Cahanovitc of Traveling Israel highlights the surge of new sweet shops and restaurants opening in Gaza — challenging claims that Israel is causing a famine in the region. Rabbi Pesach Wolicki unpacks the newly released Dynah Project report, which documents the r**e, torture and humiliation of Israeli hostages, supported by eyewitness testimony and Hamas’s own video evidence.

Hosts Mike and Laureen analyze how major media outlets cite the International Association of Genocide Scholars, questioning whether these references stem from malice or reckless reporting. They also spotlight the recent People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, debating free speech rights when protest groups invoke terrorist rhetoric and calls for violence.

Listen at https://www.thirdopinionpodcast.com/third-opinion-archives

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04/09/2025

From Blood Libel to Breaking News: The Fight Against Antisemitic Narratives

This week, Mike and Laureen confront the dangerous spread of misinformation about famine in Gaza, including interviews with Sky News contributors Danica DiGorgio and Will Kingston, who highlight the urgent need to fact-check false United Nations claims made through the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The hosts reveal how such narratives echo age-old blood libels, fueling modern antisemitism. Author and documentarian Simcha Jacobovici, known as the "Naked Archeologist," offers a rapid but powerful overview of Gaza’s 4,000-year Jewish presence and its evolution into today’s flashpoint for Islamist nationalism.

Mike and Laureen also take a look at this week’s headlines from around the world including: a Congressional probe on antisemitism in the National Education Association; Beverly Hills schools vote to display Israeli flags during Israel Independence Day in a stand against antisemitism; the DNC rejects a proposal cutting aid to Israel; Germany’s Chancellor standing firm with Israel during an investigation, while Colombia’s socialist government cuts ties and pushes anti-Israel and pro-Gaza agenda; and in the UK, the former president of Columbia University is appointed chief economic advisor to the Prime Minister.

Listen at https://www.thirdopinionpodcast.com/third-opinion-archives

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29/08/2025

From Harvard Halls to Gaza Headlines: Truth, Lies and Media Battles

This week’s show features Shabbos Kestenbaum, a former Harvard Divinity student now suing the university over its failure to address rampant antisemitism on campus. Justin Hilton of The Israel Guys challenges the international narrative about famine in Gaza, pointing to the massive amounts of aid Israel has facilitated despite global accusations.

Hosts Mike and Laureen unpack the week’s headlines: an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza hospital that killed five journalists, ongoing protests inside Israel and the debate over whether access for Western reporters in Gaza would change the headlines. They also highlight Israel’s new foreign ministry initiative to host 400 international delegations — bringing more than 5,000 global representatives into the country by year’s end.

29/08/2025

28/08/2025

From Harvard Halls to Gaza Headlines: Truth, Lies and Media Battles

This week’s show features Shabbos Kestenbaum, a former Harvard Divinity student now suing the university over its failure to address rampant antisemitism on campus. Justin Hilton of The Israel Guys challenges the international narrative about famine in Gaza, pointing to the massive amounts of aid Israel has facilitated despite global accusations.

Hosts Mike and Laureen unpack the week’s headlines: an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza hospital that killed five journalists, ongoing protests inside Israel and the debate over whether access for Western reporters in Gaza would change the headlines. They also highlight Israel’s new foreign ministry initiative to host 400 international delegations — bringing more than 5,000 global representatives into the country by year’s end.

Listen at https://www.thirdopinionpodcast.com/third-opinion-archives

Thank you for listening, sharing and subscribing to The Third Opinion Podcast!

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25/06/2025

Operation Midnight Hammer: A Campaign of Covert Strikes and Strategic Deception

Mike and Laureen delve into the United States' massive and clandestine military strikes in Iran. They explore the implications and strategic motivations behind these tactical maneuvers with key experts: Benham Ben Talibu, Senior Iran Analyst with Foundation for Defense of Democracies; General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Arizona Senator Mark Kelly; and James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

https://www.thirdopinionpodcast.com/third-opinion-archives

Thank you for listening, sharing and subscribing to the Third Opinion Podcast!

22/09/2022

Arabs vs Jews? Maybe Not | Ambassador Ron Dermer

Dr. Peterson's extensive catalog is available now on DailyWire+: https://utm.io/ueSXhThe numerous heated and hotly debated conflicts surrounding Israel are a...

22/09/2022

A Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Shiur | Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

To mark the launch of ‘Ceremony and Celebration: An Introduction to the Holidays’ (published by Maggid Books), Rabbi Sacks delivered a pre-Rosh Hashanah and ...

15/02/2022

Should the U.S. strike a deal with Iran or not? We discuss that nd much more. Remember to subscribe to the Third Opinion podcast.
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