David Horovitz, founding editor of The Times of Israel, shares insights on the Israeli-Hamas conflict, including the government's military aim, civilian pressure, and the future of Gaza. They discuss the media's portrayal of Israel and the importance of maintaining a Jewish and democratic government. The complexities of defeating Hamas, skepticism around a two-state solution, and the threat of Hezbollah are also explored. The dialogue concludes with recommendations and the encouragement to subscribe to The Times of Israel's website.

The podcast explores the ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, their relationship with Iran, and the potential of the conflict to escalate into a larger war. It discusses the resilience of the rebels despite previous airstrikes and highlights the impact of their attacks on global trade. The need for a ceasefire and international aid efforts are also examined.

Guest Lenore Skenazy discusses the impact of helicopter parenting on children's mental health, emphasizing the decline of independence and resiliency. They explore the benefits of unsupervised play, the connection to academic freedom on campuses, and the importance of fostering resilience and open-mindedness in young adults. The significance of free play and the Let Grow initiatives promoting independent play are highlighted, as well as the impact of full-time working parents on children's independence.

Claudine Gay, the first black female president of Harvard, faced intense scrutiny since her widely criticized congressional testimony on campus antisemitism in early December. Last week, President Gay resigned from her post after mounting allegations of plagiarism in her published articles.  In an op-ed in the New York Times, Gay argued that she was a victim of a right-wing political attack on academia and the diversity initiatives that she both championed and represented. On this Munk Dialogue were joined by Greg Lukianoff, the president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE is America’s leading defender of fundamental rights on college campuses and it should come as no surprise that these past few years have been the organizations busiest on record. Greg talks to us about how universities can - and must - turn things around to save higher education and our children’s futures. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, access to our Friday Focus podcast, a free Munk Debates book, and ticketing privileges at our live events.This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch

Retired senior colonel of China's PLA and senior fellow at Tsinghua University, Zhou Bo, discusses why Taiwan is China's biggest national security concern, the South China Sea disputes, and lessons from the war in Ukraine. Integration between China and Taiwan is seen as inevitable.

The hosts discuss selecting debate topics, challenges in booking cultural debates, attitudes towards debate, the role of Twitter in politics, reflections on past debates and the importance of performance, debating Western media's bias towards Israel, and a debate on Trump's prosecution and American democracy.

The Online News Act in Canada requires Google and Meta to pay Canadian news outlets for social media links. Michael Geist criticizes the legislation, arguing it will result in news organizations relying on government subsidies and becoming less objective. The podcast discusses the merits and demerits of the legislation, challenges of digital regulation, lessons from tech regulation, and the future of news.

Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State, and brilliant statesman discusses his controversial legacy. The podcast debates his realpolitik approach to foreign affairs, his role in the Cold War, and his impact on international world order. The discussion delves into his diplomatic achievements, criticisms of war crimes, and the violent conflicts unfolding in the present day.

It’s been two months since Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel that killed 1200 people, took 240 hostage, and shook the country to its core. October 7th was a day that not only altered the course of Israeli history, but also has forced Israelis to re-examine their relationship to their Palestinian neighbours, and their ability to rebuild a thriving democracy in one of the most hostile regions in the world. To understand the story of Israel post October 7th, we’re joined by Yossi Klein Halevi. Yossi is a best-selling author, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths   To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membershipMembers receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki GurwitzEditor: Kieran Lynch  

Within one week of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the BBC received more than 1,500 complaints relating to its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Criticisms were split almost evenly between those claiming its reporting had been biased against Israel and those saying it was biased in favour of Israel. These disparate interpretations of the media’s coverage of the war are not limited to the BBC. Other mainstream media outlets like the New York Times, CNN, and the CBC have faced similar accusations in recent weeks. Israel’s supporters argue that activists have infiltrated newsrooms, leading to journalism that is increasingly biased against the party whom many young progressives have deemed the villain in this conflict: Israel. From falsely and prematurely blaming Israel for an attack on a Gaza hospital, to refusing to use the word terrorists to describe Hamas, to trusting information provided to them by Hamas under the pretext of the Gaza Health Ministry, the international press has shown its true colours and cannot be relied upon to deliver unbiased, factual reporting. Others argue that the opposite is true. For decades the western press has ignored the suffering of Palestinians and deemed them less deserving of attention or sympathy due to a colonial, white supremacist way of thinking. Whereas Ukrainians who use violence to resist occupation are depicted as heroes, Palestinians are derided as attackers and terrorists. This dehumanization has made violence towards them more acceptable and has made western media outlets complicit in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.   Arguing in favour of the resolution is James Kirchick. He’s a columnist for Tablet magazine and a writer at large for Air Mail. Arguing against the resolution is Arwa Damon, a former CNN Senior International Correspondent.   SOURCES: Sky News, BBC, Fox News   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch