Can you tell us your opinion on why those in government and police seem so happy to "appease" brown protesters - BLM , hamas - anti jew etc sat morning shopping disruption , mass open street prayer-but are hard on whites supporting one day freedom marches/tommy robinson etc?
Emboldening these groups builds tensions into a far bigger problem down the way - Stupidity or a communist conspiracy agenda ala Yuri Bezmenov? its making non racists racist - there is clear two tier treatment.
Coming from a fundamentalist Christian family do you have any understanding of Islamic and Jewish fundamentalists and what is the difference between them?
How important is it that Israel has proof of the development of a nuclear bomb? Is there a danger of this exchange being tarred with the same brush as the Iraqi invasion and therefore reducing it's legitimacy?
Matthew Syed is the only reason I still subscribe to The Times, so I was delighted when the paper gave him a much broader mandate to write about whatever he would like, rather than confine him to the sports pages. Can Matthew explain how exactly that transition came about - did he pitch it himself, or was he asked to do it? Was it a data-driven decision given how much engagement he was getting with sports, or a just a gut call from editors who could see the quality of his writing?
At what point will the media recognize that Israel stands alone as the only natively multi-ethnic Western democracy with above-replacement fertility, an informed citizenry, and a government capable of navigating long-term existential challenges—while continually generating the political will to make short-term sacrifices along the way?
The current Iranian regime is being attacked from the outside (that is, Israel) rather from the inside like a popular rebellion. I don't see any group or charismatic individual that can lead a replacement for the Kahmenei government despite the urgings from the West. I long period of civil unrest seems inevitable. It also seems likely that another theocratic government is likely to win control? Is this a correct assessment? Thanks.
How does Israel bring peace to Gaza? By being the grown-up in a room full of arsonists.
Occupy. Build hospitals, schools, roads, supermarkets—even 7-Elevens. When Hamas blows them up, rebuild by morning. Then kill the ones who did it. Repeat. Every time.
Eventually, Gazans will notice. Israel builds, Hamas destroys. One side offers life & prosperity, the other, death. It’ll take time—two generations—but it’ll work.
I don't care who started the fire. Israel is the only one with a fire hose.
When will Israel occupy Gaza to protect the Gazans?
This is the original question. Some might like to read it. It's too long to ask on air.
"How can Israel bring peace to Gaza? Simple. By doing the impossible, repeatedly, and with good manners.
Let’s start with the unpleasant truth that no one in the region actually likes the Palestinians in Gaza. Not the Egyptians. Not the Jordanians. Not even the Qataris who write them cheques. And certainly not Hamas—who treat Gaza like a hostage camp while pretending to be its liberators. The only people, ironically, who seem to genuinely care about Gazans are the Israelis. Yes, the apartheid, genocidal, fascist Israelis—according to campus intellectuals who’ve never lived within mortar range.
So here’s a mad idea: maybe Israel should take charge—not because it owes Gaza anything, but because it’s the only adult in the room.
Give them water. Clean, reliable water. When Hamas (or whatever acronym of misery replaces Hamas) blows it up, repair it by sunrise. Then kill the ones who blew it up. Not “detain.” Not “warn.” Kill.
Build hospitals. Staff them. Stock them. When terrorists use them as human shields or storage lockers for rockets, rebuild them after the IDF flattens the site. Then kill the ones who forced that choice.
Schools? Same. Teach the children maths, not martyrdom. Rebuild every time the jihadi-of-the-month club turns it into a launchpad. And yes, kill those who do.
Supermarkets, roads, even a few 7-Elevens—if you must. When the militants blow them up, fix them overnight. Then kill the militants. And keep going.
This isn’t about vengeance. It’s about reliability. Create a world where the average Gazan sees that every time something is built, Israel stands behind it. And every time it’s destroyed, someone dies for it—someone who tried to turn milk and bread into targets.
Over time—and yes, it’ll take a generation or two—people will stop looking at Israel like the villain and start seeing Hamas for what it always was: a gang of thugs who traded children’s futures for rocket launches and press releases.
I don't care who started this mess. Israel the only one in the region with the power, the conscience—and the bureaucracy—to end it. Not by being nice. But by being relentless, efficient, and boringly competent.
That’s how peace comes to Gaza. Not through treaties. Through plumbing, power lines, and punctuality. And the absolute certainty that if you try to blow up a 7-Eleven, someone will bury you before breakfast.
How can what seems at this stage to be indicative of what will be a good outcome in Iran be leveraged into a great outcome in gaza, thereafter the region?
Isn’t it just the case that Israel, because it represents itself as a Jewish state, will always be attacked on religious grounds by Islamic states? Furthermore it is democratic, unlike its attackers, and successful, unlike its attackers. This means that the attackers easily find justifications because they are both authoritarian and jealous.
Israel has only been able to make peace with states like Egypt and Jordan by beating them on the battlefield. Even Syria under the Assads stopped attacking after it was defeated and it hasn’t started again under its current management.
Hi Matthew, great to have you back so soon.
Can you tell us your opinion on why those in government and police seem so happy to "appease" brown protesters - BLM , hamas - anti jew etc sat morning shopping disruption , mass open street prayer-but are hard on whites supporting one day freedom marches/tommy robinson etc?
Emboldening these groups builds tensions into a far bigger problem down the way - Stupidity or a communist conspiracy agenda ala Yuri Bezmenov? its making non racists racist - there is clear two tier treatment.
Watched the first interview again to refresh, good one.
Isn’t liberalism doomed, as it always leads to weakness… there are far more weak of character, and non intelligent people, than people like you three.
Do we need to go back and also forward, to something like modern stoicism?
Coming from a fundamentalist Christian family do you have any understanding of Islamic and Jewish fundamentalists and what is the difference between them?
How important is it that Israel has proof of the development of a nuclear bomb? Is there a danger of this exchange being tarred with the same brush as the Iraqi invasion and therefore reducing it's legitimacy?
There's the IAEA report that basically states they're preparing tomise their nuclear capacity for weapons development
Matthew Syed is the only reason I still subscribe to The Times, so I was delighted when the paper gave him a much broader mandate to write about whatever he would like, rather than confine him to the sports pages. Can Matthew explain how exactly that transition came about - did he pitch it himself, or was he asked to do it? Was it a data-driven decision given how much engagement he was getting with sports, or a just a gut call from editors who could see the quality of his writing?
At what point will the media recognize that Israel stands alone as the only natively multi-ethnic Western democracy with above-replacement fertility, an informed citizenry, and a government capable of navigating long-term existential challenges—while continually generating the political will to make short-term sacrifices along the way?
The current Iranian regime is being attacked from the outside (that is, Israel) rather from the inside like a popular rebellion. I don't see any group or charismatic individual that can lead a replacement for the Kahmenei government despite the urgings from the West. I long period of civil unrest seems inevitable. It also seems likely that another theocratic government is likely to win control? Is this a correct assessment? Thanks.
I've just read Andrew Fox's very good assessment on Iran the day after on Substack - definitely worth a read/listen and free as well.
Thanks!
How does Israel bring peace to Gaza? By being the grown-up in a room full of arsonists.
Occupy. Build hospitals, schools, roads, supermarkets—even 7-Elevens. When Hamas blows them up, rebuild by morning. Then kill the ones who did it. Repeat. Every time.
Eventually, Gazans will notice. Israel builds, Hamas destroys. One side offers life & prosperity, the other, death. It’ll take time—two generations—but it’ll work.
I don't care who started the fire. Israel is the only one with a fire hose.
When will Israel occupy Gaza to protect the Gazans?
This is the original question. Some might like to read it. It's too long to ask on air.
"How can Israel bring peace to Gaza? Simple. By doing the impossible, repeatedly, and with good manners.
Let’s start with the unpleasant truth that no one in the region actually likes the Palestinians in Gaza. Not the Egyptians. Not the Jordanians. Not even the Qataris who write them cheques. And certainly not Hamas—who treat Gaza like a hostage camp while pretending to be its liberators. The only people, ironically, who seem to genuinely care about Gazans are the Israelis. Yes, the apartheid, genocidal, fascist Israelis—according to campus intellectuals who’ve never lived within mortar range.
So here’s a mad idea: maybe Israel should take charge—not because it owes Gaza anything, but because it’s the only adult in the room.
Give them water. Clean, reliable water. When Hamas (or whatever acronym of misery replaces Hamas) blows it up, repair it by sunrise. Then kill the ones who blew it up. Not “detain.” Not “warn.” Kill.
Build hospitals. Staff them. Stock them. When terrorists use them as human shields or storage lockers for rockets, rebuild them after the IDF flattens the site. Then kill the ones who forced that choice.
Schools? Same. Teach the children maths, not martyrdom. Rebuild every time the jihadi-of-the-month club turns it into a launchpad. And yes, kill those who do.
Supermarkets, roads, even a few 7-Elevens—if you must. When the militants blow them up, fix them overnight. Then kill the militants. And keep going.
This isn’t about vengeance. It’s about reliability. Create a world where the average Gazan sees that every time something is built, Israel stands behind it. And every time it’s destroyed, someone dies for it—someone who tried to turn milk and bread into targets.
Over time—and yes, it’ll take a generation or two—people will stop looking at Israel like the villain and start seeing Hamas for what it always was: a gang of thugs who traded children’s futures for rocket launches and press releases.
I don't care who started this mess. Israel the only one in the region with the power, the conscience—and the bureaucracy—to end it. Not by being nice. But by being relentless, efficient, and boringly competent.
That’s how peace comes to Gaza. Not through treaties. Through plumbing, power lines, and punctuality. And the absolute certainty that if you try to blow up a 7-Eleven, someone will bury you before breakfast.
When will Israel occupy Gaza to protect Gazans?"
How can what seems at this stage to be indicative of what will be a good outcome in Iran be leveraged into a great outcome in gaza, thereafter the region?
Isn’t it just the case that Israel, because it represents itself as a Jewish state, will always be attacked on religious grounds by Islamic states? Furthermore it is democratic, unlike its attackers, and successful, unlike its attackers. This means that the attackers easily find justifications because they are both authoritarian and jealous.
Israel has only been able to make peace with states like Egypt and Jordan by beating them on the battlefield. Even Syria under the Assads stopped attacking after it was defeated and it hasn’t started again under its current management.