Welcome to Passages Pulse Episode 41 (Part 2) — recorded in Jerusalem with a breathtaking view of the Old City from the roof of the Austrian Hospice. In this second half of our on-location “hot seat” conversation, Josiah McGee is joined again by Olivia Layne to tackle the next round of difficult, emotionally charged, and often misunderstood questions about Israel — especially those facing Gen Z in today’s digital media landscape.

This episode dives deeper into the moral, geopolitical, and theological arguments surrounding Israel, while also addressing viral claims, misinformation, and how Christians can think clearly and compassionately about an incredibly complex conflict.

In this episode, we cover:

-Why it matters for Gen Z — and Christians — to support Israel

-The moral vs. geopolitical case for U.S. support of Israel

-Does Israel “drag” the United States into war?

-How to think logically and compassionately about genocide claims

-What war really looks like in the modern Middle East

-Empathy, suffering, and truth in the fog of war

-Does “those who bless Israel will be blessed” apply today?

-Is the Israel of the Bible the same as the Israel of today?

-How to spot credible sources in an age of social media and AI misinformation

Recommended books, podcasts, and resources for learning about Israel:

Honest Reporting: https://honestreporting.com/

Local Sources of Israel News: Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, etc..

Israel by Daniel Gordis: https://www.amazon.com/Israel-Concise-History-Nation-Reborn/dp/0062368745

Israel Unpacked Podcast

Olivia’s Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HL9B5NWf9t1MDF6OE5PXODmLD9YdlEiWZiFUtfxsxFs/edit?usp=sharing

Disclaimer: Individual views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Passages. Want to learn more about Passages?

Visit www.passagesisrael.org and follow us on Instagram @passagesisrael.

In this special episode of Passages Pulse, Josiah McGee is joined by Janatan Sayeh, Iran Research Analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, for an urgent conversation as historic protests erupt across Iran amid a sweeping internet blackout.

What’s really happening inside Iran right now? Are these protests different from past uprisings — and could this moment finally lead to regime change?

Drawing on both deep policy expertise and lived experience growing up in Tehran, Janatan offers rare insight into the ideology of Iran’s Islamic Republic, the brutality of its response to dissent, and why Iranians are increasingly risking everything to take to the streets.

We unpack:

🔥 What triggered the current wave of protests — and why they’re not just “economic”

📵 How the regime’s internet blackout is obscuring the true scale of violence

⚖️ The Islamic Republic’s ideology, from the 1979 revolution to today’s human rights abuses

🧕 Why women, minorities, and young people are at the forefront of resistance

🩸 What we know (and don’t) about casualties, executions, and the regime’s crackdown

🌍 The role of international pressure — and why Iranians are calling for outside support

🔮 What could come next if the regime collapses: military rule, monarchy, or reform?

Disclaimer: Individual views expressed in this episode are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Passages.

Want to learn more about Passages? Visit www.passagesisrael.org and follow us on Instagram @passagesisrael.

Welcome to Passages Pulse Episode 40 — recorded in Jerusalem with a stunning view of the Old City from the roof of the Austrian Hospice. With Sebastian away welcoming a new baby, Olivia Layne joins Josiah McGee for a “hot seat” conversation tackling some of the most common (and most controversial) questions about Israel that show up online and around the dinner table.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series recorded on location in Israel.

In this episode, we cover:

-Was Israel created because of the Holocaust?

-Did Europeans “gift” the land to the Jews?

-Are Israelis (and Jews) all white and European?

-What is a “Palestinian”? Race, religion, ethnicity, or identity?

-Is Israel an apartheid state?

Mentioned / Related Resources

https://youtu.be/y3H3scdcJvg

Disclaimer: Individual views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Passages. Want to learn more about Passages?

Visit www.passagesisrael.org and follow us on Instagram @passagesisrael.

In this week’s Passages Pulse, Josiah McGee is joined by Passages CEO Zach Bauer for a sobering conversation following the antisemitic terror attack during a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia.

How did a holiday gathering turn into one of the deadliest terror attacks in Australia’s modern history?

And what does this tragedy reveal about the global rise of antisemitism and radicalization?

We unpack:

🕯️ What happened at the Hanukkah celebration in Sydney and why this was an ISIS-inspired terror attack

🌍 The sharp rise of antisemitic violence in Australia, the U.S., and across the Western world

🚨 What warning signs were missed — and what governments can (and must) learn from this failure

🦸 Stories of courage and heroism that saved lives amid the chaos

🙏 How Christians should respond with prayer, clarity, and courage in the face of growing hatred

As antisemitism increasingly moves from rhetoric to real-world violence, this episode wrestles with the hard questions — and calls believers to stand firmly with the Jewish people during a time of fear and uncertainty.

If you’re trying to understand how hate becomes normalized, why these attacks are spreading, and what faithfulness looks like in dark moments, this conversation brings clarity grounded in Christian conviction.

What we know about the father and son suspects in the Bondi Beach attack: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/australia/bondi-beach-attack-suspects-father-son-rcna249258

Australian officials: Bondi terror attack inspired by ISIS, bombs found in shooters’ car: https://www.timesofisrael.com/australian-officials-bondi-terror-attack-inspired-by-isis-bombs-found-in-shooters-car/

EMERGENCY EPISODE: Deadly Attack in Sydney - with Jeremy Leibler, Nomi Kaltmann, and Nadav Eya: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4sFK9gx9A6OI4w302vatTw?si=7b7b3faa94334f4a

Disclaimer: Individual views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Passages. Want to learn more about Passages?

Visit www.passagesisrael.org and follow us on Instagram @passagesisrael.

In this week’s Passages Pulse, Sebastian and Josiah tackle two developments already reshaping the conversation about Israel in America: President Trump’s brand-new National Security Strategy and the wave of pro-Qatar messaging emerging from the Doha Forum.

What does the NSS really signal about the Middle East?

And why is Qatar working so hard to rebrand itself right now — with Tucker Carlson front and center?

We unpack:

🇺🇸 The biggest surprises in Trump’s National Security Strategy and what they could mean for Israel’s standing in U.S. policy

🌍 Why the Middle East is being reframed in America’s global priorities — and what comes next

🇶🇦 The Doha Forum as a PR power play, and the quiet influence battle happening behind the scenes

🎙️ What Tucker Carlson’s Qatar interview gets wrong (and why it matters for public opinion)

🙏 How Christians should respond when propaganda, policy, and peacemaking collide

If you’ve been trying to sort through shifting alliances and conflicting narratives, this episode connects the dots — clearly, honestly, and with a rooted Christian perspective.

U.S. discussing potential Sisi-Netanyahu summit: https://www.axios.com/2025/12/07/egypt-israel-summit-netanyahu-sisi-kushner

National Security Strategy of the United States of America: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf

https://youtu.be/_Kwm3shCxok

https://youtu.be/7a9RZrj6Kr8

https://youtu.be/4zvkPI-YIds

Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East: https://www.amazon.com/Six-Days-War-Making-Modern/dp/0345461924

How Qatar Bought America: https://www.thefp.com/p/how-qatar-bought-america-9df?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_campaign=dsa&utm_adgroup=all&utm_term=&utm_matchtype=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22457634466&gbraid=0AAAAApHxamFexXKmDJrp2onjM91_VYEtg&gclid=CjwKCAiA0eTJBhBaEiwA-Pa-hQLkjsdrXwNix7X2-G9jnCAzazR-Tcev4fyMIOBwDdkCLwj92bEBzhoCGAcQAvD_BwE

How Qatar is buying American public opinion: https://www.fdd.org/in_the_news/2025/03/16/how-qatar-is-buying-american-public-opinion/

Disclaimer: Individual views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Passages. Want to learn more about Passages?

Visit www.passagesisrael.org and follow us on Instagram @passagesisrael.

In this week’s Passages Pulse, Sebastian and Josiah break down one of the most unexpected twists in Israeli politics: Prime Minister Netanyahu asking for a presidential pardon while still on trial.

What does that even mean?

Is it political strategy, legal chaos, or something deeper?

We unpack:

🇮🇱 How Israel’s political system works (and why it’s so different from the U.S.)

⚖️ What this pardon request actually implies for Netanyahu’s future

🏛️ The pressure on President Herzog as he decides whether to intervene

🙏 Where justice and forgiveness collide — and how Christians can think about moments like this

If you’ve been trying to make sense of the headlines, this episode connects the dots — clearly, honestly, and with a grounded Christian perspective.

Disclaimer: Individual views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Passages. Want to learn more about Passages?

Visit www.passagesisrael.org and follow us on Instagram @passagesisrael.

In this episode of Passages Pulse, Josiah McGee sits down with Johnnie Moore, former U.S. Commissioner for International Religious Freedom and expert in Middle East studies, for a thought-provoking conversation on faith, policy, and education.

They dive into why understanding the Middle East is essential for Christians, how foreign and domestic policy are deeply interconnected, and the challenges facing Middle East studies in American universities. Moore also shares an inside look at Pepperdine University’s new Master of Middle East Policy Studies program, designed to combine practical experience with viewpoint diversity.

Apply to Pepperdine's Master of Middle East Policy Studies

https://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/master-middle-east-policy-studies/

Disclaimer: Individual views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Passages. Want to learn more about Passages?

Visit www.passagesisrael.org and follow us on Instagram @passagesisrael.

In this episode, Sebastian Parra and Josiah McGee break down one of the most surprising geopolitical moments of the year: back-to-back visits from Syrian President Al Jelani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Washington D.C.

Why now? What does it mean for U.S. strategy, Israel’s security, military cooperation, and the future of the region?

Sebastian and Josiah dive into the high-stakes chessboard of Middle Eastern politics — from dealing with leaders with controversial histories to the hidden opportunities the U.S. may be positioning itself for.

They wrap with a powerful reminder of the need for prayer, wisdom, and peace as global tensions rise.

Trump told MBS he expects Saudi-Israel normalization with Gaza war over: https://www.axios.com/2025/11/13/trump-mbs-israel-normalization-call-saudi

Syria-US rapprochement sees cooperation surge: https://en.majalla.com/node/328256/politics/syria-us-rapprochement-sees-cooperation-surge

Disclaimer: Individual views are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Passages. Want to learn more about Passages?

Visit www.passagesisrael.org and follow us on Instagram @passagesisrael.