The Comedy Cellar: Live from the Table

Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by former spokesman for the State of Israel, Eylon Levy. They discuss anti Zionism, anti Semitism, what Hamas really wants and Levy's hope for the future of Israel and Gaza.

While Noam Dworman is away, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by The Atlantic's Helen Lewis. They discuss The Riyadh Comedy Festival, Lewis's book, The Genius Myth and The Beatles. Then Sheba Mason drops by to talk about her play about her late father, The Jackie Mason Musical.

Were the Jews Really Behind the Iraq War? David Wurmser Responds. Dr. David Wurmser, former senior advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney and co-author of the infamous “Clean Break” memo, gives us a first-hand account. Wurmser addresses the persistent claim that Israel and “neocon Jews” manipulated the Bush administration into invading Iraq. The discussion expands to include Dick Cheney’s character, the psychology of 9/11, the myth of dual loyalty, and the new wave of anti-Semitism being mainstreamed by voices like Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and John Mearsheimer. 0:00 Intro – Who is David Wurmser? 1:18 Remembering Dick Cheney: The Real Man Behind the Myths 5:59 Israel, Iraq, and the Origins of the “Clean Break” Memo 8:21 Was the Iraq War Fought for Israel? 15:16 The Strategic Case for Israel as America’s Ally 17:19 Forgetting the Cold War: How the West Lost Context 22:05 Israel’s Strategic Genius and America’s Dependence 26:00 What the “Clean Break” Memo Actually Said 33:28 Sharon Warned Against the Iraq War—Why No One Listened 38:12 Were Jewish Advisors Too Influential? 43:25 9/11, Fear, and the Psychology of the Iraq War 50:05 WMDs and What the Bush Administration Really Believed 57:27 Why the Middle East Couldn’t Stay “Over There” 1:01:15 Dual Loyalty and American Jewish Patriotism 1:06:00 John Mearsheimer and the New Conspiracy Culture 1:14:00 The “Friendly Fire” Lie About October 7th 1:20:00 Israel’s Role in Protecting the West 1:26:00 Was Iraq a Mistake—or Just Done Wrong? 1:28:20 The Mainstreaming of Anti-Semitism 1:35:00 Why Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism Are Converging 1:47:00 Closing Thoughts: Gratitude, Patriotism, and Reality

While Noam is away, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand discuss free will (do we have it?), The Riyadh Comedy Festival, originality in comedy, trans girls and how Jewish is too Jewish when it comes to comedy shows.

Former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Yaakov Katz joins Noam Dworman and Dan Naturman to dissect the failures behind October 7, the moral and strategic crises of modern Israel, and the political culture that allowed catastrophe to take root. Based on his new book While Israel Slept, Katz lays out how a nation of elite intelligence, defense technology, and Iron Dome confidence was blindsided by its own assumptions. Buy Yaakov Katz’s book — While Israel Slept — on Amazon: http://bit.ly/4o3b7XE He addresses: Whether Israeli journalism should expose government failures during wartime The growing rift between American and Israeli public opinion Why Israel misread Hamas for decades Netanyahu’s political survival and the myth that Israel “built up” Hamas How AI is used in IDF targeting and whether it saves or costs civilian lives The accusations of an Israeli “stand-down” on October 7 The uncomfortable moral math of urban warfare in Gaza Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:10 – Journalism in wartime Israel: Patriotism vs Accountability 04:40 – Why Israelis didn’t see Gaza’s destruction 08:10 – Media bias and trauma after October 7 13:00 – AI targeting, 972 Magazine, and how truth gets distorted 21:10 – “While Israel Slept” – The Premise and Title’s Origin 22:30 – Israel’s strategic blindness: Containment and Complacency 26:50 – The myth that Israel “wanted” Hamas 30:00 – Netanyahu, Qatar, and paying for quiet 34:00 – The failure of imagination on October 6 35:10 – Hezbollah and the deterrence paradox 38:20 – Can Israel learn from this? Preemption vs Occupation 40:50 – The Right, the Left, and the Gray Zone 44:00 – Morality, civilian deaths, and propaganda math 50:00 – The antisemitism question and media narratives 56:00 – Netanyahu’s communications failure 57:20 – Conspiracy theories: the “stand-down” myth 01:00:00 – Friendly fire and the Hannibal Directive 01:03:20 – Why Israel must investigate itself 01:06:10 – Closing thoughts and the future of Israeli democracy

A Live Interview from Inside Gaza. In this exclusive Live From the Table conversation, we speak directly with Moumen Al-Natour, the Gazan lawyer and founder of the We Want to Live movement. Al-Natour describes daily life under Hamas rule, the corruption of aid, hunger during the war, and his escape from repeated torture. An unfiltered account of courage, suffering, and the fight for a peaceful future.

With his son Yoav Oren (former IDF special‑forces soldier) Ambassador Michael Oren (historian; former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.) sits down for anunvarnished assessment of the war what “victory” actually means. Highlights: Psychology of war & the IDF: A deep dive into moral erosion under prolonged combat; how rage, fear, and fatigue are managed; why some units choose capture‑over‑kill in close quarters; and the IDF practice of embedding psychologists with frontline units during Gaza operations to stabilize judgment in real time. Oren’s two‑line verdict: “Emphatically yes” on military success; “tragically no” because the fight mutates if Hamas retains weapons and cover. The “Hezbollah model” in Gaza: why a foreign peacekeeping shield + undisbursed weapons equals a forever threat. Hostages, Doha, and leverage: what actually forced movement — and what happens next if disarmament stalls. Gaza casualty math, explained from Oren’s perspective (the 1:1 claim and why the numbers are contested). How Hamas turns humanitarian aid into a war economy; the logistics and the alleged skimming. On restraint under fire: Yoav’s close‑quarters firefight, triage under fire, and the decision to capture, not kill. Anti‑Semitism’s uncensored return in the West — and why, according to Oren, arguments and “hasbara” often misfire. USS Liberty: Oren’s step‑by‑step rebuttal to the “deliberate attack” narrative. The strategic endgame: surgical strikes, cutting aid diversion, and whether disarmament is possible without a full re‑invasion. 00:00 Intro 01:50 Did Israel “win”? 04:30 Gaza’s tunnels and the unique urban fight 06:10 Multi‑front picture (Hezbollah, Iran, Houthis) 07:45 From battlefield gains to regional diplomacy 08:50 Hostages and the “diplomatic shield” 12:50 Why Hamas released hostages (and why it mattered) 15:10 Will Israelis accept another ground push? 15:40 Surgical strikes vs. re‑invasion 16:30 Aid diversion and UN logistics 23:00 Doha strike debate 32:10 IDF conduct under fire; Yoav’s firefight 41:00 Rules of engagement, restraint, and misinformation 55:20 Psych support embedded with IDF units 59:00 USS Liberty — the case against conspiracy 1:09:10 Closing thoughts: victory, vigilance, and what comes next

Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon joins Live From The Table to talk about the emerging splits on the political right—Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA, anti-Semitism, and the responsibilities that come with free speech. Topics (AI gleaned): The Babylon Bee and modern satire Trans debates and free speech Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, and Turning Point Anti-Semitism and cowardice on the right Religion, truth, and respect in public debate

Two years after October 7th, the Comedy Cellar hosts Bret Stephens (New York Times), Coleman Hughes (The Free Press), and Michael Moynihan (The Fifth Column) for a discussion of how the Hamas war against Israel ignited something larger — and perhaps more enduring. The panel explores: How sympathy for Israel inverted almost overnight into hostility toward Jews. The emergence of “October 8th Jews” and the new sense of isolation in America. The Plight of the Long Suffering Palestinians Double Standards The rise of conspiratorial right-wing rhetoric and the failure of moderates to confront it.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by NYC Mayoral Candidate and Founder of the Guardian Angels, Curtis Sliwa.  He addresses why he is the best candidate for the job and and why he will not bow out of the race.

The Moshes Brothers—Joshua and Benjamin—creators of Congestion-Pricing-Tracker.com, break down the latest developments in New York City’s grand congestion pricing experiment. What does the data suggest about whether this historic policy will succeed? And, why are two college kids the only ones tracking it?

Impossible choices haunt every war. John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute, joins Live from the Table to confront the hardest questions raised by Israel’s war against Hamas. How are civilian deaths justified in war? Can Israel defeat Hamas ? What does it mean to fight an enemy that will not protect its own people? Is Israel held to a different standard than other nations Difficult questions, no easy answers.

Charlie Kirk’s assassination has sparked a firestorm of conspiracies. The Live from the Table crew, joined by journalist Ross Barkan, exposes how antisemitic tropes are spreading on the right—from Candace Owens’ tweetstorms and Max Blumenthal’s “sources” to Holocaust denier Ian Carroll’s overt accusations. And why is Megyn Kelly - staunchly pro-Israel - hesitant to call out Candace Owens, even at times praising her, as Owens’ conspiracy talk spreads? Why has Kirk’s murder been reframed around his Israel stance?

Journalist Michael Tracey and Epstein mega-expert Michael Tracey stops in to tell us what is and isn't true about this remarkable story. Subscribe to Tracey's awesome Substack: https://substack.com/@mtracey

University of Chicago Professor Robert Pape maintains that Israel is passing "historic thresholds of civilian punishment" and is risking its own future existence. Please Note: This PDF contains the post-show conversation between Noam and Pape. It contains many links to articles and videos that Pape draws from. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rk9NJ6BEYx6qa7JUEjuwzKG7R2MUOus4/view?usp=sharing Here is Pape's recent article on the matter in Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/gaza-unparalleled-devastation-robert-pape ("The Unparalleled Devastation of Gaza")