Ill Conceived

When people obsessed with demographic shift are asked to give an example of a country that does it right, they often point to Israel, whose total fertility rate of 2.87 is the highest in the OECD. But why is Israel's fertility rate so much higher than its peers? This week, Josh and June dig into the history of the Israeli state to see how natalist ideals were embedded into its fabric even before its formal founding and learn how that ideology links to the forcible transfer and expulsion of its native Palestinian population. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to [email protected]*** EPISODE ART: David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel. Before the state of Israel was established in 1948, Ben-Gurion was instrumental in building support for the concept of a Jewish state in Palestine and led the nascent settler movement known as the Yishuv in its transition to full governance. SOURCES: A Very Short History of the Israel–Palestine Conflict by Ilan Pappé (Oneworld Publications, 2024) “David Ben-Gurion and the ‘Demographic Threat’: His Dualistic Approach to Natalism, 1936–63” by Lilach Rosenberg-Friedman (Middle Eastern Studies, April 22, 2015) “Religiosity, nationalism and fertility among Jews in Israel revisited” by Evgenia Bystrov (Acta Sociologica, May 2016) “Demographic Change in the Greater Levant: A Case Study by Country Egypt, Israel, and Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria” by Anthony H Cordesman (CSIS, 2022) “Jewish pronatalism: Policy and practice” by Michal Raucher (Religion Compass, 2021) “The Impact of Militarism, Patriarchy, and Culture on Israeli Women’s Reproductive Health and Well-Being” by Leeat Granek and Ora Nakash (International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2017) “Vanishing Palestine” by Lila Sharif (Critical Ethnic Studies, 2016) “West Bank annexation supported by nearly 40% of Israeli Jews, JPPI poll finds” (The Jerusalem Post, August 12, 2026) “Israel abortion application rates decline, with nearly all requests gaining approval, CBS reports” by Ruby Sadikman (The Jerusalem Post, June 27, 2026) World Bank data for the population of the West Bank and Gaza Abortion in the United States fact sheet (Guttmacher Institute, March 2026) “Israeli army ends 11-day Hebron raid after looting and vandalising Palestinian homes” by Fayha Shalash (Middle East Eye, November 4, 2026) FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived -------------------------- Vivek Ramaswamy, in his campaign to become governor of Ohio, has weaponized rival Democrat Amy Acton's mother to smear her in an October surprise that recalls some of the nastiest tendencies of natalism and the "parental rights" movement. We're talking about it, plus we read your letters about: The mechanics of Israel's "law of return" and how it facilitates the transfer of stolen land How Birthright is pitched to more observant Jews and the family pressure it entails Chabad classes about the importance of family making Population loss and how it affects the trajectories of cities "Yeehaw!" - The Timid Cowboy

Since its establishment in 1999, the organization Taglit-Birthright Israel has taken hundreds of thousands of young Jews on an all-expenses-paid trip to the Holy Land, encouraging them to settle down and have children in a country with the highest birth rate in the Western-aligned world. This week, June and Josh take a look at how Birthright functions, both as a natalist project and a backstop for The Most Moral Army In The World™ and its ongoing campaign of genocide against Palestine. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to [email protected]*** EPISODE ART: Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire founder of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Before his death in 2021, Adelson was the single largest funder of Birthright Israel, contributing over $500 million alongside his wife Miriam. AUDIO CLIPS: 49:33 – Excerpt from an NPR article about the IDF sperm retrieval unit by Daniel Estrin SOURCES: What is Birthright Israel? Why Do Observant Jews Have So Many Kids? Israel’s Religiously Divided Society Debating Natalism: Israeli One-Woman Shows on Experiencing Childlessness Families of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza are retreiving sperm from their bodies Questioning our 'Birthright' 15 year old thread on Birthright: Just got back from my Birthright trip. I want to share my experience with others because it did not match the promotional material. New data suggest Birthright effect on Jewish marriage, connection to Israel lasts up to 2 decades The Romance of Birthright Israel FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived -------------------------- The Financial Times has published an article that sees falling birthrates as a form of social contagion. We're talking about it, plus reading your letters from the World Famous Mailbag about: The status of trans healthcare, both government-sanctioned and DIY HRT, in the UK How James Orr's project at Cambridge reflects the German nationalistic fraternal order known as the Burschenschaften The official legal status of the city (not town!) of Winchester Our babies stay winning!

It's Brit Week here on Ill Conceived and the subject is the born-again Christian, recently deposed Reform UK policy head, and long-time friend of J.D. Vance known as James Orr. From his meteoric ascendance at Cambridge University and Reform UK to his equally precipitous recent crashout (and probable crimes), Josh and June try to figure out how Orr's attempt at bringing American-style Christian nationalism to the UK failed in the short run and discuss what the longer-term project might look like. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to [email protected]*** EPISODE ART: James Orr speaking at a convention in Phoenix, Arizona. AUDIO CLIPS: 24:22 – A church service at Holy Trinity Brompton from March 15, 2026 45:56 – James Orr talking about how governments can raise birthrates on John Anderson's podcast 50:22 – James Orr talking about the liberal concept of individual rights, also on John Anderson's podcast 54:59 – James Orr talking about the importance of a strong ethnic majority in a GB News interview SOURCES: “Two Reform officials step down after undercover donations report” by Ewan Somerville and Joe Pike (BBC, September 4, 2026) “Former student of suspended Reform official reopens bullying case against Cambridge University” by Ben Quinn and Rowena Mason (The Guardian, September 17, 2026) “James Orr and the gospel of the new British right” by Helen Warrell and Ramsay Hodgson (FT Magazine, September 3, 2026) “J. D. Vance is the future of MAGA” by James Orr (The Spectator, August 20, 2025) “Radical Islam, Depopulation & Identity Politics: The UK In Crisis” with James Orr (John Anderson Media, December 22, 2025) “Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations” (Channel 4, September 3, 2026) “James Orr on England's immigration crisis” (GB News, July 10, 2025) “Nigel Farage tells BBC he 'wasn't listening' during foreign donor talks filmed undercover” by Laura Kuenssburg (BBC, September 6, 2026) “The 'National Conservative' who grew up in Belgium — and won J.D. Vance’s ear” by Dylan Carter (The Brussels Times, June 22, 2025) “Meet JD Vance’s English philosopher king” by Peter Snowdon and Anne McElvoy (Politico, September 19, 2024) “James Orr: JD Vance is just a normal guy who likes his beers” by Robert Crampton (The Times, August 15, 2025) “Palantir Co-Founder Peter Thiel and Reform UK’s Cambridge University Recruitment Pipeline Project Revealed” by Nafeez Ahmed and Peter Jukes (Byline Times, July 9, 2026) “An English Benedict Option” by Rod Dreher (February 22, 2025) “What are the allegations Reform UK is facing on illegal donations as police launch probe” by Millie Cooke (The Independent, September 9, 2026) “The Burnham bounce: Is Labour gaining ground against Farage’s Reform?” by Edna Mohamed (Al Jazeera, September 30, 2026) “UK police widen criminal probe into Reform UK over new allegations” (Reuters, September 9, 2026) “Shock and Orr: Meet the Farage-Supporting ‘Philosopher King’ of British Authoritarianism” by Iain Overton (Byline Times, August 26, 2026) “Reform’s new ‘kingmaker’: The theologian friend of JD Vance” by Poppy Coburn (The Telegraph, October 19, 2025) “James Orr is Reform’s new Head of Policy” by James Heale (The Spectator, February 17, 2026) FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)