JPost sits down with...

'Victims of Zionism's success': WZO vice chair on Israel's crisis

Dr. Yizhar Hess, Vice chairman of the World Zionist Organization and a 10th-generation Jerusalemite, argues Israel has created an "unholy connection between state and religion" that pushes Jews away from their own tradition. In this candid Jerusalem Post interview, Hess unpacks the most consequential World Zionist Congress in years: how MERCAZ (the Masorti/Conservative slate) nearly doubled its mandates, why Itamar Ben-Gvir's faction was deliberately frozen out of the coalition, and what the Haredi entry into the Zionist movement really means. He explains why he believes "polite people seldom change the world," why he attended the judicial reform protests as a sitting WZO official, and why a pending Knesset bill criminalizing non-Orthodox prayer at the Kotel — punishable by up to seven years in prison, would be devastating for Israel-Diaspora relations. Hess offers a rare insider's perspective on the political body Theodor Herzl founded as "the parliament of the Jewish people."

'Charisma of a boiled potato': Isfahani on Iran's new supreme leader

Khosro Isfahani, research director at the National Union for Democracy in Iran, said anger is building inside Iran following months of war, internet shutdowns, economic damage, and mass repression. Speaking with The Jerusalem Post, Isfahani said Iranians see the Islamic Republic as unchanged, despite what he described as a regime effort to project normalcy after the recent conflict.

Jerusalem Day: A son's tale of an Ammunition Hill hero

Alon Wald never met his father, a paratrooper killed at Ammunition Hill during the Six-Day War when Alon was just 10 months old. Today, he runs the memorial site where his father fell. In this rare personal interview, Alon traces a life shaped by one absence, and by the extraordinary decision of his father's surviving unit to skip their own victory parade and knock on the doors of every bereaved family instead. Ten of those men became his surrogate fathers. Their promise: "You will never stand alone." Years later, Alon would follow his father into the paratroopers, convincing his widowed mother to sign a military waiver to make it happen. He also shares a little-known story from the battle itself: with no orders, his father's unit buried 17 fallen Jordanian soldiers and carved in English: "Buried here 17 brave Jordanian soldiers, Army of Israel, June 1967." Jordanian officers later came quietly to visit. Now director of Ammunition Hill for nearly 17 years, Alon connects generations: veterans, students, soldiers, and after October 7th, 22,000 displaced civilians who found shelter and strength at the site. His mission: making sure the other 99% of these men's lives, not just the battle, is never forgotten. Alon Wald is director of Ammunition Hill National Memorial Site in Jerusalem. The son of Captain Rami Wald, killed there in 1967 at age 32, he served as a paratrooper and IDF officer before dedicating his career to preserving and teaching his father's generation's legacy.

From David to Goliath: how the media turned against Israel

Prof. Eli Avraham has spent 25 years researching international media coverage of Israel — and his verdict is stark: Hamas earns a 9/10 for its media strategy while Israel scrapes a 3. His new book, From David to Goliath, dissects decades of structural failure and editorial bias. After October 7th, with roughly 1,000 journalists descending on Israel, the government's response was neighborhood WhatsApp groups scrambling for multilingual volunteers. Avraham traces the turning point to 1982, when the Lebanon War recast Israel's image from David to Goliath overnight — a shift the Palestinian leadership, coached in human rights framing since the 1970s, has exploited ever since. Avraham proposes a concrete fix: a politically independent national media strategy center drawing on diaspora communities and Israel's multilingual population. Written during 18 months of wartime, the book is a wake-up call — and somehow, he's still optimistic.

Yeshiva University president highlights faith partnerships, post-Oct. 7 shift

Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University, outlined a vision of Jewish leadership rooted in faith, values, and cross-religious collaboration during a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post, emphasizing what he described as a growing global appetite for meaning and authentic identity. Speaking during a short visit to Israel, Berman pointed to Yeshiva University’s “Great Conversations” series as a reflection of its expanding influence, bringing together global figures, including political leaders and intellectuals, to engage students in substantive discussions about values and leadership.