Episode 368 · The Studio Revamp
A Case For Israel with Noa Tishby | The Tim Dillon Show #368
with Noa Tishby and Noah Tishby
Nov 4, 2023 · 1:02:44 · 280,000 views · 17 segments, 118 moments indexed
Tim sits down with actress, writer, producer & activist Noa Tishby on Israel and the conflict in Gaza. Recorded October 28, 2023.
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- 1 min
Intro: Book Publisher Drama and Guest Setup
#Tim opens by announcing he's switching book publishers after failing to agree on edits, offers refunds on pre-sales, and promises a spring book tour before introducing guest Noa Tishby, an Israel advocate and former Israeli government envoy.
3moments
- Tim is switching publishers due to editorial disagreements and uncertain whether pre-sales can be kept or if customers will be refunded.
- Noah Tishby, profiled in the New York Times as an Israel advocate, is the episode's guest for a conversation about Israel.
- Tim describes the upcoming conversation as very good and respectful.
- 4 min
Tishby details her career including working briefly for Netanyahu's government before being dismissed for criticizing judicial overhaul, then describes the October 7th Hamas attack in graphic detail, including mass killings, rape, and mutilation of victims.
6moments
- Noa Tishby is an Israeli-American actress and producer who created the first TV format to go from Israel to America on HBO.
- Tim asks why she was briefly appointed as Israel's special envoy for combating anti-Semitism under Yair Lapid, then dismissed under Netanyahu for criticizing a judicial overhaul.
- The key point: you can criticize Israeli government policies while acknowledging Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
- October 7th wasn't a terrorist attack in the conventional sense—it was an invasion by nearly 3,000 militants who broke through the border into towns and kibbutzim.
- The massacre killed 1,500 people and caused the greatest slaughter of Jewish people since the Holocaust in a single day.
- The attackers filmed the barbarism—beheadings of babies, families burned alive, a pregnant woman's belly sliced open and her fetus beheaded—as proof of what they were willing to do.
Noah TishbyBenjamin NetanyahuIsraelOctober 7th attackHBOIsrael's first special Envoy for combating anti-SemitismIsraeli judicial overhaul
- 5 min
Tishby explains how anti-Semitism functions as a shape-shifting conspiracy theory about Jewish control, discusses her book on Israel, and she and Tim debate media bias, college protests, and campaigns to blacklist student protesters.
7moments
- Radical Islamic Nazism has no interest in Western values like two-state solutions or peaceful coexistence.
- Tim wrote a book called "Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth" because media coverage of Israel was consistently wrong.
- There is an anti-Israel media bias, yet people simultaneously claim Jews control the media—a logical contradiction.
- Anti-Semitism is fundamentally a conspiracy theory where people believe Jews control everything, which then skews opinions about Israel specifically.
- People across the political spectrum can criticize specific Israeli policies without questioning Israel's right to exist as a nation.
- College activism shifted from debating specific Israeli policies to questioning whether Israel should exist at all—something unique to this one country.
- Israel is the only country where serious debate exists about whether it has a right to exist, which is fundamentally insane.
IsraelIsrael A Simple Guide to the most understood country on earthanti-SemitismBill Maheranti-israel media biasradical IslamBenjamin NetanyahuLeft Right
- 2 min
Tim jokes about hair loss during wartime discussion then transitions into an ad for Keeps, an at-home hair loss treatment service, touting its reviews, convenience, and a free first month offer.
5moments
- Tim lost all his hair, then used Keeps and it came back — well, sort of seriously, a lot of his friends had great success with the product.
- Two out of three men experience some form of hair loss by age 35, and more than 50 million men in the US suffer from male pattern baldness.
- Keeps is an expert-recommended hair loss treatment with more five-star reviews than any competitor, offering quality expert care without visiting a doctor's office.
- The treatment is cheap but good, whether you're preventing hair loss, stimulating growth, or just taking better care of the hair you have.
- Prevention is key — you want to stop hair from being lost, strike preemptively.
- 3 min
Tim questions why Jewish Americans historically vote Democrat despite pro-immigration stances conflicting with anti-Israel sentiment on the left, then they discuss the tiny global Jewish population percentage and debate the definition and connotations of Zionism.
6moments
- Protesters in Australia yelled 'gas the Jews' outside the opera house during recent demonstrations.
- Tim came to America on an extraordinary ability visa and had to prove merit to get citizenship.
- Company CEOs demanding lists of college protesters and letter signers feeds into cabal behavior and paranoia.
- The Jewish community has not received the same protection from microaggressions that other marginalized groups get.
- Tim argues for equal opportunity in consequences—if other minorities face repercussions for discrimination, so should anti-Semitism.
- Tim estimates Jewish population at roughly 0.1 to 0.3 percent of world population, though his Long Island and Beverly Hills experience makes it feel like more.
Democratic PartyAustraliaHarvard CrimsonBeverly HillsLong Island
- 5 min
Tishby pushes back on apartheid state claims by citing Arab-Israeli rights and representation, distinguishes Gaza from the West Bank, and they debate whether Israel funded Hamas to undermine the PLO and avoid a two-state solution.
8moments
- Only 15 million Jews in the entire world, fewer than LA's population, and Israel is the only Jewish state while there are 21 Arab states.
- Tim acknowledges Hamas attack was barbaric and Israel has right to defend itself, and affirms Israel's right to exist.
- If Jewish people have a cabal they might as well start acting like one, since the accusation keeps coming.
- Zionism is simply the Jewish people's right to a state and self-determination in parts of their ancestral land, not an exclusively Jewish state.
- Israel is not an apartheid state; it's the only country in the Middle East where the Christian population is growing.
- Within Israel proper there is equal rights, one person one vote, with Arab Muslims on the Supreme Court and Arab judges sentencing former Israeli presidents.
- Gaza was never occupied by Israel; the West Bank is under military control pending peace negotiations with Palestinians.
- Caller presses whether Israel actually funded Hamas to keep it more extreme than the PLO, suggesting Israel prefers chaos to two-state negotiations.
- 5 min
Tishby explains Hamas's stated genocidal charter, argues Iran sacrificed Hamas and Gaza to sabotage Saudi-Israel normalization and Sunni-Shia rivalry, and they discuss whether there's room for nuanced criticism of Israel's military response.
9moments
- Hamas's charter explicitly calls for destroying the Jewish state and slaughtering all Jews, except those hiding behind trees and stones that will betray them.
- Israel mistakenly believed Hamas wanted to govern Palestinians and achieve normalcy, when Hamas was actually planning to destroy Israel.
- Hamas sacrificed Gaza in their attack, killing 1500 Israelis and mutilating bodies to claim a victory.
- Tim compares Hamas's October 7th operation to previous attempts by Nazis and the Inquisition to exterminate Jews.
- Hamas is a pawn of Iran, which sacrificed them as part of broader regional strategy.
- Hamas won Palestinian elections, but unlike Israel's early leaders who unified militant factions under one government, Hamas is committed to destroying rather than building.
- Iran sacrificed Hamas and dragged the entire Arab world into trouble, forcing even Sunni leadership to acknowledge Israel's right to defend itself.
- Palestinians protesting peacefully for statehood are seeking what the Jewish yeshuv wanted—a state for themselves—but Hamas has no interest in building anything.
- The 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are not all Hamas supporters, and Gaza had no Israeli occupation and could have become Singapore.
- 4 min
They discuss settlement expansion in the West Bank, disputed property deeds and evictions like Sheikh Jarrah, and whether these represent genuine expansionism or a distraction from the core conflict with Hamas.
7moments
- Israel left Gaza in 2005 but left behind houses, greenhouses, and farms that Palestinians burned down.
- Palestinians claim evictions based on deeds showing ownership, citing cases like Haara.
- The settlement and expansionist nature of Israel are core criticisms worldwide, though Tim notes 86% of Arab Israelis prefer living in Israel over a Palestinian state.
- Tim thinks settlements are a red herring because the West Bank is still under military control and was never annexed, with only about 450,000 to 495,000 Jews versus 2.9 million Arabs.
- The deed dispute is treated as a war crime, but Kara specifically involves an ownership dispute between two groups in extreme positions.
- There's a war happening in Israel right now that overshadows these land disputes; the real issue is groups wanting to exterminate Jews.
- Two-state solution has never materialized despite getting close under Clinton when Arafat was on a plane to sign a deal offering him 96% of disputed territory.
West BankYaser ArafatIsraelBill ClintonGazaPalestinian StateHaara
- 5 min
Tishby recounts the failed Camp David negotiations with Arafat and Palestinian rejectionism, then they discuss Israel's planned ground incursion into Gaza, comparing it to America's post-9/11 wars and questioning what a post-Hamas Gaza would look like.
10moments
- Tim breaks down Israel's historical peace offers to Palestinians and how they were repeatedly rejected.
- Palestinian national movement needs to clarify whether it truly wants a two-state solution or the elimination of Israel.
- Israel preparing ground invasion into Gaza while observers like Thomas Friedman worry it could become a quagmire like Iraq.
- Tim distinguishes between intentional attacks on civilians and collateral damage from urban warfare operations.
- Iran's arming and training of Hamas essentially sacrificed Gaza, knowing the price it would pay.
- Tim compares the current situation to post-9/11, when the U.S. didn't know where terrorists were but now knows where Hamas operates.
- Ground offensive concerns Tim both strategically and personally, since he knows people who will be operating in Gaza.
- Eliminating Hamas is the only option, though what success looks like remains unclear.
- When Israel tells Palestinians to evacuate, they have nowhere to go because Hamas prevents them from leaving.
- Israel gave Gaza two days warning before operations; Hamas gave Israel no warning before the October attack.
- 4 min
Tim transitions into an ad for ExpressVPN, warning about ISPs and data harvesters spying on internet activity and pitching the service's encryption and ease of use with a free three-month offer.
11moments
- Tim explains there's no moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel.
- Recent reports reveal Hamas is blocking civilian cars from evacuating.
- The hospital airstrike that killed 500 according to initial reports was actually a misfiled rocket from Islamic Jihad.
- Hamas headquarters is located underneath Gaza's largest hospital, housing 40,000 displaced people.
- A Hamas operative confirmed in interrogation that they place headquarters under hospitals and clinics because Israel won't bomb there.
- Tim argues Israel never started a war—Hamas always broke ceasefires, and Israel had to respond.
- The speaker compares Israel's situation to post-9/11 America, noting the U.S. went to the wrong country and hurt its credibility worldwide.
- Post-9/11 U.S. military actions destabilized Europe and created refugee waves that enriched defense contractors.
- Tim acknowledges Israel's understandable anger could lead to unwise decisions, but notes the key difference: they know exactly where the terrorists are.
- An ExpressVPN ad begins, warning that internet service providers spy on every website you visit and track how much time you spend on each.
- Tim pitches ExpressVPN as protection against ISP surveillance of your late-night browsing.
HamasIsraelBBCGuantanamo BayUnited Statesinternet service providersBari WeissShifa Hospital
- 3 min
They discuss the false initial reporting on a hospital explosion later attributed to a misfired Islamic Jihad rocket, and Tishby reveals Hamas's headquarters located beneath Gaza's largest hospital, arguing Israel avoids bombing hospitals.
6moments
- Tim hopes Palestine becomes a flourishing countryside alongside Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Israel normalizing relations.
- Tim argues Hamas acted to destroy the Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization deal, possibly at Iran's behest.
- Iran is using Hamas to trigger a war with Israel, turning Saudi Arabia against peace with Israel.
- Tim believes China could play a constructive role in avoiding a larger Middle East war.
- Tim notes his three-year-old godson is Chinese and, despite having choice words about Taiwan, could still play a constructive role.
- The guest has become a focal point as an advocate for Israel in the media.
- 3 min
They discuss stalled Saudi-Israel normalization, Tishby's theory that Iran orchestrated the Hamas attack to derail it, praise for MBS's reforms, and a tangent about Tim's affection for opulent Gulf aesthetics versus his Prius.
5moments
- Israel is the only country in the region that shares American values and is the true stabilizing ally, while America has backed Saudi Arabia despite them never sharing those values.
- MBS is trying 1,000% to change Saudi Arabia, and there's a noticeable difference on the street in how the country operates now.
- Tim is a fan of Saudi Arabia and appreciates that it never had vaccine or mask mandates, comparing the Persian aesthetic to a culture of displaying wealth openly.
- Hollywood has dueling letters—one group calling for ceasefire, another demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza.
- Over 230 hostages including 30 children under 16 were taken from their homes in Gaza, with parents shot in front of their faces, and Hamas needs to release them immediately.
IsraelSaudi ArabiaHamasIranTrevor NoahJustin TimberlakeKaty PerryMadonna+1 more
- 5 min
They discuss competing Hollywood celebrity letters calling for ceasefire versus hostage release, list the celebrities involved, and detail the ages and circumstances of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas.
8moments
- The letter calling for hostage release deliberately avoided calling for a ceasefire because you cannot expect Israel to stop three weeks after the October 7 massacre.
- Tim compares the situation to America's campaign against ISIS, arguing nobody was timing America with a stopwatch demanding it stop immediately.
- Many celebrities who signed anti-Israel letters have a pattern of opposing Israel on every issue, making their positions predictable.
- There is space for someone to say Israel has the right to defend itself and exist while expressing caution about the military operation's humanitarian costs.
- Hamas is turning water pipes from Gaza's infrastructure into missiles rather than allowing them to supply the two million civilians.
- This is a war Israel didn't want, and those concerned about civilians should be equally concerned about the hostages.
- Anyone calling for a ceasefire should also be calling for the immediate release of all hostages without exception.
- Hamas is conducting psychological warfare by releasing hostages two at a time, one here and there, turning the hostage situation into a prolonged disaster.
IsraelMark RuffaloBenjamin NetanyahuAmy SchumerChris RockGal GadotJerry SeinfeldTiffany Haddish+1 more
- 5 min
Tishby says it's not the time to discuss Netanyahu's political fate, they discuss Qatar hosting Hamas leadership and its potential mediating role, and debate what responsible Palestinian leadership and a resolution might look like, including Mahmoud Abbas's Holocaust denial history.
8moments
- Qatar hosts Hamas leaders in the Four Seasons while also hosting the World Cup, which Tim sees as preferable to them operating elsewhere.
- Qatar's role in hostage releases and potential regional realignment after the October 7 attack.
- Palestinian leadership needs to unite and figure out what they actually want as a national movement.
- Mahmoud Abbas is the more moderate option despite his history of Holocaust denial.
- Tim calls out the American left for virtue signaling against Israel without holding Palestinians accountable.
- Hamas committed heinous crimes including rape and killing babies, crimes rarely discussed in activist circles.
- Cutting off water, electricity, and internet in Gaza will cause mass casualties, but Israel is not responsible for Gaza's citizens—Hamas is.
- Israel tries to minimize casualties while Hamas tries to maximize them.
IsraelMahmoud AbbasQatarHamasPalestinian leadershipAmerican left
- 4 min
Tishby argues Hamas repurposes water infrastructure into rockets while blocking civilian evacuation, and they debate whether Gaza's conditions were designed by Hamas to breed terrorism versus caused by Israeli/Egyptian blockades.
9moments
- Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005 and handed it to Palestinians, then Hamas took over in a coup, throwing PA members off rooftops.
- Free Gaza from Hamas—it's a terrorist organization, like saying you support Afghan people means you support the Taliban.
- Liberals now calling out extremism ignored it for years, but people calling for massacres aren't expressing an opinion—they're calling for genocide.
- If Tim could design a place to grow terrorists, it would be Gaza—it's the ideal incubator.
- Hamas is occupying Gaza; Israel enforces the blockade because Hamas is building tunnels and stockpiling cement and gasoline.
- Both Israel and Egypt maintain the blockade on Gaza, yet nobody talks about Egypt's role in containing Hamas.
- Gaza is running out of everything except rockets—Hamas is stealing resources from their own people to fire them.
- The war didn't start October 7th or end—terrorists are constantly trying to infiltrate, rockets launch daily, and Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon.
- His sister in Tel Aviv deals with sirens regularly; the attacks haven't stopped, and Israel can't keep listening to ceasefire demands while under constant assault.
- 3 min
They speculate on how Mossad and the CIA missed the October 7th attack despite strong intelligence capabilities, then pivot to criticizing AOC and Ilhan Omar's perceived hostility toward Jews and AOC's past claim of Jewish heritage.
6moments
- Tim speaks from experience as an Israeli citizen watching the US invade Iraq after 9/11, questioning why America didn't target Iran instead.
- How did Mossad, one of the world's best intelligence agencies, miss the October 7th attack?
- Nobody wants Mossad to win except AOC, who pretended to be Jewish once — Tim respects people who come out and say what they actually believe instead.
- Tim, a Long Island Catholic, didn't grow up discussing Israel at the dinner table and has friends more versed in the issue through Birthright and comedy circles.
- If you support democracy, freedom of speech, human rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, you're an idiot if you don't support Israel within the context of the Middle East.
- Tim argues for supporting Israel while also working toward ending suffering, Palestinian self-determination, and breaking Gaza's cycle as a breeding ground for extremism.
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezIranIsraelIlhan OmarKamala HarrisMossadCIAChuck Schumer
- 1 min
Tishby closes by arguing support for Israel and support for Palestinian self-determination aren't mutually exclusive, notes that many October 7th victims were peace activists, and Tim wraps up by asking where to follow her and joking about their Instagram account being suspended over a Pizza Hut joke.
4moments
- Being pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian aren't mutually exclusive, only presented that way on American political fringes.
- Kibbutz residents attacked on October 7th were mostly peace activists and left-wing, including people who had organized kite-flying into Gaza as a gesture of peace.
- Palestinians need to acknowledge Israel exists and will stay, and that trying to slaughter Jews won't work.
- Tim mentions the show was temporarily suspended from Instagram for a video claiming Pizza Hut supported Hamas.