Episode 158 - How to Read News About Israel (featuring Nicole Jansezian)
Helping Christians make sense of their roots. Helping the Jewish community make sense of Jesus. Together, we are restoring the Jewishness of the gospel.
In a world where Israel is headline news every day, most people are trying to interpret events through a fog of bias, misinformation, and instant reaction culture.
We sat down with longtime Jerusalem-based journalist Nicole Jansezian to ask a simple question that’s not simple at all:
How do we know what’s actually true?
What unfolded was an inside look at the fractured media landscape inside Israel and the ideological forces shaping the region.
Nicole helps us slow down and understand why the Middle East defies the easy categories most Westerners reach for.
Israel’s political divisions don’t map onto America’s left-right spectrum. Palestinian society is not monolithic. And both sides live with historic, cultural, and religious dynamics that rarely show up in the headlines.
When we oversimplify, we miss the deeper story - and the deeper human reality.
This conversation is for anyone who wants discernment in an age of propaganda. We explore why speed has replaced accuracy, why influencers often outrun truth, and why we need a long view shaped by Scripture, not by algorithms.
For Christians seeking to understand Israel, this isn’t just geopolitics - it’s about returning to the story God has been telling since Genesis and learning to see the world the way He sees it.
Key Takeaways
Israel’s internal political spectrum is far more complex than the American left–right divide.
Headlines often frame events without context, leading to widespread misunderstanding.
Influencer-driven “news” prioritizes speed and virality over verification.
Propaganda is not always overt; sometimes it’s subtle, soft influence that shapes perception.
Ideology - religious, historic, territorial - drives Middle Eastern decisions more than economics.
The media environment inside Israel is deeply divided, with competing narratives shaping public opinion.
Christians must pursue discernment by slowing down, asking better questions, and grounding their understanding in Scripture.
Chapter Markers
00:00 – Welcome and introduction from Jerusalem
01:20 – Nicole’s story: from Queens to the Middle East
04:00 – Why Israeli politics don’t mirror America
08:30 – Divisions inside Israel after October 7
13:45 – How to read news with discernment
16:45 – The rise of influencers and the loss of verification
21:00 – Why analysis is disappearing from modern news
23:00 – Ideological drivers of the Middle East
30:20 – Propaganda and soft influence
37:00 – Where to follow Nicole’s reporting
To go deeper into conversations that reconnect the whole Bible and illuminate God’s ongoing story with Israel and the nations, explore more resources at thejewishroad.com, join us on an upcoming trip to Israel, consider becoming one of The Few who support this work regularly, and follow today’s guest at nicjan.com and on her YouTube channel for on-the-ground reporting from Jerusalem.
Thank you to Joshua Royal, for writing our closer song now running seven seasons straight. Listen to him at Joshua Royal Music.
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