Episode 50

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Published on:

8th Jul 2021

#50 Jonathan Elkhoury - Israeli-Lebanese Christian public diplomacy adviser, speaker, advocate for Israel, and commentator

Much like an onion, sometimes life seems to be made up of layers upon layers of complexity.    

Our guest this week, Jonathan Elkhoury, definitely embodies a life of many such layers.

Jonathan Elkhoury is a gay Christian Lebanese refugee who now lives in Israel. In 2000 when he was 8 years old, he and his family were forced to leave Lebanon for Israel after the Lebanese Civil War for their own protection because his father was a member of the South Lebanon Army (SLA), which was supported by the Israel Defense Forces which had just withdrew from the country after a lengthy engagement there.   

These days, he is a speaker, public diplomacy adviser, commentator, and advocate for Israel. He founded and coordinated the ‘Minorities Project’ for the organization Reservists on Duty in Israel. The Minorities Project is the first of its kind, in which Israeli minorities present their own perspective about life in the Democratic Jewish state and their part for its success today.

Elkhoury is the former spokesman for the Christian Empowerment Council that focused on integrating the Christian population into Israeli society through national and military service. He himself completed his national service of 2 years in Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

‏Jonathan writes and gives talks about the situation of Christians and other minorities in Israel, the integration and rights of the South Lebanon Army. He is a frequent commentator for Israeli media on Israeli Arab relations and the Middle East.

Links:

Visit Reservists on Duty, dedicated to defending freedom from hate by training college students and IDF reservists to speak with knowledge and confidence on behalf of Israel.

Learn about ‘The Minorities Project’ – dedicated to teaching about the lives of minorities in Israel and providing them with a platform to share their personal stories as well as their experiences in the military/national service, and to present their perspective on life in Israel.

Watch Jonathan Elkhoury responding to CNN criticism towards Israel.

Recent commentary by Jonathan on whether there’s a shift in Lebanese public opinion toward Israel.

Jonathan Elkhoury on Twitter, @Jonathan_Elk

Jonathan Elkhoury on Facebook

Follow Jonathan on Instagram @jon_elk

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For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com

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About the Podcast

Jewanced
A nuanced exploration of Israel, the Jewish world and beyond
Jewanced is hosted by Dan Feferman and Benny Scholder, two guys who grew up in America and live in Israel.
They're curious. They want to discuss. They want to challenge popular conceptions, they want to think critically, examine independently, and most of all, they crave nuance.

Each episode features a different guest. All interesting and original people who strive to break boundaries. Together with Dan and Benny, take a deep dive into politics, foreign affairs, religion, science, technology, food, the arts, business – you name it. Explore the nuanced crossroads of Israel, the global Jewish experience, and beyond.

What's the goal? To create a daring platform where people share their stories, insights, creations, and visions. Jewanced has no talking points, no script, no agenda...just a deeper nuanced understanding of our existence.

Join them on a journey as they explore, think, debate and discuss …. And most of all, listen.

About your hosts

Benny Scholder

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With over a decade of experience in Israel's tourism industry, Benny has managed sales, marketing, travel content, digital content, and the operations aspects of tour companies and travel agencies. Today, he is the Director of Sales-North America at Kenes Tours, Israel's leading provider of incoming tourism services, where he is proud to deliver transformative, custom-crafted Israel travel experiences designed to exceed expectations.
Originally from Minneapolis, Benny fell in love with Israel as a young adult, moving to the country in 2004. He has an extensive background in everything Israel-travel related, having completed Israel's intensive tour guide course in 2010. His career spans both logistical, content-related, and sales management positions with major and boutique Israeli tour companies alike. Benny lives with his amazing wife Maayan and two incredible children in the charming village of Gedera. In addition to his passion for transformative travel experiences, he's super passionate about food, modern & ancient history, politics, addictive TV, and game-changing podcasts. Contact him at Benny@jewanced.com

Dan Feferman

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Dan Feferman is a Major (res.) in the Israel Defense Forces. For almost a decade, he served as a foreign policy and national security analyst, strategist and adviser in the IDF General Staff; as a special assistant to the Deputy Chief of the General Staff; and a commander in an elite intelligence unit of AMAN's Research and Analysis Division.

He is a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, a think-tank focusing on issues of importance to Israel and the Jewish people, where he researches religious pluralism in Israel, trends in Jewish identity and Israel-Diaspora relations. He is also a political and strategic consultant and publishes and speaks widely on the Middle East and Israeli defense and political matters.

He is the author of Rising Streams: Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel, and of a soon-to-be-published book on the changing face of American Judaism.

Dan holds a BA in International Politics and Middle East Studies from the American University in Washington DC and an MA in National Security Studies from Tel Aviv University.

Originally from Indiana, Dan moved to Israel in 2005. He is married to Elisheva, has three amazing kids, and lives in Rehovot. When taking a break, Dan stays busy with Crossfit, martial arts and cooking.