Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

BJJP 24 ErinMolan FINALCUT YouTube
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Erin Molan: [00:00:00] I wish my voice was one of millions that was saying the right thing and telling the truth, but it's not, unfortunately.

Jonah Platt: Would you say that was your first exposure to this idea of Jews don't count?

Erin Molan: If leaders can't stand up and say, we don't stand for this, then how screwed is the world?

Jonah Platt: It wasn't even Hamas, it was civilians.

Erin Molan: When you stop, they win, which is why I won't stop. I don't stop. I'll never stop.

Jonah Platt: Two years ago, my guest didn't have a single Jewish friend, by her own admission. Today, she's one of the staunchest and loudest supporters of Israel and the Jewish people anywhere on earth. using her international platform to deliver her signature no bullshit breakdowns of Western hypocrisy and anti Jew bigotry whenever they rear their ugly heads.

Which is probably why the poor woman is putting out new videos every ten minutes. She's pissed off Russia, she's pissed off legacy news media, she's pissed off extremists on both sides, and we frickin love her for it. She's a highly skilled orator, journalist, army brat, and doting mother. Ladies, gents, and [00:01:00] legends, please welcome the saucy aussie, Miss Erin Molen.

Erin Molan: I reckon I've had about a million introductions over my 20 years in public life. That has essentially beaten all of them to a pulp. That was phenomenal. Thank you.

Jonah Platt: I, you know, I take a lot of care and pride with my intros, so it's very validating to hear you say that.

Erin Molan: But I'm also trying to now think about anyone I knew two years ago who was Jewish who now realizes I didn't consider them a friend.

Jonah Platt: Oops. So I'm gonna, I

Erin Molan: gotta go through that now as well. But Jonah, thank you so much for having me. It's honestly, if you told me a couple of years ago that my stance on this conflict would have put me into a minority group, I would have told you, you are crazy.

Jonah Platt: Yeah.

Erin Molan: If you told me that standing staunchly against a democratic nation who was a victim of one of the worst terrorist attacks in recent times, the greatest loss of Jewish life, that my stance with them against the terrorists who committed these atrocities would have been [00:02:00] controversial.

I would have told you, you are joking, but here we are. The world is a funny place.

Jonah Platt: Aaron, I really want to introduce my audience to you. I know a lot of people are already Familiar with your work. Some are not, but even if they are, they might not know much about the woman behind the work. So I want to start back at the beginning.

You were raised mostly in Indonesia. Is that right?

Erin Molan: Yeah, I lived seven years in Indonesia, uh, from the early nineties. for three or four years, and then the late nineties. So fairly formative years, so kind of eight, nine, 10, 11, and then mid to late teens. And a particularly, uh, I guess, important time as well for that country in 1998, when the Sahara regime fell after 30 years of pretty corrupt power.

One bloke in charge that essentially his children owned every major piece of infrastructure. And I watched a country as a young person. I mean,

Jonah Platt: I was gonna ask, [00:03:00] talking about things that shape the way you see the world, your father was a major general in the army, so you moved around a ton. So you had that part as, you know, formative and also, you know, an inside view to the army and politics through your father.

So, how did those pieces help shape the woman you've become and the path that you've been on?

Erin Molan: Yeah, dad was, probably has been and was the greatest influence on my life and very blessed to have a dad that But also is my hero in many ways. And I know a lot of people feel like that about their dads, and it's, it's a very special thing.

I also know a lot of people don't have the privilege of feeling that way about their dads. So I feel very lucky to have had someone that not only loved us and was incredibly present and amazing as a dad, but was also someone who was just so phenomenally brave and courageous and strong and stood up for what mattered.

at any cost and, you know, would do whatever was required of him to serve our nation and serve this country. And, you know, our [00:04:00] dinner party conversations at night weren't really about what was on TV that day or, uh, you know, things that, that might be more regular and normal. We would talk about ISIS and Al Qaeda, and we would talk about the rising threat of China and the government over there.

And, you know, I didn't have many friends over for dinner often, as you can imagine, probably.

Jonah Platt: They were just, you know, eyes open mouth. Clothes, no idea what to say.

Erin Molan: Yeah, it was a little bit intense, but I developed very early a massive passion in this space, but, but randomly enough, my career took me to sports journalism initially.

And I spent 15 years hosting rugby league, hosting sports in Australia, the tennis. I was the first woman to host a lot of different male sports in Australia. Uh, but then about three years ago. The calling came to move into this space and it had always been my passion. You know, I think you get to a stage where you, you get a little bit sick of talking about 11 PM on a Friday night and decide there's got to be more to life.

And, uh, this was my, my passion [00:05:00] always. And I have no life. I immersed myself in this stuff 24 seven, as well as being a mom. And yeah, now I feel like I've never. Worked in a space and it sounds so wanky I know but never worked in a space that feels more authentically me You know, I would be talking about this to people if I didn't work in this space professionally.

I'm obsessed by it I live and breathe it and I feel closer to my dad than ever since he passed away a couple of years ago Which is which is really beautiful because when he died I struggled immensely to feel close to him and people would say No, no, you can talk to him and he's there. He's still there, but I never felt that.

But, but over the past few months, I keep thinking, you know, I wish you could see this dad. I wish you could see, uh, the president of, of Israel hosting me and quoting my own work back to me, you know, with his wife. I just, he would be immensely proud. I hope. And I'm sure he would be.

Jonah Platt: I'm sure he would be as well.

And hearing you talk about him and what you feel you've learned from him and then seeing it in action [00:06:00] with the work you're doing now is. It's amazing. I'm a dad myself, and I could only hope that the same would happen with my own children. So, it's, it's a beautiful thing. You started in sports for a long time, and then you transitioned into, you know, having your own public affairs show.

How, how did that transition come about?

Erin Molan: I'd always loved this space, but I, I was getting incredible, incredible opportunities in sport, and, you know, was busy enough with that, so it, I'd never really considered. I thought maybe later in my career, I might transition over and move into this, but not. when I did that, that came a little bit earlier.

I did an interview with the newspaper and they'd asked me about a certain game. And I'd said something to them to the effect of, I actually didn't watch that rugby league game, even though it's my job to host it. I was watching the local state elections in South Australia, which for anyone who's in Australia would know that it doesn't get more boring or mundane than that kind of thing, watching a count of a state election.

And one of the bosses at Sky News saw that and thought, ah, you know, maybe she's more suited to being with us. And, [00:07:00] uh, it was always, you know, something that I planned on doing down the track. But once it happened, I never, as I said, never felt more at home in terms of the content that I was covering. I was nervous.

Even Dad, I think, was a little bit nervous as to how I'd go, because they're very different fields, clearly.

Jonah Platt: But I

Erin Molan: think because I just, this was what I'd do for fun. You know, I'd watch Fox News, I'd watch CNN. I don't, you know, I just, this was always my passion. Now, it just feels like home to me.

Jonah Platt: It's amazing.

It shows, and I can certainly relate. Before October 7th, How much was the Israeli Palestinian conflict on your radar? How much exposure did you have to it? What did you know about it?

Erin Molan: Yeah, not, not a huge amount. It wasn't something that we covered in great detail in Australia. To be honest, I was fully, uh, I guess, knee deep in Ukraine and Russia.

And that was the biggest we would talk about when it came to foreign affairs and, and. the region and, and war, et cetera, et cetera. I knew to an extent the basics, you know, I've always, I've followed it. Dad, dad was fairly involved. He went to Israel in [00:08:00] 2014 because that's what we do in, uh, the world. We send generals from other countries to, uh, check on Israel and make sure they're doing the right thing.

So dad was part of this contingent of retired generals who went out to investigate the conflict in 2014. And I remember his headline, which mum sent to me only recently, which said, they put us to shame in how they conduct wars. And dad's moral compass could not be moved in any way, shape or form. He was phenomenal.

Uh, he, he was an incredible general in every way and he, he was uncompromising when it came to following the rule of law because he would say, if we don't, what are we fighting for? What are we fighting to protect if we lower ourselves to the levels of our enemy? So I always remember thinking that was quite.

incredible at that stage as well. But, but no, it just wasn't really on the radar here. You know, you'd have moments and you'd hear about violence and we might, that might be covered in the news, but in terms of it being something that was all consuming, that was essentially on October 7 and beyond.

Jonah Platt: My, how things have changed.

Erin Molan: It [00:09:00] still blows my mind that there are people, even around me, family, etc, that don't, you know, that aren't as attached to this as I am, with hostage releases, with, with the Beebus babies, with, that people aren't thinking about it 24 7. It blows my mind, but, but you know, for a lot of people, I guess they're not, and it's, it's not their focus, but it has been, apart from being a mum and, and my little girl.

It's been the biggest focus of my life for a year and a half because I feel it matters too much and I was, I wish my voice wasn't required in this space. I wish my voice was one of millions that was saying the right thing and telling the truth, but it's not, unfortunately.

Jonah Platt: Sometimes that's the way it goes when it comes to Jewish causes for a teeny tiny minority.

Do you remember when you first became aware of what happened on October 7th?

Erin Molan: Yeah, I'm, it's in the room that I'm in now. I was in bed with my daughter and I've now turned it into a half wardrobe, half studio, but I remember it so vividly [00:10:00] because it was the first time dad had passed away 10 months earlier.

And. I'd never forgotten as in, I'd never, people talk sometimes when they lose someone close. I went to text him or I went to call him or I went to, I'd not seen that in 10 months. And I woke up and I started to see these alerts coming through. And for the first time since dad died, I went to call him. I forgot momentarily.

And that I remember that so vividly, but it was, it was sickening. You know, it was, I'd heard so many stories out of Iraq regarding the things that Al Qaeda and ISIS did, things that, that you wouldn't even read publicly, you know, things that, that I was privy to, uh, having, you know, someone who served over there and saw firsthand.

But I was just sickened to the pit of my stomach and it was hard to, to fathom, I think for me, even though I understood. Hamas and what they were about and what they stood for and what their objective was. I think the depravity of it even then was really difficult to [00:11:00] comprehend. Having then watched the Raw Vision when I went to Israel, uh, just a few months ago.

Jonah Platt: Yeah.

Erin Molan: That even went to another level. I still could not have envisaged how evil and depraved they are.

Jonah Platt: Now that you've been doing this work for the last year and a half, Can you identify any reasons why something that is so uncomplicated is so not easily understood by people who are otherwise, you know, intelligent people?

Erin Molan: I mean, I'm used to kind of idiots not comprehending pretty simple, basic things. But I think when I see people whom I might have. previously thought to be fairly impressive in their fields, spewing this Hamas propaganda. It confuses me even more. Look, I think they're, they're very, and when I say they're, I'm talking about all those who fund, who contribute to, to Hamas, Iran, the entire thing, the regime over there.

They have a very sophisticated. program that they have been running for a long, long time. And then they seem to embed themselves in places where people are young and [00:12:00] vulnerable, left leaning as well, of course. And all of a sudden the truth just gets completely lost. And what frustrates me so much in this, in this space is that there's this mentality that if you care about kids in Gaza, how could you ever stand with Israel?

Oh my gosh. You know, I care about kids. Like you're a mother. I thought you cared. You do all this charity work. You care. Of course I care. I care deeply about little babies born into that hell and that evil of Hamas. But I just understand who their enemy is.

Jonah Platt: Right.

Erin Molan: That's the difference. And that's what I can't fathom is that it's so simple.

Children in Gaza die because the terrorists there invade Israel, kill people, take hostages back, and then continue to try and kill Israel. Using weapons they embed within the women and the children whilst they hide in tunnels. Like, like it's, it's not complex, it's not grey, it is, it's the most simple thing in the world.

There's not even two sides. There's good and then there are evil terrorists. It's not like two [00:13:00] countries decided they wanted to battle it out over some kind of legitimate thing and they went to war. Like, these are evil terrorists who invaded, killed a whole hell of a lot of people, took a whole hell of a lot of people back, and have said publicly, you don't need to be Cludo or Einstein, they have said over and over and over again that they will continue to attempt to kill every Jewish Israeli person.

So, so what is Israel supposed to do? What were they supposed to do? You can ha, you can differentiate in how you believe they should conduct this operation. Absolutely. But they're right to dispose of evil terrorists who are promising to kill them, having killed 1200 of them. How can anyone question that?

Jonah Platt: I think something that you raise, that you know is so. Bothersome for me is that someone would rather, for example, believe that you As a mother must hate gods and children, then consider that there might be something else to the story, or at least worth discussing with you. Isn't that crazy?

Erin Molan: And the thing is, you've [00:14:00] been to Indonesia before.

So I, you know, the world's largest Islamic population.

Jonah Platt: Right.

Erin Molan: There are people in Indonesia who are family to me and they are all Muslim. I speak the language of the world's largest Islamic population, the country of Indonesia, fluently. karena saya capek. What did you just say? Nothing intense. I think I said, I'm going to go have a nap later because I'm tired.

Then I might go to the shops. It's pretty basic. But, but my point being is that you can't come at me and say, you don't care about Muslim children. You're Islamophobic. It's crazy. Terrorism hurts those babies, Muslim babies, more than it hurts anyone else. My fight is for them as much as it is for children in Israel and all over the world who are going to be hurt by these evil scumbag terrorists.

So it's crazy the things they come at you with, but, and then when you show empathy or you talk about it, you, you know, you get accused of white woman tears.

Jonah Platt: Ugh.

Erin Molan: And what it demonstrates to me, without any doubt whatsoever, is that they have no argument. Right. [00:15:00] If they are trying to prosecute the most ridiculous arguments that are so obviously false, they've got no argument.

Jonah Platt: You lean on the insults. You lean on the name calling. You lean on the demonizing, because You got nothing else to say? Absolutely,

Erin Molan: and then you stop it and there's this silence. People go, oh gosh, I don't want people to think that I don't care about kids in Gaza. And people stop talking.

Jonah Platt: Yeah.

Erin Molan: And they win.

When you stop, they win. Which is why I won't stop. I don't stop. I'll never stop. You know, they don't hurt me anymore. Because I know what I stand for and I know that I stand for every beautiful, innocent child all over the world. And I understand that their enemy in Gaza is Hamas, not Israel.

Jonah Platt: What were the reactions at work from, from your colleagues and bosses at Sky the first time you come out and you, you know, you take this clear, direct road, and this becomes your thing.

Erin Molan: They were all great. Look, if you watch Sky News Australia, they're one of the most pro Israel networks, and when I say pro Israel, anti terror [00:16:00] networks. So, look, there was a lot of talk surrounding my leaving Sky, but if you watch the network, there's a Jewish presenter on there who's phenomenal. A lot of the people there are phenomenal in terms of standing with Israel against terrorism.

So look, they, they were, they were great. They were fine. Um, people on other networks I'd worked for didn't seem as pleased with my take. There's probably no other network in Australia that broadcast the kind of stuff that, that Sky News do or that I do. Um, but you know what, in terms of, of people disliking it or not agreeing, I, I, I say to them, show me wherever I have ever said anything that is Controversial, point out anywhere that I have said anything would be considered controversial or against the values that I've stood for from day one, which is peace, freedom, democracy.

I'm an overly empathetic person. I care way too much. I get so emotional. Even the thought of a child. Being hungry makes me feel physically ill. Uh, point out where I've not fought for [00:17:00] every child in Gaza as hard as I've fought for every child in Israel. So, you know, it's a great way to cuddle people out of your life because, to be honest, if you, if you enable people like Hamas, or if you enable people who enable Hamas, then I don't want you in my life anyway.

Jonah Platt: Hear, hear. I'm curious, what's the process for you for writing your monologues? What do you go through to get those prepped? Because they're, I mean, they're so fantastic. I write monologues for my show. I know what a difficult process that is. I'm interested to hear what yours is.

Erin Molan: Yeah, no, I love that question.

Uh, so basically, I used to do them once a week, uh, at, cause my show at Sky was once a week. So throughout the whole week I would screenshot and I'd have just a note section in my phone. So anything I would see where I'd go, you hypocrite, I would screenshot it. Uh, I would also, I'd be listening to the radio and I'd hear this, Day 400 and something of Israel's illegal invasion of Gaza.

I'd be like, what? They're illegal? You've, what? And you know, I'd make a note, I'd make a voice note and I'd save it all in this folder and then I'd sit down on the Friday morning before my show. [00:18:00] And just scroll through and just write. And it's incredible how, I mean, sometimes. Most of the time, if I'm being completely honest, I mean, when I used to write columns for the newspaper, I would say it would sometimes get more stuck and it would take me a little bit longer, but these just come so naturally to me.

And the more I do of them, you know, I initially, I remember before starting at Sky, Uh, and, and all the hosts would do these really powerful monologues at the start, not necessarily in this space, but on politics and Australian politics and domestic issues and whatever else. And I would think, Oh gosh, I'm not going to be able to do that in any way.

That's powerful and making, you know, making an impact like they do. And so I was already making excuses going, well, I'm just going to do more interviews and go longer on interviews because I just don't think I'm going to be able to write. Things the way they do and et cetera, et cetera, then when I started, I kind of now come to the conclusion that they're probably the most powerful thing that I do and I write exactly how I feel.

And I think for me, the delivery of them is the key because, you know, I write [00:19:00] every word myself. So it's not like I have a team or producers or writers who do it. So I think the reason they, they. They make an impact and the reason people, you know, they resonate with people is because it's genuinely just me.

It's my thoughts. It's how I feel. If there's emotion, I'll show emotion. If I'm angry, I'll show a bit of anger. If I'm being cheeky, I'll be a little bit cheeky, but it's just genuinely how I feel. And so that's it. So even now at the moment I have, you know, it's, um, I call it bat beep crazy because that's just what I've always.

to start my little segments, but now you'll see I've got, you know, different, different things like the BBC and the documentary, and I'll write little notes and that kind of thing. And this is why I'm about to write it after we finish now, but it's just a whole heap of anything. And to be honest, I'll probably use 20 percent of it, but I've always been a, always have more.

And then I'll go through and whatever I feel is, is. still relevant or is powerful enough to still be relevant, even if it's a couple of days older. If I think I've got a clever take on something, then I'll use it. But it's just a whole lot, a whole compilation of, of things I've seen that have [00:20:00] made me go, what the hell?

And yeah, and then I kind of put it together and deliver it. I

Jonah Platt: love that. That's awesome. Thank you for sharing that.

Erin Molan: for asking.

Jonah Platt: One of the videos that I, that you did a while ago that I was where you called out the U. N. and the U. N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. She's flat out denying Hamas rapes and violence against women, and you yourself are a survivor of horrific domestic violence.

What does that feel like to see? institutionalized denial of violence against women.

Erin Molan: Look, it's hard, and I think what frustrated me so much about her and about that is that if we were talking about any other group in the world, including me, there would not even be room for one iota of doubt ever that would be ever expressed publicly because you just wouldn't.

As if you wouldn't let, you know, believe women like that. That's, and to be honest, the left [00:21:00] take that to the extent that is almost sometimes dangerous as well in that, okay, but we also need people to have, you know, it has to be tested in some way, shape or form. What frustrated me so much about her is that we have so much evidence.

And she still could not acknowledge and I only recently came out with my story, uh, mid last year. So maybe six months ago, I've never spoken about it. The thought of, of people feeling sorry for me or, or thinking I'm a victim makes me deeply uncomfortable. It still does even now, but, but I. I'd been asked many, many times to come out because people thought it would help people.

And I think it did. And, and I'm glad that I did. But when I, I came out with my story, the number of feminists and people who, who just showered me in this incredible support, sending me messages, doing public things, how brave Erin is to share her story. And then October 7 happened. And all of a sudden, we're seeing all of this and, um, you know, reports coming out about what actually happened to women.

We're seeing women. bent out of shape. We're seeing women with blood on the back of their pants [00:22:00] and they're silent. These exact same women who came out publicly to support me were suddenly silent about Jewish women who were exposed. And, and, and this was much bigger than, than just my story, which was really only a story in Australia.

This was massive. And yet they were silent. And it just, you know, it, it drives me crazy. I think Albanese is one of the most dangerous You know, people of our time when it comes to this issue, and she is doing a great disservice to the people that she is meant to be helping. And if she deeply cares about women, if she deeply cares about children in Gaza, then she would be standing up for their right to exist without terrorists.

Within and amongst them every day of the week. The greatest gift she could ever give women, children, innocent people in Gaza would be the eradication of Hamas, the terrorists who are responsible for their pain and suffering and always have been. So yeah, she's dangerous.

Jonah Platt: Would you say that was your first exposure to this idea of [00:23:00] Jews don't count, which as a Jew, I'm We're, you know, we're quite familiar with.

It has been going on for some time.

Erin Molan: I had no idea. Legitimately no idea. I obviously understood the Holocaust and I knew that, you know, the horrific things that had happened to your people in the past. But particularly even in Australia to, to People would stop me in the street, this is over the last few years, when dad was still alive and, and Jewish people in Australia and say, you know, your dad's amazing, he's such a great ally of our community.

And I'd, I'd smile and say, Oh, isn't he the best? He's lovely. Nice to meet you. And I would walk away and think, why do you need allies? Like that just, it was a bizarre thing to me, like thinking. But you're living in relative peace while you are here in Australia and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then when October 7 happened, and I think, you know, the moment it hit me was, wait a minute, there is not an IDF boot on the ground in Gaza yet.

And I am seeing Australians in front of our iconic buildings celebrating that and chanting. [00:24:00] you know, vile slurs towards Jews and at the Jews. And I went, okay, wait a minute. And that was one thing, right, to have like people celebrating, you know, pro Hamas. But then I started to see it in circles that I would never have thought would have ever not stood up immediately to support a minority group who was doing it tough or who had just been subjected to what the Jewish population had been subjected to.

So yeah, it was, and it was a real eye opener for me. I guess I was naive. I didn't understand, but, but to be honest, a lot of people I've spoken to who are Jewish and who are in this field in particular of antisemitism and other things have said they did not even realize how much was bubbling under the surface.

Yeah,

Jonah Platt: I think that's fair. I mean, I think we were all shocked and surprised by the amount. of hate just ready to rip. But there, there were troubling signs and increasing data on, on anti Semitism growing and growing and growing, building up to this. [00:25:00] It just, this was a good excuse to let it all out. So the, the monologue that you did that introduced me to you, uh, was the one after the killing of Sinwar.

That was the first time I saw you. I was like, who is this gorgeous blonde Australian with a hostage pin who is nailing Western leaders to the wall? And it was so, this, to me this is like the Aaron special, it's like blistering in its clarity and also deeply felt. To me that's sort of like your secret sauce.

And, you know, you were talking about Biden, talking about Harris, talking about your own. foreign minister, Penny Wong, and you said, this victory, the killing of Sinwar, is in spite of you, not in any way because of you. How did those elected to lead us fail so miserably?

Erin Molan: The rage that I felt and I still feel is, is very authentic and genuine because, and as I've said since, look, I haven't figured out why.

I think they're just weak. I don't think there is an actual answer to any of it. [00:26:00] But when I look at, The reaction of world leaders in the aftermath, you know, that not one came out and said what they needed to say. And it wasn't rocket science. It wasn't hard. You know, you can say, this is awful thoughts and prayers.

This is awful thoughts and prayers. Let's go to Canada. This is awful thoughts and prayers. Let's go to say, this is awful thought. You think that's going to stop a bunch of terrorists? I mean, if the world had united and come together, and when I say the world, I talking about their latest. And said, Uhuh, not on our watch.

You scumbags, you have 24 hours to, you know, black. We would never have seen what we have seen play out. We would never have seen the deaths in Gaza. We would never have seen the extent of suffering in Israel and, and the Jewish community around the world. I just, it, it's hard for me to fathom. I look at Argentina's new president and, and millet.

Yeah. And he makes the point and, and this is a translation, but something to the effect of. [00:27:00] When you finish in politics, most people will hate you. And that's a given. So you might as well do what you believe is right when you were there. And I can't imagine that every politician who was weak and terrified was doing what they really thought was right.

They were doing what they thought they needed to do to placate very loud minority groups and very left extremists on both sides. Elements that they were trying to placate and cater to. And I just, you know, if a leader can't stand up. When terrorists come and murder 1, 200 people, burn children alive in rooms, do the most horrific I watched the Royal Vision, every second of it.

If leaders can't stand up and say, we don't stand for this, then, then, I mean, how screwed is the world? And not even on behalf of another nation, by the way. It's not even that you are wondering, you know, do you guys mind? Because we're allies coming to help us, support us, even just your rhetoric. We don't actually need your soldiers or anything else, just your rhetoric.

It was our people. There were Australians involved, there were Canadians, there were [00:28:00] Americans, there were people from the UK, their own citizens were involved, yet their weakness, as I said just this week, weakness in high places and high doses in spades and it just, all it did, Hamas must have just in Iran must have been going.

God, even we didn't think that they Oh, God! Hey, if you Man, we thought We're gonna get away with this! We thought, you know what, we'll get the university students, and we'll get those bloody, you know, knobs over the head, we'll march for us in the streets, and we're But we didn't I mean, God, even we couldn't have envisaged it to go this well.

Like, it's crazy. The whole thing is crazy. And all it did was empower, embolden, and enable the terrorists to do what they've done thus far. And then they'll all Oh, is how dare you have killed so many people in Gaza? You are the ones that forced this to go for 18 months by your weakness and not even your weakness, but you impose that weakness on Israel and its response to what [00:29:00] occurred.

So, you know, they are so complicit in this and it's been shameful to watch.

Jonah Platt: It's going to be a long time until we can. Collectively look back and I think these people will realize everything that you just said.

Erin Molan: Absolutely. They will be remembered very vividly for what they did and did not do over this time.

So

Jonah Platt: you mentioned again that when you were in Israel, let's get to it now, you watched that raw footage. I saw it as well when I was in Israel. Absolutely horrific things the first, you know, three seconds. You're like, okay, this is the worst thing I've ever seen. What do you think about, as a journalist, Israel's strategy, let's call it, of not dispersing that footage everywhere out of, you know, respect for the victims, I guess, but withholding really powerful images that do a lot of the work for them.

Erin Molan: It's another great question. I'll start by saying the fact that Israel needs a PR strategy after October 7th is. [00:30:00] Mind blowingly crazy on every level, but they do. And let's just acknowledge they do. It's a really difficult situation. When it comes to families of people who have lost loved ones, how do you ever make them go through more pain than they are already going through if they are uncomfortable with that?

But, I would look at President Trump. Literally hours after he watched The Raw Vision, he came out and that's when he went, Wham, bam, thank you ma'am, because he saw. Anyone who has watched Rubio, there are different politicians and people and their, even their reactions to media. It is a complete, it changes everything, you seeing that.

I thought I understood what occurred on that day. I'd read so many reports, I'd seen filtered images that I, that I didn't think could have gone, gotten any worse. When I sat down there and watched it, one, you know, you actually. Someone asked me in an event last week in [00:31:00] Melbourne about putting the vision out there.

And to be honest, I, I think you should. I agree. And it's not to give, to give permission. And, and, you know, that's something that, that Israel needs to, to determine with families and manage with families. And, and I can't imagine their pain and I'm not them, but it would be close to impossible unless you are so latched on and, and so full of propaganda and evil and malice.

for anyone to watch what I watched and walk away and then go and waver a flag. to support them, it would be impossible. And I think the issue that we have is because it hasn't been fully out there, people are listening to other people's perspective on it. And, and there are so many agendas. Media organizations generally lean to the left.

So, so they are full of people who A, haven't even watched it themselves and B, are being completely consumed by propaganda. You know, I think [00:32:00] about. Cindy, who's a 45 year old single mother, lives in Western Sydney. Cost of living crisis is making life bloody dreadful for her. She's got three kids. They're nightmares.

She gets 30 seconds on the radio as she gets out of the car on this conflict and she hears that one little bit that I told you about earlier. Israel's a legal invasion of Gaza and she thinks, oh god I saw that image of that baby in Gaza the other night. Israel are awful. She doesn't then go and read ten articles about it like I do daily because I'm entrenched in this.

She doesn't think about it again. That has shaped her narrative. So for most people, it's not that they're malicious. It's not that they, they don't want to, you know, engage or, or, or know the truth. They don't have the capacity or the privilege of being able to give time to understanding it. So unless we have raw vision that people can see, and unless you put that out there, I mean, It doesn't even need to be the gruesome stuff, right?

Like, like it doesn't actually, I watched, [00:33:00] I watched Hamas hack a man's head off. That's the one that sticks

Jonah Platt: out the most to me, the Thai worker.

Erin Molan: Yes. So hacked a head off. And their faces, they weren't even bothered by it. Hamas, it

Jonah Platt: wasn't even Hamas. It was civilians and they hacked it off with a garden hoe

Erin Molan: is it is repulsive.

But I tell you the thing for me as a mom and as a parent, my greatest fear in life is not being able to protect my child. And that is the same for any parent. The dad. His son under his arm and the other boy running and the look on the dad's face, knowing that terrorists were coming and he, he could not protect his children will haunt me for the rest of my life.

There is so much in there that I think would, would have such a big impact, but then, you know, I mean, what we've seen should be enough, like what, what's out there should be enough. But I just feel like if that's not enough. If they could get the families to agree, then I think it should go to [00:34:00] everyone and anyone because it matters.

You need to see this stuff to understand why Israel cannot exist next to Hamas.

Jonah Platt: I certainly agree with you. Have you, since going down this path, you know, whatever you do in life, you're going to get love, you're going to get hate. Have you been feeling the love from the, from the Jewish and Israeli community?

Erin Molan: Incredibly. It's been overwhelming. You know, I, I feel like I've suddenly got, how many, how many of you are there? Jews? Like 16 million

Jonah Platt: or something? Between 15 and

Erin Molan: 17? 15 and

Jonah Platt: 17. That's amazing.

Erin Molan: You get some pretty nasty stuff in this space and I'm, I'm pretty battle hardened with all of that by now, which, um, which, which helps, but the love is, and it, you know, people often will, will, I mean, daily I'll get often thousands and people will start, I'm sure you get a million of these and I'm sure I'm one of, I read every single one and every single one helps me when I find it hard.

And there are moments when I find it hard. There are moments when. I struggle with the thought that I [00:35:00] am potentially endangering my six year old, um, because of what I do and, and I counter that by saying I'm fighting for a world that will be a safe world for her when she's older and, and this fight is for her.

Every, every second that I do and speak and, and fight and campaign in this space is for her, ultimately. But in the short term, there is absolutely an added risk. And every time I start to think, is this worth it? Is this latest death threat? Is this this one that looks legitimate? Is this security that God that I need to be with me 24 seven at this?

Is there? And then I get a message from someone saying, thank you. I've felt so alone. I've, you know, and it helps immensely. So what I'm saying is keep them coming. Look, it's, it's beautiful. It's, you are the most resilient, incredible community I've ever encountered. And if you were any other minority group, you would be surrounded in the love that you deserve and the support that you deserve.

And I'm just so sad that you're not.

Jonah Platt: I think it's so important that the people watching this show [00:36:00] hear what you just said, because I think a lot of people think They're thanking into the void, or that whoever they're thanking, you know, doesn't care, or doesn't make an impact. Clearly it does, and it's important, I think, to thank the people who stand with us.

Um, I'm actually involved with an organization called One Mitzvah a Day. Which, uh, anybody can check out one mitzvah day dot org. And every day we send a little text message that you just click and it populates an email to thank some person or politician or organization that has done something to stand with the Jewish people or with Israel.

Because

Erin Molan: How beautiful, but how screwed up is the world that you feel you need to thank us for standing with you against evil terrorists. I mean, it, it actually, I mean, it's so beautiful getting all these messages, but it breaks my heart. But, but. People feel the need to thank me. It should just be a given.

It's just, [00:37:00] it's awful.

Jonah Platt: You're no stranger to backlash or harassment online, well before this. Uh, tell us about Australia's Online Safety Act, a. k. a. Aaron's Law.

Erin Molan: So this was something that I was incredibly passionate about, and I'd like to say I would have hoped that it was working more effectively, particularly given what I'm exposed to now.

Jonah Platt: Need to tweak Erin's law a little bit.

Erin Molan: Just a little tweak. Uh, look, this was always predominantly about kids for me and about making sure that what was illegal in the real world was illegal online. That was it, basically. And trying to protect kids from this space that is just, that was completely, in a lot of ways, Unrestricted.

That's something I'm immensely proud of. My daughter came with me to Parliament House and that was put into legislation. We raised so much awareness. Uh, it's, it's legislation that is intended to protect people online. I'm not particularly pleased with some of the ways in which they're trying to use it, uh, that, that go into censorship as opposed to what I fought for, which was [00:38:00] death threats, things that you would not be able to do in real life.

You cannot set a threat to a child online. For me, it's, it's keeping kids safe online. And when I started to talk about what. you know, adults are being exposed to and how it impacted me as a, as an adult woman with great support around me, it crippled me at times. I'll be completely honest. It doesn't now, but it used to five, 10 years ago, it was debilitating at times and very hard for me to deal with.

So I would think how could kids ever, ever handle this? So that was the intent. I think what it did was raise a lot of awareness around these issues online and parents. took, took note and, and hopefully kids are much safer online.

Jonah Platt: I think it's an awesome accomplishment. I'm curious. How has this, you know, new trajectory you've been on affected your career for better or worse?

Erin Molan: It's crazy, right? Define success. And that's what, what I am doing a lot of lately in terms of what is this trajectory in my career? Because if I define [00:39:00] success on. never being sacked, which I hadn't been up really up until this point, then it would be, it would be the lowest grade because I lost basically every job I had last year.

But in terms of reaching audiences and doing meaningful work. Like that, like incredible. So, so I think for me, the biggest thing at the moment, because I care so deeply about this space and what's going on in the world around this conflict in the Middle East, for me, the biggest thing I want is to reach as many people as possible.

And so for me, I think it's been the greatest blessing in disguise the end of last year, losing all my kind of legacy media jobs and moving into this kind of independent space that I'm in now in terms of, of reach, you know, 29 million views. Since I left Sky News of my work, it's been incredible, uh, a new show I've just started hosting on X69, X Minutes, uh, had 10 million views, uh, just, you know, a couple of days ago.

So look, I've had so many [00:40:00] opportunities, I've got offers sitting there, but to be honest at the moment, my focus is this, and you know, I, I got this. Letter from a, a guy in Outback Australia, in Western Australia, who was a minor. And I love this because I love speaking to you. I, I love that, that you and your community love me, but you're not my target audience.

You be, you believe and agree with everything I say. My, my job is not to convince other people. It is to deliver my truth in a way that, that, that I believe is authentic and, and just expose them. to a different way of thinking. And I got this letter back from this guy who said, Aaron, I just wanted to let you know I'm a minor, you know, blah, blah, blah.

I just watched one of your videos and I wanted to tell you that my morals and my values haven't changed, but the side that I now realize they align with. Thank you. And he had a number and I rang him and he said, you know, I just was seeing all these images on the news of babies in Gaza and Israel was killing them.

And he said, I didn't, I didn't understand it. I didn't, you know, it's not cause I didn't care. [00:41:00] It's just what I was being told. And you believe it. And he said, then I watched one of your videos and I went. Oh my gosh, now I get it. Now I get why Standing With Israel is standing up for those babies in Gaza.

And I think to me that that is in terms of of career tick tick off in terms of achievement and success, that email epitomizes everything I am hoping to do in this space, which is reach as many people as possible. for egotistical reasons, not because I want to be a big deal. I've been famous in Australia for 20 years.

It's not much chop. Let me tell you, there is a lot of downside to it, but because I want to change the world in a good way and I want to open people's eyes in a good, positive way for everyone, including babies in Gaza.

Jonah Platt: You mentioned your, your reach is higher than ever, but you're sacked from some jobs.

You, when asked why you were let go from Sky, you said budget. If you're not allowed to say any more because you signed an NDA, blink twice.

Erin Molan: I did not sign an NDA, [00:42:00] definitely. All I, I was told budget. And look, again, I will say SMI has been very, very good in this space, and they've got a lot of amazing presenters who do amazing things in this space. So look, I'm inclined to To prop, you know, I, I, I was told budget and I, I guess that's, you know, I, I'm inclined to believe it, I guess, as in, I don't know what the reason is.

I don't know, but it's definitely not because of my stance on this conflict, because there are other people who are very, very pro Israel. Well, that's good to hear.

Jonah Platt: Speaking of Israel, right after things end with Sky, you go to Israel like two weeks later, how did that trip come about?

Erin Molan: I was already booked in to do that trip.

Um, and you know, it turned into a much bigger trip than I ever kind of thought it would be. Uh, but it, it essentially, it was a quick trip. My daughter was going away with her dad over the holiday period. And so I had, I think five days and I thought I'm going to go now, cause I don't like to leave her when she's here and in [00:43:00] routine.

And so I had a window and I've just, I wanted to go over and see for myself, not, not because I wanted. I needed to see to believe or anything like that. I think it's very obvious. I believed from the second that this occurred. I felt like I needed to go over and, and see and stand at the NOVA Music Festival, go to the kubots, watch the Raw Vision, speak to people in person who were there because I thought that would enable me to do what I'm trying to do even more effectively and with even more integrity.

Uh, and, and that was, that was why, so I went over and it was, it was mind blowing, you know. I didn't kind of do any fun stuff or, or get to experience a lot of the culture or the, the night life or anything like that. I'm sure I'll have plenty of time. I've got a couple of trips coming up over the next couple of months.

Look, at some stage I'll get to experience Israel for what it is, the vibrant, incredible, uh, country with a zest and a love for life. But, uh, this trip was about going to the places where these horrors occurred so that I could communicate as rawly and as honestly as I could. What I saw and what I heard and [00:44:00] back to the world, basically.

Jonah Platt: And you also had the opportunity to meet with President Herzog while you were there, as you mentioned. How meaningful was that? What'd you guys talk about? How was that?

Erin Molan: Oh, it was incredible. You know, I didn't expect it to be what it was, to be honest, I didn't expect to kind of be seated up there next to them and, um, and have them almost, you know, host me and thank me.

And, um, I think, you know, it was quite surreal, I mentioned earlier, have to have the president quote my own words back to me, you know, when you said about the three things required for terrorism to, you know, it's just. It was mind blowing to me that someone like him and his wife, who was so impressive as well, could watch the work and be buoyed by it and think that it was significant and important.

It was incredible. We spoke about the Pope a little bit as well. The Pope's comments had come out a little bit earlier. He hasn't been, you know, particularly staunch an ally of, of Israel throughout this conflict. And we talked about [00:45:00] Indonesia as well, you know, we talked a fair bit about Indonesia. I'd, I'd been in Indonesia just before that trip and met with the new foreign minister over there.

And obviously Indonesia, uh, 300 million people, big players, biggest Muslim country in the world, big players in this space. So he and I actually had a fairly good chat about Indonesia and, and my contacts in Indonesia and, and. different things that might be happening with that country too. So it was, it was an incredible meeting and I was really honoured and blown away that they thought that I was special enough to, to I guess, to deserve it.

Jonah Platt: That's very cool. Earlier on in this year and a half, you, you said the following, you said, I'm not actually pro Israel, I'm anti terror, I'm anti murder, anti kidnapping of babies, etc. With all that's transpired since and you having been to Israel, Where are you at with that now? Do you still feel the same way?

Erin Molan: Oh, look, and the reason I made that is because people kept saying, Oh, you're so pro Israel, you're so And I'd be like, you don't actually even need to be pro So it's not that I'm not pro Israel, but the point I'm [00:46:00] making is you don't actually need to be pro Israel to stand with Israel against what is this evil through at them.

You know, I find this whole thing bizarre. I look at, you know, you don't have to agree on every single way that Israel has prosecuted this war against Hamas. You don't have to at all to vehemently agree with the fact that they have every single right to defend themselves, to destroy their enemies who have committed to continue killing them and to get their people back, however they feel they can do it best.

And I, you know, that is a hill I will die on. Absolutely. In terms, so I stand with Israel. Absolutely. But you don't need to. To condemn and to stand against their enemies is the point that I'm making with that.

Jonah Platt: Understood. So, you mentioned this earlier, but I want to come back to it. You are now hosting this new show, uh, 69xMinutes, which came [00:47:00] about because Elon Musk tweeted, Hey, does anybody want to make 69xMinutes?

I'll fund it. And then like, it felt like three days later you had a show that you were hosting.

Erin Molan: Look, I can't, I can't take credit for any of that there. Mario, who's a, you know, he hosts the biggest show on X. He and his team have put it all together and came to me fairly late in the piece and asked if I would host it.

So, look, they've done it. They've done it all and it's, I think it's great. I think. for X. It's now the number one news site in so many different countries around the world. People are looking to get their news when it happens directly and also longer form. So look, Elon's retweeted a little bit of it and liked it.

He liked my post yesterday about how many views it had. So he's pushing for much more news content. Uh, I met with the X team and including the CEO and head of news a couple of days ago, and they are really serious about turning X into the first place that anyone goes for news. And I'm just excited to be there and [00:48:00] experimenting and having a go with it all.

Jonah Platt: And how many episodes are you signed on for? Like, what's the plan?

Erin Molan: Nothing official as yet. So I, I look, I made a promise to myself when this all happened, that I would not lock myself into anything. Too quickly. So at the moment, um, I'm abstaining from doing anything like that. I'm just doing things that feel right and feel good at the time.

And I have not signed a thing, locked myself into anything with anyone. I'm just doing my own thing and if projects come along that appeal to me, then I'm happy to jump on and, and we'll see.

Jonah Platt: And did Elon actually fund it?

Erin Molan: I don't think so. I mean, if he is, I need to ask for a pay rise.

Jonah Platt: Let's end with this.

Can you leave us with any parting words for the allies in my audience who are listening from one ally to another?

Erin Molan: I think you're incredible. Uh, stay strong. It can be a very tough space, but no, without any doubt in your mind that you are on the right side of [00:49:00] history, the absolute right side of history.

And. That's all you need to know to survive at this stage.

Jonah Platt: Aaron, this has been really a treat for me. Thank you so much for making the time and beaming in from the future to talk to me here in the United States. Keep doing what you're doing. We need you.

Erin Molan: You are a legend, Jonah. Thank you so much. I love this.

It was really enjoyable.

Jonah Platt: An enormous thank you to the wonder from down under, Erin Mullen, for joining us today from the future. If you're not following Erin yet on social media and YouTube, we'll have her links in the show notes so you can start today. Also important announcement. My newsletter has officially launched, so if you haven't signed up for that yet, you can do so@jonahplatt.com.

At the bottom of the page or at link tree.com/being Jewish. Y'all are the greatest. I'll see you back here for the next ZA episode of being Jewish with me, Jonah Platt.