What’s the big idea?

In this Substack, Jewish Chronicle editor Jake Wallis Simons explores our post-October 7 world and what it means for diaspora Jews, Israel and the west.

As Palestine fanaticism has become central to the an alliance of subversive positions on race, colonialism, sex, gender and the environment, Jews have found themselves once again in the firing-line in a world ill at ease with itself. But what starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews.

Jake’s Substack is an attempt to get to grips with what is going on, the story of how we got here and the dangers that lie ahead. It is also a manifesto for a response, arguing that Jews will only be defended when we learn to defend ourselves.

Who is Jake Wallis Simons?

Dr Jake Wallis Simons is the Editor of the Jewish Chronicle, the oldest Jewish newspaper in the world. He is a columnist for the Telegraph and the Spectator and a broadcaster for Sky News and other outlets.

In addition to four award-winning novels – including the bestselling The English German Girl, about the Kindertransport – in 2023, Jake wrote Israelophobia: The Newest Version of the Oldest Hatred and What to Do About It. Praised by Simon Sebag Montefiore, Daniel Finkelstein, Howard Jacobson, Rod Liddle and others, it was the Telegraph book of the year.

A former foreign correspondent who has reported from all over Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, Jake lives with his family in Hampshire. He holds a First from Oxford and a PhD from the University of East Anglia, and is a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University.

Follow him on X/Twitter at @JakeWSimons, and on Instagram at @JakeWallisSimons.

I want to be a part of it

Some of the articles on this Substack are free but the premium content is available only to paid subscribers, who will also be able to access the archive and post comments. It costs the same as a cup of coffee per month.

To sign up, hit the button below.