www.paulalster.com
Israel-based broadcast journalist
Twitter: @paul_alster
Member of BAJ - British Association of Journalists

Latest articles and media

Kin or Country - 100 not out!
(July 20, 2021)

Almost exactly a year on from the publication of Kin or Country, my first novel, the 100th reader review has appeared on Amazon. (There have also been plenty of reader reviews on a variety of other sites, as well as a number of literary reviews).
While you can't please all the people all the time - especially when dealing with such tinder box issues - I'm happy to say that no less than 85% of reviewers have given my political thriller 4 or 5 stars.
The world has changed beyond recognition since I wrote the book in 2019 but I believe the main themes remain as, indeed arguably more relevant now than when the idea first popped into my head.
If you haven't read Kin or Country it is still available to see you through your summer break: https://www.amazon.com/Kin.../dp/B08C8Z8PSJ/ref=sr_1_1...

Paul's Gaza War Blog
(19th May, 2021)

I've been deeply affected by what's going on in Israel at the moment - both internally and on our borders. Finally, I felt I had to write something in response to the mainstream media assault on Israel's right to defend itself.  This is my perspective on the situation in Israel at the moment:
Click here

 Paul Alster interview on
​ Ireland's RTE Radio 1

May 1, 2021 - Yesterday lunchtime I was contacted by Ireland's RTE Radio 1 and asked to give an overview of the tragic events at Mount Meron on Thursday night. Here is a link to the interview on the Leap of Faith weekly show, presented by Michael Comyn:
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/11302793

Horses Heal PTSD
(March 31st, 2021)

Truly inspiring! Funny and heartbreaking in equal measure, my latest interview for Reel Israel is with the remarkable Dr. Anita Shkedi, recipient of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame "Award of Excellence" and author of the recently published Horses Heal PTSD.
​Anita has dedicated her life to helping those (including many injured soldiers) suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and many other conditions via her revolutionary work in the field of therapeutic riding. 

2021 pre-election Reel Israel special
(March 17, 2021)

ESRA magazine review of
​Kin or Country
(March 2021)

Delighted to see that the March edition of Israel's pretigious ESRA magazine has a feature on my novel Kin or Country (available on Amazon). Pleased to report that reviewer Lucille Cohen was very upbeat about the politcal thriller and the issues it raises: https://magazine.esra.org.il/.../kin-or-country-book...

Waiting In The Wings
Feature interview with Likud heavyweight Danny Danon
(Jerusalem Report - March 2021)

"At the end of 2014 Danon stood against Netanyahu for leadership of the Likud having previously run against him in 2007, polling just 3%. This time he polled 19%, a respectable showing. He soon returned to the government as Minister of Science, Technology and Space and eight months later Netanyahu appointed him Israeli ambassador to the United Nations."

Jerusalem Post review of Kin or Country:
Will Israel’s haredi, secular sectors divorce each other in the future?
​(11th February, ​2021)

"Kin or Country is, without question, an engrossing, albeit disturbing, read. Alster’s dialogue nimbly advances the plot. The author has a keen ear for speech, powerful emotions, and human interaction. For Israeli readers, the book has ominous implications and will surely evoke contemporary passionate debates about the inner workings of the haredi community and its effects on the larger society."
Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post review
February 11, 2021
(Above) The latest in my series of special interviews for Reel Israel: Ambassador Danny Danon, Chairman of World Likud, former Deputy Defense minister, and a possible future Prime Minister. Fascinating insight into the views and ambitions of one of Israel's heavyweight politicians 

2020: What a year!!

Here's our end-of-the-year news review on Reel Israel's What The Israeli Papers Say with guests Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, Judith Sudilovsky, Benjamin Weinthal, and Rami Lador

Special interview: Paul Alster with legendary Nazi hunter Dr. Efraim Zuroff
​(December 13, 2020 - Reel Israel)

Sports Bet Tv celebrate Paul Alster's amazing run of tipping success
(December 2020)

Getting the news from Reel Israel
(Jerusalem Post - Dec 15, 2020)

"The only guideline for my guests is that at Reel Israel we are the antidote to the usually combative Israeli talk shows. No shouting, no name-calling, no unsubstantiated accusations. Let’s talk, let’s hear the other side out." - Paul Alster, Reel Israel host
(Above) Episode 6 of Reel Israel's What The Israeli Papers Say brought together two rabbis with very differing views on a variety of issues:
abbi Seth Farber, founder of Jewish advcay organization ITIM, and Rabbi Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the West Bank Jewish community of Hebron

Jerusalem Report review of
​Kin or Country

 (Above) October 30, 2020 - It's been tremendously satisfying to see the reaction of readers to my first novel, Kin or Country, on the Amazon customer reviews. Now, the first literary review has been published in The Jerusalem Report magazine (click here).
Reviewer Neville Teller MBE, a highly respected BBC dramatist and author, writes: "The result is a truly gripping vision of the way Israel could travel in the next quarter of a century, an exciting and mind-stretching literary experience ...  For anyone interested in Israel’s present situation, in the cracks and flaws within Israeli society which, if left unattended, could develop into chasms and lead to an unimaginable future, Kin or Country is required reading. A gripping page-turner it certainly is, but it is much more – a convincing vision of a possible future that few would desire for the nation."
(15th October, 2020)
(Above) Leading Israel motor journalist Boaz Korpel, and former Bank Hapoalim Executive Vice President Rami Lador join me for the third edition of 'What The Israel Papers Say' on my Reel Israel YouTube channel. We discussed the alarming number of Covid-19 cases in the ultra Orthodox Jewish communities; the ongoing anti-goverment protests; Israel set to be used as a test nation for new Chinese electric cars; and Germany is to pay additional funds to Holocaust survivors struggling during the pandemic

Paul Alster on Fox News' Lighthouse Faith podcast
(September 24, 2020)

It was a real delight to be interviewed by Lauren Green for her very popular Lighthouse Faith podcast on FoxNews.com. We talked about my political thriller Kin Or Country, discussing the issues it raises and how I foresee the future of the State of Israel. We also chatted about the recent agreements signed between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, and other events in the world of Israeli politics.

Israeli Jews are improving their relations with Arabs — but not with each other
(FoxNews.com - September 15, 2020)

"Politicians of all sides have buried their collective heads ostrich-like in the sand and refused to face up to the issue. If action isn't taken soon, Israel could find itself hurtling down a slippery slope from which there is no palatable way back." - Paul Alster

Out now on Amazon.com 

I’m proud to announce that my first novel, Kin Or Country, is now available on Amazon. I’d be delighted if you ​buy the book and/or share the link to the Amazon page to help put the word out there. 

​I’m happy to give interviews and answer any media enquiries.

Set in 2048, Kin Or Country is a political thriller with a related murder investigation woven through it. It takes place during the febrile two-week countdown to an unprecedented referendum that proposes to split the State of Israel; one state for the Haredim and other ultra-religious groups, and one for the rest of Israeli society.

But what happens in the tiny Jewish nation, so often at the center of world attention, also has wider repercussions for the Middle East as others with vested interests in the region, such as the USA and Iran, seek to ensure an outcome that suits their own geopolitical agendas

More than anything else this is a thriller about the dangers of religious coercion, about flawed morality across the political spectrum, but ultimately about human emotions and family relationships that apply equally to people of all faiths, creeds and colors. First and foremost, I hope you find Kin Or Country an enjoyable, page-turning read. Second, I hope it prompts a wide-ranging debate on the subject that will ultimately benefit all the people of Israel.
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Here are some of the first Amazon reviews:

"Kin or Country by Paul Alster is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings ... Skillfully constructed and set against the backdrop of an alternate socio-political-religious scenario, this book will have you on the edge of your seat!.. It’s a masterful tale centered around secular and ultra-religious Israeli Jews in the year 2048. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me." - Píaras Ó Cíonnaoíth, Goodreads.com
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"This book is a highly involving political thriller, a story with a plot and well sculpted characters that could so comfortably become cinematic ... that provides a stage for a debate about the frustrations and contradictions that pepper Israel as a country. This is a superb book, and very highly recommended." - Grady Harp, Goodreads.com
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"This is a perfect political thriller." - Sofia Petrovna, USA, Amazon.com
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"Paul Alster interwines history and fiction very nicely. I learnt a lot about history from page one, while it didn't get boring at any point thanks to the plot twists and cliffhangers." - S. Ramos Garcia, USA, Amazon.com

​You can buy the book here.

A Postcard from Corona Israel
(Jerusalem Post/The Jerusalem Report - May 14, 2020)

​"I received amazing care and shared a room with a Jewish gardener who’d been bitten by a snake, and two Arab guys; one who had a wobble similar to mine, and the other who chose not to discuss his condition. The four of us got along famously well while attended by both Jewish and Arab-Israeli doctors and nurses at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera. They’re underpaid and understaffed but are stoical and marvelous in equal measures."

In-depth Cheltenham Festival
tips and analysis 
(GentingBet.com - Thursday 12 March)

"In a wide-open renewal, Alan King’s DEYRANN DU CARJAC is suggested as a value bet. It looks significant that connections run him for the first time outside novice chase company in this tough race, and ... he has twice been placed in Grade 2 company behind classy performers Champ and Midnight Shadow. "

2020 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Seoul,
​South Korea, February 6-9

Always wonderful to provide live commentary on world class figure skating. Here's the short program of the great Chinese star Boyang Jin from last week's ISU Four Continents Championship in Seoul:

Muddy 1994 National was Just So exciting
(grandnational.org.uk - February 14, 2020)

"Then, quite out of the blue, “Just Slow” got a second wind and began to run on again – powerfully. Pulled to the centre of the run-in, he was galumphing his way relentlessly through the poached ground."

2020 ISU European Figure Skating Championships, Graz, Austria, January 22-26

A thrilling week commentating from the stadium on five day's high-class international figure skating. Here's one of my favourite performances from an event in which Russia totally dominated, winning 10 medals.


Crisp; the most glorious Grand National defeat
(grandnational.org.uk - January 2020)

"At halfway, as they jumped The Chair, Crisp was already around 20 lengths clear and continued to gallop powerfully away from the stands with ​a circuit to run."

Trump threat to Iranian culture is a big mistake
(Times of Israel - January 2020)

"Sadly, Trump doesn’t do nuance or differentiate between the many shades of grey. Like a cartoon character he sees just good guys and bad guys. But in Iran, like everywhere else, there are many, many people in between."

From Mafia ‘associate’ to Christian supporter of Israel
(Jerusalem Report/ Jerusalem Post - December 2019)

James Hall made millions from his playboy lifestyle acting as an 'associate' for the Chicago Mafia, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous during the heady days through the 1960's - 1980's. Then the law caught up with him - and he found God.

 Horse racing analysis and tips for
The Telegraph
(18th November, 2019)

My latest for the racing section of The Telegraph. Click below :​
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/betting/racing/2019-11-18-cheltenham-festival-2020-betting/

SHANA TOVA
​HAPPY NEW YEAR 5780
(29th September, 2019)

On Erev Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), I send very best wishes to family, friends, and all visitors to this website.  I'm currently overseas working on an Israel-related book that I hope will appear in 2020, hence the reduced number of articles I've presented of late. 
Hoping the year ahead brings peace, ​good health and happiness to all .

HIGH HOPES
The Hasidic Jew at the cutting edge of medicinal cannabis development
(The Jerusalem Report - March 29, 2019)

"SMART PHILANTHROPY" OPENS UP ISRAEL'S GALILEE AND NEGEV REGIONS
JNF USA's innovative project to boost housing projects away from central Israel
(JNF.org - 28th March 2019)

NO LONGER A PLACE TO RUN?
Fears abound over the direction
​of Netanyahu's far-right alliance
(Times of Israel - March 17, 2019)

A BEACON OF HOPE
Marking Holocaust Memorial Day, Paul Alster pays a belated first visit to the world's most famous Holocaust museum
(Jerusalem Report - January 2019)

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND MAKE A WISH
Israel's Make-A-Wish charitable organization makes the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses come true
(Jerusalem Report - October 17, 2018)

THE AMAZING MISS VERTIGO
Rona Soffer’s autobiographical short film is an inspiration to people living with significant disabilities
(Jerusalem Report - August 22, 2018)

JOURNEYING THROUGH THE REAL ISRAEL
Polish and American teens experience an Israel not usually seen by tour groups
(Jerusalem Report - July 25, 2018)

GOOD GUYS, BAD GUYS
My views on the way the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is covered by the international media
(Times of Israel - May 15, 2018)

"Trying to get close to the root of the problem or the genuine motivation behind actions on both sides would take time, lots of time. It could be controversial. It might not sit comfortably with many of the viewers. And, most importantly, it wouldn’t fit into a three-minute time slot, so just keep it simple. Good guys, bad guys."


BRITISH JEWS' POTENTIAL LOSE-LOSE SCENARIO
Anti-Semitism in Britain goes much deeper than Jeremy Corbyn 
(Jerusalem Post - April 27, 2018)

"Corbyn, carried to the shock leadership of the Labour party by the far-left Momentum movement that seemingly contains many anti-Semites, made little effort to rein in the vile imagery and comments on social media perpetrated in their name against the Jewish community. Indeed, he posted and shared some of the anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli tropes doing the rounds among his supporters."


ANATOMY OF A DEMONSTRATION
Do Tel Aviv protestors have what it takes to end the reign of corruption?
(Jerusalem Report - February 24, 2018)

"The cafes and restaurants around me were jam-packed with young people drinking skinny lattes, eating designer hamburgers, busy looking cool. Well dressed youngsters enjoying the good things in life in this rich part of town. If they were concerned about corruption, bribery, one third of the population living below the poverty line, the erosion of civil liberties, they certainly weren't showing it."

OMERTA
Has the Israeli government adopted the infamous mafia code of ethics?
(Times of Israel - ​ February 16, 2018)

"That’s the mafia code. No matter what crime has been committed, or however innocent the victim may have been, you do not go outside “the family.” You do not cooperate with the police. If you have a score to settle, you settle it inside “the family”. 

​JERUSALEM REPORT

​ The 3rd Haifa Arab Food Festival
Food for thought and a journey through the stunningly
good Arab kitchen
​(Jerusalem Report - December, 2017)
"It won't grab any headlines because no one died. There was no violence, no threats, no tension. No “us and them.” If you’re choosing to read on, then maybe you’re one of the growing band of people who are fed up of always hearing negative news about the Jewish-Arab status quo in Israel. That’s not to say that much of the reporting isn’t justified; sadly, it is."​

ESPN U.S. RADIO

(Above) November 2017: Barry Abrams of ESPN interviews Paul about the impending demise of betting on horse racing in Israel, and the politics behind ​this bizarre decision

OTHER FEATURED REPORTS

NEW YORK POST

The face of Iran's military might be dying
(New York Post - 30 November, 2015)
"The secrecy surrounding Soleimani’s care could be the biggest clue that something is very wrong with the man voted “Man of the Year” in a national poll earlier this year. Were the nation’s most-decorated warrior to be injured critically, or even mortally, in battle, it would be a massive blow to the morale of Iran’s military — and a huge boost to that of the Syrian opposition."

INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT ON TERRORISM

How would you react to a terror attack?
(IPT - 7 March, 2016)
"Have you ever wondered how it feels to suddenly find yourself in the midst of a terror attack, and how you would react? It's everyone's worst nightmare, but for a growing number of people in Israel over the 5 ½ months since the latest Palestinian uprising began, it has been a shocking reality."
FOX NEWS.COM
Ukraine marks first 'Defenders Day'
(October 14, 2015)
"The Oct. 14 event was created by presidential decree in response to the ongoing dispute with Russia over territory in eastern Ukraine and Crimea in what has already been a bloody conflict. It has officially replaced the long-standing Feb. 23 holiday known as the "Defender of the Fatherland Day," due to that holiday’s connections to the Soviet era."