TEL AVIV, Israel – Emily Schrader, a popular TV news personality in Israel, the United States, and elsewhere, has also become well known in Iran, for an entirely different reason. The Islamic Republic recently put Schrader as number two on their list of “hostile enemies.” We sat down with Schrader to find out what she’s doing to rise so high on that list.
If you live in Israel, you may have seen Schrader on television. She’s also on Instagram and has written a new book.
We asked her, “As a journalist, a speaker, educator, author, you’re literally in the trenches of this ongoing hate of israel and the Jewish people. What’s it like being in the middle of the war here?
She replied, “Well, I have to say, it;s pretty exhausting. I’m not going to lie. I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep since October 7th (2023, the Hamas massacre and kidnappings).”
She continued, “So, it’s kind of like Groundhog Day. We’re reliving the same thing over and over again and hoping for the best, but we’re not quite there yet. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
In that race, Schrader is running to defeat the Jewish hate triggered by October 7th, while also supporting Christians in Iran.
When asked why she decided to take on this assignment, why Iran would be her topic, she answered, “It’s part of, I guess, my worldview, my ideology, and what I believe in. Growing up in Los Angeles around so much of the Iranian community – both Jewish Iranian and non-Jewish Iranian – I was actually really inspired.”
After she described the work as exhausting, we asked, “What is the most rewarding part of it?
She responded, “I would say it’s rewarding to feel like you are able to communicate a message on behalf of someone who can’t do it themselves.
Through providing analysis of Iran and her pro-Israel advocacy, Schrader has gained a global audience, including Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence.
CBN News: “You made it to Iran’s list of the most “hostile media persons.” In fact, you’re number two. What was your reaction when you heard that?”
Schrader: “I have to say I wasn’t surprised. They don’t like that a lot of Iranians reach out to me. They also could be theoretically punishable by death just for speaking to me.”
Is she scared for her safety?
“I am scared for my safety when traveling abroad,” she admitted. “I’m not new to this. In the past, they have tried to lure me to Europe for conferences that didn’t exist. My parents have gotten harassment, phone calls.”
Threats don’t slow her down, though. In addition to her journalist duties, Schrader is an activist.
We asked her to explain her focus on helping Christians on Iran.
“So, I founded the Iran-Israel Alliance at the end of last year, after working with many different Iranians in the diaspora and inside Iran,” she stated. “There are tons of people who are converting to Christianity, a crime which is punishable by death inside Iran, and they face tremendous persecution as a result…it seems like there are more underground churches.”
She continued, “So, we’re working to build connections with Christian Iranians in the diaspora, but also inside, to learn from them what they need to hear, how we can support them, and to raise awareness about what’s going on inside Iran for that community.”
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During all of this, she somehow found time to write a book: Ten Things Every Jew Should Know Before They Go to College.”
When asked about the premise, she answered, “It’s impossible to look at the war and what happened October 7th and in the aftermath, without understanding what the threat is around us.”
The book serves as a quick reference guide to help Jewish students respond to questions and accusations about Israel and their faith. “The unfortunate reality today is that American Jews are often asked or demanded from them to answer these difficult questions,” Schrader explained. From Zionism to the Oslo Accords
From Zionism to the Oslo Accords to the United Nations, the book covers the bases.
They need to know the basic history,” she insisted. “They need to know what the arguments are, for and against, (on) the controversial issues. And that’s exactly what we put forward.
Schrader moved to Israel in 2015 after graduating from the University of Southern California.
We suggested, “Let’s talk about you for a second. Why did you decide to make Aliyah and move here to Tel Aviv?”
She replied, “Yeah, so I decided to move to Israel because I found that it was a lot easier to report about the things that I wanted to report on … and also, I wanted to be a part of this country. I wanted to be a part of building this country into something better.”
Regardless of her role, Schrader serves as an ambassador for Israel in the information war. So it’s no surprise that her dream is to one day become Israel’s ambassador to iran, should that ever materialize.
We concluded by asking her about the University of Southern California slogan, “Fight On,” and what it means to her.
She answered, “Wow. It’s actually very applicable to everything I’m doing now. And I didn’t think about that. But we have to fight on. So, we have to continue to fight for this country because it matters. It matters for the entire future of the free world.”
Having reached the second highest spot on Iran’s enemies list, she said, “I’m just offended I’m not number one.”
