Maxwell has always aimed to be more than just a venue — it's a place where ideas compete, conversations deepen, and culture is constructed. So when The Free Press approached us to host one of their Fireside Chats, the answer was an easy yes.
The chat featured Michael C. Moynihan — co‑host of The Fifth Column podcast and a writer for The Free Press — in conversation with Brendan O’Neill, a noted journalist and commentator. Hosted in one of our more intimate spaces, their exchange balanced warmth with intensity as they examined the state of free expression, media, and society’s intellectual pulse.
The discussion was about O’Neill’s new book, After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation.
The book argues that the West failed a moral test after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, when, instead of showing solidarity, many voices in the West engaged in victim-blaming rhetoric. O’Neill highlights how groups like Hezbollah openly call for Israel’s destruction, while parts of the American left echo this hostility.
The event offered not just a conversation but also an audience Q&A and a chance for attendees to mingle with Free Press readers and staff.
