On one of Malibu's highest ridges stands an isolated house. An imposing gate welcomes visitors. I pass through it and continue climbing in a taxi to the peak, which seems to almost touch the sky. This is where Caitlyn Jenner's home is located. "I chose this place mainly for its location, and also because I wanted quiet," she said. "The kids come here with the grandchildren and play in the yard, and I also enjoy the privacy. No one can see us from here."
She greeted me with a broad smile, led me to her luxurious living room, and sat beside me. "You can start recording," she said with a smile. "How much time do we have for the interview?" I asked nervously. "Until I kick you out of here," she replied.
Bruce Almighty
Caitlyn Jenner grew up in New York as Bruce Jenner, and in 1972 participated for the first time in the Olympic decathlon, an event that includes contests of strength and speed. After breaking an Olympic record at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Bruce became an American hero.
Jenner has six biological children and four stepchildren. She was married three times and had four children with her former partners, but in 1991 the big bang occurred in her life: Jenner married Kris, the mother of Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, and Rob Kardashian. This marriage transformed Bruce from a superathlete known in every US home to one of the world's most recognizable faces as the stepfather of the "Kardashians".
Jenner raised them and was a father figure, after Robert Kardashian, their biological father, passed away. Jenner and Kris had two more daughters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, who went on to build empires in modeling and cosmetics, respectively.
"I helped raise ten children, only two of them graduated college," Caitlyn said. "Of those who didn't, two are on the Forbes billionaires list, and the other is the highest-paid model in the world. Kim never graduated from college, and she's by far the most successful of all of the girls. She is a wonderful human being, extraordinarily nice and generous. It's been great, her being part of my life."
Jenner speaks about her children with great pride and emphasizes the upbringing she provided alongside their mother. "I don't want to pat myself on the back, but that comes from parenting. Too many young people are growing up and without good guidance and stability." Jenner goes on to praise Jewish parenting, saying "I think the Jewish family is just wonderful."
She emphasized her affection for Jewish family values many times during our conversation, and stressed the importance of traditional values, those that have been lost in the US according to her. "You can talk to your kids and give them good advice, but the most important thing is, you have to lead by example, the type of person you are. How you treat other people is extremely important, if you're kind and understanding and nice to other people. This is the person that the kids see since they grew up."
Roots of support
In the Hollywood stronghold of superstars, it's hard to find many who will openly speak about their support for Israel. While many prefer to stay silent or act behind the scenes, Jenner is one of the prominent voices heard in the City of Angels in favor of Israel. The root of this broad support can be found in her life story, which is largely intertwined with the story of Israel and its revival.
"My father was in World War II, in the Fifth Ranger Battalion. They were the first troops into Buchenwald [death camp]," she recounted. "Only he never would talk about it, the only time he ever did [was when he showed me] some pictures – the Germans had left two hours earlier, and my dad walked in there and took the pictures. My dad said the smell was so bad, people like zombies walking around, dead bodies all over the place. Here you are, 23 years old, and you're seeing this.
"I couldn't believe that a human being could do such things to another human being. It really, really affected him and it affected me as a young kid – because of that I think I've always been on the side of the Israelis and the Jewish faith. I've always been a Christian but I've just always had this feeling for the Jewish people and what they've gone through because I just don't think they deserve it."
A few decades later, Jenner herself witnessed one of the historic events that impacted the State of Israel and the Jewish people, again on German soil. "The first time my father went back to Germany was in 1972 when I made it on my first Olympic team. It was very difficult for him, just to be at a restaurant and hearing the people next to him, they were all obviously speaking German. He told me 'My stomach would turn, I just want to walk over and slap him'.
"And then in the [Olympic] village, in the building right next to me, the terrorists came in and we lost 11 Israeli athletes. I saw one of the terrorists, [the one from] the very famous picture of that guy standing with the gun. It was traumatizing.
"It just upset me so much that these terrorists would come in and use the games – which I think is the greatest gathering of countries in the world, all for good and peace. It's all for great competition between athletes, between countries – for their political purposes. It was the first time everybody in America was really glued to what was happening around the world. It was devastating that we lost those athletes," she paused for a moment, and her voice trembled slightly. "So because of things like that, I've always been very sympathetic to the Jews and their journey. And honestly, it just hasn't stopped. It just hasn't stopped."
A wide smile spread across her face when she talked about her experiences from her previous visits to Israel. "I went twice, and to be honest with you had an absolutely wonderful time both times I was there. The people were so friendly and so nice, I felt right at home. People probably don't know, but the second biggest pride parade in the world is in Jerusalem, and people are shocked when they hear that. It is a mix of people that you probably wouldn't think would be there until you go and see it. When you think about religion or faith, this is where it all started. You're looking at buildings and walls and they're thousands of years old. It's an amazing place.
While reminiscing about her past visits to Israel, Jenner pointed out "Caitlyn hasn't had a chance to go there yet," acknowledging that her previous trips were all before her transition.
Social media, beware
Oct. 7, 2023, brought Jenner back to the childhood stories she heard from her father. "When I saw what happened on Oct. 7 I thought to myself: 'Here it goes again'. Again, the brutality of the other side is… I can't even fathom how one human being can do that to another… it doesn't register in my head. That's why immediately I came out in support of Israel."
Jenner also serves as a commentator on Fox News, in addition to maintaining social media accounts with millions of followers. "Almost on a daily basis, I have somebody come up to me and say 'thank you for supporting Israel', and my answer to them is: 'Do you know why I do it? Because you're worth it.' And I firmly believe that the Jewish people are worth it. Good, honest people who just want to live their lives."
Last April, Jenner posted a video on social media of her leaving a pro-Israel conference while being attacked by masses of Palestinian activists. Along with the video, she added the caption "I am a lifelong champion of Israel and fearless of these HAMAS terrorist sympathizing cowards! The only thing to protest is Hamas! Make no mistake, these are not peaceful protestors."
"I can take any criticism you throw at me," she said "I'll listen to you – but I really don't care. I'm trans and a Trump supporter, and will continue to be. He's a good friend. But I get so criticized, especially from the transgender community. So I'm very used to criticism and I can handle that."
However, she didn't foresee the intensity of hatred and antisemitism on US campuses. "I was totally surprised," she said. "That's why I speak up. America could learn a lot from the Jewish people and Jewish family values. The Jewish family is solid, it's strong. They have a commitment to their faith and a commitment to the family.
"I think we are losing that in the United States. I go to the bar mitzvahs, and the whole family is always so close. The father is the father's image, the mother is the mother's image. Faith, no matter what religion it is, is good. Patriotism is good. That's why this last election I was so extraordinarily happy. [Though] it's not going to be easy, our country has a chance to bring back our traditional values."
When discussing the LGBTQ people in the US who protested against Israel, Jenner is quick to respond and say that she "feels sorry for them" because they are "uneducated." In a post she published, she wrote that they should be deported to Iran or Gaza. "They just don't know how the world works. When I was growing up, I had the luxury of being naive.
"But today with technology, there's so much information that you don't have to get from your parents. Everything is out there, putting very mature thoughts into very immature minds. There's a lot of hatred towards Israel on the internet. They don't know anything. That's why when I say the second largest gay pride parade is in Jerusalem, they're going, 'It is?'"
Together we'll win
Caitlyn is one of Trump's most prominent and famous supporters in the US. With a close friendship with the president, frequent visits to Mar-a-Lago, and appearances on Fox News, she maintains her senior position in the Republican Party and is very proud of it. Trump's sweeping victory reflects the change in mood in the US, one that is also largely related to Israel, she claimed.
"A year ago, if you were a Trump supporter you had to be really quiet [about it]. I wasn't quiet, but now all of a sudden, with him winning decisively, that attitude has kind of changed and people can talk about it. It's the same thing when it comes to Israel – people are more open now to being able to voice their opinions in a positive way towards Israel, and that's a good thing.
"The biggest mistake Biden's administration has made was when Oct. 7 happened – they didn't stand behind Israel 100%. Donald Trump would never allow that, he would have had absolute support for Israel, no questions asked. Biden didn't do that. He shouldn't have gotten this job in the first place. America wasn't a country of strength because Joe Biden wasn't a leader of strength, and I think that's the bottom line to the whole thing."
Jenner explained how she thinks the US can rely on Israel and improve with its help. "I think Israel probably has the best intel in the world. The most brilliant thing they did was the pagers [attack on Hezbollah]," she said, bursting into loud laughter. "That is great intel! I've got to give it to them. Israel knows very well what's going on in the Middle East.
"Our intel is not like it used to be, but we've got some very good people going into office, so I think that will change. But we need Israel as a partner, and together we can really make a difference. I wouldn't want the IDF coming after me," she laughed and added, "They know everything."
She spent Trump's victory night at Mar-a-Lago with many fears. "I was scared to death," she shared. "I remember four years earlier, on that night, it looked like Trump was in pretty good shape, and I said, 'I'm going to bed,' then woke up the next morning, and Biden was president. And so, that's still in my head. When it first started Kamala Harris was doing really well, and I started panicking. At this point, I must have given hundreds of selfies and I said 'I'm out of here' and went back to my sister's house who lives nearby. A couple hours later, my sister woke me up [saying] 'He won! He won!'
"The guy is amazing and we're lucky to have him in our country, especially now as our president again. The Democrats went too far. For the last couple of years, what have we had? One indictment after the next indictment, all of them just bogus. People started realizing this was election interference by our government to the extreme. I said on Fox 'I commend Trump, but the real heroes are the American voters'.
"For the first time in our country's history, they saw through all of the BS that was out there. The Democrats couldn't talk about Harris because she's horrible, she doesn't know anything, and the voting public said 'We've had enough'. People tend to forget, but Trump was already president and there was a peaceful world during that period. The Abraham Accords for instance, what he did with Israel... he doesn't want to see more people die."
To the Democrats, she said: "You need to change your way because it's not working. These elections also showed that it was the end of mainstream media. They presented Harris as leading, and it also worked in Trump's favor because it brought out the voters to the polls."
It's (not) just sports
When we talk about the emerging administration, it's hard not to wonder if she would like to see herself integrating into it, especially given the close relationship with the president-elect. "Look, I'm 75, do I really want to spend the next few years I have going back to Washington, doing this and doing that? I kind of enjoy my life the way it is now, but I still want to help."
One of those issues is the integration of transgender people in sports competitions. Jenner expresses her anger at the policy led by the Biden administration in recent years, which she claims has harmed the status of women in sports.
The reference is to the decision to update "Title IX" from 1972, which focuses on prohibiting discrimination based on sex in educational institutions and allowing transgender people and any man who identifies as a woman to compete in women's races in various sports.
"How stupid can you be?" she said about Biden. "And it's not just for what's happening right now, but also for the coming decades, you would discourage young women from getting into sports because they would have to compete against guys. It would just slowly taper off over time. It's about bringing back Title IX to the way it was written originally, and I've already talked to Trump about it.
"Today I would never compete in women's competitions, because it's ridiculous and it's not fair. I obviously have a huge advantage over biological women. I want a clear, straightforward policy, without 'ifs' or 'buts'. If you get into definitions of 'non-binary' and all that, the path gets complicated. There needs to be a clear division – men there and women there."
The rise of the progressive "woke" movement within educational institutions is also at the center of Jenner's public agenda. "We need to get rid of this 'woke,' DEI world that we're living in. It got out of control. We have gender ideology being taught in our schools to young kids. That has to stop.
"Our school system has to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, math, American history, science, you name it. When I grew up in the 50s and 60s, there wasn't even a word for it. I kept my mouth shut and never told anybody. I found sports. It's for the parents to work with it, not the school, or maybe a doctor or a psychologist. I am 100% obviously against schools that do this, and I want to work with the government about it."
Q: What reactions do you get from transgender people?
"They hate me!" she said, then laughed loudly. "I'm the enemy. First of all, you're the enemy because you're a Trump supporter, and then you're the enemy because you're calling out something that they believe should be continued. I'm not on their side."
For a conservative party, it's not easy to accept a senior figure who is openly transgender, but Jenner describes a different experience. "To my face, nobody's ever said anything. I heard little rumors about somebody, but I don't care. I'm going to treat that person with kindness, as someone who is fighting with them for common goals. People always come to me and thank me for what I'm doing."
While Caitlyn has chosen to be politically active, she's careful to keep the Kardashians out of the political fray. "My advice to my kids is: Stay out of politics. Kim is probably a little bit more political, Kris too, the other ones don't do anything. In the last election, I told Kendall and Kylie 'Don't do anything.' First of all, they're all in the retail business, and whatever they'll say is going to piss off half the country. I told them 'If anyone asks for your opinion, say that you follow politics, but your vote is your vote, and don't talk about it.'"
"Coming out freed my soul"
Jenner's coming out story came after years of rumors and speculation. Behind it were decades of keeping a secret within one of the most publicized families in the world. "I was lucky I found sports at a young age. I was better at sports because I needed it more than the next person. But I never thought I would go as far as I did, I kept working at it and it became a part of my life, I was obsessed with it.
"In fact, the day after the games, I walked into the bathroom the next morning. The medal was sitting on the counter. I picked it up and put it on, I didn't have a stitch of clothes on. I looked in the mirror and said 'What the hell did you just do?' Did I build this character up so big that I'm stuck with it for the rest of my life?"
In 2015, Jenner publicly came out in a series of media events that shook the world of global entertainment. Jenner was photographed for the cover of Vanity Fair magazine and presented her image as a woman to the world for the first time.
"It was the first time actually had somebody do my hair and makeup. Photographer Annie Leibovitz did an absolutely great job, and the cover won the most influential cover of the past decade. I remember getting a phone call from my daughter Kendall saying 'It's out, the cover is out!'
"Coming out freed my soul. Every time I ever told anybody, it was like somebody had lifted all this weight off my shoulders, and I didn't have to sneak around or lie to anybody anymore. You're going to get a few haters out there, but through these 10 years I have grown a lot, I'm in a good place, more peaceful, but I'm still the same person with the same values.
"At first they gave the Woman of the Year award from Glamour magazine, and then ESPN called about ESPY and the Arthur Ashe Award. As years went by, I saw how the left was kind of using me when really my thoughts are conservative. I'm a Republican, a Trump supporter, and I can't just be that person, a liberal fighter for trans rights and all that.
"If you suffer from gender dysphoria [a mismatch between a person's biological gender and their gender identity] and you think it's the right thing in your life to do – I support what you're doing 100%."
"See you in Tel Aviv"
"So how are you getting back from here?" Jenner asked me at the end of the interview. I told her I'd order an Uber to the hotel. "No Uber will come here, you'll have to go down for the taxi to pick you up." When she saw I was having trouble ordering an Uber, she said: "Well, I'm going out for some errands so I'll give you a ride down." She quickly got ready, changed clothes, but kept on the tight cap that gathered her curly hair, and asked if I'd like to take something to snack on the way. I politely refused. On the way back to civilization, there's silence in the car, quite natural after hours of long conversation.
"So how many siblings do you have?" she inquired, and we started talking about my family in Israel. When we move on to talk about Christmas plans, she talked about the traditional and famous holiday event of "that side of the Kardashian family", as she calls it, but shared that this year it won't be held in the usual format, therefore she will spend an intimate evening with her partner at her daughter Kendall's house.
After a drive of about 20 minutes, we arrive at the neighborhood cafe. "Hey Caitlyn," greetings are heard from all around. "Do me justice, don't make me look bad," she asked me, telling me about difficult experiences she had in the past with the media. We part with a big hug and promise each other that the next time we meet will be at the Pride parade in Tel Aviv, this coming June. "I'm in, Dor, let's do it," she told me and waved goodbye.
