Middle East Forum Podcast

In this episode of Israel Insider, guest host Alex Selsky breaks down Israel's election results the day after the vote, why neither bloc has the 61 seats needed to govern, and the paths Netanyahu and the opposition have to a coalition. Selsky also discusses the role of the Arab parties, why security policy is unlikely to change whoever governs, the Haredi draft, and the chance of another elect...

In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with Michael Knights of The Washington Institute about the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq and why Iran-backed militias feel free to defy Washington's push to disarm them. Knights also discusses how Iraq serves as a financial lifeline for sanctioned Iran, whether the Kurds have been abandoned, Iraq's ties with Sau...

In this episode of Israel Insider, host Ashley Perry examines Israel's election race six days before the vote, why neither bloc has a clear path to a 61-seat majority, and why turnout could upend the polls. Perry also discusses Netanyahu's pressure on two small parties to quit the race, President Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu, the latest signals on Iran, and the odds of a unity gove...

In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with Craig Considine of Rice University about his new book, When Marx Meets Islam , and the "Red-Green alliance" of Marxists and Islamists united against the United States, Israel, and the West. Considine also discusses his chessboard model of the alliance, from campus activists to foreign patrons like Qatar, the b...

In this episode of Israel Insider, host Ashley Perry examines the security fears hanging over Israel's election, now thirteen days away, and whether warnings of an attack from Iran, Hezbollah, or the West Bank before the vote are campaign rhetoric or a real threat. Perry also discusses Likud's campaign against Ofer Winter, Ronen Bar's defamation suit against Netanyahu, the latest Qatar...

In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King's College London, about the risk of civil conflict in Britain. Betz argues that the threat stems less from Islamism than from political and social divisions, declining institutional legitimacy, economic insecurity, and elite failures. He also discusses rising...

In this episode of Israel Insider, host Ashley Perry reflects on the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre and why the events of that day remain so deeply felt across Israel. He examines the growing political battle over responsibility for the failures preceding the attack, Netanyahu’s competing narrative, and how October 7 is shaping the final weeks of Israel’s election campaign. Perry also...

In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with Col. (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman about the complicated history of Israel’s relationship with Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy, from early Zionist-Hashemite contacts through war, covert cooperation, and the 1994 peace treaty. Lerman also examines the shared security interests that sustain the relationship today, including concerns...

In this episode of Israel Insider , host Ashley Perry examines the attempted takeover of a Flydubai flight carrying mostly Israeli passengers, how the attack was stopped, and the unanswered questions surrounding the pilot’s intentions. He also looks at how the incident is reshaping Israel’s election campaign by putting national security back at the center of the debate, as Netanyahu and the opposi...

In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with evolutionary behavioral scientist and author Gad Saad about his new book, Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind , and his argument that empathy can become harmful when it overrides reason and self-preservation. Saad discusses how this idea applies to immigration, academia, Israel, Islam, and cultural relativism, as well as...

In this episode of Israel Insider, host Ashley Perry examines the focus on Israel at the UN General Assembly, Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming address, and the growing international pressure over settlements and settler violence. Perry also discusses efforts to disqualify Arab parties and candidates from Israel’s election, Avigdor Lieberman’s proposal for Jordan to administer Palestinian-controlled a...

Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch joins the Middle East Forum Podcast to discuss why he believes the Oslo Accords have failed, how the Palestinian Authority’s “Pay-for-Slay” system incentivizes terrorism, and why its expanding security forces pose a growing threat to Israel. He also examines the legacy of October 7, the future of Palestinian leadership, prisoner exchanges, and the security implicatio...

Ashley Perry examines the UK’s new sanctions targeting Israeli settlement goods, Israel’s retaliatory response, and why Washington’s silence may be more consequential for Jerusalem than the measures themselves. He also discusses a disputed report that the UAE warned Benjamin Netanyahu shortly before October 7 that Hamas was preparing a major attack, and what the allegation could mean politically a...

Ibn Warraq joins the Middle East Forum Podcast to discuss whether Islam is compatible with Western values, examining free speech, religious liberty, assimilation, political Islam, and competing ideas of sovereignty. He also reflects on the intellectual journey behind Why I Am Not a Muslim and explains why he believes Western civilization must be more willing to defend its own principles. Subscribe...

More than 30 years after Hamas murdered 17-year-old American David Boim, his family is still seeking to enforce a $156 million terrorism judgment. Lead counsel Daniel I. Schlessinger explains the case against American Muslims for Palestine, the “alter ego” theory at its center, and what the 2027 trial could mean for other terrorism victims seeking accountability in U.S. courts. Subscribe to the Mi...

Israel’s latest strike in Syria highlights its growing concern over Turkey’s expanding military influence there. Ashley Perry examines the risk of a deeper Israel-Turkey confrontation, Washington’s response, and the security calculations driving Israel’s actions. He also breaks down Israel’s increasingly fragmented election landscape, the emergence of a potential third bloc, and Netanyahu’s contin...

David Wurmser joins the Middle East Forum Podcast to examine the new Mecca Agreement among Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan and the broader strategic realignment it reflects. He discusses Turkey’s ambitions, China’s growing influence, Saudi Arabia’s shifting calculations, and the implications for India, the UAE, Israel, and the Abraham Accords. Wurmser also considers how Israel and the United St...

With Israel’s October 27 election approaching, guest host Alex Selsky examines the deadlocked polls and the coalition math that could determine the next government. He looks at Netanyahu’s reshaping of Likud, the potential role of Ra’am and a new “third bloc,” and divisions across Israel’s political camps. Selsky also discusses foreign interference, Gaza, and the political maneuvering likely to in...

Russia, Iran, China, and Qatar are using different tools to weaken the political consensus behind the U.S.-Israel partnership. Alex Goldenberg joins Middle East Forum Podcast host Lauri Regan to examine how antisemitism, anti-Israel narratives, foreign funding, and social media influence campaigns are used to shape American public opinion and raise the political cost of cooperation with Israel. Th...

Ashley Perry examines the tentative Strait of Hormuz agreement and whether Iran’s leadership will uphold it. He also assesses renewed tensions with Hezbollah, the dispute over Hamas disarmament, and Israel’s response options. Finally, he explains how new center-right parties and the ultra-Orthodox enlistment debate could reshape Israel’s election.

Recent wars and maritime disruptions have exposed the vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Suez Canal—critical chokepoints for global trade and energy. Amit Mor joins Middle East Forum Podcast host Lauri Regan to examine emerging alternatives, including new oil pipelines, expanded overland trucking routes, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, and proposed rail l...

Benjamin Netanyahu presented Donald Trump with three possible paths on Iran: diplomacy, intensified economic pressure, or renewed military operations. Ashley Perry examines what emerged from their meeting, Iran’s latest attack on a U.S. base, and the renewed activity of Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi militias. He also assesses Netanyahu’s political position as Israel’s election campaign begins...

Despite renewed diplomacy between Lebanon and Israel, Hezbollah retains an independent military and political structure that prevents Beirut from controlling decisions of war and peace. Scholar and educator Ibtisam Klait traces Hezbollah’s ideological origins, its allegiance to Iran’s doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih , and its evolution from a “state within a state” into a “state against the state.” S...

Hezbollah has been pushed back from Israel’s northern border, but its tunnels, rockets, drones, and efforts to rearm remain a serious threat. Sarit Zehavi of the Alma Research and Education Center joins MEF Podcast host Lauri Regan to explain what Israel has uncovered in southern Lebanon, how Hezbollah is rebuilding with Iranian support, and why the ceasefire may not hold. They also discuss Lebano...

Iran and the United States have returned to military confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz, while both sides appear—for now—to be limiting the conflict. Israel Insider host Ashley Perry examines what could turn this “controlled escalation” into a wider war and bring Israel back into the fighting. Perry also analyzes Israel-Lebanon negotiations, pressure on Israel to reposition in Lebanon and S...