BICOM's Podcast

In this episode, BICOM Director Richard Pater speaks with Carrie Keller-Lynn, a political and legal correspondent at the Times of Israel. They discuss the election results, breaking down what happened by party, and what could be next for the new government. Originally from the US, Carrie attended Stanford Law School and also holds a degree from Yale. She was called to the bar in New York and DC in...

In this episode, Richard Pater speak to Jacky Hugi, the Arab affairs analyst of Israeli Army Radio and a columnist for the Maariv newspaper.  Jacky gives his assessment of the Israel – Lebanon maritime agreement and the role Hezbollah plays in domestic Lebanese politics.  They also discuss the ongoing violence in the West Bank.  Jacky describes the current level of popularity of the Palestinian Au...

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Israel’s former Ambassador to the UK Mark Regev about his experience meeting the Queen.  Ambassador Regev also shares his views on King Charles’s relationship with Israel and the strength of the bilateral relationship under Prime Minister Truss.  He also offers his latest assessment on Iran, the Abraham Accords and the maritime talks with Lebanon.  As wel...

In this episode Richard Pater speaks to Orna Mizrahi, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies. With the US negotiator’s imminent return to the region, they discuss the prospects of Israel and Lebanon reaching an understanding over their maritime border.  Orna also shares her assessment of the current threat posed by Hezbollah and the state of Lebanese politics ahead...

In this episode Richard Pater and Dr Assaf Shapira, director of the Political Reform Programme at the Israel Democracy Institute, discuss the primary system in Israel. They talk about why parties chose to elect their candidates through different systems and what benefits parties such as the Likud and Labour gain from using the closed primary system. Richard and Assaf also talk about issues are mos...

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Najat Al-Saied, a Professor at American University in the Emirates, Dubai, to gain a Gulf perspective of US President Biden's recent trip to the Middle East. Richard and Najat discuss the UAE's strategy vis-a-vis Iran, how the gulf views more open security and military cooperation with Israel and why the Abraham Accords are still not viewed favourably among...

In this episode, Samuel Nurding speaks to Ambassador (Ret.) Daniel C. Kurtzer on what the Biden administration hopes to achieve from its upcoming trip to the Middle East. Ambassador Kurtzer also lays out a possible Israel-Saudi roadmap for normalisation and examines whether a Middle East NATO is plausible. 

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Dr Assaf Shapira, director of  Political Reform Programme at the Israel Democracy Institute. They discuss the latest developments in Israel to dissolve the Knesset and what that means for the many reform bills currently in the legislative process. Dr. Shapira also provides some reforms that lawmakers could enact to make the political system in Israel more r...

In this episode, Samuel Nurding speaks with Gabriel Mitchell, an expert on Israel’s energy policy, about the new Israel-EU gas deal. They discuss the potential benefits of the deal for the Israeli-EU and Israeli-Egyptian relationship, as well as any potential blowback from Russia. Gabriel also speaks about the latest developments between Israel and Lebanon over their maritime dispute and the likel...

In this episode, BICOM Director Richard Pater speaks to Dr Michael Milshtein, a colonel (res.) in the Israel Defense Forces and former head of the Department for Palestinians Affairs in the IDF Intelligence Unit. They discuss the latest threats posed by Hamas. Michael talks about the recent appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as secretary-General of the PLO and whether recent threats by the Palestini...

In this episode, Sam Nurding speaks to military and security analyst Yaakov Lappin. They discuss the causes and fallout to the Jerusalem Police's intervention at last week's funeral procession for Shireen Abu Aqla. Lappin explains why, unlike last year, tensions on the Gaza border have not flared up (yet), as well as the latest reported Israeli airstrike in Syria and whether the invasion into Ukra...

Richard Pater speaks to Dr Raz Zimmt, an expert on Iran at the Institute for Nation Security Studies in Tel Aviv. They discuss the extent of Iran’s influence on the recent wave of terror attacks in Israel. They also examine Iran’s involvement in destabilising activity across the region. Dr Zimmt outlines the latest development surrounding the Vienna nuclear talks, whether the US will remove the IR...

Richard Pater speaks to Natan Sachs, the director of the Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution. They discuss the latest developments in the JCPOA nuclear negotiations, whether a deal will actually be signed and the differences between the Netanyahu and Bennett-Lapid governments approach to relations with the United States, especially over the Iranian nuclear issue. They also d...

In this Easter/Pesach special, BICOM's Richard Pater and Samuel Nurding discuss the current political and security situation in Israel. We talk about whether the government will survive Idit Silman’s resignation, why MKs Aymen Odeh and Bezalel Smotrich are coming under heavy criticism, and explain the government’s Ramadan policy regarding the West Bank and Gaza.

BICOM's Research Associate Sam Nurding sits downs with Haaretz's intelligence and security correspondent Yossi Melman to discuss Israeli security issues. This episode clips their conversation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the threat of Iran. A full transcript of their discussion will be published in our journal, Fathom, in a few weeks.      

Samuel Nurding speaks to Dr. Ely Karmon, senior research scholar at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University. They discuss the causes and perpetrators behind the three recent terror attacks in Israel, the current security situation in the West Bank and why Jenin is the terror capital, and how this new spike in violence compares to previous waves of terror. 

Israeli author Matti Friedman sits down with Fathom Deputy editor Calev Ben-Dor to discuss Matti's new book, Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai (Spiegel & Grau, 2022). The book is released on Amazon UK on 29 May 2022.

Sam Nurding speaks to Grant Rumley, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, where he specialises in military and security affairs in the Middle East. Grant has recently served in both the Trump and Biden administrations as an advisor for Middle East Policy in the Pentagon. They discuss the US view of the Ukraine-Russia war, implications of the war on the Middle East, the possible removal of t...

Sam Nurding speaks to Professor Eyal Zisser, the Vice Rector of Tel Aviv University and the holder of The Yona and Dina Ettinger Chair in Contemporary History of the Middle East. They discuss the latests developments in the JCPOA talks, whether an agreement is imminent and the Israeli political and defense view of a possible agreement. They also discuss whether Iran's attack on an alleged Israeli...

Richard Pater speaks with Middle East analyst and former MK Ksenia Svetlova. They discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and how the war is perceived inside Russia. Ksenia gives her assessment Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s surprise visit to Moscow and how Israel is in a unique position to mediate the conflict. They also discuss the impact of the war on the Iran nuclear talks and on the region...

Richard Pater speaks to Amichai Stein, diplomatic correspondent at Kan News, the Israeli public broadcasting corporation. They discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Israel's diplomatic dilemma in relation to Russia. They talk about the latest developments in nuclear talks in Vienna and the reasons why Israel sent a delegation there last week. They also reflect on a busy week of Israeli regional...

Richard Pater speaks to Lord Ian Austin, UK Trade envoy to Israel, about his latest trip with the Secretary to State for International Trade, Anne-Marie Trevelyan to open negotiations with Israel for a free trade agreement. Lord Austin and Richard also discuss how the UK can both benefit from and advance the Abraham Accords as well as the Iranian threat.

Richard Pater speaks to Dr Arik Rudnitzky, a researcher in  the 'Arab Society in Israel Programme' at the Israel Democracy Institute. In the same week that Amnesty International UK released a damning new report accusing Israel of maintaining an “apartheid regime” not only in the West Bank, but inside Israel too, Richard and Arik discuss the social, political and economic situation of the Arab citi...

Richard Pater speaks to Senior Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent of The Jerusalem Post Lahav Harkov about a wide range of current diplomatic and political issues. They discuss the meeting between Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Palestinian minister Hussein al-Sheikh, the rift in the US negotiating team in Vienna talks, whether Benjamin Netanyahu's plea bargain option will continue w...

Richard Pater speaks with Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum about the background and legal case of the latest eviction in Sheikh Jarrah. Fleur also refutes the recent claim from the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem that extreme Israeli groups are trying to expel Christians from the city. They also discuss some of the initiatives that the municipality is undertaking to improve social...