Middle East Forum Podcast

Turkey was a solid NATO ally for a half century, 1952-2002. Since Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came to power in 2003, however, Ankara has taken a sharp turn away from the West and toward Islamism. How has the U.S. security establishment reacted to these changes?

What is behind the recent spate of Palestinian terror attacks on Israelis? What is the debate about it and the likely government response? Is the Opposition cooperating with the government?

What have the Middle East Forum's projects accomplished in 2021? Sam Westrop will discuss Pakistan emerging as a major funder and supporter of Islamism in the West in collaboration with Qatar and Turkey, and our efforts to counter its influence. He will also review the Counter-Islamist Grid’s nationwide accomplishments in counteracting Islamism at a local level through City Councils and law enforc...

With 2021 coming to an end, we offer an update on one activity of two Middle East Forum projects. The Washington Project has actively participated in an effective anti-Erdoğan coalition of Kurds, Armenians, Hindus, and Greeks. Campus Watch has focusing on winning greater transparency about the billions of dollars to universities from foreign governments.

Israel’s coalition government initially rejected Netanyahu’s public denunciation of the JCPOA and continuing nuclear negotiations with Tehran. But lately, the PM and FM have changed gears and adopted a more confrontational approach. Why and what does this portend?

Islamists and their allies pump out groaning shelves of books on an alleged “Islamophobia Industry” that persecutes Muslims. In fact, the “Islamophilia Industry” has come to dominate the academy to the point that scholars widely feel compelled to adopt a submissive, uncritical, dhimmi-like approach to all things Islamic. How did this come to be, what are its manifestations and goals, and where is...

The Biden administration has been pushing a back-to-the-future policy on Jerusalem, Palestinian issues, and Iran, pretending that the Trump administration’s changes never took place. What are the implications of this shift for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Iran's nuclear program?

On the occasion of the anniversary of the UN approval of the Partition Plan for Palestine, we discuss whether Arabs living in Israel accept the Jewish state. This question is the more urgent since Ra’am, an Islamist party, became part of Israel’s ruling coalition. What are current trends, where does Ra’am fit in, and what are the best policies going forward?

The war in the south Caucasus a year ago was part of a conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region that goes back over a century between what are now the republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan. What are sources of the conflict, its implications, and the choices it poses for the U.S. government?

Now that the Budget has passed, ideological gaps in the Coalition are predicted to come to the fore. What are they likely to be and can the government surmount them?

Seeking to limit radicalization and to integrate immigrant Muslims, the Social Democratic party of Demark has adopted a uniquely tough line against illegal immigration and anti-social Islamist behavior. How well are its policies working? Why has a Social Democratic party taken this position? Does Denmark’s Left provide a potential model for the rest of Europe?

Pro-BDS professors claim they leave their politics at the classroom door. But new research refutes such claims, exposing their how their classrooms turn into anti-Israel bastions worse than the critics feared. For example, 78 percent of assigned course readings were authored by fellow BDS-supporters. Which disciplines are the worst? What other disturbing facts are now known? What can be done?

Some politicians have proclaimed that the budget having passed signifies the end of the Bibi era. Is this true? What next?

The Afghanistan war dragged on for 20 futile years. Ridding the country of Taliban control and nation-building led to thousands of American troop deaths and trillions of dollars lost when the Taliban almost effortlessly reclaimed control. What were the fundamental mistakes in Afghanistan? Do they also apply to Iraq? What lessons should be learned?

Iran’s new president is a hardliner picked by the Supreme Leader to send a message to the West: we do not need the JCPOA. Simultaneously, Tehran has escalated its nuclear provocations – enriching uranium purity, producing uranium metal, and limiting monitoring by international inspectors. Despite this, the Biden Administration still hopes to rejoin the JCPOA. What happens next?

The budget has finally arrived to the Knesset floor. The Coalition just barely has the numbers to pass it. Can the Opposition stop it and thereby send Israel to its fifth elections in three years?

The seemingly bureaucratic step of setting up a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem serving the Palestinians has, in fact, far-reaching implications about U.S. policy toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What are these and how far should the Bennett government go to fight it?

Discontent appears to be growing in the Likud party as its MKs get restless in the opposition. Could the budget passing mark the end of Bibi's political career?

Raised as a Palestinian Christian with negative stereotypes concerning Jews and Israel, Khalil Sayegh was also discriminated against and threatened by many Muslim neighbors. What is his personal story to attain peace with both Jews and Muslims? What lessons can be drawn from that experience?

Prime Minister Bennett demands absolute coalition discipline ahead of the budget votes. If he gets it, could Israel actually be on the cusp of its first government budget in 3½ years?

Disagreements on policy and on diplomacy are straining intra-governmental relations. Is this a serious threat or merely growing pains ahead of the budget vote?

Top-ranking officials of the Israel Defense Force in 2019 started to embrace Israel Victory vis-à-vis the Palestinians, only to regress recently to the old and familiar tune of appeasement. What brought about this change? What will it take for the IDF again to speak of Victory?

Serious cracks in the ruling coalition are beginning to emerge (the embrace of Mahmoud Abbas, differences over the Family Reunification Law); how significant are they? And where are the indirect Israel-Hamas talks leading?

Taken to a new level by the “Abraham Accords,” the notion of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as Abrahamic religions has become newly prominent. The idea has roots in the Qur’an itself; but does it have a solid theological basis or practical utility? Is the figure of Abraham a symbol of unity or difference?

How will Justin Trudeau’s re-election impact the growth of Islamism in Canada? Several worrisome signs – the lack of follow-up on Iran’s shooting down Flight 752, the passage of an "Islamophobia" bill, the push for a Special Envoy on Islamophobia – suggest the government plans further to appease the radical utopians. What implications does this have?