Middle East Forum Podcast

The Netanyahu government's judicial reform have come to dominate Israel's politics by including everyone from the country's president to the U.S. secretary of state. What is at stake and what are the reform's prospects?

In the most recent midterm elections, Islamist-backed candidates did notably well. With a vast political infrastructure in place, a concentrated collection of Islamist groups have worked, with some success, to manipulate the Muslim vote and use it to advance their extremist agenda. However, Islamist influence over the Muslim vote is only as durable as their level of support within Muslim communiti...

Adjunct professor Erika López Prater showed two pious, Muslim-drawn images of Muhammad in an art history class in October at Hamline University in Minnesota. When a student complained of "Islamophobia," the university responded by firing López Prater. That in turn sparked a national controversy in which almost everyone criticized Hamline. Have accusations of “Islamophobia” lost currency? Could thi...

How will Israel's new, right-wing government respond to repeated and deadly attacks by Palestinians?

As militaries incorporate artificial intelligence and new air defenses into modern warfare, drones increasingly play a central role. In Ukraine, Russia uses imported Iranian drones to terrorize Ukrainian civilians. Iran drills to target Israeli naval facilities. The West and China race to roll out the best new drones. How will these new systems, combined with ground robots and sea-based unmanned v...

Relying primarily on contemporary sources, Raymond Ibrahim vividly tells the story of “eight eminently violent men” who played leading roles fighting Muslims in the era 1100-1500, when Christianity was a “muscular religion.” By recalling those exploits, the author hopes not just to pay tribute to distant accomplishments but to inspire today's Christians.

Israel's Supreme Court ruled against Aryeh Deri, a senior minister in the new Netanyahu government, plus ideological gaps have emerged among the ruling parties and opposition demonstrations are growing; is the government in trouble?

Europe was once the center of Jewish civilization and the source of modern Zionism. It was also the locale of the Holocaust and now largely hostile towards Israel. Some observers notice a recent improvement in European attitudes. Is this real and where are relations heading?

Tehran has attempted to control Iraq since the toppling of Saddam Hussein twenty years ago. The Iranians use every tool at their disposal, from political manipulation to funding militias. Many Iraqis oppose this Iranian project. What is the current state of relations between the two neighbors? How much has Iran succeeded in subduing Iraq? What main obstacles does it face?

After 1½ years in power, what is the current status of Israel's opposition? How much can it influence Netanyahu-led government policies?

Israel's new government appears at odds with Washington over policies. How serious or novel is this tension? How has the history shaped the present situation? Ultimately, what should the two states’ dynamic be?

Israel's ties with Jordan have deteriorated rapidly since the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020. Refusing to engage in the multilateral diplomatic structures now shaping the Middle East, Amman’s rhetoric toward Israel is increasingly antagonistic. Yet Jordan shares many of Israel's security concerns, relies heavily on Israel for water, gas, intelligence and other security assistance, and also...

Could cracks in Israel's coalition and attacks between ministers and parties pose problems for Prime Minister Netanyahu?

In June 2020, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) sued political science professor Nicholas Damask and his Arizona college, claiming that his course on world politics links Islam to terrorism, and thus "disapproved" of the Muslim faith. CAIR sought permanently to prohibit the course but a federal district court dismissed its lawsuit and then the Ninth Circuit upheld that dismissal. Dr...

Israel's new government has officially described itself as "right-wing." What does this mean for both domestic and international affairs?

Raised in Turkey, star basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom, recently of the Boston Celtics, began to call out human rights violations by Turkey's President Recep Tayep Erdoğan in 2013. Not long after, Freedom's Turkish passport was canceled, his name placed on an Interpol list, and his father imprisoned in Turkey. In 2017, Freedom was the subject of two kidnap attempts by the Turkish government,...

At last, Benjamin Netanyahu has formed a government. What are its priorities? Is it as extreme as some suggest?

The Islamic Republic of Iran has aspired, since its establishment in 1979, to export its revolution worldwide, including Latin America. By now, Iranian and Hizballah networks have a presence in virtually every country south of the United States. How does Tehran recruit and indoctrinate in Latin America? What is the impact of these operations? How should Washington respond?

Having apparently resolved its internal differences, Israel's incoming coalition seeks a showdown with the justice system. What are the issues and which side will likely prevail?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues to destabilize the area around Turkey, breaching the borders of Greece, threatening to invade northern Syria, and waging a proxy war against Armenia. To stop this reckless adventurism, American activists and policy experts are using grassroots mobilization and government outreach to stand up to Turkish aggression. What are the successes and failures...

Even as Turkey continues military operations against the Kurds in Syria, Iran has tried to derail mass protests by attacking Iranian Kurdish organizations in northern Iraq. Threatened by fellow Islamist governments in Turkey and Iran, what prospects do the Kurds have to achieve peace and stability?

Prime minister-designate Netanyahu has received a ten-day extension to form a government. What are the obstacles? Can he put the pieces together before running out of time?

Recent developments offer Israel an opportunity to overcome critical domestic, regional and international challenges that could determine both its future and that of the Jewish people. What are those challenges and opportunities? What will Israeli responses likely be?

Three years after the overthrow of one of the longest lasting Islamist regimes in history (1989-2019), Sudan is poised on the edge of a knife. Military dictatorship, democracy, and instability are all possible routes for this Arab-African country whose government has cooperated both with Al-Qaeda and the United States. What are the implications of each scenario for the West? Which is the most like...

International pressure is mounting before the incoming government has even started. How will this pressure affect building a coalition?