This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with music journalist Danny Hajjar about the changing Arab music scene. They talk about the rise of Arab hip-hop, how increasing connectivity influences the way Arab artists produce and distribute music, and what the next big thing will be. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert, discussing soft power, censorship, and music. 

This week, Zeid Qiblawi speaks with Natasha Hall, senior fellow with the Middle East Program at CSIS, about the reversal of human rights norms in an increasingly multipolar world. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.

• Natasha Hall, "Breaking Point: Human Rights in a Multipolar World," CSIS, November 30, 2023.

This week on Babel, you will hear excerpts from Jon Alterman's recent discussion with Chatham House experts Renad Mansour and Farea al-Muslimi, alongside the CSIS Middle East Program's Natasha Hall. They discuss a recent Chatham House report, which argues that although political settlements have been resolving more conflicts in the region, these elite bargains are actually prioritizing stability over accountability, leaving citizens to pay the costs. Then, Jon, Natasha, Renad, and Farea discuss how this phenomenon has played out in Iraq, Lebanon, and Libya, and the potential way forward.

The Middle East is experiencing a water crisis exacerbated by climate change, inefficient water use, and decades of resource mismanagement. Water insecurity not only aggravates pre-existing vulnerabilities; it also drives instability, conflict, and displacement. In this short episode of Babel, Leah Hickert speaks with Natasha Hall about why the region's business-as-usual approach to water is becoming more costly by the day.

• Natasha Hall, "The Ripple Effects of Water Insecurity," CSIS, May 4, 2023.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Palestinian-Israeli scholar and activist Rula Hardal about her life in both Israel and the West Bank, what reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians would look like, and the concessions that each side needs to make for a sustainable path forward. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert, discussing past moments of crisis in the Middle East, and why some become inflection points, while others don’t. 

• Transcript, "Rula Hardal: Life as a Palestinian Citizen of Israel," CSIS, November 28, 2023.

The Israeli military is the most formidable fighting force in the Middle East. And yet it is quite possible that the war in Gaza will be the first war in Israel’s history that the army has fought and lost. A new audio brief from the CSIS Middle East Program.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Palestinian political analyst Khalil Sayegh about what people get wrong about Gaza, the spread of misinformation, and why grassroots peace efforts need to change in the aftermath of the conflict. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert, discussing the war's information landscape and the challenges of grassroots peacebuilding.

A recent flurry of Islamic experimentation with artificial intelligence has been met with mixed results. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Tel Aviv-based journalist and analyst Neri Zilber about the war in Gaza, how Israelis are thinking about what comes next, and what it means for the region. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert, discussing Arab states' reactions to the conflict and the circumstances in which they might assist in managing post-war Gaza.

Just over two weeks after Hamas invaded Israel, Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at CSIS, about the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.