East to West | Voices of the Middle East

In this gripping episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir speaks with Lord Stuart Polak. He shares why he believes recent events in Iran aren’t just a local concern - but a preview of what's coming for the rest of the world.

In this powerful episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir speaks with Vahid Beheshti — activist, founder of the Iran Front, and one of the most outspoken voices against the Islamic Republic.

She walked the halls of Tehran. She spoke with regime elites. And now she’s sounding the alarm. In this explosive episode of East to West by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, Sarah Martinez Amir sits down with Catherine Perez-Shakdam — a journalist-turned-controversial insider — to ask one burning question: is the world sleepwalking into nuclear catastrophe?
Operation Rising Lion explores whether we’re too late to stop Iran, what Israel is really preparing for, and why Perez-Shakdam may know far more than she’s supposed to.

On this episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir dives into President Donald Trump’s recent Middle East tour — a high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE that resulted in multi-billion-dollar deals and renewed calls for regional normalization with Israel.

While Trump didn’t touch down in Tel Aviv, his messaging echoed key Israeli priorities — condemning the October 7 Hamas attacks, pressing for hostage releases, and encouraging Saudi Arabia and even Syria to join the Abraham Accords.

So why was Israel left out? Was this a snub, or a calculated strategy to advance Israeli interests from behind the scenes? What does a U.S.–Qatar rapprochement mean for Jerusalem? is the US lifting sanctions on Syria the right move?

To unpack the complex signals and optics, we’re joined by Oded Ailam, former Mossad counterterrorism chief, and Hazem Alghabra, former senior advisor at the U.S. State Department to analyze the optics and long-term implications for Israel, the Gulf, and U.S. diplomacy in the region.

In this powerful episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir sits down with Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT-se and a leading voice on education reform in the Middle East.

Sheff reveals troubling findings about the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), uncovering how its educational materials in the West Bank and Gaza have contributed to the radicalization of Palestinian youth.

With firsthand insights and years of research, he exposes how a system meant to nurture hope and opportunity has instead become a vehicle for indoctrination and extremism.

In this electrifying episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir uncovers the dramatic, high-stakes Mossad operation that brought home the remains of Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman — an IDF soldier missing for over four decades since the brutal 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub.

Carried out deep inside Syrian territory, this covert mission showcases the precision, patience, and power of Israel’s intelligence community. It’s a story of relentless pursuit, national honor, and the extraordinary reach of the Mossad.

Joining the discussion is Lt. Col. (Res.) Avi Kalo, former head of the IDF’s Prisoners and Missing Persons Division, who reveals the strategic mindset behind missions like these and what it truly means to never leave a soldier behind.

In this powerful episode of East to West, we sit down with Xaviaer DuRousseau to explore his political transformation—from progressive BLM activist to becoming a bold voice in the Gen Z conservative movement.

Xaviaer shares why he’s taken a stand against antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda online. He also debunks the rhetoric behind pro-Palestinian protests, breaking down how misinformation and identity politics in America have dangerously distorted public understanding of the Israel-Hamas war.

Xaviaer offers his perspective on the growing phenomenon of the Woke RightThought-provoking and unfiltered, this conversation dives into identity, ideology, and the future of cultural discourse in America.

In this hard-hitting episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir sits down with Ambassador Alan Baker—former Israeli ambassador to Canada, participant in the Oslo Accords negotiations, and legal expert on U.N. policy at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs—to uncover the disturbing truth behind the U.N.’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

Since October 7th, evidence has emerged of UNRWA staff participating in Hamas-led atrocities, while UNRWA facilities served as hiding places for terrorists, weapons, and hostages. Ambassador Baker, who helped draft parts of the UN’s own staff code, exposes how this supposedly neutral agency became a full-blown arm of Hamas—and why the U.N. has done nothing to stop it.

In this episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir sits down with Amir Foster, Executive Director of the Israeli Natural Gas Association, to explore how Israel’s natural gas reserves are reshaping the landscape of Middle Eastern diplomacy, security, and economic cooperation.

From fostering unexpected alliances to reinforcing national security and powering homes across borders, Israel’s energy strategy is doing more than fueling economies—it’s redefining regional dynamics. Foster brings insider insights from the front lines of energy diplomacy, where global energy giants, local interests, and geopolitical strategy converge.

In this gripping episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir is joined by two leading experts on Middle Eastern geopolitics: Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak from the Moshe Dayan Center and Oded Ailam, former head of the Counterterrorism Division in the Mossad and a researcher at the JCFA. Together, they explore Turkey's ambitious expansion into Syria following the Assad regime's fall and what this means for regional stability.The conversation reveals President Erdogan's "neo-Ottoman" aspirations, Turkey's alarming military buildup including sophisticated submarines and aircraft carriers, and its strategy of using Sunni Islam to penetrate Syria. Our experts warn of Turkey's efforts to build a proxy army on Israel's doorstep and debate how Israel should respond to this emerging threat. Tune in for an eye-opening analysis of the shifting power dynamics in the Middle East and the potential for dangerous escalation between regional powers.