FDD's Foreign Podicy

Turkey is a NATO ally, but not a reliable one. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has developed close relations with authoritarian powers like Russia and China. Like his neo-imperialist friends, Erdogan longs for the resurrection of the Ottoman Empire which ruled much of the Middle East for centuries. But is that what the Turkish people want? And despite its regular illicit activity ranging from smuggling, sanctions evasion, and being a terrorist safe haven to unprecedented efforts to normalize Hamas on the global stage, Turkey maintains cozy military-to-military relations with the U.S. — and a NATO membership.

To discuss what Turkey under Erdogan has become, where it may be going, and what Turkey’s role in the world ought to be, host Cliff May is joined by Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fellow at FDD, Jonathan Schanzer, FDD’s Senior Vice President for Research, and Tyler Stapleton, director of congressional relations at FDD Action.

Filling in for host Cliff May this week is Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of FDD, and he’s joined by Karim Sadjadpour. They cover the full gamut of U.S. foreign policy on Iran, from looking back at President Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic and President Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA to looking ahead and arguing for policies of maximum pressure on the regime and maximum support for the Iranian people.

Karim is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He’s also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Karim regularly advises senior U.S. officials and has testified numerous times before Congress. His analysis is widely published, and he frequents major media outlets including PBS NewsHour, NPR, and CNN. 

The first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with the Jewish state was Egypt. Following the Yom Kippur War of 1973, came the Camp David Accords of 1978 which provided both countries with tangible benefits. While the peace has never been warm, it has held. But since October 7, Egypt’s behavior has been distressing. 

What’s more, there’s now evidence that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been deceiving Israel for years – allowing weapons and ammunition to flow freely to Hamas through an elaborate network of tunnels under the border between Egypt and Gaza. 

Helping host Cliff May understand the now-tense relationship between Cairo and Jerusalem are his FDD colleagues Haisam Hassanein and Jonathan Schanzer.

Hamas called its October 7 terrorist attack “Operation al Aqsa Flood,” suggesting a religious – rather than nationalistic – motive.

The al Aqsa compound, the third holiest site in Islam, sits atop the ruins of both the ancient temples of the Jews. The first was built by King Solomon and was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The second was built in the sixth century BCE and stood for nearly 600 years before it was destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 CE.

But before there were mosques or temples in Judea there was something else: The City of David which, over recent years, archaeologists have been unearthing.

To discuss what this dig is revealing about the past, and the impact these revelations might have on modern foreign policy, host Cliff May is joined by Ze’ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs for the City of David Foundation in Jerusalem.

Americans and our allies confront an extraordinary array of threats from an emerging “axis of aggressors,” consisting of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. That’s the bad news.The good news? Americans have an unmatched network of allies and partners with whom we can work to defend our common interests and counter growing threats.Among our partners in that network are three beleaguered democracies: Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel. The primary way we can help is by sending weapons. But is the U.S. defense industrial base up to the task? Can America once again serve as the “Arsenal of Democracy?” Can we arm ourselves while simultaneously providing Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel with the means of self-defense? And what's up with the Biden administration and the provision of weapons to Israel?

Senior director of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power and guest host Bradley Bowman asks Mira Resnick, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Regional Security in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. She oversees the Bureau’s Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, managing over $40 billion annually in government-to-government defense equipment transfers. She's also responsible for the Bureau’s Office of Security Assistance.

A war is being waged against Israel by Iran’s rulers and their proxies, and they don’t hide their goal — they boast of it: annihilation. Extermination. Genocide.

Now seven months into Israel’s defensive war in Gaza following the heinous terrorist attacks of October 7, Hamas is down but not out. And they are literally down: its leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, are believed to be ensconced in an elaborate labyrinth of tunnels underneath Rafah in Gaza, wherein the last remaining Hamas battalions remain.

Meanwhile, Israel also faces rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon and, recently, from Iran itself.

President Biden’s response to all of this? Halting the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Israel.

To discuss what President Biden wants to accomplish, what America’s enemies and allies are gleaning from this episode, what options are open to Congressional supporters of Israel, and what Israel’s options are now, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Bradley Bowman, and Richard Goldberg.

In the aftermath of World War II, the establishment of the United Nations seemed like a promising idea: global unity in resolving conflicts peacefully while promoting human rights. Surely everyone in the new international community will support such efforts, right? Wrong.

U.N. corruption is obvious to anyone willing to look, but most Americans and Europeans in positions of authority don’t look.

And the problem has reached alarming new lows since the October 7 invasion of and attack on Israel by Hamas.

Luckily, some experts are paying attention. A report fittingly titled, “The Urgent Need for U.N. Reform,” was published last month by Alan Goldsmith of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and the Counter Extremism Project. The report’s foreword was written by former Representative Iliana Ros-Lehtinen and FDD Senior Advisor Richard Goldberg.

Alan and Rich join host Cliff May to discuss the U.N.'s dangerous fall from grace as well as if — and how — the failed organization might be rehabilitated. 

Ali Khamenei, Iran’s longtime ruler, saw the possibility of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia as a threat to his hegemonic ambitions. On Oct. 7, Hamas, one of Tehran’s proxies, invaded Israel and committed multiple acts of barbarism. That sparked a war and froze prospects for a new Saudi-Israeli relationship.  

However, The Wall Street Journal reports that Washington is pushing for a “long-shot diplomatic deal” – one in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would “accept a new commitment to Palestinian statehood” in exchange for diplomatic recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia. 

What else would have to be in such a deal? Can it happen while the war in Gaza is ongoing? Do the Saudis secretly want Israel to enter Rafah and finish off Hamas? 

To discuss the current state of diplomatic and kinetic play, host Cliff May is joined by Mark Dubowitz, FDD's Chief Executive; and Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University and a leading expert on Saudi Arabia.

Last weekend, Iran’s rulers launched a massive missile and drone assault on Israel.

Though the attack was thwarted, it should be obvious that the Islamic Republic is willing to pursue its goal of “Death to Israel!” — not just by utilizing Arab proxies and pawns, but now also directly from within its own territory. We must assume that Iran’s rulers are also now adjusting their strategies for the jihad they are waging and the genocide they vow to carry out.

A reminder: If Iran’s rulers acquire nuclear weapons and missiles capable of delivering them to targets anywhere in the world that would be a game-changer. 

Israel’s leaders must now think harder than ever about how to fight this long war.  

To explore such questions, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD Senior Fellow; Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD's Center on Military and Political Power; and retired Admiral Mark Montgomery, Senior Director of FDD's Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation.

Editor's note: We are releasing this episode ahead of schedule. We recorded it late afternoon (ET) on Thursday, April 18. Hours later the same evening, explosions have been reported in Isfahan, Iran, and Iranian airspace has been closed. Although Israel has yet to claim any involvement in or responsibility for these explosions, we are releasing this episode early due to the discussion's timeliness and relevance to these unfolding events.

Six months after Iranian-backed terrorists perpetrated the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, Israel’s ground war against Hamas in Gaza, its conflict with Lebanon-based Hezbollah in Israel’s north, and Tehran’s multi-front shadow war against the Jewish state continue.

For a status update, host Cliff May is joined by his FDD colleagues Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power, and Brigadier General (Res.) Jacob Nagel, a visiting fellow at FDD and former Israeli national security advisor under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

They discuss Israel’s withdrawal of most troops from Gaza; the necessity of closing the tunnels from Egypt through which Hamas has received huge quantities of arms and ammunition; the difficulties of providing aid to Gazans while Hamas holds hostages and kills Israelis whenever possible; where Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif are likely hiding; and the strategic imperative of defeating the remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah.

They also discuss President Biden’s wavering support for Israel; Israel’s April 1 assassination of an IRGC-QF commander in Damascus; and Tehran’s threat to take revenge.