This week, the prospect of Palestinian statehood suddenly became tangible, with the UK, France and Canada promising to recognise Palestine at the UN general assembly in September. 

Whether Australia will follow suit remains to be seen.  

What can history tell us about the formation of new states out of violent conflict? 

Guest: Sir Christopher Clark, professor of history at the University of Cambridge 

Recommendations:

Geraldine: 'The wrong way to respond to antisemitism', Inside Story

Hamish: Andrew Olle Media Lecture 2025, presented by Geraldine Doogue, ABC iView

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A weekly examination of world affairs with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald.

Despite living through continued death, displacement and destruction, Palestinians still dream of a better future.

What does that look like for Gazans and people in the West Bank, is a two-state solution still a viable option? And who will lead them after the war?

Guest: Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, Gazan-American and nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council.

Recommendations:

Geraldine: Emily: I Am Kam, SBS on Demand

Hamish: I ran DFAT. I hope Elbridge Colby sinks AUKUS for Australia, AFR

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Anthony Albanese has finally got a meeting with a president, but it's not the one some are so desperate to see.

The Prime Minister sets off on a six-day official visit to China while there is still no date set for a face-to-face with Donald Trump.

But does that actually matter, and what does President Xi want from Australia?

Guest: Dr Joseph Torigian, research fellow at Stanford University Hoover History Lab, associate professor at American University. Author of The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping

Recommendations:

Geraldine: John Curtin remains our greatest PM, 80 years after his death, with a living legacy, The Australian

Hamish: Louis Theroux: The Settlers, ABC iView

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It's sometimes described as a 'dance with the devil', but can populism also deliver for citizens?

As some democracies stall, how are populist leaders like Giorgia Meloni and Javier Millei managing to solve decades-long problems?

Is there such a thing as 'good' populism?

Guest: Professor Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at Stanford University, author of Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency

Recommendations:

Geraldine: 'The Zelenskyy Story', SBS On Demand

Hamish: 'When Does Populism Become a Threat to Democracy?', speech by Larry Diamond

Larry: Chip War, by Chris Miller

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After promising his MAGA base that he wouldn't get the US into any further foreign entanglements, Donald Trump had a big week on the international stage.

He's claiming the strikes on Iran, and the defence spending pledges at NATO as big successes, but can he square them with his promise of 'America First'?

Guest: Carl Bildt, Prime Minister of Sweden 1991-1994, foreign minister 2006-2014, co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations

Recommendations:

Geraldine: 'This is the ‘beginning of the end’ for Iran’s supreme leader. But what comes next?', Roland Oliphant in AFR

'If This Mideast War Is Over, Get Ready for Some Interesting Politics', Tom Friedman in the New York Times

Hamish: James, by Percival Everett

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After decades of enjoying peacetime dividends and American protection, Germany is now re-arming in a hurry. 

Troop numbers in the Bundeswehr had withered since the 1990s and spending dipped well below 2%. 

But with bellicose Russia on Europe’s borders and US support no longer a guarantee, that's all changing. 

The real question is: are Germans ready to be a military power once again?

Guest: Dr Benedikt Franke, CEO of the Munich Security Conference

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From the volatile fault lines of the Middle East, a dangerous new chapter has unfolded as the confrontation between Israel and Iran up-ends the region's delicate balance. 

The big question is whether the US will enter the fray to assist their ally Israel. 

Donald Trump has set a two-week deadline on that crucial decision, will he risk dividing his MAGA base? And will he heed the history of US foreign entanglements? 

The world waits with baited breath to find out. 

Guest: Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times United Nations bureau chief and Iran specialist

Recommendations:

Geraldine: 'Will the U.S join Israel's war with Iran', The Daily podcast from the New York Times

Nick: The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne

Plus: Our bonus interview with Dr Afshon Ostovar on the question of regime change in Iran

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Israel's assassination of high-ranking military and political figures in Iran is raising questions about the regime's ability to survive this war, especially if the US enters the fight. 

But the regime won't be easy to topple, despite its isolation, because of the enduring grip on power of military ideologists and the lack of a domestic opposition.

So how might this war end?

Guest: Dr. Afshon Ostovar, author of Wars of Ambition: The United States, Iran, and the Struggle for the Middle East, associate professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School.  

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Leaders of the world's great industrial nations will gather in Canada at the G7 over the weekend. 

As the tectonic plates of international relationships continue to shift under the pressure of the Trump presidency, the summit is an opportunity to observe new diplomatic relationships.

With the world sliding closer to chaos this week, could this be the moment for leaders to restore stability?

Guest: Ian Bremmer, founder and President of the Eurasia Group

Recommendations:

Geraldine: 'Sub Text' by Sam Roggeveen, The Monthly

Nick: When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter

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