Middle East Forum Podcast

In this episode of Israel Insider, host Ashley Perry examines the security fears hanging over Israel's election, now thirteen days away, and whether warnings of an attack from Iran, Hezbollah, or the West Bank before the vote are campaign rhetoric or a real threat.Perry also discusses Likud's campaign against Ofer Winter, Ronen Bar's defamation suit against Netanyahu, the latest Qatargate revelations, and why two small parties near the electoral threshold could decide the outcome.Subscribe to the Middle East Forum for new episodes and expert analysis every week.

In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King's College London, about the risk of civil conflict in Britain.

Betz argues that the threat stems less from Islamism than from political and social divisions, declining institutional legitimacy, economic insecurity, and elite failures. He also discusses rising antisemitism, the potential for unrest across Europe, and how Britain's security forces might respond to a domestic crisis.

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In this episode of Israel Insider, host Ashley Perry reflects on the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre and why the events of that day remain so deeply felt across Israel. He examines the growing political battle over responsibility for the failures preceding the attack, Netanyahu’s competing narrative, and how October 7 is shaping the final weeks of Israel’s election campaign.

Perry also discusses renewed tensions over ultra-Orthodox military enlistment, Netanyahu’s security-focused campaign strategy, and Gadi Eisenkot’s challenge to the prime minister for a televised debate.

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In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with Col. (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman about the complicated history of Israel’s relationship with Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy, from early Zionist-Hashemite contacts through war, covert cooperation, and the 1994 peace treaty.

Lerman also examines the shared security interests that sustain the relationship today, including concerns over terrorism, Iranian influence, Jerusalem, and regional stability.

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In this episode of Israel Insider, host Ashley Perry examines the attempted takeover of a Flydubai flight carrying mostly Israeli passengers, how the attack was stopped, and the unanswered questions surrounding the pilot’s intentions. He also looks at how the incident is reshaping Israel’s election campaign by putting national security back at the center of the debate, as Netanyahu and the opposition compete for control of the agenda.

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In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with evolutionary behavioral scientist and author Gad Saad about his new book, Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind, and his argument that empathy can become harmful when it overrides reason and self-preservation.

Saad discusses how this idea applies to immigration, academia, Israel, Islam, and cultural relativism, as well as the influence of ideological conformity and postmodernism on Western institutions.

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In this episode of Israel Insider, host Ashley Perry examines the focus on Israel at the UN General Assembly, Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming address, and the growing international pressure over settlements and settler violence.

Perry also discusses efforts to disqualify Arab parties and candidates from Israel’s election, Avigdor Lieberman’s proposal for Jordan to administer Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank, and opposition efforts to coordinate campaign strategy as neither major bloc has a clear governing majority.

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Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch joins the Middle East Forum Podcast to discuss why he believes the Oslo Accords have failed, how the Palestinian Authority’s “Pay-for-Slay” system incentivizes terrorism, and why its expanding security forces pose a growing threat to Israel. He also examines the legacy of October 7, the future of Palestinian leadership, prisoner exchanges, and the security implications of developments in Judea and Samaria.

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Ashley Perry examines the UK’s new sanctions targeting Israeli settlement goods, Israel’s retaliatory response, and why Washington’s silence may be more consequential for Jerusalem than the measures themselves. He also discusses a disputed report that the UAE warned Benjamin Netanyahu shortly before October 7 that Hamas was preparing a major attack, and what the allegation could mean politically as Israel heads toward elections. Perry then breaks down the finalized candidate lists, growing instability among ultra-Orthodox parties, and the enlistment debate shaping the race.

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Ibn Warraq joins the Middle East Forum Podcast to discuss whether Islam is compatible with Western values, examining free speech, religious liberty, assimilation, political Islam, and competing ideas of sovereignty. He also reflects on the intellectual journey behind Why I Am Not a Muslim and explains why he believes Western civilization must be more willing to defend its own principles.

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