Middle East PolicyCast

What is going on in Israeli politics? Two elections this year, both leaving no clear majority and a deadlocked parliament, a prime minister facing imminent criminal indictment, Israeli Arab leaders hinting at a willingness to join a Zionist government, and the clock ticking down to a possible third election - Israel expert and author David Makovsky explains who's who in Israeli politics, what each party and leader wants, and why repeated rounds of voting keep producing political deadlock for one of America's most vital allies. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"Turkey more isolated, more alone, and more exposed to foreign policy threats than it has been for decades if not centuries." Soner Cagaptay, author of a new book on Turkish foreign policy, details the ways in which Recep Tayyip Erdogan represents both a revolution in Ankara's regional relations and deep continuity with centuries of Ottoman and Turkish strategy. Find Cagaptay's new book, "Erdogan's Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East" at https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/erdogans-empire-turkey-and-the-politics-of-the-middle-east. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

What sets Israel's greatest leaders, Labour and Likud, apart from others? And can U.S. policy encourage wiser statesmanship from our Israeli allies? In this episode, David Makovsky and Ambassador Dennis Ross, veteran observers of and participants in the peace process, discuss the lessons of their new book on Israel's greatest leaders. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

What are the consequences of the Iranian government's massive, systematic campaign to spread disinformation about religious minorities through social and traditional media? Three leading Iranian activists detail Tehran's campaign of slander and incitement and offer practical suggestions for how tech companies and Western governments can act to protect vulnerable religious minorities in Iran. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkote, IDF (ret.) delivered the 2019 Zeev Schiff Memorial Lecture on Middle East Security earlier this month. In his first public remarks since his retirement as chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, General Eizenkot detailed the four pillars of Israeli strategy and shared his assessment of Israel's military position as it faces new threats on multiple fronts. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Jared Kushner, the senior advisor to President Donald Trump, was the keynote speaker of the Washington Institute's 2019 Soref Symposium dinner on May 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. Kushner was interviewed by Institute executive director Robert Satloff. Since becoming the President's senior advisor, Kushner has traveled extensively in the Middle East and has met numerous times with the region's key leaders. He has been present for major Middle East policy decisions, including moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He has been central to the development of the administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

A notably divisive Israeli campaign is coming down to its final hours. Will Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu survive the election, a likely corruption indictment, and a strong challenge by a new centrist party led by three former top IDF generals? And whoever leads Israel's next government, what do the April 9 elections mean for American interests and for a potential U.S. peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians? Three leading experts, Ehud Yaari, Tal Shalev, and David Makovsky, share their assessments of the campaign, the candidates, the parties, the polls, and the implications. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The Arab states of the Persian Gulf region perceive that U.S. interest in and commitment to their region is declining even as Russian and Chinese military and economic activity in the Middle East grows. As a result, the Gulf states are looking to their west, to the Red Sea, to bolster their own long-term commercial and security interests. In this episode of Near East PolicyCast, Institute scholar Elana DeLozier explains the new Red Sea competition, why Gulf states are getting involved, and what it means for American interests and policy. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Israel's April 2019 parliamentary elections feature two of the most significant developments in modern Israeli political history, says Institute scholar David Makovsky: The formation of a new opposition coalition featuring three recently former IDF commanders and the criminal indictment of a sitting prime minister. In this episode, David explains the issues, parties, and personalities at play in Israel's parliamentary vote and what the outcome may mean for American policy and interests. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

American Middle East policy has focused on forging security and economic ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors. In a new report (http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/reclamation), Joseph Braude documents growing opportunities for reclaiming cultural space for Arab-Israeli reconciliation. In this episode, Joseph joins Brookings Institution scholar Tamara Cofman Wittes to discuss the possibilities and obstacles facing this new cultural opening, and how U.S. policy can encourage it. Near East PolicyCast: Conversations on Middle East issues from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.