In this episode, Stephen Evans, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan, High Commissioner to Bangladesh and NATO assistant secretary general, sits down with Ava Grainger Williams, policy fellow at the Pinsker Centre.

The pair discuss the realities and intricacies of diplomacy in the 21st Century, offering an insight into the goals and responsibilities of the international community in Afghanistan and the inner workings of NATO, whilst also reflecting on the lessons that can be learned from the Cold War and other conflicts.

Over the past two years, the Middle East has experienced seismic geopolitical shifts. Most recently, tensions between Israel and Iran escalated to new levels, with the U.S. also intervening to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.

In this episode, we speak with Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), to unpack the latest developments in the region and explore how they may be reshaping Iran’s position in the Middle East.

In this episode, Policy Fellow James Abrahams and Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib discuss a vision for a better future.  

Ahmed grew up in the Middle East, spending time in Gaza during his childhood. He is now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, where he heads Realign for Palestine. In this podcast, he gives his thoughts on the Israel-Palestine discourse, assesses various barriers to peace, and explains his hopes for what Palestinian statehood might look like. 

In this special edition of the podcast, we sit down with Colonel Richard Kemp, discussing Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and leadership, the ensuing conflict, and the the impact beyond the Middle East.  

Richard Kemp spent close to 3 decades in the British military, which included serving as commander of British Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Richard is a best selling author, and regularly appears in British media discussing military affairs and national security.

In this episode, Noah Arazi, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow, sits down with Nile Gardiner, Director of The Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, to discuss Britain's recent trade deal with the US, the condition of the Special Relationship, and the future of wider transatlantic cooperation. 

In this episode, Policy Fellows James Abrahams and Sophie Seitler discuss all things NATO. They look at internal and external challenges faced by member states, like whether nations are positioned to adequately increase their defence spending, and how they can adapt to the Trump Administration's changing vision for America's role on the world's stage. 

John Spencer is the Chief of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point's Modern Warfare Institute, and the Executive Director of the Urban Warfare Institute. Spencer also has over 25 years of active military service as an infantry soldier, achieving the rank of Major.  

He sat down with Nadav Tikochinsky, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow, to reflect on his own experience in combat, how non-state actors are changing urban warfare, and how he sees the rules of war being misunderstood and manipulated. 

In this episode, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellows Nadav, Sophia and Ava examine French influence in the Middle East today. They discuss the unique nature of the Franco-Lebanese relationship, and whether France are uniquely placed to broker peace between Lebanon and Israel. 

In this episode, Jacob Gibson, a Policy Fellow at the Pinsker Centre, interviews the Shalom Hartman Institute's Rabbi Elhanan Miller. The pair discuss leadership changes in some of Israel's neighbouring countries, and what those changes might mean for Israel. They then go on to discuss Israel's strategy in Gaza and its relationship with the new US administration.  

TIMESTAMP: Please note that this episode was recorded on Wednesday February 12th, amid speculation that Hamas planned to halt the hostage release which had been agreed in phase 1  of the ceasefire negotiations. 

In our first episode of 2025, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow, Charles Aldous, sits down with Lord Brady. The pair discuss major changes in British politics over the past two decades, before focussing on Lord Brady's tenure as the head of the influential 1922 committee.