Middle East Focus

Jan 29 2025 100 ep. 36 mins 1.9k

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Weekly discussion of Middle East policy, arts, and culture, featuring experts from the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

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Rethinking Democracy Ep. 6: Shariah, Democracy, and the Future of Governance in Syria

Jan 29 2025 55 mins

For the first time in decades, the question of how Syria will be governed is wide open. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an armed Islamist group with former ties to al-Qaeda, has left Syria in uncharted territory. Its de facto leader, Ahmed Al Shaara, has pledged a vision of a pluralistic Syria governed by civil institutions rather than d

Norman T. Roule | 'Taking the Edge Off the Middle East' Ep. 6

Dec 20 2024 46 mins

Middle East Focus Presents: ‘Taking the Edge Off the Middle East’ with Brian Katulis. A series of casual conversations with leading policy professionals on the most important happenings in the Middle East today - hosted by MEI’s Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy, Brian Katulis. Norman T. Roule is a member of MEI's Iran Program Advisory Council. Roule served for 34-years i

Trump, Gaza, and the Future of US Policy in the Middle East

Dec 18 2024 51 mins

The war in Gaza continues as the Biden administration nears its end, leaving President-elect Donald Trump with a vastly different Middle East from the one he inherited in his first term. Khaled Elgindy, Director of the Palestine & Palestinian-Israeli Affairs program at MEI, is joined by Tamara Kharroub and Daniel Levy to discuss Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza, the fragi

End of an era: The fall of the Assad regime

Dec 12 2024 31 mins

Following more than a year of turmoil and transformative changes reshaping the Middle East, the region witnessed another shock with the downfall of the Assad family’s 54-year rule over Syria last weekend. The rapid collapse was triggered by a lightning rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former affiliate of al-Qaeda. This on-the-record briefing featured Amb. (ret.) Rya

Rethinking Democracy Ep. 5: Impact of Donald Trump’s Election on American Democracy and the World with Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Larry Diamond

Dec 05 2024 48 mins

About the series: This is a critical year for the future of democracy. Half the world’s population will go to the polls in 2024, at a time when citizens in America and across the globe are losing faith in democratic institutions. We often view the rollback of democracy and threats to the liberal international order as separate problems, but in reality they are closely interlinked

How might US-Israeli relations evolve under the Trump administration?

Nov 21 2024 33 mins

MEI Senior Fellow for Israeli Affairs Nimrod Goren and Associate Research Professor Ilai Saltzman discuss potential shifts in US policy, the outlook for Israeli politics in 2025, and the challenges to advancing peace on the Israeli-Palestinian front. Tune in for expert insights on what lies ahead. *This episode was recorded on November 13, 2024.

1,000 Days of Russia's Full-Scale War Against Ukraine

Nov 14 2024 46 mins

Wednesday, November 20, marks a somber anniversary for Ukraine: 1,000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country. Though the Ukrainians continue to hold out with Western assistance against Russian attacks, the past two-and-a-half years have been devastating for the country and its people. Ukraine now faces another winter at war as momentum appears to be shifting in Ru

Steven A. Cook | ’Taking the Edge Off the Middle East’ Ep. 5

Nov 13 2024 43 mins

Middle East Focus Presents: ’Taking the Edge Off the Middle East’ with Brian Katulis A series of casual conversations with leading policy professionals on the most important happenings in the Middle East today - hosted by MEI’s Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy Brian Katulis. Steven A. Cook, Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relation

Danielle Pletka | ‘Taking the Edge Off the Middle East’ Ep. 4

Oct 30 2024 37 mins

Middle East Focus Presents: ‘Taking the Edge Off the Middle East’ with Brian Katulis A series of casual conversations with leading policy professionals on the most important happenings in the Middle East today - hosted by MEI’s Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy Brian Katulis. Danielle Pletka, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with B

The Axis of Resistance Pt. 2: Iran

Oct 24 2024 25 mins

Over the past month, Iran and its regional network of allies and proxies - the Axis of Resistance - has suffered a string of dramatic losses and defeats. What is the future of the Axis and its members, and what can the US and its allies do to confront and disrupt this Iranian-led network? MEI Managing Editor Matthew Czekaj speaks to Meir Javedanfar and Alex Vatanka on Iran's role i