BICOM's Podcast

Episode 112 | Labour, Europe and Israel: Where next?

In this new episode, Richard Pater and Dr Toby Greene, who is the Marie Skłodowska-Curie research fellow at Queen Mary University of London's School of Politics and International Relations and about to take up a new teaching position at Bar Ilan University in September 2020, speak about the debate surrounding the Peter Beinart essay, whether the EU has any future in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, and what Kier Starmer’s leadership means for the UK Labour Party's relations with Israel over the next few years.

Episode 111 | The economic cost of the coronavirus

In this podcast, Richard Pater and Prof. Avi Weiss, President of the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, discuss how the Israeli economy is coping with the coronavirus. They also compare the 2011 social protests and the new protests emerging now in Israel, and look ahead to the key issues in the upcoming budget vote in August. 

Episode 110 | Natanz and the impending nuclear crisis

In this episode Richard Pater speaks with Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) expert Sima Shine about Iran. Sima gives her view on the significance of the recent explosion at the Natanz enrichment plant and on whether the US will be able to convince allies to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran. Sima Shine is currently the head of Iran programme at the INSS and previously served as Head of the Research & Evaluation Division of the Mossad. 

Episode 109 | The Palestinian reaction to annexation

In this episode, BICOM’s Ronie Gazit speaks to Ghaith al-Omari, a senior fellow in The Washington Institute and former advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during the 1999–2001 permanent-status talks, on the possible Palestinian reactions to proposed Israelis move of applying its law in areas of the West Bank. Ghaith also talks about his latest research paper on Palestinian accession after Mahmoud Abbas.

Episode 108 | Keeping the UN's arms embargo on Iran

In this podcast, BICOM’s research associate Samuel Nurding sits down with military and strategic affairs analyst Yaakov Lappin to discuss the latest alleged Israeli airstrikes in southern Syria, the importance of continuing the UN arms embargo on Iran, Israel’s security policy under new Defence Minister Benny Gantz and the role of the IDF in combating the coronavirus in Israel.

Episode 107 | Assessing Israel’s government one month in

Richard Pater speaks to Tal Shalev, the political correspondent for Walla News, about the Israeli government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, tensions within the new unity coalition, whether annexation will actually happen, and much more.

Episode 106 | Lessons learned from East Jerusalem

In this episode Richard Pater speaks to Ben Avrahami, a senior advisor to the former Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat on East Jerusalem affairs and a Senior Associate at the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research. Ben discusses his research civil society in East Jerusalem, the Israeli government’s plan to further integrate the population of East Jerusalem into the State of Israel, and what we can learn from Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem 53 years ago.

Episode 105 | The law and annexation

Richard Pater speaks to Pnina Sharvit Baruch, a senior research associate at INSS and retired IDF colonel, about legal questions regarding Israel’s annexation of the West Bank. Richard and Pnina discuss the legal status of the West Bank and international and domestic implications of annexing the West Bank

Episode 104 | The price of annexation

Richard Pater speaks to Middle East analyst and journalist, Neri Zilber. Richard and Neri discuss the Palestinian Authority’s decision to suspend security cooperation with Israel, how the strategic outlook has shifted with the prospect of annexation and what will be the ramification on the ground.

Episode 103 | Abbas's threats

In this episode, BICOM Director Richard Pater talks to Middle East expert Professor Eyal Zisser about a wide range of regional issues including the instability inside Lebanon and Iran’s influence in Syria. They also discuss annexation, the latest comments from PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and the prospects of maintaining the vision of a two state solution.