BICOM’s Podcast

Director Richard Pater talks with distinguished historian Professor Gil Troy about the latest developments in Israeli politics. They discuss the true meaning of Ben & Jerry's recent decision to boycott Israeli settlements, assess Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's new agenda to talk about antisemitism and look toward Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's upcoming trip to the US. 

In this episode, Research Associate Samuel Nurding and Director Richard Pater discuss the how the new Israeli government is holding up after five weeks in power. Richard also explains how the opposition is acting in new and unprecedented ways, the rivalry emerging between the United Arab List and the opposition-based Joint Arab List, and the potential government-ending obstacles that lay in wait.

 

Research Associate Samuel Nurding speaks to Henry Rome, the deputy head of research at the geopolitical risk consultancy firm, the Eurasia Group. Samuel and Henry discuss the state of play at the nuclear talks in Vienna, what Iran's foreign policy may be under President Raisi, and how a return to the JCPOA agreement could impact the balance in the region.

Richard Pater speaks to Elad Simchayoff,  the European correspondent for Israel’s Channel 12 News. Richard and Elad discuss how the Bennett-Lapid government has fared in its first couple weeks in power and what we may expect to see from opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Elad also discusses his experience being an Israeli journalist in London, the growing anti-Israel rhetoric he has seen over the years, covering UK politics for an Israeli audience, and UK-Israel relations more broadly.  

In this episode, BICOM's Samuel Nurding speaks with Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer about the Biden administration's approach to the Middle East. Ambassador Kurtzer draws on his unique experience as the US Ambassador to Israel and Egypt to discuss the US role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the challenges of confronting Iran and reconstruction in Gaza, and Israel's relations with its neighbours in the region.

Daniel C. Kurtzer is the S. Daniel Abraham Professor of Middle East Policy Studies at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. During a 29-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, Ambassador Kurtzer served as the United States Ambassador to Israel and as the United States Ambassador to Egypt.

Brig Gen (ret) Michael Herzog talks to Ronie Gazit about the Vienna talks and the implications for Israel, should the US return to the nuclear deal.  They discuss the most important elements Israel would like to see in a new deal and the significance of the Iranian threat when it comes to Israel’s relations with Arab countries. Gen Herzog also reflects on the latest escalation between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and what the US, Gulf countries and broader international community should do to rebuild Gaza without strengthening Hamas. 

In this episode, BICOM's Director Richard Pater explains the makeup of the new government and its priorities, what we may expect to see in the coming weeks and months, as well as what options Benjamin Netanyahu now has as leader of the Opposition. He takes questions from an audience on a range of other issues regarding the political significance of the new government in Israel. 

In this episode, BICOM's research associate Samuel Nurding speaks to Director Richard Pater about the dramatic events on Wednesday night when Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid informed President Rivlin that he had succeeded in forming a coalition. Richard spoke about why negotiations went down to the wire, explains the structure of the Change Government and some of the key principles that the government will try to adopt, and assesses what next for Netanyahu. 

Sam Nurding speaks with Ehud Yaari, the leading Middle East commentator for Israel's Channel 12 News. Yaari has appeared on Israeli TV since 1975, and is multi award winning expert analyst on regional affairs. They discuss where the latest escalation leaves Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, what the conflict means for Israel's relations with Arab countries and wider implications for the Middle East as a whole.

In this episode, BICOM's Research Associate Samuel Nurding speaks with MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, about the UK's foreign policy concerning the current escalation on the Gaza border, where UK policy over Iran has gone wrong, and how important the UK-Israel relations is for securing British interests in the region.