BICOM's Podcast

Episode 272 | Surviving October 7 at the Nova Festival

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Natalie Sanandaji, a New Yorker and survivor of the Nova Festival, who recounts her harrowing experience of that morning, from waking up to the sound of rockets to escaping Hamas terrorists on foot for hours.

Natalie also discusses her work with the Combat Antisemitism Movement, her efforts to build alliances between Jewish and Iranian communities, and the importance of sharing the truth of October 7 with global audiences.

Episode 271 | Hezbollah one year after Operation Northern Arrows

In this episode, we share a recording of a BICOM media briefing led by Richard Pater with Lt. Col. (res.) Sarit Zehavi, marking one year since Operation Northern Arrows in Lebanon. Sarit delivered a detailed assessment of Hezbollah’s capacity and capabilities, Israel’s campaign to degrade the organisation, and the challenges of the post-ceasefire environment.

Lt. Col. (res.) Sarit Zehavi is the founder and president of the Alma Research and Education Center, with 15 years of experience as an IDF intelligence officer.

Episode 270 | How Hamas surprised Israel on October 7

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Yaakov Katz about his latest book While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East, co-authored with Amir Bohbot. They discuss the events of 7th October, the failures within Israel’s political and security establishments and the lessons Israel must draw to prevent such a catastrophe from recurring.

Yaakov Katz is a journalist and the author of four books on the Israeli military. He is also a former Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post, having also served as a senior foreign policy advisor to then Minister of Education and Diaspora Affairs Naftali Bennett.

Episode 269 | How Israel is reshaping the Middle East

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Edmund Fitton-Brown about Israel’s recent strikes on the Houthis in Yemen and Hamas leaders in Doha. They discuss the effectiveness of Israel’s operations, the role of Iran, and the reaction across the Gulf. Edmund also assesses the UK’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN, its implications for counter-terrorism, and the wider diplomatic fallout.

Edmund Fitton-Brown is a veteran British diplomat who served at numerous postings in the Middle East culminating as the UK’s Ambassador to Yemen from 2015 to 2017 and later coordinated UN expert panels on counterterrorism. He is now a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

Episode 268 | Reflections on unilateral recognition

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Dr Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky about the UK’s recent announcement on recognising a Palestinian state, the dynamics around the humanitarian aid, and the prospects for a hostage deal. Michal assesses the role of Egypt as a mediator and the challenges posed by Hamas.

Dr Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky is a senior adviser and programme director at Mind Israel, an adjunct lecturer at Tel Aviv University, and one of the founding members of the Forum Dvorah. She holds a PhD in political science from Tel Aviv University.

Episode 267 | A British assessment of Israeli military strategy and doctrine

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Dr Lynette Nusbacher about the history of Israeli military strategy and doctrine, as well as how it has manifested itself in recent conflicts.

She is a is a former British Army intelligence officer and worked on developing two of the UK’s National Security Strategies as part of Britain’s National Security Secretariat. She has been Senior Lecturer in War Studies, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; Head of the Strategic Horizons Unit in the UK Cabinet Office; and the Devil’s Advocate to Britain’s Joint Intelligence Committee. 

Episode 266 | An Israeli journalist visits Yemen

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Dr Jonathan Spyer about his recent visit to Yemen, and prospects of an Arab-supported campaign to push the Houthis away from their coastal strongholds. 

Dr Jonathan Spyer is a British-Israeli analyst, writer, and journalist of Middle Eastern affairs. He is Director of Research at the Middle East Forum and Editor of Middle East Quarterly magazine. This is a follow-up interview from our earlier interview two weeks ago in Episode 264.

Episode 265 | The Druze under attack

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh about the escalating violence against the Druze community in southern Syria. Gadeer offers powerful insights into the nature of the attacks, the fractured post-Assad Syria and the complex identity, history and loyalty of the Druze minority. She also explores the role of Israel and the international community in responding to the emerging threat of Islamist militias and reflects on the deep bond between Israel and the Druze.

Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, director of Eastern Mediterranean Affairs at the Middle East Forum, is a Druze-Israeli broadcaster, politician, and consultant. She was Israel’s first non-Jewish anchorwoman for main evening news in Hebrew and Arabic and, in 2019, became the first Druze woman elected to the Knesset with Blue and White, serving until 2022. In 2021, Isaac Herzog appointed her the first non-Jewish Senior Envoy of the Jewish Agency in Washington, D.C.

Episode 264 | What’s next for Iran’s proxies

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Dr Jonathan Spyer about the aftermath of Iran’s regional setbacks and the evolving security picture in the Middle East. Dr Spyer offers first-hand insights from his recent trip to Yemen, assesses the trajectory of Iran’s proxy network post-Operation Rising Lion, and examines the implications of the Assad regime’s collapse in Syria.

Jonathan Spyer is a British-Israeli analyst, writer, and journalist of Middle Eastern affairs. He is director of research at the Middle East Forum and editor of Middle East Quarterly magazine.

Episode 263 | Crunch time in Gaza

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Oz Noy, a former senior security official, about Israel’s current strategy in Gaza and the prospects for a ceasefire with Hamas.

In the conversation – recorded during a media briefing hosted by BICOM – Oz Noy unpacks the tension between Israel’s declared objective of dismantling Hamas and the parallel goal of returning the remaining hostages. He assesses the security risks of a potential prisoner release, the strategic leverage of hostage diplomacy, and the role of Egypt and other regional powers.

Oz Noy served as a divisional head in Shin Bet (ISA – Israel Security Agency), equivalent in rank to a Major General in the IDF, before retiring in 2020. He now lectures at Reichman University in Tel Aviv.