BICOM's Podcast

Episode 216 | A US Perspective on Israel-Saudi Normalisation

In this episode Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer about US-Israel relations and the prospects for an Israel-Saudi normalisation deal. They explore the range of possibilities for the Palestinian component of any deal, and potential opposition in the Democratic Party to the defence alliance demanded by Riyadh. Ambassador Kurtzer is the S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern policy studies at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton. He previously served as US. ambassador to Egypt from 1997 to 2001 and to Israel from 2001 until 2005 when he retired after a 29-year career in the US Foreign Service. He was a crafter of the 1988 peace initiative of Secretary of State George P. Shultz and was instrumental in bringing about the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991.

Episode 215 | Israel-Saudi Normalisation? A View From The Gulf

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Dr Najat AlSaied, a Saudi academic based in the Emirates, who gives her perspective on the normalisation deal. She explores Saudi considerations – distinct from those of the Abraham Accord countries, views on normalisation amongst the Saudi public, the role and motivations of the Biden Administration, and the likely impact of a deal on the Israeli-Saudi security dynamic. Dr AlSaied is a writer and analyst specialising in political and societal development communication geared toward a modern and tolerant Middle East. She is a Professor at American University in the Emirates in the UAE and a columnist with Al Ittihad and Arab News.

Episode 214 | Judicial Reform - What Comes Next? (Part Two)

In the second part of this two-part episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman continues his discussion with renowned Israeli legal scholar Professor Yuval Shany. They address the legal factors in the exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from military conscription; the question of prime ministerial conflict of interest; and whether Israel has reached a “constitutional moment”. 

Professor Shany is the Chair in International Law at Hebrew University and its former Dean of Law. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Israeli Democracy Institute and a former Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. His PhD in International Law is from SOAS.

Episode 213 | Judicial Reform - What Comes Next? (Part One)

In the first part of this two-part episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to renowned Israeli legal scholar Professor Yuval Shany. They discuss the Supreme Court’s upcoming deliberations on the legislation annulling reasonability; the significance of basic laws; the impact of reservists' protests on Israel’s military preparedness and the role of a citizen army in a democracy.

Professor Shany is the Chair in International Law at Hebrew University and its former Dean of Law. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Israeli Democracy Institute and a former Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. His PhD in International Law is from SOAS.

Episode 212 | Israel’s energy strategy and regional co-operation

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Dr Elai Rettig about energy issues in Israel and the wider Middle East. Rettig explains how Israel’s reliance on energy sources influenced its foreign and defence policy and how the discovery of natural gas has changed that paradigm. They also explore the energy policy dilemmas of Israel’s allies, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Rettig is Assistant Professor at Bar Ilan University and the head of the energy division at the Begin Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies.

Episode 211 | London protest against Iran

In this episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman speak to Iranian democracy campaigner Vahid Beheshti. They discuss Beheshti’s campaign to have the UK government proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). They also cover the IRGC’s record of global terror – including its multiple assassination attempts of British nationals – and the fundamental weakness of the Iranian regime in the face of huge unpopularity and domestic dissent. A journalist, human rights campaigner, and long-time UK resident, Beheshti is currently engaged in a sit-in protest outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office in London, following a previous 72-day hunger strike.

Episode 210 | Assessing Operation House and Garden

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Lt. Col. (res) Jonathan Conricus about Israel’s recently concluded operation in Jenin. They assess the operation’s achievements and consider its likely impact on wider West Bank security. They also discuss the current threats from Lebanon and Syria. Conricus served in the IDF for 24 years, in a variety of roles including as an infantry commander, as liaison to the UN, and finally as the IDF’s international spokesperson.

Episode 209 | Russia-Ukraine, and Israel’s regional ties

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Ksenia Svetlova about developments in Russia and a variety of regional security issues. They discuss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s recent aborted coup attempt against President Putin and US calls for Israel to share its missile defence technology with Ukraine. On the Middle East they address prospects of an Israeli-Saudi normalisation deal and the current state of Israel’s diplomatic-security relations with Jordan and Egypt. Svetlova is Chief Executive of ROPES (The Regional Organisation for Peace, Economics & Security), senior research fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University, and a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council. She previously served as an MK for the Zionist Union.

Episode 208 | Inside the Protest Movement

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Yiftach Golov, one of the leaders of the protest movement against the Israeli government's proposed judicial reforms. They discuss the basis of the movement's objection to the reforms and its tactics and future direction. Golov served in an IDF Special Forces unit and is currently completing his PhD in Biophysics at Tel-Aviv University.

Episode 207 | The Great Arab Revolt and its Modern Legacy

In this episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to Oren Kessler, author, journalist, and political analyst. They discuss Kessler's new book, Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict, and the ways in which the Revolt continues to inform both the Israeli-Palestinian dynamic and the direction of Palestinian politics and terrorism today. Kessler previously served as deputy director for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society in London, Arab affairs correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, and as an editor and translator at Haaretz English edition.