BICOM's Podcast

Episode 173 | Exploring the UK-Israel trade talks

Richard Pater speaks to Lord Ian Austin, UK Trade envoy to Israel, about his latest trip with the Secretary to State for International Trade, Anne-Marie Trevelyan to open negotiations with Israel for a free trade agreement. Lord Austin and Richard also discuss how the UK can both benefit from and advance the Abraham Accords as well as the Iranian threat.

Episode 172 | The Arab citizens of Israel

Richard Pater speaks to Dr Arik Rudnitzky, a researcher in  the 'Arab Society in Israel Programme' at the Israel Democracy Institute. In the same week that Amnesty International UK released a damning new report accusing Israel of maintaining an “apartheid regime” not only in the West Bank, but inside Israel too, Richard and Arik discuss the social, political and economic situation of the Arab citizenry in Israel. Arik explains some of the important social and economic programmes in the new budget for the Arab sector, the current situation over the military draft for young Arabs, government actions to tackle the level of crime in Arab towns, as well as the political dynamics between the United Arab List (in government) and the Joint Arab List (in opposition). 

Episode 171 | The rift in the US negotiating team in Vienna and Bibi’s plea bargain

Richard Pater speaks to Senior Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent of The Jerusalem Post Lahav Harkov about a wide range of current diplomatic and political issues. They discuss the meeting between Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Palestinian minister Hussein al-Sheikh, the rift in the US negotiating team in Vienna talks, whether Benjamin Netanyahu's plea bargain option will continue with the next attorney general, and the future of the Abraham Accords.

Episode 170 | What’s happening in Sheikh Jarrah and East Jerusalem

Richard Pater speaks with Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum about the background and legal case of the latest eviction in Sheikh Jarrah. Fleur also refutes the recent claim from the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem that extreme Israeli groups are trying to expel Christians from the city. They also discuss some of the initiatives that the municipality is undertaking to improve social services and economic prosperity for East Jerusalem residents. 

Episode 169 | Recapping the Christmas break

Samuel Nurding speaks to BICOM Director Richard Pater about events that transpired over the Christmas period.  Most significantly, Defence Minister Benny Gantz hosting PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in his home and the Palestinian view of right wing politician Ayelet Shaked. They also discuss Hamas’s latest provocation towards Israel, and an update from the Knesset. To catch up on events in Israel, be sure to listen to this episode.

Episode 168 | From Vienna to Tehran

In this episode, Samuel Nurding speaks with Dr Sanam Vakil. Sanam is the Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, where she leads project work on Iran and the Gulf. They discuss the British and Iranian negotiation positions during the 7th round of talks in Vienna, what is driving deescalation in the region and what the regional response has been to the Abraham Accords. 

Episode 167 | Understanding Iran with a former IDF intelligence officer

In this episode, Samuel Nurding speaks to Major (res.) Danny Citrinowicz, who has over 20 years of experience in intelligence and analysis and was in charge of the Iran file in the IDF’s Military Intelligence unit as well as the IDF’s representative at the Israeli embassy in Washington. They discuss what the main stumbling blocks are between the US and Iran in returning to the JCPOA nuclear deal, whether Russia has the influence and ability to separate Syria from Iran, and assess the importance of Israel's recently military exercises with its Gulf allies in the region.

Episode 166 | Will Iran and the US return to the JCPOA nuclear deal?

Richard Pater speaks with Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Before joining FDD he served as the Director for Countering Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction for the White House National Security Council under President Trump. He reflects on his time working for the Trump administration and its maximum pressure campaign against Iran and Trump’s decision to withdraw from the JCPOA nuclear deal. They review Iranian demands and discussed whether the international community has done enough to restrain Iran’s nuclear activity.

Episode 165 | What next for the government after passing the budget?

In this episode, Richard Pater talks with Walla's political correspondent Tal Shalev to discuss what next for the government since passing the 2021 and 2022 state budgets. They analyse the most important elements of the budget, the impact it will have for the government's long-term stability and the cost of living crisis in Israel. They also discuss the future for Netanyahu as his corruption trial enters the next phase and the government looks to pass new legislation preventing a member of the Knesset under indictment from forming a new government.

Episode 164 | Harnessing Israeli technology to tackle climate change

In the episode, Richard Pater talks to Blue and White MK Professor Alon Tal about how Israel and Israeli technology can play a significant role in helping the world address climate change. They discuss the history of environmental activism in Israel, Tal's journey into politics, cooperation with Palestinian and Jordanian organisations on a regional green agenda, and what role Israel can and should play in the global arena. 

Professor Tal is a leading Israeli environmental activist and academic. He is the founder of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and co-founder of Ecopeace: Friends of the Earth–Middle East, the Israel Forum for Demography, Environment and Society, and the Green Movement. In 2017 Prof. Tal was appointed chair of the department of Public Policy at Tel Aviv University.