Podcast appearances and mentions of al monitor

Avant même son passage au Conseil de Paris, la proposition d’Emmanuel Grégoire déclenche déjà une vague de réactions. Le maire socialiste souhaite accorder la citoyenneté d’honneur de la Ville de Paris aux civils palestiniens ainsi qu’aux journalistes de Gaza. ➡ Geste humanitaire ?➡ Signal politique ?➡ Instrumentalisation symbolique du conflit ? Une initiative qui divise profondément la classe politique française.

Happy “Tax Day”! I wonder what the American Revolutionary Founders would think of ‘Tax Day’, on this momentous 250th Anniversary of our American Independence…? Links Videos / Clips [x] = Played The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer – American Archive of Public Broadcasting [x] 48:56--49:39 JIM LEHRER: What is the proper relationship, what should be the proper relationship between a chairman of the Fed and a president of the United States? ALAN GREENSPAN: Well, first of all, the Federal Reserve is an independent agency, and that means, basically, that there is no other agency of government which can overrule actions that we take. So long as that is in place and there is no evidence that the administration or the Congress or anybody else is requesting that we do things other than what we think is the appropriate thing, then what the relationships are don’t, frankly, matter. And I’ve had very good relationships with presidents. 1. [x] Understanding Fractional Reserve Banking: How It Fuels Economic Growth Fractional reserve banking is the banking system most countries use today. It requires banks to hold only a fraction of the money their customers deposit. That amount is the reserve requirement, and in most countries, it is set by the central bank. Banks can loan the rest of their deposits to other customers, which serves to expand the economy. It works like this. Banks accept deposits from individuals and businesses providing them with savings and checking accounts in return. Banks can loan out the bulk of those deposits to other customers to buy homes or cars, start businesses, or to fund other projects. If a customer deposits $100,000 into a bank and the reserve requirement is 5%, the bank can loan $95,000 out to other customers. Once the bank has loaned out $95,000, it in essence has created $195,000. Customers borrow that $95,000 and deposit some or all of it into other banks. If the reserve requirement is still 5%, then the other banks can loan $90,250 to new customers. And the process keeps repeating itself. Financial crisis occurs when the fractional banking system breaks down and the money supply does not expand. Many US banks had to shut down during the Great Depression, because so many people attempted to withdraw their money at the same time. Today, safeguards exist to prevent such an occurrence. 1. Dollar Decline, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) & IMF as World Federal Bank – Jim Rickards – The Triffin Dilemma Headlines [x] = Mentioned / Discussed [x] Secretive Bilderberg group just met – but who knows what global elite said? | Washington DC | The Guardian [x] Prosecutors from Jeanine Pirro’s office tried to access Federal Reserve headquarters, but were turned away | CBS News [x] Grand jury declines criminal charges against 6 Democrats who urged military to reject illegal orders | CBS News [x] Google, Microsoft, Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, According to an Independent Audit | 404 Media WebinarTV Secretly Scraped Zoom Meetings of Anonymous Recovery Programs | 404 Media Farmer Arrested for Speaking Too Long at Datacenter Town Hall Vows to Fight | 404 Media The Rest [x] = Mentioned / Discussed Previous RWR Episodes [x] Road Warrior Radio with Chris Hinkley, April 14, 2026 | Hour 1 | Hour 2 Administrative Fourth Branch [x] The Birth of the Administrative State: Where It Came From and What It Means for Limited Government | The Heritage Foundation [x] The Rise and Rise of the Administrative State on JSTOR [x] America Is A Don't Ask Don't Tell Nation – Road Warrior Radio The Paper Ponzi Scheme [x] Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 27 May 1788 The bankruptcies in London have recommenced with new force. There is no saying where this fire will end. Perhaps in the general conflagration of all their paper. …nothing is necessary but a general panic, produced either by failures, invasion or any other cause, and the whole visionary fabric vanishes into air and shews that paper is poverty, that it is only the ghost of money, and not money itself. [x] Money, whence it came, where it went : Galbraith, John Kenneth, 1908-2006 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive The process by which banks create money is so simple that the mind is repelled. Where something so important is involved, a deeper mystery seems only decent. [x] Economists John Kenneth Galbraith and Alan Greenspan appeared before… News Photo – Getty Images [x] Crash Could Not Happen Again, Heller, Galbraith and Greenspan Tell Congress – The New York Times [x] FRB Speech, Bernanke – On Milton Friedman’s ninetieth birthday – November 8, 2002 Let me end my talk by abusing slightly my status as an official representative of the Federal Reserve. I would like to say to Milton and Anna: Regarding the Great Depression. You’re right, we did it. We’re very sorry. But thanks to you, we won’t do it again. [x] Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval (1816) – Teaching American History We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debts, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our callings and our creeds, as the people of England are, our people, like them, must come to labor sixteen hours in the twenty-four, give the earnings of fifteen of these to the government for their debts and daily expenses; and the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread, we must live, as they now do, on oatmeal and potatoes; have no time to think, no means of calling the mismanagers to account; but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers. Our landholders, too, like theirs, retaining indeed the title and stewardship of estates called theirs, but held really in trust for the treasury, must wander, like theirs, in foreign countries, and be contented with penury, obscurity, exile, and the glory of the nation. This example reads to us the salutary lesson, that private fortunes are destroyed by public as well as by private extravagance. And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second; that second for a third; and so on, till the bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery, and to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering. Then begins, indeed, the bellum omnium in omnia, which some philosophers observing to be so general in this world, have mistaken it for the natural, instead of the abusive state of man. And the fore horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression. [x] Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address (Mar 4, 1837) | The American Presidency Project The severe lessons of experience will, I doubt not, be sufficient to prevent Congress from again chartering such a monopoly, even if the Constitution did not present an insuperable objection to it. But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It behooves you, therefore, to be watchful in your States as well as in the Federal Government. The power which the moneyed interest can exercise, when concentrated under a single head and with our present system of currency, was sufficiently demonstrated in the struggle made by the Bank of the United States. [x] Federal Reserve Act – Wikisource, the free online library Sec. 30.. The right to amend, alter, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. [x] hypothecate – definition and meaning [x] Websters 1828 – Webster’s Dictionary 1828 – Hypothecate HYPOTH’ECATE, verb transitive [Latin hypotheca, a pledge; Gr. to put under, to suppose.] 1. To pledge, and properly to pledge the keel of a ship, that is, the ship itself, as security for the repayment of money borrowed to carry on a voyage. In this case the lender hazards the loss of his money by the loss of the ship, but if the ship returns safe, he received his principal, with the premium or interest agreed on, though it may exceed the legal rate of interest. 2. To pledge, as goods. [x] 321gold: Gold and Economic Freedom by Alan Greenspan 1966 In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value. If there were, the government would have to make its holding illegal, as was done in the case of gold. If everyone decided, for example, to convert all his bank deposits to silver or copper or any other good, and thereafter declined to accept checks as payment for goods, bank deposits would lose their purchasing power and government-created bank credit would be worthless as a claim on goods. The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves. This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists’ tirades against gold. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights. If one grasps this, one has no difficulty in understanding the statists’ antagonism toward the gold standard. Triffin dilemma – Wikipedia The Shot Heard Round The World [x] Battles of Lexington and Concord – Wikipedia On This Day Events April 2026 Calendar of Public Holidays | Office Holidays Holidays and Observances in the United States in 2026 What day is it today? Important events every day ad-free | United States OTD Worldwide Public Holidays Wednesday April 15th 2026 | Office Holidays On This Day – What Happened on April 15 Today in History: April 15, the Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic | AP News What Happened on April 15 – On This Day What Happened on April 15 | HISTORY April 15 – Wikipedia What Happened On April 15 In History? 15 | April | 2020 | Executed Today Holidays Tax Day (US) Father Damien Day (Hawaii) Jackie Robinson Day (US) Titanic Remembrance Day (US) American Sign Language (ASL) Day (US) Historical Events 2013 – Boston Marathon Bombing: Two bombs made from pressure cookers exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line, killing two women and an 8-year-old boy and injuring more than 260. But: Who is Graham Fuller, and who is Uncle Ruslan…?123456789 1998 – Pol Pot, the architect of Cambodia's killing fields, dies of apparently natural causes while serving a life sentence imposed against him by his own Khmer Rouge. 1994 – The World Trade Organization is founded: The WTO coordinates and strives to liberalize international trade. It has been criticized for ignoring and escalating the negative social and environmental side-effects of globalization. 1990 – Sketch comedy TV series In Living Color premieres on FOX TV 1989 – A small group of students initiates pro-democracy protest on Tiananmen Square in Beijing: The death of reformer Hu Yaobang triggered the demonstrations, which grew in size and were brutally dispersed in the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4. 1986 – The United States launches retaliatory air strikes against Libya: Around 40 Libyans died in Operation El Dorado Canyon, including an infant girl. The attack was the United States’ response to the bombing of a Berlin discotheque on April 5, in which 3 people had died. 1974 – Members of the Symbionese Liberation Army held up a branch of the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco; a member of the group was SLA kidnap victim Patricia Hearst. (Hearst later said she had been forced to participate in the robbery.) 1960 – Guy Carawan sings We Shall Overcome to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh, popularizing the song as a protest anthem 1955 – Ray Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. 1945 – The German concentration camp Bergen-Belsen is liberated: British and Canadian troops found about 53,000 prisoners inside the camp. Tens of thousands died before and after the liberation. 1935 – The Eastman Kodak Company launches Kodachrome: The photographic film was one of the most popular media used by professional and hobby photographers around the world. The product was discontinued in 2009 because of the advent of digital photography. 1924 – Rand McNally publishes its first road atlas. 1912 – British luxury liner RMS Titanic sunk in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland just over two and a half hours after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Over 1,500 people died; 710 survived. 1900 – Philippine–American War: Filipino guerrillas launch a surprise attack on U.S. 1892 – The General Electric Company is formed. 1877 – World’s first home telephone is installed in Somerville, Massachusetts at the house of Charles Williams Jr. 1874 – First Impressionist art exhibition opens in Paris, features Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and Berthe Morisot 1865 – Abraham Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater the previous evening; Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th president hours later. 1861 – Federal army of 75,000 volunteers is mobilized by President Abraham Lincoln at the start of the American Civil War 1802 – William Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy see a “long belt” of daffodils, inspiring the former to pen I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. 1783 – Preliminary articles of peace ending the American Revolutionary War (or American War of Independence) are ratified. 1755 – Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London 1729 – Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion premieres at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Holy Roman Empire (now Germany) Births 1978 – Chris Stapleton, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (48) 1922 – Harold Washington, American lawyer and politician, 51st Mayor of Chicago (died 1987) 1894 – Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet politician, 7th Premier of the Soviet Union (died 1971) 1858 – Émile Durkheim, French sociologist, psychologist, and philosopher [read Lark’s Collected Musings] (died 1917) 1843 – Henry James, American/English author (died 1916) 1841 – Joseph E. Seagram, Canadian businessman and politician, founded the Seagram Company Ltd (died 1919) 1832 – Wilhelm Busch, German poet, painter, illustrator (died 1908) 1452 – Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter, sculptor, architect (died 1519) Deaths 2025 – Wink Martindale, American DJ, radio personality, and TV personality (born 1933) 2024 – Whitey Herzog, American professional baseball outfielder and manager (born 1931) 2018 – R. Lee Ermey, USMC drill instructor, American actor (born 1944) 1998 – Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (born 1925) 1990 – Greta Garbo, Swedish actress (born 1905) 1980 – Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher, writer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1905) 1912 – Victims of the Titanic disaster: Archibald Butt, American general and journalist (born 1865) Benjamin Guggenheim, American businessman (born 1865) Charles Melville Hays, American businessman (born 1856) Edward Smith, English Captain (born 1850) Henry B. Harris, American producer and manager (born 1866) Henry Tingle Wilde, English chief officer (born 1872) Ida Straus, German-American businesswoman (born 1849) Isidor Straus, German-American businessman and politician (born 1845) Jack Phillips, English telegraphist (born 1887) Jacques Futrelle, American journalist and author (born 1875) James Paul Moody, English Sixth Officer (born 1887) John B. Thayer, American business and sportsman (born 1862) John Jacob Astor IV, American colonel, businessman, and author (born 1864) Thomas Andrews, Irish shipbuilder (born 1873) Wallace Hartley, English violinist and bandleader (born 1878) William McMaster Murdoch, Scottish First Officer (born 1873) William Thomas Stead, English journalist (born 1849) 1889 – Father Damien, Flemish missionary, priest, and saint (born 1840) 1865 – Abraham Lincoln, American lawyer, politician, 16th President of the United States (born 1809) Footnotes Jimenez, Guillermo. “The Tsarnaevs and the CIA: Who Is Graham Fuller?” Traces of Reality by Guillermo Jimenez, 2026, web.archive.org/web/20130503080950/tracesofreality.com/2013/04/29/the-tsarnaevs-and-the-cia-who-is-graham-fuller/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. It has been confirmed that the Tsarnaev family, at least to some degree, have been connected to the Central Intelligence Agency for almost 20 years. In 1995, Ruslan Tsarni (formerly known as Ruslan Tsarnaev, affectionately known as “Uncle Ruslan,” the American corporate media darling who bemoaned the alleged actions of his nephews Dzhokar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev ) married the daughter of the former Deputy Director of the CIA's National Council on Intelligence, Graham Fuller. While the marriage of Samantha Ankara Fuller and Ruslan Tsarnaev was short-lived, reportedly ending in divorce in 1999, it appears that Ruslan and Graham Fuller were more than just father-in-law and son.  They may also been business partners. These key details in the history of the Tsarnaev family and the CIA were first reported by Daniel Hopsicker of Mad Cow Morning News, and the marriage of Fuller's daughter and Ruslan has indeed been confirmed by Al-Monitor reporter, Laura Rozen. ↩ Hopsicker, Daniel. “Boston Bombers' Uncle Married Daughter of Top CIA Official.” MadCow Morning News, 26 Apr. 2013, www.madcowprod.com/2013/04/26/boston-bombers-uncle-married-daughter-of-top-cia-official/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Hopsicker, Daniel. ““Uncle Ruslan” Aided Terrorists from CIA Official's Home.” MadCow Morning News, 29 Apr. 2013, www.madcowprod.com/2013/04/29/uncle-ruslan-aid-to-terrorists-from-cia-officials-home/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Corbett, James. “Who Is Graham Fuller?” The Corbett Report, 2026, corbettreport.com/who-is-graham-fuller/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ “Graham Fuller – Wikispooks.” Wikispooks.com, 2026, wikispooks.com/wiki/Graham_Fuller. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Graham E. Fuller.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_E._Fuller. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Islamism.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamism. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Wikipedia Contributors. “Tablighi Jamaat.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablighi_Jamaat. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩ Engdahl, F. William. “Graham E. Fuller Where Were You on the Night of July 15?” Archive.org, 9 Aug. 2016, www.williamengdahl.com/englishNEO9Aug2016.php. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026. ↩

durée : 00:38:28 - Questions du soir : le débat - par : Quentin Lafay, Stéphanie Villeneuve - 62 députés contre 48, c'est avec cette majorité qui rassemble bien au-delà de l'extrême droite que la Knesset, le Parlement israélien, a adopté une loi réactivant la peine de mort, le 30 mars 2026. - invités : Alain Dieckhoff Sociologue, directeur de recherche au Centre de recherches internationales de Sciences Po; Rina Bassist journaliste israélienne, rédactrice pour le journal en ligne américain Al-Monitor 

As the U.S. and Israel hit Iranian targets from the air, some Iranian Kurdish groups are reportedly discussing whether to launch an incursion from Iraq, potentially opening a new front in the conflict. Al-Monitor correspondent Amberin Zaman discusses the conversations happening behind the scenes. Then, retired Adm. Mark Montgomery supports the war but has concerns the Trump administration hasn't planned for what comes next. He tells us why. And, former Iranian news editor and Tehran resident Ali Safari talks about what the mood is in Iran's capital city during U.S. and Israeli bombardment. Last year, Safari told us bombings by the U.S. made some Iranians rally around the government.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Christine Kelly revient, sans concession, sur tous les sujets qui font l'actualité. Vous voulez réagir ? Appelez le 01.80.20.39.21 (numéro non surtaxé) ou rendez-vous sur les réseaux sociaux d'Europe 1 pour livrer votre opinion et débattre sur grandes thématiques développées dans l'émission du jour.Invités :Guillaume Lagane, spécialiste des questions militaires et diplomatiques.Rina Bassist, journaliste israélienne correspondante à Paris pour la radio publique israélienne KAN. Rédactrice au journal américain Al-Monitor, spécialisée dans le Moyen-Orient. Spécialiste des questions relatives au Moyen-Orient.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Christine Kelly revient, sans concession, sur tous les sujets qui font l'actualité. Vous voulez réagir ? Appelez le 01.80.20.39.21 (numéro non surtaxé) ou rendez-vous sur les réseaux sociaux d'Europe 1 pour livrer votre opinion et débattre sur grandes thématiques développées dans l'émission du jour.Invités :Guillaume Lagane, spécialiste des questions militaires et diplomatiques.Rina Bassist, journaliste israélienne correspondante à Paris pour la radio publique israélienne KAN. Rédactrice au journal américain Al-Monitor, spécialisée dans le Moyen-Orient. Spécialiste des questions relatives au Moyen-Orient.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

How does Greece's Byzantine and Ottoman past shape its future? In this episode, Helen Carr speaks to journalist and author Sean Matthews about Greece's shifting geopolitical role and alliances. Caught between wars raging in both Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Greece is an island of relative stability. Popularly considered the cradle of Western civilization, this is a Christian Orthodox state on the edge of the Islamic world. And, after a half-century of integration into NATO and the EU, Greece is now reabsorbing into the Near East, as the West fractures and new Middle Eastern powers rise. As Greek-American journalist Sean Matthews argues, the country's importance as a cultural and geopolitical hybrid is growing. Sean is a Greek-American journalist who has covered a wide swath of the Middle East.  He is a correspondent with Middle East Eye, and has also written for The Economist and Al-Monitor, among others. The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East is his first book. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where does Greece belong? Many look at the ancient Greek ruins of Athens, and see the cradle of Western civilization. But much of Greece's history actually looks eastward to the rest of the Mediterranean: to Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Palestine. In his book The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East (Hurst: 2025), Sean Mathews argues that it's best to think about Greece as belonging to the “Near East”—and doubly so with today's more complicated geopolitics. Sean Mathews is a Greek-American journalist who has covered a wide swath of the Middle East. He is a correspondent with Middle East Eye, and has also written for The Economist and Al-Monitor, among others. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The New Byzantines. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Where does Greece belong? Many look at the ancient Greek ruins of Athens, and see the cradle of Western civilization. But much of Greece's history actually looks eastward to the rest of the Mediterranean: to Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Palestine. In his book The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East (Hurst: 2025), Sean Mathews argues that it's best to think about Greece as belonging to the “Near East”—and doubly so with today's more complicated geopolitics. Sean Mathews is a Greek-American journalist who has covered a wide swath of the Middle East. He is a correspondent with Middle East Eye, and has also written for The Economist and Al-Monitor, among others. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The New Byzantines. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Where does Greece belong? Many look at the ancient Greek ruins of Athens, and see the cradle of Western civilization. But much of Greece's history actually looks eastward to the rest of the Mediterranean: to Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Palestine. In his book The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East (Hurst: 2025), Sean Mathews argues that it's best to think about Greece as belonging to the “Near East”—and doubly so with today's more complicated geopolitics. Sean Mathews is a Greek-American journalist who has covered a wide swath of the Middle East. He is a correspondent with Middle East Eye, and has also written for The Economist and Al-Monitor, among others. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The New Byzantines. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Where does Greece belong? Many look at the ancient Greek ruins of Athens, and see the cradle of Western civilization. But much of Greece's history actually looks eastward to the rest of the Mediterranean: to Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Palestine. In his book The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East (Hurst: 2025), Sean Mathews argues that it's best to think about Greece as belonging to the “Near East”—and doubly so with today's more complicated geopolitics. Sean Mathews is a Greek-American journalist who has covered a wide swath of the Middle East. He is a correspondent with Middle East Eye, and has also written for The Economist and Al-Monitor, among others. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The New Byzantines. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where does Greece belong? Many look at the ancient Greek ruins of Athens, and see the cradle of Western civilization. But much of Greece's history actually looks eastward to the rest of the Mediterranean: to Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Palestine. In his book The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East (Hurst: 2025), Sean Mathews argues that it's best to think about Greece as belonging to the “Near East”—and doubly so with today's more complicated geopolitics. Sean Mathews is a Greek-American journalist who has covered a wide swath of the Middle East. He is a correspondent with Middle East Eye, and has also written for The Economist and Al-Monitor, among others. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The New Byzantines. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE are escalating anew in Yemen. Al-Monitor senior editor Joyce Karam says the clash is real, leaving the Trump administration torn between its top regional allies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the eve of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's historic meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington on Nov. 10, Al-Monitor spoke with former US Ambassador Barbara Leaf, the first senior US official to formally meet with him after the fall of the Assad regime.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are worried about the situation with Venezuela and the potential for a military operation on that country. Join us for an insightful Global South-to South conversation with Mustafa Fetouri, an award-winning Libyan journalist, columnist, author, and translator, with contributions to major outlets like Middle East Monitor, Al-Monitor, and Washington Report, and a focus on North Africa and the Sahel region. Follow Mustafa Fetouri's excellent coverage and analysis: @MFetouri on XMiddle East Monitor: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/authors/dr-mustafa-fetouri/The New Arab: https://www.newarab.com/author/74695/mustafa-fetouriAl Monitor: https://www.al-monitor.com/authors/mustafa-fetouri.htmlWashington Report on Middle East Affairs: https://www.wrmea.org/other/from-skulls-to-sovereignty-africa-demands-colonial-justice.htmlSíguenos: @Contraelite1 en X, Instagram y Facebook PlataformasYouTube: ⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/ContraeliteOnYouTube⁠⁠ Apple: ⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/ContraeliteOnApple⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/ContraeliteOnSpotify⁠⁠ Google: ⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/ContraeliteOnGoogle⁠⁠ Our breaks music is "Draco" by Yung Kartz (⁠⁠https://www.yungkartzbeats.com/⁠⁠)

This is a recording of a New Jewish Narrative webinar from October 1, 2025, hosted by Hadar Susskind.   At an unusual press conference at the White House on Monday September 29 — with Prime Minister Netanyahu at his side — President Trump unveiled a plan to end the Gaza War. The document, which was emailed to reporters during the event, included 20 substantive points—some of which are supposed to happen whether or not Hamas accepts the plan.  To help us make sense of these developments, NJN hosted two seasoned observers of American diplomacy for this webinar.  Laura Rozen is a veteran foreign policy journalist. She has served as the diplomatic correspondent for Al-Monitor, foreign policy reporter for Politico, and for Foreign Policy magazine, where she launched the Cable blog in 2009. She now writes and reports the Diplomatic newsletter at Substack, and also serves on the editorial board of Just Security. Joel Braunold is the Managing Director of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, the former executive director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, and a contributing editor at Lawfare. He works regularly with the US State Department, USAID, the National Security Council, and Congress on the needs of the peace-building community. Outside the United States, he has worked with national governments across Europe, multilateral institutions, and parts of the Arab world. 

Syria has been rocked lately by sectarian violence, something that's not only putting the country's minorities on edge, but is also posing a challenge to ongoing US efforts led by Ambassador Tom Barrack to push for the Syrian Kurds' full integration into the Syrian government. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor's chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa, joins Thanos Davelis today as we dig into this story.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Suwayda violence boosts Kurds' leverage as US Syria envoy, SDF chief meetUS envoy urges Syria's Sharaa to revise policy or risk fragmentationGreece unveils five-pillar plan to tackle growing water scarcityTurkey nears Eurofighter jet purchase after UK, German agreementsAthens not surprised by Turkey's Eurofighter acquisition

Nacho Amor is the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey. Speaking to Al-Monitor, he blasts EU leaders for their silence over Turkey's appalling human rights record, including the jailing of more than a dozen democratically elected mayors from the main opposition CHP party. He also warns the country's Kurds — who are in the process of negotiating constitutional changes with the government that would allow the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, more powers in exchange for Kurdish rights — that without democracy for all, there can be none for a few.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In episode 52 of Tahrir Podcast, Aaron Magid tuned in to discuss his book, The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan (Universal Publishers, 2025)⁠, as well as commentate on Jordanian politics. Drawing on interviews with over 100 people—including King Abdullah's classmates, former Jordanian ministers, and even CIA directors—Aaron offers a deeply reported portrait of one of the Middle East's most enduring leaders. The first comprehensive biography on Jordans King Abdullah, the book traces his rise from a Massachusetts prep school and British military training to the Jordanian throne, and explores how he's managed to stay in power for over 25 years amidst regional wars, economic pressures, and mass protests. It also examines his strategic alliance with Washington, his cooperation with the CIA, and the domestic controversies that have shaped his reign—from a $15 billion gas deal with Israel to Jordan's quiet role in the 2003 Iraq War. Aaron Magid is an analyst and former Amman-based journalist. His analysis on the Hashemite Kingdom has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Al-Monitor, the Atlantic Council, France 24, Al-Jazeera, and the Middle East Institute. He hosts the podcast On Jordan. Episode on YouTube: youtu.be/jRz_yPBQ9IUStreaming everywhere! ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/TahrirPodcast⁠⁠⁠Reach out! TahrirPodcast@gmail.comSupport us on Patreon for as low as $2 per month ($20 per year)!https://www.patreon.com/TahrirPodcast

Israël poursuit son offensive en Iran. Sixième jour de guerre, ce mercredi 18 juin, entre les deux pays et de nouveaux gains annoncés par l'État hébreu, qui affirme avoir détruit le quartier général de la sécurité intérieure iranienne, à Téhéran. Israël qui ne cesse d'accentuer la pression depuis la fin de semaine dernière dans cette confrontation directe qu'il attendait tant et après s'en être pris aux alliés de l'Iran. En début de semaine, le Premier ministre israélien, Benyamin Netanyahu, a appelé le peuple iranien à se lever contre « la tyrannie au pouvoir ». Est-ce qu'Israël redessine le Proche-Orient actuellement ? Que veut l'État hébreu ? Qui aura-t-il après les guerres ?   Avec :  David Rigoulet-Roze, rédacteur en chef de la revue Orients stratégiques, spécialiste du Moyen-Orient, chercheur rattaché à l'Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques Rina Bassist, correspondante de la radio israélienne à Paris et rédactrice au journal Al-Monitor À écouter aussiComment expliquer la redoutable efficacité du Mossad ?

Israël poursuit son offensive en Iran. Sixième jour de guerre, ce mercredi 18 juin, entre les deux pays et de nouveaux gains annoncés par l'État hébreu, qui affirme avoir détruit le quartier général de la sécurité intérieure iranienne, à Téhéran. Israël qui ne cesse d'accentuer la pression depuis la fin de semaine dernière dans cette confrontation directe qu'il attendait tant et après s'en être pris aux alliés de l'Iran. En début de semaine, le Premier ministre israélien, Benyamin Netanyahu, a appelé le peuple iranien à se lever contre « la tyrannie au pouvoir ». Est-ce qu'Israël redessine le Proche-Orient actuellement ? Que veut l'État hébreu ? Qui aura-t-il après les guerres ?  Avec :  David Rigoulet-Roze, rédacteur en chef de la revue Orients stratégiques, spécialiste du Moyen-Orient, chercheur rattaché à l'Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques Rina Bassist, correspondante de la radio israélienne à Paris et rédactrice au journal Al-Monitor. À écouter aussiComment expliquer la redoutable efficacité du Mossad ?

Une audience particulièrement houleuse s'est tenue ce mardi 8 avril 2025 devant la Cour suprême israélienne, symbole des tensions politiques dans le pays. Les recours contre le limogeage du chef de l'Agence de la sécurité intérieure (Shin Bet), Ronen Bar, étaient examinés. Cette décision est dénoncée par ses détracteurs comme une dérive autocratique du pouvoir. Tout comme le vote à l'unanimité, fin mars, d'une motion de défiance inédite contre la procureure générale Gali Baharav-Miara. Dans le contexte de l'offensive à Gaza et de la colonisation en Cisjordanie, Israël constitue-t-il encore une démocratie ? Qu'est-ce qui pourrait stopper le Premier ministre Benyamin Netanyahu ?Pour en débattre Sylvaine Bulle, sociologue, chercheuse à l'École des hautes études en sciences sociales), autrice du livre Sociologie de Jérusalem (Éditions de La Découverte, 2020) Rina Bassist, correspondante de la radio israélienne à Paris et rédactrice au journal Al-Monitor Éric Danon, ambassadeur de France en Israël de 2019 à 2023À lire aussiIsraël: Benyamin Netanyahu mis en cause pour «conflit d'intérêts» pour le renvoi du chef du Shin Bet

Une audience particulièrement houleuse s'est tenue ce mardi 8 avril 2025 devant la Cour suprême israélienne, symbole des tensions politiques dans le pays. Les recours contre le limogeage du chef de l'Agence de la sécurité intérieure (Shin Bet), Ronen Bar, étaient examinés. Cette décision est dénoncée par ses détracteurs comme une dérive autocratique du pouvoir. Tout comme le vote à l'unanimité, fin mars, d'une motion de défiance inédite contre la procureure générale Gali Baharav-Miara. Dans le contexte de l'offensive à Gaza et de la colonisation en Cisjordanie, Israël constitue-t-il encore une démocratie ? Qu'est-ce qui pourrait stopper le Premier ministre Benyamin Netanyahu ?Pour en débattre Sylvaine Bulle, sociologue, chercheuse à l'École des hautes études en sciences sociales), autrice du livre Sociologie de Jérusalem (Éditions de La Découverte, 2020) Rina Bassist, correspondante de la radio israélienne à Paris et rédactrice au journal Al-Monitor Éric Danon, ambassadeur de France en Israël de 2019 à 2023À lire aussiIsraël: Benyamin Netanyahu mis en cause pour «conflit d'intérêts» pour le renvoi du chef du Shin Bet

For months Turkey's President Erdogan has avoided wading into the latest peace process with Turkey's Kurds and the PKK. Last week he broke his silence, saying he was prepared to meet with members of the country's pro-Kurdish DEM Party who have played a key role in talks with Abdullah Ocalan. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor's chief correspondent based in Paris and covering major stories on Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, joins Thanos Davelis to break down what Erdogan's willingness to engage with Kurdish leaders means for this process.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Turkey's Erdogan says he's ready to meet with Kurds brokering peace with PKKTurkey's Erdogan discusses Russia-Ukraine war, Syria in first official call with TrumpErdoğan's top rival detained, faces block to presidential candidacyTurkey detains Erdogan's main rival on array of chargesJake Sullivan: ‘We worked behind the scenes'

On Rising today, Robby Soave delivers his radar on President Biden's possible preemptive pardon of former chief of NIH'S National Institutes of Allergy And Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci. Joyce Karam, senior editor at Al-Monitor, weighs in on toppling of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. President-elect Donald Trump gives his first major sit down interview to "Meet The Press" host Kristen Welker. The Lever's David Sirota discusses the fraud and greed within the health insurance industry, and the reaction over murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. A Manhattan jury acquits former marine Daniel Penny in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely. This and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Le 21 novembre 2024, la Cour pénale internationale émettait des mandats d'arrêt pour crimes de guerre et crimes contre l'humanité à l'encontre de trois personnalités politiques mises en cause dans la guerre à Gaza. Parmi elles, Benyamin Netanyahu. Depuis, la France a fait l'objet de critiques après avoir annoncé qu'elle n'arrêterait pas le Premier ministre israélien si celui-ci foulait le sol français, évoquant son immunité diplomatique. Benyamin Netanyahu doit-il être jugé ? Un dirigeant dans l'exercice de ses fonctions est-il voué à ne pas rendre de comptes ? Comment parfaire la justice internationale ? Pour en débattre :- Rina Bassist, correspondante israélienne à Paris, rédactrice pour le journal américain Al-Monitor, ancienne diplomate- Patrick Baudouin, président d'honneur de la Fédération internationale des droits humains (FIDH)- Yann Jurovics, maître de conférences en Droit international à l'Université Paris Saclay, ancien juriste auprès des tribunaux internationaux.

Le 21 novembre 2024, la Cour pénale internationale émettait des mandats d'arrêt pour crimes de guerre et crimes contre l'humanité à l'encontre de trois personnalités politiques mises en cause dans la guerre à Gaza. Parmi elles, Benyamin Netanyahu. Depuis, la France a fait l'objet de critiques après avoir annoncé qu'elle n'arrêterait pas le Premier ministre israélien si celui-ci foulait le sol français, évoquant son immunité diplomatique. Benyamin Netanyahu doit-il être jugé ? Un dirigeant dans l'exercice de ses fonctions est-il voué à ne pas rendre de comptes ? Comment parfaire la justice internationale ? Pour en débattre :- Rina Bassist, correspondante israélienne à Paris, rédactrice pour le journal américain Al-Monitor, ancienne diplomate- Patrick Baudouin, président d'honneur de la Fédération internationale des droits humains (FIDH)- Yann Jurovics, maître de conférences en Droit international à l'Université Paris Saclay, ancien juriste auprès des tribunaux internationaux.

Décryptage ce soir consacré aux commémorations du 7 octobre en Israël, un an après la terrible attaque terroriste perpétrée par le Hamas, qui a fait 1 205 morts, 251 personnes enlevées, des milliers de blessés dans ce qui reste le pire massacre qu'ait jamais connu l'État hébreu. Un an plus tard, le traumatisme demeure en Israël, et toute la région est également emportée dans cette descente aux enfers, avec la guerre meurtrière dans la bande de Gaza, étendue maintenant au Liban. Comment trouver un chemin vers la paix dans cette spirale sanglante ? On en parle ce soir avec notre invitée Rina Bassist, correspondante israélienne à Paris, rédactrice pour le journal américain Al-Monitor et Justine Fontaine, grand reporter à RFI  qui rentre de reportage en Israël.

Jim Muir, one of the most seasoned Western journalists in the Middle East, has been covering the Arab-Israeli conflict for almost 50 years. Muir tells Al-Monitor that the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is unlike any other in the past, with unforeseeable consequences for both sides, as well for Lebanon and Iran.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Earlier this month a Turkish-flagged vessel suspected of carrying weapons to Libya blocked the EU's naval mission Irini from inspecting its cargo. This isn't the first time this has happened. The timing of this shipment, however, which comes amid an escalating row over the leadership of the country's Central Bank, is fueling speculation of renewed conflict in Libya. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor's chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this unfolding crisis in Libya, and break down whether this should be a cause for concern in the Mediterranean.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Libyan Central Bank standoff fuels conflict fears as Turkey, Russia send weaponsFrom Turkey, exiled Libyan Central Bank governor decries 'coup d'etat'Burning oil tanker is safely towed away from Yemen after rebel attacksGreece to ban new short-term lets in Athens for at least a year

On this special Labor Day edition of RealClearPolitics, Andrew Walworth interviews presidential historian Tevi Troy on his new book, “The Power and the Money,” about the changing relationship between leading corporate CEOs and American presidents. Then, Tom Bevan interviews Andrew Parasiliti from Al-Monitor about the future of the Middle East and America's policy options in the region. Next, Carl Cannon talks to former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D. RI) about his efforts to help American families deal with addiction to prescription medication. And finally, RCP contributor Charlie Stone interviews retired journalist Frank Beaman about his experience covering the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, including his encounter with Abbie Hoffman and the Yippies.

Daoud Kuttab, director general of the Amman-based Balad Radio discusses the new election law for the September 10 parliamentary race. Kuttab, a veteran Al-Monitor columnist, explains which political parties are expected to do well in the race. He details the key domestic policy issues being raised in the campaign along with how the Gaza war will impact the elections. Finally, Kuttab addresses expected voter turnout during the upcoming election.

Today we were pleased to host Gerald Kepes, President of Competitive Energy Strategies, and Sudan Maccio, Chief Legal Counsel of PetroTal, for a discussion focused on Venezuelan politics, energy and economics. Jerry has over 40 years of experience as a consultant and petroleum geologist and is a regular contributor to Al-Monitor on the geopolitics of energy in the Middle East and North Africa. Sudan started his career at PDVSA and brings over 30 years of extensive legal experience in global energy across legal, commercial, and leadership roles. We were thrilled to bring Jerry and Sudan together to discuss the recent Venezuelan election. In our conversation, Jerry and Sudan provide an overview of the recent election and the country's opposition to President Maduro's claimed victory. We discuss the current situation on the ground with ongoing protests, reactions from neighboring countries, the refugee crisis, how the military has been corrupted to support the ruling party and the potential for shifts in loyalty, and how the crisis is influencing global markets. We explore other geopolitical crises to understand potential strategy and outcomes, the possibilities and implications of foreign intervention, and influence from outside actors including Cuba, China, Russia, Iran and even Hezbollah. We also examine the role of the US in potentially intervening, possible outcomes, long-term implications, and much more. We ended by discussing how we can help the citizens of Venezuela and amplify their humanitarian needs. It was an enlightening discussion, and we are thankful to Jerry and Sudan for sharing their insights with us all. Mike Bradley opened the conversation by highlighting that U.S. markets, so far this week, are mostly in churn-mode and laser focused on Wednesday's FOMC Rate Decision Meeting. Bond traders expect the FED to leave interest rates unchanged but are hopeful Chairman Powell will indicate that the FED could be positioned, as early as September, to cut interest rates. WTI price has moved lower over the last few weeks due to growing fundamental concerns with 2H'24 oil demand (mostly slowing Chinese demand) but has plunged this week to ~$75/bbl mostly due to “technical” factors (Brent & WTI) breaking through 50/100/200 day moving averages which is leading to an unwind of “net” long interest in the crude complex. On the broader market front, he noted a continued rotation of AI/Big Tech names into the Russell 2000 due to a growing bet that the FED will be signaling a looser interest rate policy. The recent equity rotation could quickly unwind if the FED doesn't signal a looser interest rate policy at the upcoming FOMC meeting. He also noted Q2 reporting up to this point has been dominated by Oil Services and natural-gas levered E&Ps but is now broadening out to all energy subsectors. He flagged a few key themes coming from Q2 calls including lower onshore oil service activity levels, a continuation of natural gas curtailments, and U.S. refiners highlighting that weaker refining cracks are resulting in global refining run cuts. Jeff Tillery also joined and added his perspective and inquiries to the discussion. We hope you find the discussion as insightful as we did. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Venezuelan people and we are hopeful for a peaceful and democratic resolution. Our best to you all. Thank you for your support and friendship!

Hamidreza Azizi is a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. He tells Al-Monitor that Iran's proxies in Yemen, Iraq and Syria will likely carry out a coordinated campaign to avenge Haniyeh's death and that the chances of a ceasefire in Gaza have been dealt a crippling blow. The risk of a full-blown regional conflict is rising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A few months ago, thousands of Armenians took to the streets in anti-government protests calling on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign. Protesters, led by Archbishop Galstanyan, have blasted Pashinyan for what they see as endless concessions being made to Azerbaijan and Turkey with nothing to show for it in return. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor's chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa who has covered conflicts in Iraq, Syria and the South Caucasus, joins me to look into these protests and break down what's at stake in the region as Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, continues to demand further concessions from Armenia.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Archbishop seeking Armenian PM's ouster over concessions to Turkey, Azerbaijan down but not outDiplomatic efforts to decrease tensions as Turkey deploys warships near KasosTensions rise again in the AegeanPM: Progress, lost chances in past 50 yrs

Former Turkish Prime Minister and leader of the pro-Islamic Future Party Ahmet Davutoglu met with Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshal this week and shared their conditions for peace with Al-Monitor. Davutoglu sharply criticized the governments of Turkey and Arab states, saying they had done close to nothing for Gaza.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Claims that Turkish President Erdogan has canceled an upcoming meeting at the White House have been circulating in Turkish media. With neither Washington nor Ankara formally denying the rumors, it is raising more questions about whether they are true or not. In the meantime, it seems Ankara is once again putting up hurdles with regard to NATO, this time over the approval of former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the new secretary-general. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor's chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa, including Turkey, joins Thanos Davelis to get to the bottom of these rumors around Erdogan's White House visit.Read Amberin Zaman's latest here: Has Turkey's Erdogan axed his Biden meeting because of Israel?You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:French ask to borrow air defense systemPyatt: Greece can cover 80% of needs via RES

Less than a year after securing another term, Turkish President Erdogan's Justice and Development Party suffered its worst defeat in its 22-year history in Sunday's municipal elections. All eyes were on Istanbul, where Ekrem Imamoglu easily won reelection and is increasingly cementing his place as Erdogan's political challenger. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor's chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa, including Turkey, joins Thanos Davelis to break down Sunday's results, what this defeat means for Erdogan, and look at whether the opposition's resurgence can now reshape Turkey's national politics. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffers an electoral disasterTurkish local elections: Opposition stuns Erdogan with historic victoryDefense Min unveils ‘Agenda 2030' for armed forces restructuringMitsotakis launches campaign for Euro elections stressing security, stabilityPM notes high stakes of Euro elections

In a major escalation in the Middle East crisis, three US service members were killed and dozens more injured in a drone strike on the Syrian-Jordanian border by the Iranian-backed Islamic Resistance. This comes as attacks on US personnel in Iraq and Syria have surged since October, and as Washington has been debating a full withdrawal from Syria. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor's chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this latest deadly attack, what it could mean for the region, and what a potential US withdrawal from Syria would mean for America's partners on the ground - the Syrian Kurds - and for the fight against ISIS.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:U.S. troops killed, wounded in Jordan attack blamed on Iranian proxiesPentagon floats plan for its Syrian Kurd allies to partner with Assad against ISISAmerica Is Planning to Withdraw From Syria—and Create a DisasterUS opens F-35 window to AnkaraUS ready to welcome Turkey ‘back into F-35 family' if S-400 issue is resolved

Tensions between the United States and Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to escalate in the Red Sea, disrupting maritime traffic in a key shipping lane. A barrage of US airstrikes against the Houthis shows little signs of slowing them down. The Shiite rebels insist they won't stop targeting merchant ships and US naval vessels unless Israel ends its war against Palestinians in Gaza. Kuwaiti academic Bader Al-Saif tell Al-Monitor they should be taken at their word. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Egypt has been coming under “conflicting pressures” as the war in Gaza unfolds, both from Israel, the US, the EU, Hamas, and its public, all while looking at a potential economic crisis at home, leading to a difficult balancing act for Egypt. Despite these pressures, Egypt's role in this conflict has become increasingly pivotal for the US. The recent visit by CIA Director William Burns to Egypt and Congress's “exceptionally fast” confirmation of Washington's new ambassador to Egypt underscore this importance. Sean Mathews joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the tightrope Egypt's President Sisi is walking amid the war in Gaza, and look at the increasingly pivotal role Cairo is playing.Sean Mathews is a journalist for Middle East Eye based in Greece and the wider region writing about business, security and politics. His coverage spans from across the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans. His reporting has also appeared in Al Jazeera, The Economist, and Al Monitor.Read Sean Mathews' latest: Riled by Israel's Gaza plans, Egypt pushes backYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Israel-Gaza: Neighboring Egypt's tricky tightrope actEU throws weight behind Cypriot plan to ship aid to GazaCyprus outlines plan for maritime corridor to get aid to GazaAs price of olive oil soars, chainsaw-wielding thieves target Mediterranean's century-old treesSharp decline in olive oil production projected

In another special edition of the podcast, we have the audio from the fourth edition of our live Q&A webinar series on the Israel-Hamas war, where Al-Monitor's Columnist Ali Hashem, Senior News Editor Joyce Karam, and Palestine Columnist Daoud Kuttab discussed the conflict's latest developments, including Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah's big speech and calls by US President Joe Biden for a humanitarian pause in the fighting, as well as answered guest questions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal  First –   Axios World Editor Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath and Al-Monitor senior news editor Joyce Karam discuss regional and global reaction to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.  Then- we dig into Congress's role in foreign policy - as the White House prepares to send its 100-billion dollar supplemental funding request for aid to Israel and Ukraine. That conversation with Jordan Tama of American University's school of International Service. Plus – NPR "Morning Edition" co-host and author Steve Inskeep discusses his latest book "Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America."    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turkey's President Erdogan appears to be shifting away from his initial moderate tone following the shocking Hamas terror attack this past weekend. Instead, he slammed Israel and the US this week over their response to this terrorist attack. At the same time, Erdogan vowed on Wednesday to escalate Ankara's ongoing military campaign against the Kurds in northeast Syria even as Syrian Kurds accuse Turkey of war crimes. Amberin Zaman, the chief correspondent of Al Monitor, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss Erdogan's latest escalation of rhetoric against Israel and the US, look into his threats to step up Ankara's military campaign against the Kurds in northeast Syria, and break down whether Syria's Kurds are slipping further down Washington's list of priorities following the Hamas attack.Read Amberin Zaman's latest here: Syrian Kurds accuse Turkey of war crimes as Erdogan vows escalationTurkey's Erdogan strikes moderate stance as Israel-Hamas war ragesYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Situation in and in Relation to SyriaGaza war tests fragile Israel-Turkey rapprochement as Erdogan ups rhetoricWhy Israel-Hamas is Erdoğan's new ‘mission impossible'EU Commission's Schinas stresses ‘respect for democracy' for West Balkans' accessionGreeks denounce Albanian trial of mayor-elect as politicalND aiming for complete dominance

Episode 105! Amjad Ahmad, a leading venture capitalist and seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in VC and private equity in emerging markets, joins The 966. Amjad discusses the VC ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and globally today. In addition to over two decades of experience investing in the region, Amjad is also chairman and founding director of the EmpowerME initiative at the Atlantic Council, a program which empowers entrepreneurs, women, and the private sector in the region and which oversees in collaboration with Georgetown University the WIn Fellowship, a fully sponsored year-long program for female entrepreneurs from the region. Amjad also sits on the board of directors for several companies in the US and across the region. Before the discussion, the hosts discuss crypto in the MENA region, an incredible report on giga-projects from Knight Frank highlighting growth in Saudi Arabia, and much more in the concluding Yallah! segment. 6:50 - Richard's One Big Thing is crypto in the MENA region and the region's growth as a player in that space. Saudi Arabia is the fastest growing crypto economy globally amid a regional drive in the sector. The kingdom led globally with a 12% increase in crypto transaction volume reaching nearly $31 billion from July 2022 through June 2023, according to an industry report released Tuesday cited by Al Monitor. 17:27 - Lucien's One Big Thing is a recent report from the real estate firm Knight Frank on Saudi Arabia, which included an excellent update on the progress and top-level figures of Saudi Arabia's giga-projects. This one is available online and published by 2x previous guest of The 966, Faisal Durrani, who is partner and head of MENA research for the global real estate firm. The firm reviews how the total value of real estate (and infrastructure) projects since the launch of Saudi Arabia's National Transformation Plan in 2016 has crossed US$ 1.25 trillion. "The phenomenal transformation in 2022's fastest- growing major global economy is clearly visible across the entire urban landscape, with the Kingdom's Giga projects set to deliver a new urban future for Saudi Arabia through a transformed and vastly expanded residential, office, retail, hospitality and industrial offering, designed to support the projected population growth which is expected to top 50 million by 2030 (government forecasts) as well as the arrival of 100 million international visitors by 2030," the report said. 24:18 - Amjad Ahmad, a leading venture capitalist and seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in VC and private equity in emerging markets, joins The 966.1:24:30 - Yallah! 6 top storylines to get you up to speed on Saudi Arabia this week. Saudi Arabia said on Monday it has decided to end light-touch oversight of its nuclear activities by the U.N. atomic watchdog and switch to full-blown safeguards, a change the agency has been demanding for years.Soudah Peaks is Saudi's new luxury mountain destination opening in Aseer in 2033. Spanning across 627 square kilometres, it will sit 3,015 metres above sea level on the highest mountain peak in Saudi and will have 2,700 keys, 1,336 residential units, over 30 attractions and 80,000 square metres of commerical space.As many as 500 leaders, sector experts and officials from 120 countries are expected to attend the World Tourism Day in Riyadh on September 27-28, the organising committee for the events said. World Tourism Day 2023 will be held under the slogan “Green Tourism and Investment”. Saudi traffic authorities have said a visitor is allowed to use a foreign driving licence for one year in the kingdom, which is seeking to attract more tourists as part of efforts to diversify its oil-reliant economy.In a significant move toward economic diversification and revolutionizing the national transportation landscape, the Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority has granted Lucid Motors a permit to operate a manufacturing unit in King Abdullah Economic City. The Saudi foreign minister addressed the UN General Assembly on 24 September in a speech calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state and a “just, comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue” while criticizing Israel for its ongoing illegal building of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Episode 95! Following several weeks of amazing special guests on the program (with many more to come in the weeks and months ahead) the hosts fly solo this week and discuss some of the biggest storylines and topics on Saudi Arabia this week. First, the hosts discuss Richard's one big thing this week, the Islamic new year. Muslims around the world observe and celebrate the Islamic New Year, also called the Hijri New Year, which marks the beginning of a new lunar Hijri year. The Islamic year is several days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, so its first day changes every year. Then the hosts discuss Lucien's one big thing, a global heat wave that has areas of the Middle East breaking records. On July 16, 2023, Persian Gulf International Airport in Iran reported a heat index of 152°F (66.7°C). In Riyadh this week, high temps are hovering around 115 degrees or so, which is about 46 degrees celsius. The hosts conclude the program as always with six top storylines on Saudi Arabia to get you up to speed heading into the weekend. 7:47 - Richard's one big thing this week is a discussion of the Islamic new year. Muslims around the world observe and celebrate the Islamic New Year, also called the Hijri New Year, which marks the beginning of a new lunar Hijri year. The Islamic year is several days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, so its first day changes every year.15:45 - Lucien's one big thing, a global heat wave that has areas of the Middle East breaking records. On July 16, 2023, Persian Gulf International Airport in Iran reported a heat index of 152°F (66.7°C). In Riyadh this week, high temps are hovering around 115 degrees or so, which is about 46 degrees celsius.27:06 - Yallah! Six top storylines on Saudi Arabia to get you up to date heading into the weekend. •Saudi Arabia was the most active country for contract awards in a recent MEED survey for 2022. •Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to buy Turkish drones in the biggest defence contract in Turkey's history as President Tayyip Erdogan reaped the benefits of his diplomatic push to repair ties with Gulf powers and help Ankara's struggling economy. •Saudi Arabia was considered the 28th best country to live in as an expat and the United States ranked 30th, according to the Expat Insider 2023.•The Japanese premier, Fumio Kishida, kicked off his Gulf tour over the weekend with a stop in Saudi Arabia.•An official from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed to Al-Monitor that work has begun on a land bridge project connecting the country to Saudi Arabia, and that it will operate even if diplomatic ties between the two countries are not officially normalized.•Saudi Arabia was announced as the host of the 2027 Pan Arab Games at the conclusion of this year's  multi-sport event in Algeria.

President Erdogan's recent “U-turn” on Sweden's accession to NATO has led to a number of observers wondering whether Turkey may be pivoting away from Russia and returning to the West, with some asking how long Erdogan's special relationship with Putin can last. Amberin Zaman, a senior correspondent reporting from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe exclusively for Al-Monitor, joins Thanos Davelis to break down why none of Erdogan's latest moves amount to a pivot away from Russia any more than they signal a real reset with the West. Instead, this is simply Erdogan navigating Ankara's relationships in ways that he believes best benefit Turkey's interests and above all his own political survival.Read Amberin Zaman's latest piece in Al Monitor here: Erdogan's NATO moves agitate Russia but don't spell Turkey's sharp shift to WestYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Russia's war might have a new casualty: The Putin-Erdogan bondTurkey's Double Dealing in the Ukraine WarTourism enjoys total recoveryBold agenda for Greek-Turkish relations

In recent months, the Middle East has witnessed significant developments that could reshape the global order, rivaling the impact of Russia's war on Ukraine. These include China's efforts to reconcile Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Arab League's celebration of Syria's President Assad's return, Saudi Arabia's applications to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICs, countries like Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey distancing themselves from political Islam, and the strengthening web of diplomatic, economic, and financial ties among China, Saudi Arabia, other Arab countries, Iran, and Russia. These changes indicate the emergence of a new Middle Eastern political order, where the influence of the United States and Europe is anticipated to diminish. Gilles Kepel, a renowned Middle East expert and Al-Monitor columnist, recently discussed these transformative changes on the New Thinking for a New World podcast.

Athens is currently on the radar for many looking to purchase real estate, but it has also emerged as a magnet for Israelis looking to escape a cost of living crisis at home, and more recently, Israel's political turmoil. The real estate boom is unique as it coincides with a strengthening of ties between Greece and Israel, underlining how deepening political relations are trickling down to local economies. Israelis aren't the only ones in the Middle East looking to Athens as a base, as people from around the region have their eyes on the Greek capital. Sean Mathews, an Athens based journalist, joins Thanos Davelis to look at why Israelis are drawn to Athens, what this means for Athenian real estate, and why Athens has emerged as a safe bet for many across the region.Sean Mathews is an Athens based journalist for Middle East Eye writing about business, security and politics. His coverage spans from across the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans. His reporting has also appeared in Al Jazeera, The Economist, and Al Monitor.Read Sean Mathew's latest article in the Middle East Eye: In Greece, Israelis find cheap property, nightlife and political refugeYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran hold high-level talks in MoscowChristodoulides: The Cyprus problem is a European concern

As Turkey threatens to mount a fresh ground assault against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria, America's Syrian Kurdish allies are warning that Washington and the Kremlin need to take a much firmer stance to prevent a Turkish offensive that will further undermine the battle against the Islamic State. While Washington has expressed “strong opposition” to a new Turkish military operation in Syria, sources have also indicated that Turkey is spurning all mediation efforts. Amberin Zaman, a senior correspondent reporting from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe exclusively for Al-Monitor, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the increasing likelihood of a Turkish offensive, the response from Washington and Moscow, and the options on the table for Syria's Kurds. Read Amberin Zaman's latest reports here: Syrian Kurdish commander says Kobani likely target of threatened Turkish ground offensiveSyrian Kurdish commander slams US response to Turkish attacks as US diplomats evacuated from SyriaAmerican aid volunteer David Eubank says Syrian Kurds feel even more betrayed by US in wake of Turkey's most recent attacksYou can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greece to get EU-funded anti-disinformation hubGreece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary agree to boost gas grid interconnections