Podcasts about qataris

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. Rudyard and Janice begin today's show with Trump's threat to Hamas to accept the terms of his ceasefire deal by Sunday or risk being "quickly extinguished". What are the sticking points for Hamas and surrounding Arab countries like Egypt and Qatar? Why do the Qataris in particular continue to be included in negotiations when they have been unsuccessful thus far at brokering an agreement? And can the Trump administration reasonably expect Hamas to accept this agreement that is so favourable to Israel? Janice is more optimistic that given all the pressure on Hamas and on the Netanyahu government we could finally see a conclusion to this war within the next few weeks. In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn to 'AI slop', a new term that has come to define substandard products developed by artificial intelligence. How is this AI generated content, which is being churned out at great speed but without much thought, affecting everything from higher education to critical thinking skills to productivity in the workplace? To support the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Aaron Bandler joined Brady to discuss the current government shutdown, President Trump's plan to end the Gaza war, and the concessions made by the White House to the Qataris. Follow Aaron @bandlersbanter and follow us @bradyleonard @nogimmickspod

Born into a well-educated and well-off Syrian family, Ahmed al-Sharaa – also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani – joined Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's organization, al-Qaeda in Iraq, after the U.S. invasion of that country in 2003. Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, he established al-Qaeda's branch in Syria: Jabhat al-Nusra. In 2016, he severed ties with al-Qaeda, and al-Nusra evolved into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS — the force that in 2024 toppled Bashar al-Assad's Tehran-backed regime.Today, the former terrorist is the interim president of Syria. With the U.S. bounty on his head gone, he last week became the first ex-al-Qaeda member to address the UN General Assembly – in a suit and tie, no less.The U.S., the Turks, the Saudis, the Qataris, the Israelis, and others want to influence him. FDD's David Adesnik and Ahmad Sharawi join host Cliff May to discuss.

Born into a well-educated and well-off Syrian family, Ahmed al-Sharaa – also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani – joined Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's organization, al-Qaeda in Iraq, after the U.S. invasion of that country in 2003. Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, he established al-Qaeda's branch in Syria: Jabhat al-Nusra. In 2016, he severed ties with al-Qaeda, and al-Nusra evolved into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS — the force that in 2024 toppled Bashar al-Assad's Tehran-backed regime.Today, the former terrorist is the interim president of Syria. With the U.S. bounty on his head gone, he last week became the first ex-al-Qaeda member to address the UN General Assembly – in a suit and tie, no less.The U.S., the Turks, the Saudis, the Qataris, the Israelis, and others want to influence him. FDD's David Adesnik and Ahmad Sharawi join host Cliff May to discuss.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Was the United States aware of Israel's plans to conduct an Israeli airstrike targeting a meeting of Hamas’s top leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday? According to some reports, the leadership had gathered to discuss a new US-sponsored hostage-ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. At recording time, reports still differ as to whether the attack was successful. Horovitz untangles what the US may have known of the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back on Wednesday against mounting international criticism over Israel’s strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar the previous day. Can the furious Qataris and other Gulf States be assured that Israel will not repeat such an attack if the opportunity presents itself? President Isaac Herzog sat down on Wednesday in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for what local media described as a tense meeting. Horovitz delves into how Starmer, in the current anti-Israel climate, was asked to defend himself for meeting with the Israeli president. We also hear what message Herzog attempted to convey. The Munich Philharmonic, led by its future chief conductor, Israeli musician Lahav Shani, was disinvited from a performance on September 18 at the Flanders Festival Ghent, because Shani -- the current conductor of the Israel Philharmonic -- has not clearly disavowed the Israeli government. “We have chosen to refrain from collaboration with partners who have not distanced themselves unequivocally from that regime,” the organizers said in a statement. We discuss this incident, which occurred even as the Toronto International Film Festival screened a previously canceled documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” which charts how retired Israeli general Noam Tibon saved his family and others during the 2023 Hamas attack. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: PM, ministers mourn ‘lion-hearted’ Charlie Kirk; some warn of copycat killings in Israel Netanyahu tells Qatar to expel Hamas chiefs or bring them to justice: ‘If you don’t, we will’ Netanyahu takes a calculated risk on a legitimate target in a deeply problematic location Amid strained UK-Israel ties, Herzog holds ‘tough’ meeting with Starmer in London Belgian festival scraps performance by Munich Philharmonic over Israeli conductor Israeli film on Oct. 7 premieres at Toronto film festival after initially being dropped Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. Illustrative image: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu answers a question, as US President Donald Trump looks on, during a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on July 7, 2025. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images via AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday, Israel carried out a series of unexpected bombings, targeting senior Hamas leaders. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it was a "precise strike" on those responsible for the October 7 attacks, but the Qataris have called the strike a "blatant violation" of international law. Qatar has been mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to end the conflict in Gaza. In the US, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was notified about plans of the strike ahead of time, but said, “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States [...] does not advance Israel or America's goals”. On today's Global Story, we talk to the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, about the impact this could have on future peace talks. Producers: Hannah Moore and Valerio Esposito Executive producer: Annie Brown Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China CollinsImage: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sept 8 2025. Menahem Kahana / AFP via Getty Images.

Remember it was only a month ago Trump was parading around an Alaskan Air Force base, talking up peace for Ukraine. Within weeks, Putin sends 800 drones across the border - the biggest attack of the war so far. He's targeted EU and British government buildings in Kyiv. He's now entered NATO airspace. The fighter jets were scrambled. The alarm bells rang in Brussels. Does any of this sound like progress? Does any of this sound like diplomacy is doing a god damn thing to stop regular folk being slaughtered in the crossfire? No, of course not. Meanwhile Netanyahu's firing missiles into Doha. And who was he aiming for? The Hamas lead negotiator. The same guy who, as recently as last week, was being given ceasefire details from the Americans via the Egyptians and Qataris. If you really want peace, you don't fire missiles at the guy you're negotiating with. Now if you're Hamas, what are you going to do now the place you thought was safe to have talks no longer feels safe? Some in Hamas believe the whole thing was a set-up, according to the BBC. The American ceasefire proposal was all a trick to get them in one place at time, then bang. Bomb them. Blow them up. Can't blame them for thinking that. It doesn't matter where you look, which continent, which war, diplomacy is not working. The Americans look weak. Trump looks weak. Netanyahu's taking him for a ride. Putin couldn't care less. And one guy in the world sitting back watching, smiling, biding his time, and growing a military empire is Xi Jinping of China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US Bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Just as Israel is set to approve the IDF's plans for the mission to conquer Gaza City, Hamas on Monday informed mediators that it accepted the ceasefire-hostage release deal proposal that was submitted to the group a day earlier by the Egyptians and Qataris. Sources said the proposal involves a 60-day pause and the release of 10 living captives -- in other words, a partial release deal, which Israel has seemingly stepped away from in the past few weeks. Magid weighs in with the backstory to the negotiation reboot and how Israel may respond. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced yesterday that it is launching a new system to enable families to reserve a box of aid in advance, to reduce the chaos surrounding its distribution sites that the UN says has led to the deaths of hundreds of aid seekers. This comes after other attempts, such as women’s-only distribution times, in an effort to serve more vulnerable populations. Magid tells us more. The US State Department on Saturday said it was halting all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza while it conducts “a full and thorough” review. The move to stop these medical-humanitarian visas came after Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and an ally of President Donald Trump, said on social media on Friday that the Palestinian “refugees” had entered the US this month. We learn about Loomer and how this post affected the visa program so far. Two former senior Biden administration officials -- Jack Lew, who served as US ambassador to Israel, and David Satterfield, who served as US envoy for Mideast humanitarian issues -- have revealed that it was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who asked US President Joe Biden last year to set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to help deliver more aid. We hear highlights from their joint op-ed in Foreign Affairs magazine, including their thoughts on how the UN should cooperate with GHF. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Hamas says it agrees to latest ceasefire proposal; Netanyahu sounds dismissive GHF says it is launching new reserve system to help families with food collection US State Department halts all visitor visas for Gazans, after far-right activist’s post Former Biden officials say Netanyahu asked US to set up floating Gaza aid pier last year Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Adina Karpuj. IMAGE: Illustrative: A man holds a placard up as he takes part in the March for Hostages in London, August 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Witkoff to meet in Rome with Dermer and Qataris on Thursday. Hamas wants Rafah crossing to reopen. Likud faction meets to oust Edelstein from Knesset FA and Defense ctee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barnaby discusses how Daniel Levy ruined a potential sale of Tottenham to the Qataris, as well as all the latest Spurs transfer rumoursSubscribe to my Patreon account to support me making Tottenham daily content here:https://www.patreon.com/BarnabySlaterPatreonWatch on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@barnabyslater_Instagram: @barnabyslatercomedyTikTok: @barnabyslatercomedy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The Lab explores the behind-the-scenes story of a potential Qatari takeover of Tottenham Hotspur. Habibullah Khan, who has links to people close to the process, shares what he's heard about how discussions progressed. The Qataris were reportedly keen on acquiring full ownership of the club and investing in the local area as part of a long-term UK strategy. Talks with Joe Lewis's side seemed to move forward, but negotiations appeared to stall when Daniel Levy became more involved. Habib outlines a pattern of reported delays and changing demands, and offers a personal perspective on Levy's leadership style and role in the club's direction. The episode touches on soft power, ownership dynamics and the complexities that can block major change at Spurs. It's a compelling look at what might have been, and what could still happen in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World War III is canceled — at least for now. That's where we are after one of the most dramatic weeks I can remember. The United States bombed Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel followed up with its own strikes. Iran responded with missile attacks on CENTCOM in Qatar. And somehow, through all that, we've landed at a ceasefire. It felt like this was going to spiral — like this was going to be Qasem Soleimani times ten. Instead, it fizzled. Iran's missile strikes were calibrated, coordinated with the Qataris, coordinated even with us. They hit the sand, not American soldiers. It was more about sending a message back home than actually escalating the conflict.And that's the strange brilliance of it all. Trump took the boldest action — destroying Iran's nuclear program — and managed to walk away looking like the peacemaker. The people who warned that this would unleash chaos — Tucker Carlson predicting tens of thousands of dead Americans, Steve Bannon talking about gas at $30 a gallon — they look like they overshot. Gas prices are lower. No Americans killed. And Trump's using this moment to reframe himself. He's not just the guy who kept his promise to stop Iran's nukes. He's the guy who did it without dragging America into another endless war. That's going to matter politically. It gives him an argument the MAGA base and the suburbs can both live with.Politics Politics Politics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Israel's role here is important too. Make no mistake — this was their mission. They wanted Iran's nuclear capacity gone. Trump signed off on a limited U.S. role, but Rising Lion was an Israeli operation at its core. Their goal was never just to set the program back a few years. It was to shake the regime. You can see it in the name — Rising Lion, the symbol of Iran before the Islamic Revolution. They're trying to turn the clock back. And they knew this was their window. Iran's economy is fragile, its proxies are weakened, and Trump was willing to greenlight the hits. The question now is whether this creates the cracks in the regime they've been waiting for — or just rallies Iranians around the flag.The domestic political fallout has been fascinating. Never Trump Republicans who've trashed Trump for years — Bolton, Christie, Kinzinger, even Jeb Bush — lined up to praise him. And that's made MAGA a little uneasy. They didn't sign up for regime change wars. They signed up for America First. And now they're watching Trump get applause from the same people who cheered on Iraq. Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to resurrect the war powers debate, framing this as executive overreach. It's the rare moment where anti-war Republicans and Democrats are kind of saying the same thing. But for now, Trump's riding high. He promised strength without entanglement — and for the moment, he's delivered.The NYC Mayoral Primary: Cuomo Stumbles, Mamdani SurgesOver in New York City, the Democratic mayoral primary has become the most interesting race in the country. Andrew Cuomo should have been cruising. He had the name recognition, the machine, the donor network. But his campaign has been a disaster. He looks old, angry, and out of step. His message is all negative — all about why Mamdani is dangerous, not why Cuomo is right for the job. And the voters can feel that. It's a re-run of 2021 for Cuomo: defensive, brittle, uninspired. Meanwhile, Mamdani is doing what progressives often struggle to do. He's selling a vision. He's making people feel like the future could actually look different.Mamdani's campaign has been relentless. He turned a 14-mile walk from the bottom to the top of Manhattan into a social media juggernaut. TikToks. Instagram reels. Everywhere you look, there's Mamdani, talking to voters, talking about his ideas, looking like he actually wants the job. His policy platform is ambitious — some would say reckless — rent freezes, city-owned grocery stores, free public transit. But it's positive. He's offering something, not just fighting against something. That matters, especially in a city where voters are tired of politics as usual.The ranked choice system adds another layer of drama. Mamdani doesn't have to win outright on the first round. He just has to stay close enough that the second- and third-choice votes break his way. And given how much Cuomo is disliked even by his own side, that's very possible. The big donors are starting to notice. If Mamdani wins the primary, they'll flood Eric Adams with money for the general. They'll do it out of fear — fear that a Mamdani mayoralty would upend the city's power structures in ways they can't predict or control. And they're probably right.But even if Mamdani falls short, this race is a marker for where the Democratic Party is going. The fact that he got this far, this fast, tells you something about the appetite for progressive politics in urban America. Cuomo thought he could coast on his name and his record. Instead, he's found himself outworked, outmessaged, and outmaneuvered. And the rest of the party is watching. Because if Mamdani can do this in New York, somebody else can do it somewhere else. The future is up for grabs.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:01:39 - Iran-Israel Ceasefire00:17:53 - NYC Mayoral Primary00:28:00 - Update00:29:04 - Tariff Inflation00:31:18 - Big Beautiful Bill Voting00:34:48 - Trade Deals00:38:02 - Interview with Sam Feist01:11:11 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes. On today's podcast: (1) Iran and Israel appeared to be nearing a pause in their 12-day war after President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire in a conflict that saw key Iranian military leaders and scientists killed, US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and a salvo of missiles launched at Qatar. (2) An attack on a US air base near Doha on Monday that Iran billed as a retaliation to American airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump ended with missiles were intercepted in the air, and no one was killed or hurt. The Qataris knew the missile barrage was coming. So did the Americans. The Iranians had told them. (3) Oil extended a slump as US President Donald Trump announced a tentative ceasefire between Iran and Israel. (4) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will vow to spend 5% of British economic output on security by 2035, embracing an ambitious NATO target sought by President Donald Trump without providing a path on how to get there. (5) The European Union and Canada have signed a security partnership that moves them closer to cooperation on military purchases, as Prime Minister Mark Carney aims to reduce his country’s dependence on the US for defense. (6) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed a three-year program by Amazon.com Inc. to invest £40 billion ($54 billion) in the British economy over the next three years, including opening four new warehouses.Podcast Conversation: Ireland Sees Thousands of Jobs at Risk From US Pharma Tariffs and Stephen meeting Ireland's Finance MinisterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 - Lt. Colonel Allen B. West joins the program today to get his reaction to the bombing of Iran by the U.S. How isolated is Iran from the rest of that region? As Iran attacks U.S. military bases in Qatar, will the Qataris approve? Will we see any ground resistance from Israel or Iran in this conflict? Is Xi Jinping in contact with the Ayatollah? 110 - Is Thomas Massie correct when he says Trump is unconstitutional in his attacks? 120 - What is the “Major Questions” Doctrine? Dom talks about Mulligan's and their support of Dom and how much he values the partnership he has with them and just how special these remote broadcasts are. 130 - How are Montgomery County voters feeling about Trump now? 135 - Is Madeleine Dean and many Democrat naysayers “bananas”? Even Van Jones of CNN knows this attack on Iran is way different than Bush's in Iraq. 150 - Dan puts on his conspiracy cap regarding “suicide drones”. 155 - Suburbians want progressivism because they live insulated away from it all?

12 - Dom is back in studio! How did the Mulligan's show on Friday go? Dom kicks off this week with a SCOTUS ruling on… cyclists and their rights on the road. 1205 - Is this the best Thomas Massie has against Trump? 1215 - Legendary journalist Bill O'Reilly joins us today to give his reaction to the United States bombing Iran's nuclear facilities. What was Bill's reaction to this? How does Trump's world view fuel his decision to drop bombs? What does Bill think about Trump's naysayers, even if they are Republican? What's been the response to Bill's response to Trump's actions? What's so surprising about the cover of Bill's new book? 1230 - Side - All time risk or gamble. 1240 - What is Tom Homan worried about now? 1245 - Founder & Executive Director of PowerTheFuture, Danie; Turner, joins Dom today. Where is the oil industry heading if Iran cuts off a key waterway in which oil is exported? Why is there so much domestic hostility regarding oil and our energy? What is Daniel's outlook on the scenario playing out? 1250 - Your calls to wrap up. 1 - Lt. Colonel Allen B. West joins the program today to get his reaction to the bombing of Iran by the U.S. How isolated is Iran from the rest of that region? As Iran attacks U.S. military bases in Qatar, will the Qataris approve? Will we see any ground resistance from Israel or Iran in this conflict? Is Xi Jinping in contact with the Ayatollah? 110 - Is Thomas Massie correct when he says Trump is unconstitutional in his attacks? 120 - What is the “Major Questions” Doctrine? Dom talks about Mulligan's and their support of Dom and how much he values the partnership he has with them and just how special these remote broadcasts are. 130 - How are Montgomery County voters feeling about Trump now? 135 - Is Madeleine Dean and many Democrat naysayers “bananas”? Even Van Jones of CNN knows this attack on Iran is way different than Bush's in Iraq. 150 - Dan puts on his conspiracy cap regarding “suicide drones”. 155 - Suburbians want progressivism because they live insulated away from it all? 2 - Scott Presler joins us for his weekly installment on The Dom Show and we relive Friday's fun at Mulligan's. What is Scott seeing as turmoil continues in the Middle East over Iran having weapons of mass destruction? Why does this issue tie into winning elections at the local and state levels? What is Scott preaching regarding the New Jersey gubernatorial vote? There's a Scott Presler documentary coming out later this month? How are the latest enrollment numbers looking? 215 - Dom's Money Melody! 225 - How is Qatar pronounced? Your calls. 235 - More updates on today's situation with Iran. Was calling Trump a “TACO” the reason he bombed Iran? Thomas Massie continues his rounds of media. 240 - Your calls. 250 - The Lightning Round!

Après l'offensive lancée dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi 13 juin par Israël sur l'Iran, Téhéran a riposté avec des missiles balistiques sur l'État hébreu. Quelle va être la durée et la suite des événements ? Pour en parler, Joshua L. Zarka, ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire de l'État d'Israël en France, invité international de RFI. RFI : L'armée israélienne annonce dans un communiqué que ses avions de chasse vont reprendre les frappes, que les voix vers l'Iran ont été ouvertes. Concrètement, c'est une nouvelle phase de ce qu'on peut qualifier de guerre ouverte ? Joshua L. Zarka : Non, ce n'est pas une nouvelle phase. Nous avions clarifié d'une façon très claire que notre but n'était pas d'avoir une opération qui durerait un jour seulement. Nous allons nous débarrasser et débarrasser le Moyen-Orient de la capacité nucléaire militaire que l'Iran voulait développer. Et tant que cela n'est pas terminé, nous devons continuer cette opération. Nous allons continuer cette opération. Mais quand le ministre israélien de la Défense, Israël Katz, déclare que « Téhéran brûlera », si l'Iran tire de nouveaux missiles sur Israël, cela va au-delà justement de cet objectif que vous évoquiez, des installations nucléaires... C'est exactement pour clarifier aux dirigeants iraniens, parce que ce n'est pas avec le peuple iranien que nous avons un problème, bien au contraire. Le peuple iranien en a assez de ses dirigeants, de ces mollahs, de ce régime qui les tue. Alors c'est pour clarifier à ce régime qu'il faudrait mieux de ne pas tirer contre nos civils. Nous n'attaquons ni Téhéran, ni les civils iraniens, bien sûr, mais seulement des militaires et des infrastructures militaires. Pour rebondir sur ce que vous dites, parmi les victimes qui ont été annoncées vendredi en Iran, une grande partie sont des civils, selon l'ambassadeur de l'Iran à l'ONU... Oui, c'est vrai, c'est selon l'ambassadeur de l'Iran, comme vous l'avez dit. Mais donc vous niez la qualité de civils de ces personnes ? Nous faisons en sorte, mais nous ciblons seulement les militaires. Si vous avez vu les frappes, certaines des frappes qui ont été faites, c'est non seulement les militaires et les personnes chargées des opérations militaires, mais c'est aussi la chambre à coucher spécifique de la personne où il dormait. C'est seulement l'appartement, par exemple, de M. Salami qui était responsable du programme nucléaire et d'autres. Ce n'est pas contre des civils. Ce qu'a fait l'Iran hier en quatre différentes occasions, c'est de tirer des missiles contre des gens, contre des civils, contre des endroits qui sont peuplés par des civils. Ils n'ont pas ciblés, par exemple, des bases militaires, ce qui serait, comme on dit, de bonne guerre. Vous dites que vous voulez débarrasser le Moyen-Orient de la menace nucléaire iranienne. Beaucoup d'experts doutent de cette faisabilité. Pensez vraiment que ce soit véritablement un objectif réaliste ? Vous utilisez le terme de ce qui est connu justement. Vous savez, dans le développement de capacités militaires, il y a énormément de choses qui ne sont pas connues par le public. Si nous avons décidé de faire cette opération, c'est que nous savons qu'elle peut aboutir. À lire aussiRiposte iranienne à l'attaque d'Israël: à Tel-Aviv, le quartier du ministère de la Défense lourdement touché Vous estimez avoir les capacités militaires pour atteindre les infrastructures souterraines ? Ce qui est connu par des gens qui sont soi-disant, des experts militaires qui ne savent pas ce qu'il y a exactement, ce qui existe dans les arsenaux israéliens, ne veut rien dire. Si nous avons décidé de faire cette opération, c'est que nous sommes certains de pouvoir y aboutir. De pouvoir éradiquer complètement le programme nucléaire, pas juste de le retarder ? Vous savez, regardez, il y a eu deux différentes occasions. Il y a eu des événements dans lesquels Israël a débarrassé le Moyen-Orient de programmes nucléaires illicites, c'était en Irak et en Syrie. Dans les deux cas, des experts internationaux disaient que c'était impossible et que de toute façon, ça allait repousser le programme de un ou deux ans. Et dans les deux cas, depuis et jusqu'à présent, les deux dictateurs ont disparu, mais quand ils étaient encore en vie, ils n'avaient pas repris leur intention de développer une arme nucléaire. Alors les experts, souvent, sont des experts civils qui ne savent pas exactement de quoi il s'agit. Ou bien c'est des gens qui connaissaient les facteurs dans le passé, mais ils ne savent pas de quoi il s'agit aujourd'hui. Encore une fois, je le je répète d'une façon très claire. Si nous avons décidé de faire cette opération, c'est que nous pensons que nous savons que nous pouvons y aboutir. Monsieur l'ambassadeur, vous parlez d'opération préventive. Dans quel cadre légal notamment, se déroule cette opération ? Il n'y a pas de résolutions de l'ONU et a priori pas de concertation avec les alliés d'Israël ? Mais ce n'est pas une question seulement d'opération préventive. Vous savez, le 7-Octobre est un événement iranien. Sans l'Iran, le Hamas n'aurait pas eu d'armes, n'aurait pas eu le soutien militaire, n'aurait pas eu le soutien économique qu'il a eu. Et non seulement cela, mais en deux différentes occasions, l'Iran a tiré directement sur notre territoire des centaines de missiles. La première fois 350 missiles, missiles de croisière et drones, la seconde fois 180 missiles. Mais il n'y a pas eu d'armes nucléaires utilisées le 7-Octobre ? Madame, j'essaie de vous répondre. Donc, en deux différentes occasions, l'Iran a tiré directement des centaines de missiles contre Israël. Nous sommes déjà en guerre avec l'Iran depuis des années. Depuis très longtemps, l'Iran a tiré des missiles de croisière, des drones, contre Israël à maintes occasions. Alors dire que c'est une opération qui vient « comme ça », comme si on était en paix avec le régime iranien et que d'un seul coup on a décidé d'attaquer, c'est pas du tout le cas. L'Iran nous a attaqué, nous attaque régulièrement. L'Iran a essayé d'assassiner des gens en Israël. L'Iran arme les terroristes, les groupes terroristes qui opèrent en Israël, et l'Iran a attaqué directement le territoire israélien avec des missiles de son territoire directement. Est-ce que c'est une opération qui s'inscrit pour votre pays dans un temps long ?  Non, ce n'est pas dans un temps long. Notre intention est de faire ça le plus rapidement possible. Ce n'est pas une opération de plusieurs longues semaines. Ce n'est clairement pas une opération de plusieurs mois. C'est une opération que nous essayons de faire le plus rapidement possible, de raccourcir autant qu'on peut. Le président français a défendu le droit d'Israël à se protéger tout en appelant à la négociation pour régler la question nucléaire iranienne. Est-ce que le Premier ministre Benyamin Netanyahu a parlé à Emmanuel Macron ? Oui, ils se sont parlé. Ils ont eu une très bonne discussion. Les deux dirigeants se parlent assez régulièrement et généralement ont de très bonnes discussions. Est-ce que la France participe aux opérations d'une manière ou d'une autre ? D'abord, la France n'a pas du tout participé à l'attaque. C'était une attaque, une opération qui était une opération israélo-israélienne. La question de la défense d'Israël par rapport aux attaques iraniennes est une question, je pense que le président a parlé qu'il comptait aider Israël à se défendre contre les attaques iraniennes. À lire aussiÀ la Une: l'escalade entre l'Iran et Israël La question de la légalité a été posée par un certain nombre de personnes. Vous estimez que vous étiez dans un état de légitime défense après le 7-Octobre ? C'est ça qui constitue la légalité, le cadre juridique dans lequel vous intervenez ? Ce n'est pas seulement le 7-Octobre. Vous savez, quand un pays comme l'Iran dit d'une façon très claire, et c'est le président, le dirigeant de ce pays qui déclare d'une façon très claire plus d'une fois, il le répète pratiquement chaque semaine, qu'il compte détruire l'État d'Israël, il met même une date, 2035 était la date à laquelle l'Iran devait terminer de détruire Israël. Quand ce pays arme tous les ennemis autour d'Israël, et non seulement cela, mais les encourage, les finance et en plus, quand cet ennemi développe la capacité de détruire mon État, nous sommes en toute légitimité. En plus, si vous voulez ajouter cela, l'Iran a deux fois attaqué, comme je l'ai dit auparavant. L'Iran a attaqué Israël deux fois par des centaines de missiles tirés de son territoire. Au-delà du nucléaire, l'objectif c'est la chute du régime iranien ? C'est l'anéantissement de l'Iran ? Non, clairement non. Je dis ça d'une façon catégorique. D'abord, l'anéantissement de l'Iran, pas du tout. Le peuple iranien est un peuple pacifique, un peuple qui veut et qui a vécu en paix avec nous. Nous n'avons aucune raison de ne pas vivre en paix avec eux. Nous voulons et nous pourrons et nous vivrons en paix avec le peuple palestinien. Alors clairement, ce n'est pas d'anéantir l'Iran. Mais non seulement cela, ce n'est pas non plus d'amener un changement de régime. Nous sommes un petit pays et nous nous défendons. Nous ne sommes pas un nouvel architecte du Moyen-Orient. Même si le Premier ministre Netanyahu disait vendredi dans une vidéo que « le temps est venu pour le peuple iranien de s'unir face au régime pervers et oppressif »... Est-ce que du fait de cette opération contre l'Iran, le front de Gaza devient pour votre pays un théâtre d'opération secondaire ? Je voudrais d'abord répondre à la question dont vous parlez. Le Premier ministre a dit cela en disant que c'était au peuple iranien de choisir leurs dirigeants. Ce n'est pas à Israël de le faire. Et effectivement, je peux vous dire d'une façon très claire que tant que ce régime sera en place, tant que le régime iranien sera en place, il n'y aura pas entièrement de paix au Moyen-Orient, parce que c'est un régime révolutionnaire qui veut changer la façade du Moyen-Orient, qui veut changer le Moyen-Orient en utilisant la force et la violence et le terrorisme. Et sur Gaza, est-ce que ce théâtre est devenu secondaire pour Israël ? De toutes les façons, nous arrivons à la fin de la guerre à Gaza. Le Hamas n'a plus les capacités qu'il avait. Cette guerre à Gaza se terminerait immédiatement si demain ou aujourd'hui le Hamas libérait tous nos otages. Mais ça nous l'avons dit depuis longtemps et ils n'ont qu'à nous tester, qu'ils libèrent nos otages. Cette guerre sera terminée. Nous n'avons rien à faire à Gaza. Nous ne comptons pas rester à Gaza. Nous n'avons jamais voulu annexer ou repeupler Gaza. Gaza est aux Palestiniens, appartient aux Palestiniens et restera aux Palestiniens. Ce que nous voulons, c'est nos otages et qu'ils nous laissent vivre en paix. Vous dites que la guerre arrive à sa fin à Gaza, pourtant le processus politique est un petit peu à l'arrêt. Autour de la bande de Gaza, les négociations peinent à avancer. C'est quoi l'avenir de Gaza ? D'abord, les négociations peinent à avancer. Parce que vous savez que deux fois et à deux occasions, des offres de cessez-le-feu ont été présentées par l'envoyé spécial du président des États-Unis, monsieur Steve Witkoff. Et ces deux occasions, Israël les a acceptées et elles ont été rejetées par le Hamas. Alors, vous savez, le fait que ces organisations, les dirigeants palestiniens rejettent des offres de paix qui sont faites, c'est quelque chose qui se fait régulièrement. Toutes les offres faites par le Hamas ont été rejetées par Israël. C'est le propre des négociations, c'est qu'il faut parvenir à un compromis... C'est pour ça qu'il y a l'envoyé spécial des États-Unis. Mais ce ne sont pas des offres israéliennes. Ce sont des offres américaines avec lesquelles les négociations auxquelles ont participé les Égyptiens et les Qataris. Quel est l'avenir de Gaza dans la vision israélienne ? Notre vision c'est que Gaza appartient aux Gazaouis et doit être géré éventuellement par les Gazaouis et simplement que ce soit démilitarisé, désarmé et qu'ils vivent en paix avec nous. À lire aussi«Israël peut continuer à détruire des sites en Iran mais l'expertise nucléaire va rester»

American taxpayers may have flown Donald Trump to the Middle East, but he's not there to negotiate on behalf of our strategic or national interests—he's on the prowl for goodies, and happy to make policy changes in return. Like, the new Syrian president offering a Trump Tower in Damascus: Zap, sanctions on Syria are over. Or the jumbo jet-giving Qataris requesting that Trump go 'easy' on Iran: 'Not a problem, no sirree.' Sorry to all the hawkish Trump voters out there who thought he'd deliver a maximum pressure campaign on Tehran. Plus, Russia's Potemkin peace talks with Ukraine, and another installment from ICE's cold-blooded deportation campaign. Michael Weiss joins join Tim Miller. show notes Details on Qatar's 747 that no one wanted and is now being 'gifted' to Trump NYT on Trump's expensive mini war vs. the Houthis that achieved nothing (gift)  Rep. Garcia confronting Kristi Noem about Andry, the gay makeup artist The Triad on the new Afrikaner refugee who has thoughts about Jews 

United States President Donald Trump has continued his diplomatic trip through the Middle East with a visit to Qatar. President Trump secured a number of commercial and military agreements with the Qataris in an ongoing effort to strengthen the U-S relationships with Persian Gulf states.

Joanna Coles sits down with author Michael Wolff, the man whose bestsellers including "Fire & Fury" and "All or Nothing" are the definitive guide to Donald Trump's presidencies. Wolff lifts the lid on what's really going on in Trump's marriage to Melania and what the report that she's only been at the White House 14 times should have said. He reveals why Trump is crazy about his $400 million free plane from the Qataris. And he predicts exactly what is going to happen to Trump for the next three years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's back in the Gulf to do deals. But a familiar ally seems cut out of all the dealmaking. Donald Trump is on familiar ground in Saudi Arabia, where he made his first trip as president back in 2017. The US president may have said no to ceremonial Arabic coffee, but he seems ready to approve a landmark civilian nuclear agreement – one that no longer seems linked to Riyadh normalising ties with Israel. Israel was left out of Monday's release by Hamas of what's thought to be the last US citizen held by the Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip; a goodwill gesture before Trump travels on to Qatar. Has Washington grown tired of Benjamin Netanyahu's forever war?Last month at the White House, the Israeli prime minister seemed caught off guard when Trump in his presence announced negotiations with Iran. Under Trump I, the Saudis would have also pushed back hard. But Riyadh's relations with Tehran have since thawed.And if it's all about the money – after all, the president of the United States says he's not a man to turn down a free plane like the one the Qataris are offering to replace Air Force One – then who's the highest bidder in this new chapter of transactional diplomacy?Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Jimena Morales-Velasco, Alessandro Xenos. 

Bill Cohan joins Peter to unpack Trump's erratic trade war with China, the ripple effects on the markets, and the chatter on Wall Street about whether MAGA insiders might be profiting from advance knowledge of tariff announcements. Bill also discusses the $400 million jet the Qataris have gifted Trump, as well as the president's various meme coin and crypto dealings. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Jim and Greg for the 3 Martini Lunch as they discuss the new pope, Hamas freeing the final American hostage, the Qataris trying to gift President Trump a new Air Force One, and Chuck Todd saying "sources" were the real "culprits" in perpetuating the the myth that Joe Biden was up to the job of president.First, after a quick discussion on the new pontiff, they breathe a major sigh of relief at the news that Hamas has released Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage from the October 2023 attacks on Israel. Jim says this is undoubtedly good news and he hopes the U.S. keeps applying pressure until all the Israeli hostages under Hamas control are freed as well. Next, as Trump heads to the Middle East, they urge caution as Qatar offers the president the gift of a luxury Boeing 747 as a new Air Force One. Jim points out that Boeing is woefully behind in producing the next generation plane for the president but says this is still a very bad idea. Questions are swirling about what the Qataris really want in return, but Jim and Greg are more concerned about how the plane could be bugged or compromise national security in some other way given Qatar's longstanding friendliness with terrorist groups and rogue regimes.Finally, they get a kick out of longtime NBC News host Chuck Todd saying it's not the media who should be blamed for covering up Joe Biden's obvious decline. No, he blames it on "sources" close to Biden who assured him and other reporters Biden was just fine. It's the latest pathetic excuse for the media, who saw and heard Biden as often as he was in public and dutifully carried the water for Biden's fitness as he ran for re-election.Please visit our great sponsors:No missed calls, no missed customers with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://Openphone.com/3mlCut your cloud bill in half when you switch to OCI by Oracle. Act by May 31st. Visit https://Oracle.com/MARTINIThis spring, get up to 50% off select plants at Fast Growing Trees with code MARTINI, plus an extra 15% off at checkout on your first purchase!  Visit https://fastgrowingtrees.com/Martini

Join Jim and Greg for the 3 Martini Lunch as they discuss the new pope, Hamas freeing the final American hostage, the Qataris trying to gift President Trump a new Air Force One, and Chuck Todd saying “sources” were the real “culprits” in perpetuating the the myth that Joe Biden was up to the job of […]

Announcing the release of Edan Alexander – the last living Israeli hostage in Gaza with U.S. citizenship – U.S. President Donald Trump did something he never did before, Haaretz columnist Amir Tibon said on the Haaretz podcast. “Trump has spoken before releasing hostages, but this is the first time that he explicitly called to end the 'brutal war' to bring back 'ALL of the hostages,'" Tibon said. It is a hopeful sign, he explained, because without new determination by the U.S. president to apply “massive pressure” on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “this nightmare will not end.” In Tibon’s view, “Netanyahu is determined to continue the war, and he's determined to abandon the remaining hostages who are not lucky enough to be American citizens like Edan Alexander.” The fact that only Alexander was freed, while the non-American hostages remain in captivity, is a difficult pill to swallow for both the hostage families and the wider Israeli public, he added. While Alexander’s rescue is being celebrated, at the same time “it’s shocking that he is being saved because of his American citizenship, while the other hostages – including soldiers, including civilians – are left behind by the Israeli government.” Noting reports that Qatar would be gifting President Trump with a luxury airliner during the U.S. leader’s visit to the Gulf, Tibon made a tongue-in-cheek appeal to the Qataris. “Please give a second plane to Sara Netanyahu in return for ending the war and saving all the hostages. What is one airplane for the lives of so many people, after all. If you hear me, Qatari Government – Sara Netanyahu also needs a 747 – and we need the war to be over.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump's acceptance of an illegal gift from the Qataris is going over like a lead balloon with pundits left right and center

How will Labour's immigration legislation affect the UK's care sector? What are the potential conflicts of interests if Trump accepts a jet from Qatar? The Indian Premier League is set to return after the competition was suspended amid rising tension in Kashmir, but what does this tell us about India's power in international cricket? Rebecca Moore is joined by Orwell Prize winning Pete Apps, alongside The Observer's Patricia Clarke and Jessy Parker Humphreys, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 13th May HERERead Patricia Clarke's article in full: ‘How the US president and his clan ushered in a new golden age of corruption' Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok@theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at The ObserverProducer: Casey MagloireExecutive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Matt RussellTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benjamin Netanyahu's government may have announced plans to intensify its Gaza offensive and call up thousands of reservists – but "many Israelis, and especially the IDF top brass, are actually hoping that President [Donald] Trump will again intervene and reach some kind of deal," Haaretz senior security analyst Amos Harel said on the Haaretz Podcast. Pressure from the American president will be the only way Netanyahu can resist the "huge political pressure to proceed" with the escalation and a long-term military presence in Gaza placed on him by far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Harel said. "Unless Trump decides to intervene, we might be facing a massive military operation, and in my view, that would be a disaster." Speaking with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Harel assessed the war's multiple fronts in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, emphasizing that in nearly every case, the will – and whims – of the U.S. president plays a decisive role. "It's quite clear that Trump is less interested than before and talks less about the Palestinian conflict and the Gaza Riviera idea – it may be because he fears failure there. He seems to prefer to invest his time and efforts in the Saudis, Emiratis, and Qataris who are offering him trillions of dollars in deals in weapons or technology. This is what Trump is focused on."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. Following a phone meeting of the security cabinet, Berman discusses that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was involved in the conversation that included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite efforts to fire the Shin Bet chief. Hamas officials have said they will not accept any partial deals and still demand an end to the war, with some of the terrorist group's reactions appearing to react to protests in Israeli society, says Berman. He also speaks about criticism regarding top hostage negotiator Ron Dermer, with remarks from both the Qataris and hostage families about Dermer, a close advisor to Netanyahu. With the latest headlines about ongoing talks between Iran and the US, Berman expresses concern about Israel's position. He discusses chief negotiator Steve Witkoff, who doesn't have much background in Iran or the nuclear program but has Trump's ear and is a skilled negotiator. Berman notes that Netanyahu can't undermine Trump in this potential Iran deal, but the final result may not be as good for Israel. Please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates. For further reading: Hamas said to reject Israeli proposal that it disarm as part of 6-week ceasefire Hostage talks said to have lost ‘momentum’ since Dermer took over negotiating team Iran wants to drag out talks, Trump wants a deal now. Neither is good for Israel Trump waved off planned Israeli attack on Iran to pursue negotiated nuclear deal — NYT Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: Outside the home of chief hostage negotiator Ron Dermer in Jerusalem on his birthday, protestors call on him to light up hope instead of blowing out candles (Credit Adar Eyal/Israeli Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belfast hotel mogul Paddy McKillen Sr has found himself in hot water. The 70-year-old was convicted in a French court on Wednesday over an attack on a female bailiff. It's alleged she was acting in relation to the alleged non-payment of a loan to the Qatari-linked Quintet private bank. But for the once firm friends, where did it all go wrong between billionaire McKillen and the Qataris? Host: Fionnán Sheehan Guests: John Burns and Peter Allen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

85 MinutesPG-13Here's Pete's livestream from Sunday, March 9th, where Pete took questions and talked about the latest headlines. Please tune in every Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern!Pete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'Support Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's Substack Pete's SubscribestarPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.

AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson sits down with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for a live discussion in Washington, D.C., to introduce AJC's Center for a New Middle East. They cover plans for rebuilding Gaza, the future of Israeli-Arab relations, and the evolving geopolitical landscape, including the impact of the Abraham Accords and shifting regional alliances. Tune in for insights on diplomacy, security, and what's next for the Middle East. The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Resources: AJC Center for a New Middle East Initiatives and Policy Recommendations Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  Why Germany's Antisemitic Far-Right Party is Thriving Instead of Disappearing Spat On and Silenced: 2 Jewish Students on Fighting Campus Hate University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker: When Antisemitism Hits Home Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Jason Isaacson and Steve Witkoff: Manya Brachear Pashman: This week, AJC's Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, Jason Isaacson, sat down for a live conversation with Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East. They discussed plans to rebuild Gaza, political upheaval in Syria and Lebanon and expansion of the Abraham Accords. For this week's episode, we bring you that live conversation to you. Jason Isaacson:   Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here, and thank you Special Envoy Witkoff for participating in this evening's program, introducing AJC Center for New Middle East, and extension and refocusing of the work that we've been doing for decades to advance Arab Israeli understanding, cooperation and peace. Your presence here means a great deal to us.  As you've heard from my colleagues, AJC looks forward to working with you and your team in any way that we can to help ensure the success of a secure Israel, fully integrated in the Middle East. Now let me begin by thanking you again, renewing our thanks and thanking President Trump for your relentless efforts, which began even before the President took office, to assure the liberation of the hostages still held by Hamas and Gaza now for 508 days, we know how dedicated you are and the President is, to gaining the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, and the remains of the four other Americans, Itai Chen, Gadi and Judy Weinstein-Haggai, and Omer Neutra, and all of the hostages living and dead, still held captive by the terrorists.  So I want to point out that leaders of the Hostage Families Forum are with us here this evening. As is Emmet Tsurkov, whose sister Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq two years ago. We are all counting on your and your colleagues' continued efforts to free them all. Thank you again, Steve.  Now my first question to you, how does a successful real estate developer make the transition to Middle East diplomacy, as you certainly have. Clearly, there are profound territorial issues at play here, but there are also powerful and tangible factors, perhaps less easily negotiated, factors of historical narrative, of religion, of nationalism. How do you cut through all that? How do you achieve success given the very different career that you've pursued up to this point? Steve Witkoff:   Well, first of all, Jason, thank you for having me, and welcome everybody and to the hostage families, I just want to welcome you here. Some of the people I probably have talked to already, and just know that my heart is always with you. You know, President, I'm a very close friend of President Trump's, and I think he felt that, hopefully, that I could do a good job here. And so I think the job had a lot to do with miscommunication and correcting that. It had a lot to do with getting over to the region and understand what was happening, and maybe most importantly, it had a lot to do with his election and peace through strength and the perception that he was not he was going to take a different path, that the old policy prescriptions that that had not worked in the Middle East were not going to be tolerated by him anymore. And I think that's in large part what allowed us to get a positive result.  Adding to that, of course, was all of the good work that Prime Minister Netanyahu in his administration had achieved with Nasrallah Hezbollah in Lebanon, he had basically gutted Hamas. So many good things that happened. And you know, on top of that, the raids in Iran, and it created this perception that a lot of the a lot of what emanated out of October 7 was never going to be tolerated again. And that began the, you know, that began the pathway to achieving the result we achieved in the first phase. But that's just half of the problem. So we've got a lot more to go. Jason Isaacson:   I've got some questions about that, as well as you can imagine. Help us understand the President's priorities and therefore your focus in this very complicated region. There's the continued trauma of October 7, 2023 dozens of Israeli and other hostages still held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, and the deep wounds inflicted on Israeli society in that attack. There's the need to rebuild Gaza and to assure it is no longer governed by Hamas.  There's the prospect of advancing normalization between Israel and Arab states building on the Abraham Accords of the first Trump administration. There are also political upheavals and some hopeful signs, although the jury is still out in Lebanon and in Syria, and there's the ongoing threat to peace and stability posed by the Iranian regime. How do you prioritize? What are your expectations for success on these many tracks. It's an awful lot to deal with. Steve Witkoff:   That was, I think I counted like 14 questions. Jason Isaacson:   This is my specialty, by the way. Steve Witkoff:   I can see. I have to, now you're testing my memory on all of this. Jason Isaacson:   Priorities.  Steve Witkoff:   Yeah, I would say, How does the President think about it? Well, first and foremost, he wants something different for the region, yeah, and different in the sense that the old way of thinking we've they've rebuilt Gaza three or four times already. Like that's just an unacceptable use of resources. We need to do it in a much more in a much better way, a. B, we need to get rid of this crazy, ideological, psychopathic way of thinking that Hamas thinks. What they did, it can never be tolerated. I saw a film that many in this in this room did not see, made by Southern Command when I was in Gaza, and it's horrific. I mean, it is a horrific film. What happened in this film and what they did to people.  So this is not, this is not the act of people who are going to war. This is the act of barbarians, and it can never be tolerated. Normalization is critical for the region. Saudi Arabia embraces it because they can't finance in their own markets today. And why? Because there's so much war risk. I actually saw Jamie Diamond today, and I discussed it with him, and I said to him, you know, think about an area like Saudi Arabia. They have tons of money, but they can't leverage their money. And they can't because the underwriting risk on war, it can't be underwritten. So you're not going to see typical senior financing. Go into those marketplaces they can finance if they do a deal in New York and they can't finance in their own country. Makes no sense. And that's going to lead to a lot of stability.  In terms of the Iranian crescent, it's basically been decimated. Look at what's happened with Syria. No one ever thought that that was going to happen. We've got an epic election in Lebanon. And so tons of things happening. Lebanon, by the way, could actually normalize and come into the Abraham Peace Accords, as could even potentially Syria. So so many profound changes are happening there, and yet it's been a flash point of conflict, and I think that there's a possibility that we end it. Now, do we have to make sure that Egypt is stabilized? Yes, they've got some issues, economic and financial issues, and also on their streets. Same thing with Saudi Arabia, and we have to be cognizant about that. But all in all, I think there are some really good, good things that are happening.  Jason Isaacson:   Yeah, and I hope with your intervention and the president's power, more good things will happen in the coming months.  Steve Witkoff:   We're hopeful.  Jason Isaacson: So you've recently returned from your latest trip to the region with meetings at the highest levels in Israel, in Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, next Tuesday in Cairo, will be a meeting of the Arab League to discuss the future of Gaza. What is your sense of, drills down on your last answer, what is your sense of the region's readiness to advance to the next phase of negotiations, to free the Israeli hostages, to shift to a new Israeli force posture in and around Gaza, and put a governing structure in place that excludes terrorists. Can we assure that Hamas no longer rules, no longer poses a threat, that its missiles, tunnels and other infrastructure in Gaza are destroyed? Steve Witkoff:   Well, you know, central to the May 27 protocol that was signed with the Biden administration and the Israelis. Central to that is that Hamas cannot have any part of  a governor governing structure in Gaza. And that's from that's a red line for the Israelis, but it's a red line for us, too. You see the film. And we have to thread that needle in phase two of the negotiations.  Jason Isaacson: How do we get there?  Steve Witkoff:   We're not entirely sure yet, but we are working. You know, we're making a lot of progress. There is, Israel is sending a team right now as we speak, it's either going to be to Doha or to Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and with the Qataris, and I may if that negotiation goes positively enough. This is the initial phase of the negotiation where we've set, we've set some boundaries, some contours about what we want to talk about and what the outcomes we expect to happen. This is from the United States at the direction of President Trump. If it goes well, maybe I would be able to go on Sunday to execute and finish an arrangement. That's what we're hoping for. Jason Isaacson: Put phase two on track.  Steve Witkoff:   Put phase two on track and have some additional hostage release, and we think that that's a real possibility. We had a lot of conversation this morning about that, and with all of the parties I'm talking about, and people are responsive. Doesn't mean it's going to happen. That's a very chaotic place the Middle East. Jason Isaacson:   But you've got cooperation from the Quint, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar.  Steve Witkoff:   Yes. All of those countries in that region, they want to see, they want to see stability. There's new young leadership there. Everybody understands that it's untenable to be at war all the time. It just doesn't work, and it's setting everybody back. Look at Israel, by the way, they're drafting, they're conscripting people at 50 years old to go to go to the fight. That's, uh… Jason Isaacson:   And reservists are being called back to duty again and again. Steve Witkoff:   Correct. People can't work, by the way, economies are suffering throughout there. But on the other hand, Hamas can't be tolerated either, and yet, we need to get the hostages back to their families. Pardon me? Jason Isaacson:   Israel is still resilient. Steve Witkoff:   Of course it is. Of course it is. But we, you know, look, I don't want to talk about all these things and not acknowledge that the most that the primary objective has got to be to bring those hostages home. It has to be. Jason Isaacson:   I mentioned the Quint before: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar. Egypt and Jordan, longtime peace partners with Israel, were proposed by the president as the possible place in which Palestinians evacuated from Gaza could be housed temporarily, or perhaps more than temporarily. What is your sense of the possibility of the dislocation of Palestinians from Gaza? Is that essential to the idea of rebuilding Gaza, or not essential? Steve Witkoff:   Well, first of all, let me acknowledge King Abdullah, and also the Egyptians, General Hassan, who runs their intelligence unit. President Sisi, their ambassador. They're dug in. They're focused on solutions. It's a complicated situation right now, but they've done a great job, and they've been available, and whenever I call them, they're responsive.  The Jordanians have had a tough trip here, but, you know, they've managed through it. But let's just talk sort of about what the President talks about. Why is he talking about Gaza in the way he's talking about it? Because all the for the last four decades, the other ways of thinking have not worked. We sort of always get back to this place.  First of all, it's a giant slum. It really is, by the way, and it's a slum that's been decimated. On top of that, I was the first American official to go there in 22 years. I was literally there in the tunnels, on the battlefield. It is completely destroyed. There's 30,000 shells that are laying all over that battlefield, in large part because the Biden administration held up munitions shipments to the Israelis, and they were firing 1973 vintage ammunition that didn't explode. Who would let their children wander around these places?  In New York, there would be yellow tape around it. Nobody would be allowed to come in the they were digging tunnels. So everything underneath subterranean is swiss cheese, and then it got hit by 2000 pound bunker bombs. So you could have dust down there. It's so devastated. I just think that President Trump, is much more focused on, how do we make a better life for people? How do we change the educational frameworks? Right now, people are growing up there, in textbooks, in the first grade, they're seeing AK47's, and how you fire them. That's, that's, this is just insanity. What's going on out there.  So we have to directionally change how people are thinking there, how they're going to live together. People talk about two state we at the Trump administration, talk about, how do you get to a better life if you have a home in Gaza in the middle of a slum that hasn't been fixed up correctly, is that as good as aspirationally having a great job and being able to know that you can send your kids to college and they can become lawyers and doctors and so forth? That to me, is what we want to achieve. And when, when we began talking about Gaza, we were not talking about a giant eviction plan.  What we were talking about was the fact, unlike the Biden administration, and this is not a knock on them, it's that they didn't do their work correctly, the Biden administration, that May 27 protocol is based on a five year redevelopment plan. You can't demolish everything there and clean it up in five years, let alone x-ray it on a subterranean level and figure out what foundations exist, or what, what conditions exist to hold foundations, and then what we should build. It's easily a 15 year plan, and it might be 20 or 25 years.  And the Wall Street Journal, one of the most mainstream publications, two days ago, finally came out with a major article talking about that and basically validating what we've been talking about. Once you understand it from that perspective, you understand it's not about an eviction plan. It's about creating an environment there for whoever's going to live there that's better than it's ever been in the last 40 years. Jason Isaacson:   Steve, thank you. Before October 7, 2023 the betting in many foreign policy circles, as you know, was that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel were closing in on a deal to normalize relations, coupled with an enhanced security agreement between the US and Saudi governments and Saudi access to the full nuclear fuel cycle under US safeguards. Where would you say that formula stands today? Is that still the framework that you're expecting will describe the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia and between Saudi Arabia and Israel? Steve Witkoff:   Well, that's why I keep on going back to the May 27 protocol, because it's chock full of misinformation. And so the Saudis were operating, as were the Israelis, as if you could redevelop and reconstruct Gaza in five years. You can't. You can finish demolition, you can finish refuse removal, you can do all of that in five years. But for that, there's nothing else is going to get accomplished.  So when the Saudis talked normalization with the Israelis and defense treaty, they were thinking about it on a five year time frame. Once you begin to think about it as a 15 or a 20 year deal, it almost begs the question, are Gazans going to wait? Do they even want to wait?  I mean, if you're a mother and a father and you've got three kids, do you want to wait 20 years to maybe have a nice, safe home there? And this has nothing to do with relocation. Maybe we should be talking about relocation, or, excuse me, the ability to come back and, you know, later on. But right now, right here, right now, Gaza is a long term redevelopment plan, and I think once the Saudis begin to incorporate that into their thinking, and the Egyptians and UAE and everybody who has a vested interest in Gaza, I think you're going to see development plans that more mirror the way the President is thinking than what the May 27 protocol contemplated. Jason Isaacson:   Are you suggesting that the possibility of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia will come after there is a fully formed Gaza redevelopment plan?  Steve Witkoff:   I think so. Because I believe that. I believe it's just sequentially logical, because that's when you begin to think about how Gazans are going to think about it. Right now, we're talking about it in the abstract. And there are many countries, by the way, out there, that from a humanitarian standpoint, we've talked to many of them, are actually extending themselves and saying, Hey, look, we'd, we'd love to be a part of some sort of permanent solution for the Gazan people.  No one wants to see the Gazan people in some sort of diaspora, they're sort of disengaged, and that doesn't work. That only is going to fester and lead to more radicalism in the region. So we've got to get a solution for it, but we need to levelset the facts first. And the facts have not been levelset. They've been thinking about this from a perspective of facts that are inaccurate. Now we've level set those facts. We're going to conduct a summit pretty soon with probably the biggest developers in the Mideast region, many of the Arab developers, lots of master planners. I think when people see some of the ideas that come from this, they're going to be amazed. Jason Isaacson:   Steve, thank you. Final question, from AJC's many contacts and visits over many years across the Arab world, including regular exchanges over three decades in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, we've come to believe in the inevitability of Israel's full integration in the region, that the more the region's leaders and elites focus on the potential advantages to their societies, including their security of normal relations with Israel, the more likely it is that we'll achieve that goal. Is that the sense that you have as well, from where you sit? Steve Witkoff:   I do. I think, look, I think that the people of Israel want to live in peace with with the people of the Middle East. And it could be incredible. Jason Isaacson:   And vice versa.  Steve Witkoff:   And vice versa. I had a discussion with His Royal Highness, His MBs, his brother yesterday, the defense minister, an exceptional man, by the way, and we talked about how Saudi could become one of the best investable markets out there, when it can be financed. Think about this. The United States today has the greatest capital market system that the world knows. And when you have a great capital market system, when. You can borrow, when you can lease a car, when you can buy a home and mortgage it all those different things. It drives an economy. It propels it.  Right now in the Middle East, it's very difficult to finance. The banks don't want to operate it. Why? Because tomorrow a Hootie missile could come in if you're building a data center, and puff it's gone. We don't have to. Banks don't have to underwrite that risk in New York City or Washington, DC or American cities. So I think as you get more stabilization there, I think the real estate values are going to go through the moon. And we talk about this, Israel is a bedrock of great technological innovation. I think you know, all of the Arab countries, UAE, Saudi, Qatar, they're into blockchain robotics. They're into hyperscale data centers. These are the things that interest Israel, and yet they're driving so much of the tech surge out there. Imagine all of them working together. It could be an incredible region, so we're hopeful for that prospect. That's that's the way the President thinks about it. We've we talk at length about this, and he gives us the direction, and we follow it, and that's his direction. Jason Isaacson:   I thought I heard applause about to begin, but I will, I will ask you to hold for a second, because I just want to thank you, Steve whitco, for sharing your vision and the President's vision for how to move forward to build a more stable and prosperous and peaceful Middle East and and you've laid it out for us, and we very much appreciate your Thank you.  Steve Witkoff:   Thank you.  Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with AJC Berlin director Remko Leemhuis about the victory of a centrist right government in Germany's recent election and its plans to build a coalition excluding the far-right, antisemitic political party, Alternative for Germany. Remko and I discussed why that party's unprecedented post war election returns are a cause for concern.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Jérôme Rothen se chauffe contre un autre consultant, un éditorialiste ou un acteur du foot.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

durée : 00:05:40 - Tanguy Pastureau maltraite l'info - par : Tanguy Pastureau - Un club de boulistes a été viré de son terrain de boules pour qu'un hôtel de luxe s'étende. Paris ville de gauche, tu parles ! Tanguy trouve que c'est tout comme si c'était géré par les Qataris.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

This week, two major terrorist leaders were assassinated in the Middle East. Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Tehran, just a day after top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut in retaliation for the horrific rocket attack that killed 12 children on a soccer field in northern Israel. What does this mean for Israel and the wider region? Is this a major setback for Iran and its terror proxies? Tune in to hear what AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, who visited the site of the terror attack in Majdal Shams, has to say. Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Avital Leibovich Learn: What to Know About Hamas Terror Leader Ismail Haniyeh What to Know About Hezbollah's Escalation Against Israel Listen: Aviva Klompas is Fighting the Normalization of Antisemitism on Social Media On the Ground at the Republican National Convention: What's at Stake for Israel and the Middle East? Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Transcript of Interview with Avital Leibovich: Manya Brachear Pashman:   This week marked 300 days of captivity for the 115 remaining hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7. There was also a major development: confirmation that an operation in July led to the death of Hamas' military leader Muhammad Deif. But there were two more assassinations this week, the leaders of two terror groups targeting Israel.  On Wednesday, we learned that Hamas terror leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Tehran shortly after meeting with Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Haniyeh had been in Tehran for the inauguration of its new president. This just a day after top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut in retaliation for the horrific rocket attack that killed 12 children on a soccer field in Golan Heights. AJC Jerusalem director Avital Leibovich is with us now to discuss these developments. Avital, welcome back to People of the Pod. Avital Leibovich: Thank you. Manya. Good to be here. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So, Avital, my first question is, are we safer now than we were at the start of the week? Do two fewer terror leaders lead to less terror? Avital Leibovich: Well, I would say the world in general is a safer place with the absence of Shukr and Haniyeh. However, the neighborhood here is not changing. And unfortunately, we are still surrounded by vicious enemies, who still are seeking to see our erosion and eradication. So while I'm very happy with your outcome in the last 24 hours, I also know there's still a lot of reason for concern. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So tell us about these terror leaders. Who was Ismail Haniyeh? And what was his role with Hamas? Avital Leibovich: Sure. So Ismail Haniyeh, who's also, by the way, has another name, which is Abu al-Abed, he actually served as the number one political leader of Hamas since May 2017. He actually substituted in this role, Khaled Mashal and other terrorists, and before that, he actually served as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority just for a very brief, short time between 2006 and 2007. And he actually became very close to a Hamas leader called Ahmed Yassin. And basically, he really grew into the very radical agenda of Hamas. Interesting enough, his background was totally different. I mean, even worked in Israel in the city closest to Gaza called Ashkelon. So he knows the country. He knows the mentality. So in addition to this, he also began to do some terror activity after the three years of working in Ashkelon in Israel. And then he initiated different kinds of activities. Among them was the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, a soldier who we'll remember. And after being involved in the terror realm and the political realm, he decided to focus more on Hamas' agenda, on Hamas' charter. And basically, what we have seen in the last couple of years are a few things. Number one, Hania got very rich, because he received millions and millions of dollars from the Qataris. Number two, he left Gaza and he spent the last years of his life in Qatar, in lavish hotels and apartments, enjoying great life. And this is also an indication of how much does he care about the people of Gaza.  And I want to connect to the current war and give you a quote of who Haniyeh was because I see that some of the media outlets have the nerve to call him a moderate negotiator. Therefore, I'd like to help them and share with you the following quote, which was said on October 27 — that was the first day where the IDF entered Gaza following the October 7 massacre. So he said, "We need the blood of women, children, and the elderly of Gaza, so it awakens our revolutionary spirit." This is the moderate guy that international media is referring to in their reports. He was a radical, he was a terrorist, and we had a very good opening of our day this morning when we heard the news. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And Fuad Shukr, what was his role with Hezbollah? Avital Leibovich: He also, you know, this is a name which is not known, I think, to many people, but he does have a French connection and an American connection — of course, an Israeli connection. The guy was number two in the level of seniority in Hezbollah. He was actually the manager of the army in a way of the Hezbollah military apparatus.  But more than that, he was a strategist, and he knew what direction should Hezbollah take in the next years. He was in charge of developing the entire missile industry that Hezbollah had, including the accurate missiles. In other words, he was a strategist but also was a practical man. Now, here's the connection that he had to the US and to France. In 1983, he was one of the orchestrators of the attack in the marine base in Beirut.  On that terrible day, 241 American marines lost their lives, but 70 French soldiers were killed as well. So as you can imagine, this terrorist Fuad Shukr has 40 years of terror activities, primarily against Israel, but also against Israeli allies. So again, I think it was a very courageous and accurate Israeli operation. And more than anything, Manya, it shows the amazing level of intelligence, where that person was exactly in which room, in which building, in which floor, and to be able to very surgically act in the right time, at the right moment and target him, I think that shows a lot for the Israeli intelligence capabilities. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Was Haniyeh part of the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations? Avital Leibovich: So if you look at the title that Hanieyeh had, which is the head of the political branch of Hamas, you could think that he had some impact on the decision making process with the hostage deals. But I can tell you that he had really no impact, very little impact. Because from the analysis that we have here in Israel, the main decision maker is Sinwar.  Now the question is, will the death of Haniyeh have an impact, number one on Sinwar? And therefore, number two on the hostage deal? Now, I'm not sure it will have an effect. I have to say. Sinwar is known as the longtime rival of Haniyeh. So in other words, he will not be mourning his death. But he had the last word with regard to any of the discussions on the hostages.  And at the end of the day, Sinwar said numerous times, that he's willing to die. And his ultimate goal is to make sure that Hamas has some sort of a controlling Gaza. He understands today Sinwar, that Hamas will no longer control the government, therefore, he's willing to compromise. For example, let's say Hamas will be giving the role of being in charge of the renovations in Gaza. Or perhaps they will be in charge of the education system and so on, in other words, just to have some sort of a stronghold inside Gaza in terms of governance of some sort. Now, if that will not be a part of any possible deal, then Sinwar has no interest to give a positive answer to a deal. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I am curious why Haniyeh would have met with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before his death? Avital Leibovich: Hamas and Iran have different kinds of cooperation. We have seen that across the region. In other words, we have seen Hamas representatives in Lebanon, working alongside Nasrallah, the health Hezbollah, but also meeting the Iranian foreign minister, when he came to Lebanon for visits. We understand that this time around there is a clear interest which Iran supports, is to target Israel as much as possible. And obviously Iran prefers a proxy like Hamas to be representative of its own goals and intentions.  And therefore you saw Haniyeh last time, was last night paying respects for the inauguration ceremony in Iran. And according to what I'm hearing, he was also hosted in a Revolutionary Guards facility. In other words, whoever targeted Haniyeh had a great level of intelligence by knowing how to get to that specific building.  But moreover, this is a very secure area, because the Revolutionary Guards are considered the body which is the most guarded of all bodies in Iran. They're the ones controlling the budget of the Iranian government. They're the ones operating Hezbollah and other militias and proxies. So in other words, the fact that it was a Revolutionary Guards headquarters, Antonia was there and despite of all this information, the security system around him cracked. I think that sends a very loud and clear message to the Iranians. Manya Brachear Pashman:   How is the relationship between Iran and Hamas and the relationship between Iran and Hezbollah different? Can you explain that to our audience? Avital Leibovich: First of all, I mean, you know, Iran is the chief orchestrator of everything that we have been seeing here since October 7, but actually before that as well. Now, I would say that with Hezbollah, it's a long love story between the two. Actually, Hezbollah was founded by Iran, quite shortly after the revolution in '79.  When the country became a fundamentalist Islamist and obviously, took the wrong path, distancing itself from the Western world. Iran actually built Hezbollah, founded Hezbollah, first the military wing, and then adding three years later the political wing. And the idea was to use them in order to attack Israel. And this is very convenient.  Think about it, Iran is 1300 kilometers away from Israel. It's not convenient to fire a rocket all the way from that country to Israel. But let's say you want to use simpler means and within half an hour to take an operation out, it's easier to use someone who's bordering with Israel. So gradually, we saw Hezbollah taking over almost the entire country. And everything had to do with Iranian funding. Now, in order to have Iranian funding in terms of sanctions, Iran and Hezbollah, found alternative options like laundering money, like a whole chain of drug trafficking in Syria and other countries. So they found solutions to do that.  By the way, Iran is doing the same thing with the Houthis in Yemen, also using them as a proxy. Because you know, this is the most poor country in the region, huge unemployment rates, you can recruit 10s of 1000s and hundreds of 1000s of people, as long as you pay them a very minimal salary. Now, as for Hamas, Hamas was built a little bit later.  It's actually an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, so not directly of Iran. However, sometimes there are joint interests between different terror groups. Actually, Iran founded the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, in 79, right after the revolution, because he thought this would be the main actor controlling Gaza with the best assets and so on. But with the course of the years, when Hamas controlled Gaza, and was able to develop its terror means rockets, drones, etc, then, of course, Iran moved to cooperate with Hamas, according to its needs for Iran, it's, of course, more worthwhile to use the blood of Palestinians than the blood of Iranians to sacrifice Palestinians and not the Iranians. This is how they see it.  At the end of the day, Iran now wishes to resume to the situation of being a major empire as it used to be, a Persian empire decades and decades ago. So this is the longtime dream, I would say. And the proxies are just another, I would say detail in the path to reach that dream.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Now, Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the attack that killed a dozen children on a soccer field. Why not? They're usually proud of the death and destruction that they wreak. Why did Israel target the terror group anyway?  Avital Leibovich: Look, say a few words about this tragic event that took place just a few days ago in a very small, beautiful, pastoral village called Majdal Shams, which, by the way, means the tower of sun. It's on the Syrian border, and the other side is on the Lebanese border. And, you know, people asked me if this is the first time that Hizballah ever targeted Druze or targeted Muslims. Now this specific village was targeted five times already by Hezbollah. Saturday, obviously, was the deadliest of all the five. It was 6:18 in the afternoon, beautiful summer day, lots of kids outside.  I visited the soccer field where it happens. And the rockets left, really not a chance for those kids who were playing there. Although there was actually a shelter right there, maybe two feet from where the rocket hit the ground. They really didn't have a chance to make it and go into the shelter. And unfortunately, those poor 12 year old kids, ages 10-16, died in place. We still have over 30 people hospitalized, many of them are kids as well.  And I have to say, Manya, that I saw a village who has been traumatized. People are still wearing black clothes. There are black flags hanging everywhere inside the village. The pictures of the kids are, you know, pasted everywhere, on the squares just on random villages and walls of buildings.  I also went to one of the bereaved families. And you know, you sit there with a parent who lost his 12 year old boy named Johnny [Wadeea Ibrahim]. And he tells you about his dreams. And he says to me, you know, these dreams will never be fulfilled. And he says to me, we don't even know how to digest what happened to us. So, for Hezbollah, they don't really care who they're firing at, whether it's Jews or Arabs, or Muslims or Christians, whoever, they don't care if it's in the eastern Galilee, or the Western Galilee, or the Golan. All these areas are relevant for the Hezbollah fire since October 8. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Hezbollah did not take responsibility. Why not? Avital Leibovich: So here is the mistake. Hezbollah actually made the mistake. Hezbollah has a TV station, which is its mouthpiece, just like Hamas's TV station mouthpiece is Al Jazeera. Hezbollah's is Al Mayadeen. Now, immediately after an attack, a Hezbollah attack, Al Mayadeen immediately publishes responsibility taking by Hezbollah always every time. And by the way, we're talking about an average of eight attacks a day, every day. And that's what they did here too. On Saturday, they immediately took responsibility in the name of Hezbollah.  Unfortunately, for them, after 20 minutes, they understood the extent of the mistake they did, and deleted, of course, this responsibility, and then they made up their own narrative. The narrative was that a misfiring of an Iron Dome interceptor, mistakenly killed the kids, like Israel's fault is that the kids died. Now, this narrative, if you think it was only the social media, then think again, they sent the foreign minister of Lebanon to the media to repeat it.  But they also did something more. They sent the head of the Druze community. It's the same blood and flesh of the Druze in the Golan. They sent him to the press to declare that it was not a Hezbollah rocket. So they understood that they will pay a price of some sort. I'm sure they understood that I'm not sure they understood the extent of the intelligence Israel had. And now of course, they're threatening to target Israel. I think the next 48 hours will reveal where we're heading. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And you talk about the incredible intelligence that led to the precise explosion in Beirut as well as the death of Haniyeh. Has Israel taken responsibility for his death and what it claimed credit if it was responsible, Avital Leibovich: Up to this minute, Israel did not take any responsibility for Haniyeh's death. Of course, yes, for the Hizballah number two guy Fuad Shukr, but not for Haniyeh. As a matter of fact, the Prime Minister ordered the Cabinet members and the ministers not to speak publicly on the issue. And basically, there's been a lot of quiet from the political echelon here since the morning. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And you touched on what my last question is, and that is, how will this elevate the tensions? Does this raise the chance of a war between Israel and Lebanon, Israel, and Iran, these assassinations?  Avital Leibovich: So I would say we are already in a war to some extent with Hezbollah, because Hezbollah has fired more than 6000 rockets since October 8. And I've counted 43 Israeli casualties since October 8. So we are talking about an active war in a sense, I think that there is a good reason to believe that both Hezbollah and Iran will react to these two targets. I'm not sure in which way. I do think that Hezbollah still has the notion and the strategy of not completely escalating the situation to a full scale war. I'm sure that Nasrallah is sitting in his bunker in the darkened neighborhood, seeing the footage from Gaza and understanding Israel's capability and does not want to turn Beirut into a similar kind of situation.  And he also saw the building last night and he also understood the extent of the intelligence capability. So I think he will have to react in such a way that on the one hand, he could be proud that he did something but on the other hand, would not engage in a full scale war. Iran, on the other hand, is a different story.  Because three months have passed since April 14 in which Iran decided to gift us with hundreds of drones and different kinds of ballistic missiles. And from their perspective, it failed. It failed because Israel has a great defense system. It also failed because the US led the great coalition of countries who supported the interception attempts in April 14. However, and this is a big however, Iran learned its lessons.  Iran learned why it failed in April. And therefore, my concern is that they will take these lessons and implement them in whichever reaction they will have. I'm not sure it will be tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, they will celebrate Haniyeh in the big funeral in Iran, and then there will be additional mourning days in Qatar. So it may take a few days, but I have no doubt that they will both, Hezbollah and Iran react. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Avital, thank you so much for just explaining all of these developments and what they mean. Avital Leibovich: Of course, I just hope that for once they will be able to talk about positive things and not only terror and wars. Manya Brachear Pashman:   We hope so too. We hope so too. Thank you so much. Avital Leibovich: Thank you and Am Yisrael Chai.

Memoirs are usually morally uplifting reads with happy endings. But Phil Elwood's new memoir, All the Worst Humans, is a confession of how Elwood, as a top DC based PR operative, created what he calls a “counter-narrative” for Assad, Gaddafi and the Qataris. Elwood isn't proud about any of this. As he confessed to me, he still sleeps poorly and often wakes up at 3.00 am regretting the morally poor choices he's made in his life. The sad thing is that there are still many other highly paid PR execs doing the dirty narrative work for dictators, tycoons and corrupt politicians. Let's hope they pick up All the Worst Humans at the airport on their next trip to Saudi Arabia or Russia.Phil Elwood is a public relations operative. He was born in New York City, grew up in Idaho, and moved to Washington, DC at age twenty to intern for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He completed his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, and his graduate studies at the London School of Economics before starting his career at a small PR firm. Over the last two decades, Elwood has worked for some of the top – and bottom – PR firms in Washington. He lives in DC.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Since October 7, Israel has been saying it's fighting FOR humanity, on the frontlines of humanity, but in the information war—Israel's own humanity is being called into question. And that charge is being led by NGOs with ideological agendas that pass themselves off as great defenders of humanity, with names like Save the Children, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International. They have been active combatants in the information war against Israel. Amplifying some of the worst lies and propaganda against Israel. Failing to stand up for the victims of Oct. 7th. Failing to fight from the hostages. Even allegedly taking funding from the Saudis and Qataris. Today's guest is pushing back. Because if sunlight is the best disinfectant, then shedding light on these NGOs' funding and practices should expose all the dirt. Professor Gerald Steinberg, founder and president of NGO Monitor, has spent his life challenging the global system of anti-Israel NGOs. NGO Monitor has worked for years to hold the watchdogs accountable and warn Israel's supporters of the damage that they are doing by abusing the banner of human rights. Israel is losing the information war, thanks to the political activities of these NGOs. What can it do to turn the tide?Learn more, and support NGO Monitor here:https://www.ngo-monitor.org/https://geraldsteinberg.com/Stay up to date at:https://www.stateofanationpodcast.com/X: https://twitter.com/stateofapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofapod/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-a-nation

Le 5 janvier 2012, le joueur de football semblait très chamboulé par l'argent que possédaient les Qataris. Tous les jours, retrouvez en podcast une archive des meilleures imitations de Laurent Gerra.

Congressman Steny Hoyer warned this week that, in light of Qatar's enabling of Hamas intransigence in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, “The United States must reevaluate its relationship” with that Middle Eastern nation. The Qatari prime minister peevishly responded that his country is undertaking a “comprehensive evaluation” of its mediating role.  While these statements smack of political theater, they should be seized to end Washington's practice of overlooking Qatar's myriad malign activities in the interest of maintaining a huge military presence in that nation.  In fact, the Qataris relentlessly support Sharia-supremacism worldwide, promote jihad via their news outlet, al Jazeera, and underwrite subversive influence operations here. Recently, they even blocked the use of our air base there.  Qatar is not our friend, let alone a reliable “major non-NATO ally.” Stop pretending otherwise and treat it accordingly. This is Frank Gaffney.

Ben and Tommy discuss an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy building in Syria that killed several top Iranian generals, Israeli drone strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian relief workers in Gaza and what they tell us about Israel's lack of concern about civilian causalities, and growing protests in Israel against Netanyahu. Then they talk about Trump's “shadow Secretary of State” Ric Grenell, the Qataris investing in Newsmax, a 60 Minutes report blaming Russia for “Havana Syndrome”, and one year since Russia arrested WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich. Finally, they cover a new anti-hate speech law in Scotland, the barring of an opposition candidate in Venezuela, Chinese disinformation promoting Trump in the US, a big loss for Erdogan's party in Turkey's local elections, and Reagan's almost assassin complaining about cancel culture.

“Qataris were the ones who said, ‘Here, come to our country, we'll host you.' So, now it is home to the largest American airbase in the Middle East, where we conduct our war on terrorism. And then down the street from this Al Udeid Air Base is Hamas, the Taliban, al Qaeda financiers, ISIS financiers … it is a truly bizarre arrangement.”Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He's also a former terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Treasury Department, and the author of several books on Islamic extremism.“The Muslim Brotherhood is one of the largest, if not the largest, grassroots political and religious organizations in the Middle East, and it is the cornerstone for just about every radical ideology that we have seen and faced over the last two decades since the 9/11 attacks,” says Dr. Schanzer.We discuss the role that Qatar has played in international geopolitics, commanding vast influence campaigns in the West and funding an array of terrorist outfits in the East.“The Qataris have been able to sustain it with a massive amount of lobby money and investment here in the United States, and so some of its greatest proponents are the Pentagon and the State Department. And they've gotten to the point where it's almost as if they can do no wrong—until 10/7. That's when it, I think, began to become clear to the average American that the Qataris are playing both arsonist and firefighter. They spend $200 million a year propping up Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They give Hamas headquarters in Doha. And then as soon as the crisis hits, they are trying to negotiate between the United States and Israel and Hamas, pretending to be a good-faith actor. But at the end of the day, I think we all have realized that they are advocating first and foremost for Hamas.”Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

On this week's Big Thing, the TSS gang revisit the topic of Man Utd's takeover bid. With the Qataris apparently stepping aside (for now), Sir Jim Ratcliffe is apparently lining up a minority bid, which will see his company gain control of soccer operations...This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/TSS today to get 10% off your first month.---JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON!Check out our brand-new Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more.Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Big Thing, the TSS gang revisit the topic of Man Utd's takeover bid. With the Qataris apparently stepping aside (for now), Sir Jim Ratcliffe is apparently lining up a minority bid, which will see his company gain control of soccer operations... This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/TSS today to get 10% off your first month. --- JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our brand-new Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices