إسرائيل-فلسطين

Dr. Yoel Guzansky, associate fellow at MEI and senior research fellow at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack the military and political implications of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran. In the lead-up to next week’s closely watched visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, they discuss Israel’s strategic gains and domestic reaction, the evolving US-Israel relationship, and the war’s ripple effects across Gaza, the Gulf, and beyond.

Domestic politics has taken center stage in the United States as Congress struggles to pass President Donald Trump’s proposed budget plan. But July is also shaping up as a pivotal month for Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond.

What’s next for Gaza—and for Israel? In this episode of Middle East Focus, hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj sit down with Ghaith al-Omari, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former advisor to the Palestinian Authority, to unpack the urgent humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza, the impact of Israeli settlement expansion, and what these developments mean for the future of the region.

What has been unfolding in the Gaza Strip for millions of Palestinians is the direct consequence of the failures of political leaders who are ignoring best practices for the delivery of aid to innocent people caught in the crosshairs of a complicated war. Without a major shift in the current approach, the already dire conditions are only likely to deteriorate further going forward.

Ambassador Dennis Ross joins host Brian Katulis to break down what President Trump’s recent trip through Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar revealed about the administration’s approach to foreign policy in the Middle East—and what it means for the future of the region. They discuss the significance and substance behind the announced mega-deals, what’s really going on with Iran and the Houthi ceasefire, and how Trump is handling relations with Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

وصل الرئيس دونالد ترامب هذا الأسبوع إلى علامة 100 يوم في ولايته الثانية، حيث شهد انخفاضًا حادًا في مكانته السياسية الداخلية. ويأتي ذلك قبل أقل من أسبوعين من انطلاق ترامب في رحلة مهمة إلى منطقة الخليج في الشرق الأوسط. قد تنظر الإدارة إلى الزيارة الرئاسية على أنها فرصة لتحقيق بعض التقدم، لكن المنطقة لا تزال محفوفة بالغموض، ونادرًا ما تحقق سياسة الولايات المتحدة في الشرق الأوسط مكاسب سياسية داخلية.

(This episode was recorded on Monday, April 7).

In this episode of Middle East Focus, hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by Eran Etzion, former deputy head of the Israeli National Security Council, for a revealing look inside Israel’s most pressing challenges.

يركز الرئيس دونالد ترامب على تحقيق إنجازين تحويليين فشل أسلافه في تحقيقهما: إنهاء الصراع العربي الإسرائيلي، الذي يتمحور حول اتفاق ثلاثي بين الولايات المتحدة والسعودية وإسرائيل، واتفاق بين الولايات المتحدة وإيران. وكلاهما سيكون إنجازًا تاريخيًا. لكن حتى الآن، ثبت أن التقدم في كلتا الحالتين صعب ومتعثر.

President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on March 4 doubled down on his disruptive and contentious domestic policy agenda. Foreign policy, including Trump’s approach to the Middle East, was mostly an afterthought. Though he said little about Middle East policy in his speech, Trump’s team is taking an irregular approach on the twin issues of Israel-Arab ties and Iran that may not produce the stability and prosperity it seeks.

Some analysts try to explain Trump’s Middle East rhetoric as an effort to provoke a new type of conversation and to break the mold. But one unconventional source that helps explain Trump’s tactics is pro wrestling, in which the actions are understood to be illusory but still prompt a response from all sides.

Despite a few hiccups, the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas has achieved its initial milestones. Much will depend on the upcoming negotiations regarding the next phases of the agreement. Yet for now, the fundamental questions of who will govern Gaza, who will provide security, and who will deliver the funding to rebuild it have yet to be definitively resolved.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a potentially disastrous showdown within the next month that could shake his hold on power, unless he manages to deter the strongly held positions of the foreign and domestic politicians and political forces on which he is dependent.

The current Israeli government’s extremism encompasses two entwined trends in Israeli political culture. The first is the rise and mainstreaming of the ideological settler movement and far-right nationalism. The second is Israel’s growing authoritarian tendencies, manifested in systematic efforts to reshape state institutions. As democratic institutions are weakened, the government faces fewer barriers to implementing its expansionist territorial agenda, while the mainstreaming of far-right ideology helps justify the erosion of democratic safeguards. Yet the vast majority of Israelis fail to recognize the connection between these trends, as do most policymakers in the United States.

اقرأ تقرير MEI الأسبوعي الذي يتضمن تحليلات الخبراء للتطورات الإقليمية الرئيسية للأسبوع المقبل.