BICOM’s Podcast

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Shahira Shalaby about Israel’s election results and the role of Arab parties influencing the formation of the next government. Shahira examines the differences between Ra’am and the Joint List, the prospects for Arab–Jewish political cooperation, and the priorities of Israel’s Arab communities. Shahira Shalaby is Co-Executive Director of the Abraham Initiatives, an organisation promoting equality and a shared society between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel. A former Deputy Mayor of Haifa and city councillor, she was among the founders of the Palestinian feminist movement in Israel and has established several initiatives and organisations working to advance the status of Arab women.

In this special episode, recorded during a live BICOM webinar just a day after polls closed, Richard Pater and Fathom Editor Calev Ben Dor unpack Israel’s election results and the battle to form its next government. They analyse the results, exploring the movement between the blocs and a surge in Arab, and discuss the coalition arithmetic. With neither camp holding a clear path to power, they weigh the prospects for a national unity government, defections, and another election, and ask which leaders might break their campaign promises to end the deadlock. They also delve into the struggle for control of the Knesset and how the prospect of renewed conflict with Iran could influence coalition negotiations.

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Rabbi Elhanan Miller and Dr Ahmed Alkhuzaie about normalisation between Israelis and Gulf Arabs, six years after Israel and Bahrain established diplomatic relations under the Abraham Accords. They examine the accords’ resilience amid regional conflict, shared concerns over Iran, and opportunities for wider regional normalisation. Rabbi Elhanan Miller is a former Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel and runs People of the Book, an initiative engaging Arabic-speaking audiences with Jewish religion and culture. Dr Ahmed Al Khuzaie is a political consultant, who focuses on Gulf affairs, regional security, and public diplomacy, with particular emphasis on Iranian influence, the GCC, and the Abraham Accords framework.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Shira Efron about Israel’s strategic challenges and the upcoming Israeli elections. Shira examines the latest situation regarding both Iran and Gaza as well as Israel’s strained relations with Britain and the erosion of bipartisan support in the United States. Shira also shares her outlook on the election, including Gadi Eisenkot’s appeal and the challenges of forming a governing coalition. Shira Efron is the RAND Corporation’s Distinguished Israel Policy Chair, with over two decades of experience in policy analysis and research on Israel and the Middle East. She previously served as an adviser to Israel’s Ministry of Defence and National Security Council, and co-chaired the regional cooperation subgroup of President Herzog’s climate forum.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Shiri Fein-Grossman about Israel’s strategic challenges three years after the October 7th attacks. Shiri reflects on Iran’s regional strategy, the prospects for disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza, and Israel’s approach to the information war. She also assesses the threat posed by the Houthis, Turkey’s regional ambitions, and the security of Syria’s Druze community. Shiri Fein-Grossman is the CEO of the Israel-Africa Relations Institute and a board member of the Forum Dvorah. She previously served in a number of positions at Israel’s National Security Council culminating as the Head of the Foreign Policy Branch for Regional Affairs, where she played a central role in advancing Israel’s relations with the Abraham Accords countries.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Marc Sievers about the current status of the Abraham Accords. Marc assesses the growing economic and security ties between Israel and the UAE, the impact of Iranian attacks on the Gulf, and the prospects for Saudi–Israeli normalisation. He also discusses the experience of Israelis and Jewish communities in the UAE, Oman’s approach to Israel, and the potential for expanding the Accords. Marc Sievers is an Abu Dhabi based business consultant and Middle East policy analyst. He is a former US ambassador to Oman and a veteran diplomat with over three decades of experience across the Middle East.

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Edmund Fitton-Brown about the UK’s sanctions on Israeli settlements and its implications for UK–Israel relations. Fitton-Brown assesses the domestic political drivers behind the decision, the potential impact on bilateral trade and security cooperation, and the possible US response. He also discusses the challenges of implementing the sanctions and the prospects for repairing the diplomatic rift. Edmund Fitton-Brown is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. A former British ambassador to Yemen, he subsequently served as coordinator of the UN Security Council’s monitoring team on sanctions against Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Dr Simon Waldman about Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s grip on power, the erosion of Turkish democracy and Turkey’s neo-Ottoman ambitions. Waldman examines antisemitism in Turkish society, Ankara’s support for Hamas and its growing influence in Syria. He also assesses Turkey’s potential return to the F-35 programme, its naval ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean and the prospects for repairing relations with Israel. Dr Simon Waldman teaches in the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London. His research focuses on Turkish history and politics, international diplomacy in the Middle East, state-building and leadership, and the Arab Israeli conflict. He is the author of Anglo-American Diplomacy and the Palestinian Refugee Problem and co-author of The New Turkey and Its Discontents.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Herb Keinon about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to Britain, Hamas and Israel’s regional manoeuvring. Keinon examines the Likud primary results and how Netanyahu is positioning the party ahead of Israel’s general election. He also assesses Western engagement with Hamas, US policy towards Iran, Turkey’s ambitions in Syria, and the implications of the emerging Saudi–Pakistani alliance for Israel. Herb Keinon is a veteran diplomatic correspondent and senior contributing editor at The Jerusalem Post. He has covered Israeli diplomacy, politics and regional affairs for more than three decades.

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Dr Lynette Nusbacher about Israel, US, and Iranian strategic considerations against the backdrop of rising escalations across the region as Pakistani mediators are attempting to revive June's Islamabad MOU. Dr Lynette Nusbacher is a former British Army intelligence officer and served as the Cabinet Office's national security strategy lead.