Tag: Hezbollah

In this episode, based on listener questions, the guest is Dr. Yaron Friedman, a lecturer in Arabic at the University of Haifa, a researcher of Shia Islam and the Alawite community, and a co-founder of the podcast. The conversation, recorded on July 8, deals with the power struggles in Iran after the death of the Supreme Leader, the new situation in Syria under rebel rule, the future of Hezbollah, and the fate of the Alawite community.

In this episode of "This Week in the Middle East," Dr. Yaron Friedman analyzes the rise of the new regime in Syria, led by Ahmed al-Shara, known as al-Julani, and argues that Syria is rapidly becoming the next major threat to Israel. According to him, while Israel and the world are focused on the war against the Iranian axis, an equally dangerous jihadist enemy is forming beneath the surface on its northern border.

In this episode, Dr. Yaron Friedman joins the show to discuss the economic war being waged in parallel with the military conflict with Iran. The conversation focuses on the consequences of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for the economies of Iran, the Gulf states, Iraq, and other regional actors, and examines who the main losers and winners are from the situation.

In this episode, Dr. Yaron Friedman explains how the Hezbollah organization can be 'strangled' through economic means, without the need for a large-scale military attack. According to him, the process has already begun, and it focuses on two main channels: damaging the organization's banking system and dismantling its drug empire.

In this episode, Dr. Benny Spanier, a research fellow at the Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center and the Blue Economy Center of the Haifa municipality, joins the show to discuss the maritime border agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Dr. Spanier explains the historical and legal background that led to the dispute, details the interests of each side, and describes the specifics of the US-brokered agreement and its implications today.

This episode features Dr. Yaron Friedman. According to Friedman, the collapse of the Iranian Axis of Resistance in recent months can be explained by a chain of betrayals and broken agreements. He reviews these betrayals, which began during the Syrian civil war and culminated in the current war.

In this episode of "This Week in the Middle East", the guest is Mariam Younes, a peace activist and expert on Lebanese society and Israel-Lebanon relations. Younes, a native of Lebanon, analyzes the reactions and trends in Lebanese society since the events of October 7, through the elimination of Hezbollah's leadership and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, to the campaign against Iran.

This episode's guest is Dr. Daniel Sobelman, a lecturer in international relations at the Hebrew University and a research fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard University. Dr. Sobelman, who recently published his book "The Axis of Resistance", explains the concept of asymmetric warfare, describes the development of the Axis of Resistance as a strategic community, and analyzes the effects of the current war on the axis and its perceptions.

In this episode, Yaron Friedman reviews the events of 2024 in the Middle East, a year characterized by a multi-front war and regional upheavals, and tries to assess the expected developments in 2025. The conversation moves between the different fronts, from the inner circle of Gaza and the West Bank to the wider circles of Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and the Gulf states.

The episode's guest is Khalifa Khalifa, host of the podcast "The Caliphs' Rebellion." The conversation deals with the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and its implications, with an emphasis on the situation of the Druze in the country. Khalifa analyzes the opportunities and risks facing the Druze community, Israel's role, and the broader effects of the event on Lebanon, Iran, and the Palestinian arena.