Today’s guest is Eric Margolis, an award-winning, internationally syndicated columnist. He appears as an expert on foreign affairs on CNN, BBC, France 2, France 24, Fox News, CTV, and CBC.
In this episode, Alon and Eric discuss the ongoing war on Iran, including the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing negotiations to resolve the conflict, Trump’s and Netanyahu’s motivations behind the war, US-Canada relations under Trump, and the impact of the ongoing conflict on the US midterm elections.
Originally aired April 14, 2026
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Eric S. Margolis is an award-winning, internationally syndicated columnist. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune the Los Angeles Times, Times of London, the Gulf Times, the Khaleej Times, Nation – Pakistan, Hurriyet, – Turkey, Sun Times Malaysia and other news sites in Asia.
He is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, Lew Rockwell. He appears as an expert on foreign affairs on CNN, BBC, France 2, France 24, Fox News, CTV and CBC.
His internet column www.ericmargolis.com reaches global readers on a daily basis.
As a war correspondent Margolis has covered conflicts in Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Sinai, Afghanistan, Kashmir, India, Pakistan, El Salvador and Nicaragua. He was among the first journalists to ever interview Libya’s Muammar Khadaffi and was among the first to be allowed access to KGB headquarters in Moscow.
A veteran of many conflicts in the Middle East, Margolis recently was featured in a special appearance on Britain’s Sky News TV as “the man who got it right” in his predictions about the dangerous risks and entanglements the US would face in Iraq.
A native New Yorker, he maintains residences in Toronto and New York, with frequent visits to Paris.
Today’s guest is Yossef Ben-Meir, co-founder and president of the High Atlas Foundation, a Moroccan-US nongovernment organization dedicated to sustainable development. In this episode, Alon and Yossef discuss sustainable development in Morocco and the role the High Atlas Foundation has played in development. Particularly, they discuss the importance of water infrastructure in uplifting everyday Moroccans, the environmental and societal implications of planting millions of trees across Morocco, and the critical importance of community participation in establishing development projects which will benefit local communities.
Originally broadcast April 7, 2026
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Yossef Ben-Meir is co-founder and president of the High Atlas Foundation, a Moroccan-U.S. nongovernment organization dedicated to sustainable development. In Morocco, he was also a Peace Corps Volunteer (1993-95), Associate Peace Corps Director (1998-99), Research Fellow at the American Institute of Maghreb Studies (2003-4), and Assistant Professor at Al Akhawayn University at the School of Social Sciences and Humanities (2009-2010). Dr. Ben-Meir holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of New Mexico (2009) where he also taught, an MA in international development from Clark University (1997), and a BA in economics from New York University (1991).
Today’s guest is Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. In this episode, Alon and Daoud discuss the deterioration of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process since the 1993 Oslo Accords, the failures of Israeli and Palestinian leaderships in the intervening years, and what steps can be taken now to revive the peace process and work toward realizing a Palestinian state.
Originally aired March 31, 2026
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Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is author of State of Palestine NOW: Practical and logical arguments for the best way to bring peace to the Middle East.
Today’s guest is David Rabinowitz, a retired academic psychiatrist, previously working as Director of Ambulatory Mental Health services in the Division of Psychiatry Rambam Medical Campus, Haifa Israel. Outside of the mental health field, his main interest is the political psychology of the Israel-Palestine Conflict.
In this episode, Alon and David discuss the Israeli perspective toward the current war with Iran, including the peoples’ fears and anxieties, how Netanyahu has over the past 20 years shaped the Israeli public mindset and worldview, and the political psychology of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Originally broadcast March 24, 2026
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David Rabinowitz MD is a psychiatrist with an abiding interest in the psychological dimensions of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. He is South African born and has lived in Israel since 1987. Aside from clinical work his interests have included medical education, clinical ethics, sexology and transgender health. He has worked for most of his career in a senior capacity in a major teaching hospital in Israel and had a short sabbatical in the field of the political psychology of the Palestine-Israel conflict. He is now retired from clinical practice but remains active in his fields of interest.
Today’s guest is Elie Podeh, Professor in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In this episode, Alon and Elie discuss the ongoing war against Iran and the Arab states’ response, the ongoing events in the West Bank in the context of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the international reaction to both the war in Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Originally aired March 17, 2026
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Elie Podeh is a Full Professor in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research methodology is historical, incorporating theoretical insights from the relevant social sciences.
Podeh’s main fields of interest are modern Egypt, inter-Arab relations, the Arab-Israeli conflict; and, education and culture in the Middle East. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, and a Board Member of Mitvim – the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. He has served as head of the Dept. of Islamic and Middle East Studies (2004-2009) and editor of Hamizrah Hehadash (New East, 2000-2008).
Elie Podeh has published and edited twelve books and more than seventy articles in academic journals. Among his publications: The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Israeli History Textbooks, 1948-2000 (Bergin and Garvey, 2002); Rethinking Nasserism: Revolution and Historical Memory in Modern Egypt (University Press of Florida, 2004); The Politics of National Celebrations in the Arab World (Cambridge University Press, 2011); Chances for Peace: Missed Opportunities in the Arab-Israeli Conflict (University of Texas Press, 2015); The Third Wave: Protest and Revolution in the Middle East (2017, in Hebrew). At present, he serves as the President of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Association of Israel (MEISAI).
Today’s guest is Marwan Muasher, vice president for studies at Carnegie, and former foreign minister and deputy prime minister of Jordan.
In this episode, Alon and Marwan discuss Jordan’s reaction to the war against Iran, the impacts of Israel’s actions in the West Bank on Jordan, and what the future of Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab peace may look like.
Originally aired March 10, 2026
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Marwan Muasher is vice president for studies at Carnegie, where he oversees research in Washington and Beirut on the Middle East. Muasher served as foreign minister (2002–2004) and deputy prime minister (2004–2005) of Jordan, and his career has spanned the areas of diplomacy, development, civil society, and communications.
Muasher began his career as a journalist for the Jordan Times. He then served at the Ministry of Planning, at the prime minister’s office as press adviser, and as director of the Jordan Information Bureau in Washington.
In 1995, Muasher opened Jordan’s first embassy in Israel, and in 1996 he became minister of information and the government spokesperson. From 1997 to 2002, he served in Washington again as ambassador, negotiating the first free-trade agreement between the United States and an Arab nation. He then returned to Jordan to serve as foreign minister, where he played a central role in developing the Arab Peace Initiative and the Middle East roadmap.
In 2004, he became deputy prime minister responsible for reform and government performance and led the effort to produce a ten-year plan for political, economic, and social reform. From 2006 to 2007, he was a member of the Jordanian Senate.
From 2007 to 2010, he was senior vice president of external affairs at the World Bank.
He is the author of The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation (Yale University Press, 2008) and The Second Arab Awakening and the Battle for Pluralism (Yale University Press, 2014).
Today’s guest is Abdülhamit Bilici, a veteran journalist, editor, commentator, and media executive with over 25 years of experience in journalism, editorial leadership, and international affairs. He served as CEO of Zaman Media Group until its seizure by the Turkish government in March 2016, after which he went into exile in the United States.
In this episode, Alon and Hamit discuss the current war on Iran’s impact on Turkey, what role Turkey may play in trying to find an end to the current conflict, and how this and other regional conflicts impact Turkish domestic issues, particularly in relation to the Kurds.
Originally aired March 3, 2026
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Abdülhamit Bilici is a veteran journalist, editor, commentator, and media executive with over 25 years of experience in journalism, editorial leadership, and international affairs. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of Zaman, formerly Turkey’s highest-circulating newspaper, and later as CEO of Zaman Media Group, which included Today’s Zaman (English-language daily), Cihan News Agency, and Aksiyon weekly news magazine. From 2008 to 2015, he was General Manager of Cihan News Agency, known for its extensive video news coverage and trusted election reporting across the country.
As a columnist for Zaman and Today’s Zaman, Bilici wrote on Turkish foreign policy, domestic politics, and broader international developments. He also hosted a political affairs TV program, Democracy Watch, and participated in many national and international news broadcasts.
Following the government seizure and closure of Zaman and its affiliated outlets in March 2016, Bilici went into exile in the United States. Since then, he has continued to write, speak, and provide analysis on press freedom, democratic backsliding, and human rights in Turkey.
He recently testified before the U.S. Congress, sharing firsthand experience of media repression and institutional erosion under the current Turkish government. He has also spoken at prominent platforms such as the Middle East Institute, Center for American Progress, World Affairs Councils of America, and Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. As part of his outreach, he has addressed more than 20 World Affairs Councils across the U.S. and delivered lectures at Niagara University, Clemson University, University of Central Oklahoma, Elizabethtown College, and others.
In addition to his writing in the Miami Herald, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and other publications, Bilici regularly appears in international media including CBS News, NPR, Al Jazeera, Sky News Arabic, and Voice of America. He has been interviewed on a wide range of topics including press freedom, political polarization, and Turkey’s role in global affairs.
Since 2021, he has co-hosted the weekly YouTube program Kum Saati, where he and his guests explore political, intellectual, and historical topics relevant to Turkey and the wider region. The show provides in-depth discussions on democratic values, identity, power, and public memory, drawing a growing audience of Turkish-speaking viewers around the world.
Throughout his career, Bilici has conducted interviews with high-level political leaders, including former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Israeli President Shimon Peres, and Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine Othmani.
He holds a BA in Political Science and International Affairs from Boğaziçi University, an MA in International Relations from Istanbul University, and an MBA from Fatih University. He is currently completing a PhD in International Relations, with research focusing on the intersection of media, power, and democratic institutions.
Drawing on his firsthand experience as a journalist, editor, and political exile, Hamit Bilici continues to engage in public dialogue on freedom of expression, democratic resilience, and the risks posed by authoritarian governance.
Today’s guest is Dr. Wiola Rebecka, a Doctor of Psychology and human rights activist whose work focuses on the long-term consequences of conflict-related sexual violence. In this episode, Alon and Wiola discuss the issue of abducted Ukrainian children in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which now marks its 4th year. They discuss the magnitude of this crisis in terms of number of children abducted, the various abuses taking place against abducted children, including forced Russianization and in some cases torture and sexual violence, and the support systems needed to care for these children in the aftermath.
Originally aired February 24, 2026
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Dr. Wioletta (Wiola) Rebecka is a Doctor of Psychology and human rights activist whose work focuses on the long-term consequences of conflict-related sexual violence. She is the author of the War Rape Survivors Syndrome (WRSS) framework, the heuristic model of the Social Political Nervous System (SPNS), and the SERS method (Stabilization, Education, Redirection, Self-awareness), developed for therapeutic work with survivors of sexual violence.
Today’s guest is Hafza Girdap, Spokesperson for Advocates of Silenced Turkey and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology at Hofstra University. In this episode, Alon and Hafza discuss the ten years since the attempted coup in Turkey in 2016, the countless human rights violations committed by the Erdogan government since then, and the status of women’s rights and minority rights in Turkey.
Originally published February 17, 2026
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Hafza Girdap is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology at Hofstra University and the Spokesperson for Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST). She holds a Ph.D. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Stony Brook University, New York. Her research focuses on gender, race, immigration, racialization and identity, human and women’s rights in Muslim-majority contexts, and the integration and adaptation of Muslim immigrant women, with particular attention to the redefinition of their cultural identities.
Beyond her academic work, Girdap is the director of the Gender Program at the European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS) and the co-founder of Set Them Free, a gender-based advocacy initiative. She is also the first elected Chair of the Muslim+ Feminists Caucus within the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA), where she currently serves as Co-Chair, and a member of the Sister-to-Sister Committee of Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS).
In her research, Girdap actively incorporates the voices of female survivors of conflict, examining the coping mechanisms they employ to navigate challenges such as social discrimination, oppression, and violations of basic rights across various contexts—including their home countries, refugee camps, and new settlements. By framing reidentification as a form of agency, her work not only highlights the complexities of identity negotiation but also challenges epistemic dominance by contributing to alternative modes of knowledge production.
Girdap has also expanded her work in women’s rights advocacy. Over the past seven years, she has organized and spoken at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) panels, focusing on the experiences and needs of women. She also mentors youth, encouraging their engagement as researchers and speakers in these global forums.
Today’s guest is Kiran Nazish, an award-winning journalist, professor, and founding director of the Coalition for Women in Journalism and Women Press Freedom. In this episode, Alon and Kiran discuss the state of press freedom in the United States and the transgressions that the Trump administration has committed against them; how the United States relates to other countries known as violators of press freedom; and how to protect journalists by strengthening democratic institutions.
Originally aired February 10, 2026
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Kiran Nazish is an award winning journalist, professor and founding director of the Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom.
Kiran Nazish spent two decades as a journalist and foreign correspondent covering Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Mexico and many other places in a post 9/11 world for the New York Times, LA Times, MSNBC, ABC News, USA Today and many others. Witnessing the inequality and discrimination women journalists faced in newsrooms around the world, she founded the Coalition For Women In Journalism. An organization that is closing the gender gap in the industry.
The CFWIJ is New York based and works globally with much of its work focused on support and advocacy for women, LGBTQ and non binary journalists. In 2019 Kiran Launched the Press Freedom Newsroom to bring awareness to how women journalists in particular are targeted by repressive regimes. This newsroom started with monitoring 12 countries and now (within 2 years) covers violations from 145 countries around the world. Kiran’s career spans two decades, and many regions including the Middle East, South Asia and Mexico, where she covered stories from the frontline of conflict, democracy and human rights. She was also selected as the Stanley Knowles Distinguished Professor in 2019 and 2020. And a senior fellow at New America Foundation in Washington D.C. in 2016, where she shared her expertise in the International Security Program.
Before Kiran’s initiative, launching the Press Freedom Newsroom, there was no systematic data for women targeted for their work.
Today’s guest is Yaakov Katz, a journalist, author, and senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. His newest book, co-authored with Amir Bohbot, is While Israel Slept – How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East.
In this episode, Alon and Yaakov discuss Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza and the “Trump factor” that has emerged in the peacemaking process; the need for a political, not just military, process in finding an end to the Gaza war and ultimately the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; how to bring both peoples back toward a mindset where peace could be possible; and the lack of leadership on both sides in being willing to make concessions to make real change possible.
Full bio
Yaakov Katz is an author, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute & the co-founder of MEAD, the premier Middle East-America policy forum. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to serve as a columnist.
Yaakov also writes for the Jewish Chronicle, is the host of the JPPI podcast & appears regularly on CNN and BBC as an Israel analyst.
Yaakov’s newest book (co-authored with Amir Bohbot) While Israel Slept – How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East is a national bestseller in the US. His previous three books are Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power, Weapon Wizards – How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower and Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.
Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.
Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University and spent a year as a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.
Today’s guest is Michael Bedenbaugh, a political analyst and author, whose latest book, Reviving Our Republic: 95 Theses for the Future of America, argues the need for political renewal in the United States and presents recommendations for such reforms in a historical context. Mike’s diverse background includes five years of service in the US Navy, as well as previously serving as president and executive director of Preservation South Carolina, working to protect and preserve the state’s historic places.
In this episode, we discuss the current Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Minneapolis, Minnesota, including the deaths of two civilians, the Trump administration’s strategy in conducting these operations and the general atmosphere that has been created since Trump’s return to power, and how the United States as a whole can put a stop to these actions and the general pervasive divide in the country.
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American author and political thinker Mike Bedenbaugh is a respected voice in constitutional principles and American governance, historic preservation, and community development. Born with a reverence for history, he served as the former president and executive director of Preservation South Carolina, where he led numerous initiatives that demonstrated the economic and cultural value of historic preservation.
Mike’s diverse background includes five years of service in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS South Carolina, studies in international studies and history at the University of South Carolina and Columbia University, and leadership roles in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. He was CEO of Post No Bills, Inc., a product marketing firm that collaborated with corporate powerhouses like Phillip Morris USA, RCA Records, DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, and MGM. He has also served on his hometown’s city council while his efforts in community revitalization and historic preservation earned him the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. As a member of Preservation Action in Washington, D.C., he continues to advocate for policies that strengthen local communities and honor America’s heritage.
A native of Prosperity, South Carolina, Michael remains deeply involved in his home state’s development while contributing to national discussions on governance and civic engagement. His work exemplifies the principle that understanding the past is crucial to shaping a better future. His book, Reviving Our Republic: 95 Theses for the Future of America, is an outcome of his lifelong passion for his community, state, and nation, and was inspired by America’s founding fathers and the principles that birthed a nation. Mike firmly believes the American South has had a profound impact on shaping the political culture of the USA, asserting that one cannot truly understand America without understanding South Carolina. His perspective as a descendant of twelve generations of white Southern landowners provides a grassroots understanding of the unique traditions that define Southern culture. He aims to share the real lived experience of the South, reflecting the complexity and richness of Southern history and its impact on the broader American story.
Driven by a mission to revitalize America’s founding ideals, Mike hosts the podcast Reviving Our Republic with Mike Bedenbaugh, where he explores the intersection of history, politics, and community development. His unique approach combines grassroots activism with a deep understanding of constitutional intent, offering fresh insights into modern political challenges within the United States.
Welcome to the first episode of our exclusive, subscribers-only podcast, “On the Issues: Beyond the Headlines.” Our first guest is Tsvi Bisk, an independent futurist, social researcher, and strategy planning consultant. In this episode, we discuss Israeli reactions toward October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, how geopolitics in relation to Israel has changed since that day, and whether or not there is still a prospect of peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Full bio
Tsvi Bisk is an independent futurist, social researcher, and strategy planning consultant. He is the director of the Center for Strategic Futuristic Thinking and the founder and director of the Strategic Educational Planning Institute. For more than 20 years, he was a senior associate of the Beit Berl Institute (the research and education arm of the Israel Labor Movement). Bisk is the author of five books, and has published more than one hundred essays and articles in English and Hebrew in a variety of publications. His latest book is titled Cosmodeism: A Worldview for the Space-Age: How an Evolutionary Cosmos is Creating God.
We are happy to welcome back to the podcast Moshe Ma’oz, Professor Emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a previous Director of the university’s Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace. In this episode, Alon and Moshe discuss Israeli perspectives of the last two years of conflict with the Palestinians, global perspectives towards a Palestinian state and a two-state solution, and the still-indispensable role of the United States in finding a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Bio
Moshe Ma’oz is Professor Emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a previous Director of the university’s Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace. Professor Ma’oz is renowned for his expertise in Arab and Middle East affairs, and has published extensively on Islam and on the history and politics of the Middle East. He is a leading expert on Syria. Professor Ma’oz has been a visiting professor, scholar, and fellow at many leading universities and institutions around the world. He has served as an advisor on Arab Affairs for Israel’s Knesset, and was a member of official advisory committees that counseled the late Prime Ministers Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.
Released January 13, 2025