On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir

Alon Ben-Meir
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Podcast by Alon Ben-Meir

  1. 4d ago

    On the Issues Episode 172: Dania Arayssi

    Today’s guest is Dr. Dania Arayssi, a Senior Research Fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and a scholar of Middle East political economy and participation. She also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and teaches at George Washington University. Her research focuses on Middle East politics, with particular expertise in Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Hezbollah. In this episode, Alon and Dania discuss the fragmentation of the order and power that used to exist in the Middle East, the efforts of Iran to spread their influence and power in an attempt to hold on to the old order, the possibility of a NATO-like alliance in the Middle East, and the potential for security arrangements like the Mecca Agreement eventually encompassing Israel alongside its neighbors. Full bio Dania Arayssi, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and a scholar of Middle East political economy and participation. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Colorado Boulder, where her dissertation examined the political effects of remittances and civic engagement in the Middle East. She also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at CU Boulder and held fellowships with the Barney Ford Lab for Civic Thought and Engagement and the Institute of Behavioral Science. Arayssi also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and teaches at George Washington University. Before joining New Lines, Arayssi held analytical and research roles with the World Bank, USAID, Oxfam America, and the U.S. Army War College. Her research focuses on Middle East politics, with particular expertise in Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Hezbollah. Her doctoral work investigates how remittance income shapes political behavior and civic engagement in Lebanon, challenging conventional theories of political mobilization. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Beirut and leads survey research initiatives examining political participation patterns across the region. Dania’s broader research interests include democracy and peace studies, development economics, economic policy, elections and voting behavior, non-state actors and ideology, protest movements, race and representation, regime change, and trust development. She has particular expertise in the role of civil society organizations in political transitions and democratization processes. At the New Lines Institute, Dania’s work addresses critical policy questions related to Syrian political transitions, minority inclusion in post-conflict governance, and regional security dynamics. Her recent publications analyze Al-Sharaa’s governance model in Syria and the implications for U.S. strategic interests in the region. She regularly briefs congressional staff and policymakers on Middle East security issues. Her work has been published by Foreign Policy and the Digest of Middle East Studies as well as regional and international media outlets. Dania holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Colorado Boulder, a Master of Public Policy from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, a master’s degree in History of International Relations from Saint Joseph University in Beirut, and a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the American University of Science and Technology. She has also completed a Diploma in International Criminal Law from the Asser Institute in The Hague.

    On the Issues Episode 172: Dania Arayssi

  2. Oct 16

    On the Issues Episode 171: G.G. Dwivedi

    Today’s guest is Major General G. G. Dwivedi. He retired as an Assistant Chief Integrated Defense Staff in the Indian Army in 2009 after 38 years of distinguished service. He is a professor of International Relations and has taught at a number of universities, including Aligarh University, where he was instrumental in establishing the Faculty of International Studies. He has authored/edited five books; published over 50 articles including book chapters on Geo Strategy, National Security and Leadership, and over 70 short pieces in the leading professional journals and national dailies. In this episode, Alon and Major General Dwivedi discuss the changing winds in West Asia specifically since Trump came to power in the US, the impact of the war in Iran on Asian countries, especially India and China, and the diminishing of American influence in the region. Full bio Major General G G Dwivedi retired as an Assistant Chief Integrated Defence Staff (strategic) in 2009, after 38 years of distinguished service in the Indian Army (Infantry). A Veteran of the Bangladesh War in 1971, he later commanded unit/formations in intense operational environment; as well as held important staff, instructional and foreign assignments. A graduate of National Defence Academy Kharkvasla, he holds M Sc, MBA, M.Phil (double) in Defence & Strategic Studies from Madras University and a Ph.D. in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Besides Interpretership in Chinese from the School of Foreign Languages, he obtained ‘Art & Practice of Leadership Development’ and Senior Executives Programme in National/International Security from Harvard Kennedy School, USA. An alumnus of National Defence College, he has been faculty at Indian Military Academy Dehradun and Defence Services Staff College Wellington; served as Defence Attaché in China, Mongolia, and North Korea. He was instrumental in the formulation of numerous concept papers and doctrines as the Head of Doctrine/Strategic Branches. From 2013-17, he was a Professor of International Relations at Aligarh University, a central university, and was instrumental in establishing the new Faculty of International Studies. Currently he is a Visiting Faculty at Foreign Services Institute Delhi, Panjab University Chandigarh and North Cap University, Gurgaon, and is a resource person for UGC HRD Centers of Leading Central Universities. He has authored/edited five books; published over 50 articles including book chapters on Geo Strategy, National Security and Leadership, and over 70 short pieces in the leading professional journals and national dailies. A member of renowned think tanks, he regularly guest speaks at premier ‘Centers of Excellence’ both in India and abroad and appears frequently on national television as a panelist.

    On the Issues Episode 171: G.G. Dwivedi

  3. Oct 14

    On the Issues Episode 170: Serap Fišo

    Today’s guest is Serap Fišo, an independent researcher, freelance project expert, social activist, and storyteller. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science and Sociology from the International University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 2023, where she examined forced migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and identity construction in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this episode, Alon and Serap discuss how the Bosnian war and the subsequent Dayton Peace Agreement affected women’s development in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially academic challenges faced by women, how socioeconomic issues fueled displacement and migration, and memory and history and their impact on refugees, especially women. In addition, they discuss I Want to Live, a participatory theatre initiative involving migrants from a number of countries living in Sarajevo, exploring womanhood, migration, displacement, family, and belonging. Full bio Serap Fišo is an independent researcher, freelance project expert, social activist, and storyteller, born and raised in Lüleburgaz, Türkiye. She comes from a Macedonian-Turkish family whose roots trace back to Štip, North Macedonia. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science and Sociology from the International University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 2023. Her doctoral research examined forced migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and identity construction in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. From 2014 to 2023, she was engaged in higher education and academic research as a Senior Assistant in the Department of Political Science at the International University of Sarajevo. She currently works as a freelance project expert and independent researcher. Her research interests include migration studies, women’s and gender studies, memory studies, qualitative research methodologies, participatory and community-based arts, and post-conflict peacebuilding.

    On the Issues Episode 170: Serap Fišo

  4. Oct 7

    On the Issues Episode 169: Michael Wuthrich

    Today’s guest is Michael Wuthrich, Associate Professor of Political Science and the Associate Director for Global & International Studies at the University of Kansas. He is co-author of the book, Beyond Piety and Politics: Religion, Social Relations, and Public Preferences in the Middle East and North Africa. In this episode, Alon and Mike discuss the intersection of religion and politics, particularly in the non-Arab Muslim countries of Turkey and Iran, what has been behind the growth of Islam globally, changes in secularism in Turkey under Erdogan, and the impact of the Islamic Republic on religiosity for everyday people in Iran. Full bio Mike Wuthrich is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Associate Director for Global & International Studies at the University of Kansas. He received his PhD in Political Science from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey in 2011. His interests are Middle East politics, particularly Turkish, Kurdish, and Iranian politics, parties and party systems, electoral behavior, religion and politics, women and politics in Turkey, and nationalism. His publications have appeared in Journal of Democracy, Political Research Quarterly, Parliamentary Affairs, the International Journal of Middle East Studies, the Middle East Journal, and Turkish Studies among others. He is co-author of the book, Beyond Piety and Politics: Religion, Social Relations, and Public Preferences in the Middle East and North Africa, with Indiana University Press in 2022. His book, National Elections in Turkey: People, Politics, and the Party System was published in 2015 with Syracuse University Press.

    On the Issues Episode 169: Michael Wuthrich

  5. Sep 30

    On the Issues Episode 168: Tony Klug

    Today’s guest is Tony Klug, a Middle East analyst who has been a senior advisor on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group and a consultant to the Palestine Strategy Group and the Israeli Strategic Forum. In this episode, Alon and Tony discuss the plausibility of a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the feasibility of such a resolution, the past negotiations between Israel, the Palestinians, and involved Arab states, and what can be done based on the current facts on the ground. Full bio Dr Tony Klug has been a senior advisor on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group and a consultant to the Palestine Strategy Group and the Israeli Strategic Forum. He has written extensively about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the early 1970s and was one of the first advocates of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel in the wake of the 1967 war. His PhD thesis (1979) was on the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. For many years, he worked at Amnesty International, where he headed the international development program.

    On the Issues Episode 168: Tony Klug

  6. Sep 23

    On the Issues Episode 167: Alex de Waal

    Welcome to another episode of “On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir.” Today’s guest is Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation. Considered one of the foremost experts on Sudan and the Horn of Africa, his scholarly work and practice has also probed humanitarian crisis and response, human rights, HIV/AIDS and governance in Africa, and conflict and peace-building. In this episode, Alon and Alex discuss the background of the current war in Sudan, both the immediate spark and the underlying history, the role of external forces in the conflict, the prospects for a resolution to this conflict, and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe that has been fueled by this war. Full bio Alex de Waal is the Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation. Considered one of the foremost experts on Sudan and the Horn of Africa, his scholarly work and practice has also probed humanitarian crisis and response, human rights, HIV/AIDS and governance in Africa, and conflict and peace-building. His latest book is Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine (Polity Press 2017). He is also he author of The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa (Polity Press, 2015), a full list of his publications is available below. Following a fellowship with the Global Equity Initiative at Harvard (2004-06), he worked with the Social Science Research Council as Director of the program on HIV/AIDS and Social Transformation, and led projects on conflict and humanitarian crises in Africa (2006-09). During 2005-06, de Waal was seconded to the African Union mediation team for Darfur and from 2009-11 served as senior adviser to the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan, where he took on a number of roles in the negotiations leading to the independence of South Sudan. He was on the list of Foreign Policy's 100 most influential public intellectuals in 2008 and Atlantic Monthly's 27 "brave thinkers" in 2009.

    On the Issues Episode 167: Alex de Waal

  7. Sep 16

    On the Issues Episode 166: Aaron David Miller

    Today’s guest is Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Between 1978 and 2003, he served at the State Department as an historian, analyst, negotiator, and advisor to Republican and Democratic secretaries of state, where he helped formulate U.S. policy on the Middle East and the Arab-Israel peace process, most recently as the senior advisor for Arab-Israeli negotiations. In this episode, Alon and Aaron discuss the current state of Israeli-Palestinian affairs and what the prospects are for peace, including regionally, what we may see from the upcoming elections in Israel, the current status of the Iran war and its implications for the region, the Gulf states’ concerns about their security in the war’s aftermath, Israel’s gains and losses from the war, and the state of US foreign policy under Trump toward the region. Full bio Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on U.S. foreign policy. He has written five books, including his most recent, The End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have (and Doesn’t Want) Another Great President (Palgrave, 2014) and The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace (Bantam, 2008), and hosts Carnegie Connects, Carnegie’s premier live podcast. He received his PhD in Middle East and U.S. diplomatic history from the University of Michigan in 1977. Between 1978 and 2003, Miller served at the State Department as an historian, analyst, negotiator, and advisor to Republican and Democratic secretaries of state, where he helped formulate U.S. policy on the Middle East and the Arab-Israel peace process, most recently as the senior advisor for Arab-Israeli negotiations. He also served as the deputy special Middle East coordinator for Arab-Israeli negotiations, senior member of the State Department’s policy planning staff, in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and in the office of the historian. He has received the department’s Distinguished, Superior, and Meritorious Honor Awards. Miller is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and formerly served as resident scholar at the Georgetown Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has been a featured presenter at the World Economic Forum and leading U.S. universities. Between 2003 and 2006 he served as president of Seeds of Peace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence. From 2006 to 2019, Miller was a public policy scholar; vice president for new initiatives, and director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Miller’s articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Foreign Policy, and Foreign Affairs. He is a frequent commentator on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, BBC, and Sirius XM radio.

    On the Issues Episode 166: Aaron David Miller

  8. Sep 9

    On the Issues Episode 165: Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

    Today’s podcast guest is Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Previously, he worked as senior Gulf analyst at the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies and as codirector of the Kuwait Program on Development, Governance and Globalization in the Gulf States at the London School of Economics. In this episode, Alon and Kristian discuss the still-ongoing war on Iran, the impact the war has had on the Gulf States, Trump’s ability or failure to negotiate an end to the conflict, and whether or not we may see further escalation of the conflict. Full bio Kristian Coates Ulrichsen is the Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Working across the disciplines of political science, international relations and international political economy, his research examines the changing position of Persian Gulf states in the global order, as well as the emergence of longer-term, nonmilitary challenges to regional security. Previously, he worked as senior Gulf analyst at the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies and as codirector of the Kuwait Program on Development, Governance and Globalization in the Gulf States at the London School of Economics. Coates Ulrichsen has published extensively on the Gulf. His most recent books include The Gulf States in International Political Economy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) and The United Arab Emirates: Power, Politics, and Policymaking (Routledge, 2016). His articles have appeared in numerous academic journals, including Global Policy and the Journal of Arabian Studies, and he consults regularly on Gulf issues for Oxford Analytica and the Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Center. He also writes regularly for the Economist Intelligence Unit, Open Democracy, and Foreign Policy, and authors a monthly column for Gulf Business News and Analysis. He holds a doctorate in history from the University of Cambridge.

    On the Issues Episode 165: Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
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