Our Middle East: An Insider's View

JNS Podcasts
  • 4.8 (6)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Ever get the feeling that there is more to the story in the Middle East than what you see in the news? Want to know what really is going on in Israel and in the wider region? Our Middle East with foreign policy expert Dan Diker and Israeli-Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh is an insider’s view of the Middle East revealing what goes on behind the scenes of the world’s most volatile region. A JNS show in partnership with Jerusalem Center of Public Affairs. Loved Our Middle East's podcast? There’s more where that came from! Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive insights and stories you won’t find anywhere else. Every donation helps us to ensure that truth and accuracy lead the narrative. Help us fight for accurate headlines. Your Donation makes a difference.

  1. NOV 4

    Is the UN Shielding Hamas? The Gaza Plan Backfiring

    Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh argue that the UN-driven, internationally managed “Trump 20-point plan” is constraining Israel while Hamas exploits the ceasefire to rearm, regroup and entrench control in Gaza. They warn that vague terms like “demilitarization” and “decommissioning” (without explicit disarmament) enable loopholes, drawing lessons from Hezbollah in Lebanon. They caution against rebranding Hamas through new “security forces,” urge clan-based regime change backed by the West, oppose granting safe passage to wanted militants, and connect Western political trends, like New York’s mayoral race, to a wider jihadist information war. The episode closes with a call to replace Hamas entirely and build genuine Arab-Jewish bridges through clear-eyed policy, not wishful thinking.

    35 min

  2. OCT 23

    They're Executing Gazans! A Mass Hamas Takeover Has Begun in Gaza...

    Our Middle East: An Insider's View

    28 min

  3. OCT 23

    Something Very Suspicious Is Happening With Trump’s Plan in Gaza...

    In today's episode we discuss the Trump Peace plan in Gaza and why it can get more complicated than people think.

    37 min

  4. SEP 28

    Arafat’s strategy lives on: The PA’s war on Israel at the UN

    Western powers like the U.K., France, Australia and Canada are all rewarding jihad and encouraging further violence by embracing a Palestinian state that lacks borders, governance or unity. Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs President Dan Diker and Senior Fellow at the JCFA and Gatestone Institute Khaled Abu Toameh deliver an acute analysis of the international community’s recent push to recognize a Palestinian state and the dangerous fallout already unfolding. Abu Toameh, a top Arab affairs journalist and longtime observer of the Palestinian street, explains how the Palestinian Authority’s decade-long diplomatic campaign has culminated in a global public relations victory that Hamas is now capitalizing on. Dan Diker traces the origins of this diplomatic warfare to Yasser Arafat and the 1970s UN resolutions, showing how history, law and logic have been sidelined by anti-Israel sentiment and strategic confusion in the West. Together, the hosts warn that these recognitions don’t bring peace, but will embolden Iran-backed jihadist groups, fuel instability in Judea and Samaria and undermine any real hope for coexistence. Topics covered: The PA and Hamas's two-pronged anti-Israel strategy How October 7 is being retroactively justified The rise of Iranian-backed terror cells in the West Bank The failure of Arab states to oppose Hamas Israel’s urgent need for a clear post-PA strategy The "Hebron First" tribal governance alternative Why Qatar is not a mediator, but a co-conspirator

    36 min

  5. SEP 14

    9/11 to October 7: Mosab Hassan Yousef Warns the West About Jihad’s Real Goal

    'Son of Hamas,' Mosab Hassan Yousef, joins Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, to discuss the disturbing legacy of jihad from September 11, 2001 to Oct. 7, 2023, revealing how Islamic extremism has not only survived but mutated into even more dangerous global forms.

    42 min

  6. SEP 7

    Middle East at a Crossroads: Will Hamas Fall or Rise Again?

    The Middle East is entering one of the most critical turning points the region has faced in decades. Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and Khaled Abu Toameh, Senior Fellow at the JCFA and the Gatestone Institute, sit down to discuss this historic juncture. The discussion opens with Israel’s military operation in Gaza and the unprecedented backing it has received from the United States. With Washington proposing a potential trusteeship over Gaza, the hosts ask whether this moment could mark the defeat of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and the beginning of a new regional order, or whether the area risks becoming further entrenched as a hub of jihad fueled by Iran and its proxies.

    34 min

  7. SEP 4

    Our Middle East: A Defining Moment for Israel, Gaza, and the Region

    In this episode of Our Middle East, Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and Khaled Abu Toameh, Senior Fellow at the JCFA and the Gatestone Institute, explore one of the most critical turning points in the Middle East in decades. They analyze Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the unprecedented support it is receiving from the United States, and proposals for a trusteeship that could reshape the territory’s future. The conversation examines Hamas’s strategy of prolonging the conflict, the ongoing hostage crisis, and the mounting international pressure on Israel from the United Nations, France, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union. The hosts also discuss the reluctance of Arab powers such as Qatar and Egypt to take meaningful steps to pressure Hamas, and the consequences this has for Palestinians and the wider region. Diker and Abu Toameh consider the broader implications for Lebanon and Syria, where Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed groups are watching Israel’s moves closely. They emphasize that this conflict is not only political or territorial but also an ideological battle against radical jihadist movements seeking to undermine Israel’s very existence. Our Middle East offers timely and authoritative analysis, raising the question of whether this moment could lead to the emergence of a truly new Middle East shaped by Israel, the United States, and moderate Arab states, or whether radical forces will continue to dominate the region.

    34 min

  8. AUG 15

    Gaza’s About to Change Forever (the end of the war?)

    With Hamas leaders under mounting pressure from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the Arab League, hosts Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh explore whether we’re witnessing the beginning of Hamas’s end or the setup for another major confrontation. The discussion examines reports of high-stakes negotiations in Cairo, where an “all-for-all” exchange, freeing all Israeli hostages in return for Hamas prisoners, is reportedly on the table. Could this be the “deal of the century” that reshapes Gaza’s future, or will Hamas attempt a last-minute power play to maintain control? Chapters 00:00 The Current State of Hamas and Israel 02:53 Pressure on Hamas and Regional Dynamics 05:52 Arab League's Stance and International Reactions 08:47 The Future of Gaza and Hamas's Role 12:03 Demilitarization and Reconstruction of Gaza 14:51 Israel's Narrative and Public Diplomacy 17:51 Understanding Jihad and Hamas's Ideology 20:48 The Complexity of Palestinian Politics 23:46 The Role of the West in the Middle East 27:03 Cultural Misunderstandings and the Path Forward

    34 min
See All (54)

4.8
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Ever get the feeling that there is more to the story in the Middle East than what you see in the news? Want to know what really is going on in Israel and in the wider region? Our Middle East with foreign policy expert Dan Diker and Israeli-Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh is an insider’s view of the Middle East revealing what goes on behind the scenes of the world’s most volatile region. A JNS show in partnership with Jerusalem Center of Public Affairs. Loved Our Middle East's podcast? There’s more where that came from! Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive insights and stories you won’t find anywhere else. Every donation helps us to ensure that truth and accuracy lead the narrative. Help us fight for accurate headlines. Your Donation makes a difference.

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