Explore every episode of the podcast Our Middle East: An Insider's View

Is a quiet revolution brewing in the West Bank? Several Hebron Sheikhs have just made an unprecedented offer: peace with Israel without the Palestinian Authority. Could this be the next chapter of the Abraham Accords or is it nothing but bluster? Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and Khaled Abu Toameh, renowned Arab affairs journalist and Senior Fellow at JCFA and Gatestone Institute, unpack a groundbreaking development: influential Hebron clan leaders, without the Palestinian Authority, have proposed a peace initiative directly with Israel. In a move reported by the Wall Street Journal, Sheikh Adiyah Al-Jabari and other prominent clan figures from Hebron have publicly endorsed coexistence and commerce with Israel, bypassing the corruption-plagued Palestinian Authority. Diker and Abu Toameh analyze whether this “Hebron model” could mark the beginning of a post-PA, bottom-up peace structure based on traditional clan governance and economic cooperation.

How does Israel’s lightning strike against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and its new mastery of Tehran’s skies change the Middle East chessboard? Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), and Khaled Abu Toameh, Senior Fellow at JCFA and the Gatestone Institute, break down why the Jewish state’s restored deterrence is being quietly cheered from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi and what that means for tomorrow’s alliances.

JCPA President Dan Diker and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu-Toameh speak with Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi about the Biden administration sanctioning four "settlers" for violence against Palestinians. They discuss the implications of such an act and what signals it sends throughout Palestinian society and the region. Furthermore, they talk about a major story that is not being focused on - the increase in violence and attempted attacks of Arabs against Jews in Judea and Samaria.

What is being discussed in a potential hostage deal with Hamas? Is any deal with the terrorist organization good for Israel? Has the West once again misunderstood what is going on?JCPA President Dan DIker and Arab Israeli Journalist Khaled Abu Toameh discuss what this will mean to the Arab world and the enemies of the West.

Can the IDF defeat Hamas? Is the Palestinian Authority a viable replacement? Who will be in charge of security? Are the Americans out of touch with the reality on the ground?In this episode of “Our Middle East”, JCPA President Dr. Dan Diker and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh discuss “the day after” the war in Gaza with JCPA Fellow and Arab Expert Yoni Ben Menahem.

Antony Blinken and the United States to call for a two-state solution. But is this realistic? Is this something that the Israeli or the Palestinian people want? Is Washington out of step with the people of the region and with the reality on the ground?Dr. Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh discuss this on this episode of the "Our Middle East".

Vahid Beheshti, an independent journalist and Iranian human rights activist based in London, became famous after completing a 72-day hunger strike followed by a sit-in last year. In summer 2023, he joined the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs' initiative in the British House of Lords, to outlaw the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.Host Dan Diker met Beheshti and his wife Mattie in Jerusalem to discuss their opposition activism against the Iranian regime and the war in Israel from an Iranian perspective on this episode of the "Our Middle East" podcast.

More than three months after Hamas' "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel on October 7, we are witnessing a tidal wave of antisemitic violence in the U.S., particularly on college campuses. Meanwhile, 129 Israeli hostages are still in captivity in Gaza by the terror organization while the world remains silent.Why haven't the hostages been freed yet? Why haven't Western and Arab countries put more pressure on Hamas?Co-hosts Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh discuss this and more on this episode JNS-JCPA's "Our Middle East" podcast.

Israeli Arabs have been brought closer to Jews because of the atrocities of October 7th, wanting to disassociate themselves from the cruelty and what they see as the un-Islamic behavior of Hamas. Does this present an opportunity to bring Israeli Arabs and Gazans closer to Israel?Cohosts Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh discuss.

Co-hosts Dan Diker and Khaled Abu-Toameh delve into the Middle East war happening on campuses as radical groups yell "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free" and march for Hamas.

Has Hamas lost control of Gaza? What is the Arab press saying? What is the future of the Strip and should it be given to the Palestinian Authority?Hosts JCPA President Dan Diker and JCPA Fellow, Gatestone Senior Fellow and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh discuss

How did Hamas deceive the whole world about their plans to attack Israel? What is the Arab street and press saying about the October 7th attacks?Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh rejoins host Dan Diker on Our Middle East to discuss The way that Hamas duped the West, Israel, and part of the Arab world What the Arab press believes happened on Oct. 7th The Palestinian leadership's efforts to make the conflict religious and how they are aiming to ultimately attack Western countries. Our Middle East is your inside look into what is really happening in the region!

In this episode of “Our Middle East,” Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs, and Khaled Abu Toameh, Senior Fellow at JCFA and the Gatestone Institute, unpack why Gaza is no longer a local conflict—it’s a global flashpoint.The hosts warn that failure to decisively defeat Hamas will destabilize not only Israel’s southern front but entire Arab regimes in Jordan and Egypt, empower the Muslim Brotherhood and embolden Iran’s terror proxies across the region—from Yemen and Syria to university campuses in the United States.

Does America really stand with Israel? Are we heading to a larger regional conflict with Iran?On this episode of “Our Middle East”, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president Dan Diker speaks with Dr. David Wurmser, former senior advisor to former United States Vice President Dick Cheney. David Wurmser.

How is the war and the Hamas attack on Israel being viewed in the Arab world? Who is really behind this unprecedented bloodshed? JCPA President Dan Diker discusses with Arab Affairs Expert Yoni Ben Menahem.

In this week’s episode of “Our Middle East” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president Dan Diker speaks with guest Mehrdad Youssefiani, a long-time senior advisor and former bureau chief to Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran. They discussed Iranian mullahs’ opposition in the eight-million strong Iranian diaspora in the West, and its potential impact in toppling the theocratic and dictatorial regime.

Why are so many Eritrean refugees making their way to Israel? Is there a stronger connection between the Jewish State and the Eritrean people than we realize? Does Eritrea have more strategic and political importance to Israel than we know?On today’s episode of “Our Middle East” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president Dan Diker talks with his guest, Eritrean refugee to Israel Habtom Mehari, a doctoral candidate at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and part of the Agaiazian movement for a democratic Eritrea.

How can the Iranian people of today create the free and democratic Iran of tomorrow? How can the revolution succeed? What does the Iranian opposition actually believe? In this week’s episode of “Our Middle East,” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president and host Dan Diker talks with Mohsen Sazegara, 68, a senior leader of the Iran Transition Council, to get an inside look at the state of the opposition. A former supporter of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Sazegara was one of the founders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) afterward. He held several government posts in the 1980s and sought reform. After becoming disillusioned with the revolution and Islamist rule, Sazegara left the government and has become a prominent pro-democracy activist in and outside Iran.

Will the Iranian people ever see any of this money? Can the opposition protests continue? On this episode of Our Middle East, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs President Dan Diker speaks with JCPA Iran Intelligence expert Lt.-Cl. (Ret.) Michael Segall about the Biden administration’s prisoner deal with the Iranian regime. Michael served at the Israel Defense Force (IDF) Intelligence Directorate as the Former Head of International and Iranian Desks.

Is normalization a fact or a fiction fantasized by a misguided White House? Would a Saudi/Israel normalization even be good for Israel? Does Saudi Arabia even want peace with Israel?In this episode of Our Middle East, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs President Dan Diker speaks with U.S.-based Middle East analyst Irina Tsukerman of the Arabian Peninsula Institute about the “security mayhem” of the Middle East.

Are the recent efforts by the Biden administration for Saudi/Israeli normalization a pathway to peace or disaster for Israel?In this episode of Our Middle East, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Dan Diker and JCPA analyst, Arab affairs expert, and veteran journalist Yoni Ben Menahem discuss talk of an American-initiated Saudi-Israeli peace and normalization deal after U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan was dispatched to Jeddah to speak with Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Will AI be used for the stability of the region or its destruction? Can Israel use it to forge peace with its neighbors?Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs President Dan Diker hosts Harry Rubin, an American expert in technology transfer and artificial intelligence to discuss how it will transform the region.

In this episode of the Our Middle East podcast, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs President Dan Diker welcomes Rabbi Ben de Toledo, Rabbi-in-Residence at the Abrahamic Family Houses’ Moses ben Maimon Synagogue, in Abu Dhabi.

Is the Palestinian Authority on the verge of collapse? In this hard-hitting episode of “Our Middle East,” Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs (JCFA), and Khaled Abu Toameh, Senior Fellow at JCFA and the Gatestone Institute, dive deep into the inner workings of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its growing instability—an issue with direct implications for Israel, the Arab world and global security.

Has the US sent the wrong signals to its allies and enemies alike? Why is the US pushing to make a deal with Iran as the regime terrorizes Israel from Jenin? Is the US missing an opportunity to form a bond between the Iranian people and Israel? In this episode of the “Our Middle East” podcast, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president and host Dan Diker has on Malcolm Hoenlein, former Executive Vice Chairman, and current Vice Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations to discuss.

Why has Israel started an operation in Jenin? Is Iran spreading its tentacles deep into Israel?On this week's Our Middle East, host Dan Diker speaks with Arab Affairs expert Yoni Ben Menachem to give an inside perspective on the current operation being conducted by the IDF in Jenin.They talk about the buildup of terrorist forces connected to Iran in the West Bank and how previous governments should have already acted against it. Iran's goal in supporting various factions within and on the border of Israel What the IDF needs to do in order to be a successful operation. You want to miss this one!

What do the Palestinians need to do in order to join the normalization happening throughout the region?In this episode of “Our Middle East,” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs President Dan Diker has on Bahraini journalist Abdullah Junaid, Deputy Director of MENA 2050. MENA2050 is an organization led by a big cross-generational group from across the Middle East & North Africa Region working together on an agreed vision for the region in 2050.

Is the Israeli government getting in its own way by talking about normalization too much? Can more be done to welcome Arab tourists?In this week's "Our Middle East", host Dan Diker has Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum on to discuss the art of quiet diplomacy and the steps needed to bring peace to the regionThey discuss the key role business plays in making peace possible the need to make Israel more welcoming to Arab tourism. the harm that is done in speaking too publicly about Saudi/Israeli normalization

In this week’s episode of "Our Middle East," Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs President Dan Diker hosts Suzan Quitaz, a Kurdish-Swedish journalist based in London. Because they were Kurds, Quitaz’s family was deported from Iraqi Kurdistan when it was under the control of Saddam Hussein and she grew up in Sweden.They discuss the commonality of the Kurdish and Jewish story the want of the people of the Middle East to make peace with Israel the grave misunderstandings by the US about the region

Watch for an inside look into what is happening in the Gulf!On this episode of "Our Middle East," Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president Dan Diker hosts JCPA’s General Director Yechiel Leiter, who recently visited the Gulf to meet with and consult political and thought leaders about Israeli-Gulf relations, especially in light of the recent yet conditional China-brokered Iranian-Saudi rapprochement.Hear about what is really going on in the Middle East!

Why has Syria been invited back into the Arab League by Saudi Arabia? Why has Saudi Arabia closened relations with Iran and China? Is this a real reestablishment of ties or does Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Ben Salman have a different end-game in mind? In this episode of Our Middle East, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president and host Dan Diker welcomes former Bahraini Journalists Association president Ahdeya Ahmed and former chief of the Israeli Broadcasting Authority and JCPA analyst Yoni Ben Menahem for an analysis of the Saudi-initiated invitation to Syria to rejoin the Arab League.

With new channels opened between Saudi Arabia and Iran and Hamas gaining strength in the region will Israel be left alone? Is the decades-old hope for peace with Israel’s neighbors dead in the water? Host Dan Diker discusses with Middle East expert Aviram Bellaishe and the former president of the Bahraini Journalists’ Association, Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed.They discussHamas’ Visit to Saudi Arabia The West’s misunderstanding that the Middle East is a region of contradictory and intertwined interests. The Crown Prince of Iran’s visit to Israel The continuing engagement of Arab nations with Israel including Saudi Arabia

Why is the international community obsessed with hating Israel? What are the roots of the "new" anti-Zionism? Cohosts Daniel Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh discuss with Former MK Michal Cotler-Wunsch and Wilson Center researcher and Soviet expert Izabella Tabarovsky discuss The antisemitic Soviet roots of anti-Zionism The hijacking of human rights language to paint Israel as a pariah state. The appearance of “anti-Zionism” in online anti-Semitism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hatred of Israel in the international community and in Palestinian society and its effect on everyday Palestinians. The end result of both anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism is the same - violence against Jews.

Where does Israel fit in in the new Middle East/Africa order?In this episode of “Our Middle East” host and Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president Dan Diker hosts JCPA General Manager Dr. Yechiel Leiter and Shemsu Edris Mohammed, president and secretary of the Ethiopian Diaspora Association. They recently attended the JCPA’s international conference in Jerusalem on March 27 through 29, along with delegates from 30 African and Arab statesThey discuss A changing region in both Africa and the Middle East and how that is shifting alliances. The shared experiences and threats that bring Israel and the African and Arab states together. Israel's innovation and technology that can help both regions

“Our Middle East,” hosted by Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs (JCFA), and Khaled Abu Toameh, Senior Fellow at the JCFA and the Gatestone Institute, returns with a hard-hitting episode on the region’s most pressing challenges and missed opportunities. 🔥 Topics covered: Trump’s Gaza relocation vision: humanitarian solution or strategic misstep?Why many Gazans want to leave — and what’s stopping themThe failure of international organizations and the Arab League to offer real solutionsThe dangers of Hamas remaining in power and why military defeat is criticalThe myth of the Palestinian Authority as a viable alternative in GazaEgypt’s refusal to take in refugees and the politics of Arab statesIran’s role as the central destabilizing force in the region

Is Israel an apartheid state?In this episode of “Our Middle East,” the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs brings together an all-star panel to discuss the apartheid libel against Israel. Hear what South African activist and former BDS leader Klaas Mokgomole, South African journalist Rolene Marks, American Black pastor Dumisani Washington and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh have to say on the matter. They discuss The gross comparison between the South African apartheid regime and the Israel/Palestinian condition. How the label distracts from the real problems facing Arab-Israelis How the label shuts down any kind of community-building and dialogue

A leading Arab and Islamic affairs analyst, former head of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and a Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) fellow, Yoni Ben Menahem joins Dan Diker to discuss Iran’s long reach in the Middle East and the recent terror attacks in Israel.They discuss Iran's reach through proxies into the heart of Israel The plan to increase terror attacks as Ramadan approaches Hezbollah's read that Israel is weak due to protests and oil deals with Lebanon. Iran-Saudi Rapprochement - Palestinian's society attitude toward Israel

Does the China-brokered Saudi-Iranian Pact signify a new Middle East or merely a respite between regional rivals? In Episode 4 of “Our Middle East”, co-hosts Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh break down the new Iranian-Saudi rapprochement with Dr. Harold Rhode, a 28-year veteran American diplomat as an advisor on the Islamic world in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. They discuss America's blunders and fundamental misunderstandings of the region What does this mean for Israel and the Abraham Accords? Is this a realignment or just a negotiating strategy? What should happen now Listen now to the full episode!

Are the Western media and some governments making peace in the region more difficult to attain?Many in the Western media, governments and even some Jewish organizations have adopted the idea of the centricity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and have criticized Israel as being the bad actor in the region. What effect is this having on the conflict? Is this bringing the region closer to peace? and is this even helping the Palestinians?In this episode of “Our Middle East,” cohosts Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh have on Malcolm Hoenlein, the vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, to discuss.

Recently, the relationship between the black and Jewish communities has become strained due to rising anti-Semitism and intersectional ideologies that see Jews as white oppressors. In today’s episode of “Our Middle East”, Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh talk with Pastor Dumisani Washington, founder of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel, one of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs’ partner organizations. Together they discuss the long and complicated relationship between Israel, the American black community and Jews. what can be done to bring the Black American community closer to Israel? the diverse approach to politics that the Arab-Israeli minority takes toward Israel the common inspiration that African and Arab communities see in Israel. Last, but not least, Dan Diker reveals information about a history-making delegation coming to Israel.

In this launch episode, co-Hosts Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh preview their general view of the Middle East and Israel’s place in it as well as why they are they are starting the show.

Dan Diker and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh talk with former African slave Simon Deng and refugee Naka Pitia about their steadfast support for Israel against Hamas. They explain how the October 7th atrocities remind them of the horrors that were done to the South Sudanese and how that has led them to stand with Israel during these troubling times.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/our-middle-east-an-insider-s-view--5792626/support.Can Hamas really not find the hostages or is Hamas stalling with fake hostage negotiations? Is an attack being planned for the month of Ramadan? Is international pressure on Israel strengthening and playing right into the hands of Hamas?JCPA President Dan Diker and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh discuss the recent hostage negotiations and the game being played by the terrorist organization.Visit jcpa.org!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/our-middle-east-an-insider-s-view--5792626/support.Palestinian Authority PM Shtayyeh resigned citing new 'reality' in Gaza. Is this a real step in "reforming" the Palestinian Authority or is this a move to play the international community for fools?JCPA President Dan Diker and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu-Toameh unpack the move and give an inside look into an emerging situation in the West Bank and Gaza. Subscribe Now to @JNS_TV Visit JCPA's website jcpa.org

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/our-middle-east-an-insider-s-view--5792626/support.JCPA President Dan Diker and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh discuss how radical fundamentalists have been pouring money into Middle East studies programs on US campuses for decades and have been using US charities to funnel terrorism in the Middle East.

The Oct. 7th attack by Hamas in the south and the daily missile barrage from Hezbollah in the north has everyone asking how Israel can defend its borders and cities in the future? What must be done to ensure that terrorists don't pose a threat once more after the dust settles? JCPA President Dan Diker and Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh discuss the future of Israel's security.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/our-middle-east-an-insider-s-view--5792626/support.

What if the real revolution in the Middle East isn’t happening on the battlefield but in the battle for narrative and identity? This fascinating conversation reveals a powerful lesson: that Israel’s greatest opportunity right now may not be military, but cultural. Viewers will discover how decades of misinformation and ideological manipulation, especially driven by Iran, have distorted reality, and why reclaiming the story could change everything. By the end, you’ll see that the future of the Middle East might hinge not just on power, but on who finally tells their story and who listens.

This episode flips everything you think you know about “ceasefires” on its head, revealing why what the West calls peace is, in reality, just a strategic pause in a Middle Eastern long game. You’ll learn how Iran and its proxies weaponize temporary calm (hudna) to regroup, rearm and psychologically claim victory, even when they’ve taken heavy losses. The discussion exposes a chilling mindset where mere survival equals triumph, reshaping how conflicts in the Middle East are understood and why short-term wins may actually signal long-term danger. By the end, you’ll see why this isn’t a series of wars, but one continuous ideological battle and why misunderstanding that could have massive global consequences.

As the ceasefire crumbles, Gaza’s war moves underground...literally. Hamas terrorists are trapped in their own tunnel networks, abandoned by leadership and starving beneath the rubble. But surrender is not an option in the world of jihad. Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh expose the stunning reversals of fortune, the regional power plays from Qatar and Turkey and how Hamas is losing its grip both in the tunnels and on the streets of Gaza. Is this the beginning of Hamas’s collapse or the ignition point of a Palestinian civil war?

Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh expose Hamas’s strategic manipulation of the Trump ceasefire plan. While appearing to comply with phase one, Hamas is stalling, refusing to release hostages and exploiting negotiations to regroup, rearm and reassert control over Gaza. The conversation reveals Hamas's true intent: to maintain power, avoid disarmament and ultimately destroy Israel using diplomatic deception and international legitimacy. This is not peace, it’s what they call “Stage Two Jihad.”