MICHAEL YOUNG - Over these Walls (Ep.399)

The Beirut Banyan

A conversation with Michael Young - senior editor at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut and editor of Diwan, Carnegie's Middle East blog. Covering latest Iranian and Israeli attacks, symbolism & psychological notions of victory, US policy vis-a-vis Israel and inherent obstacles towards Israeli-Palestinian peace, the lack of good options for Lebanon and an indefinitely stalled Baadba process. Read his recent pieces for Diwan: https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/experts/1258 Previously, Michael Young was opinion editor, as well as a columnist, for the Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon. He writes a biweekly commentary for the National (Abu Dhabi) and is author of The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle. The book was selected by the Wall Street Journal as one of its ten notable books of 2010, and won the Silver Prize in the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s book prize competition of 2010. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com 0:00 Intro 1:12 Latest Iranian strike 5:54 Israel & escalation 8:12 Netanyahu’s positioning 10:32 Significance & symbolism 16:18 US posture vis-a-vis Israel 23:40 Hezbollah-Iranian relations 30:58 A two-front war 32:58 Lebanese front 35:10 Northern Israeli factors 37:20 Defeating Hamas? 38:52 Hezbollah & ‘victory’ 43:16 Psychological gains 47:32 ‘Legitimization’ 50:00 Drones above Israel 53:18 Machine functionality 55:31 US policy shifts 58:10 Biden & elections 1:04:51 Arab-Israeli ‘peace’ 1:12:37 Possible partition 1:16:01 No options for Lebanon 1:18:45 US-led pressure 1:22:17 Lebanese Forces & Baabda 1:27:31 Record your voice