Babel will take you beyond the headlines to discuss what’s really happening in the Middle East and North Africa. It features regional experts who explain what’s going on, provide context on pivotal developments, and highlight trends you may have missed. Jon Alterman, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts the podcast along with his colleagues from ...
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From Salamis to Trafalgar to midway to the 21st Century: A history of sea power and naval warfare from prehistory to the present.
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Government Insights: strategies for governing in a changing world
EY-Parthenon Global Government and Infrastructure
With the ever-increasing pace of change in geopolitics, economic growth, shifting demographics and ways of living and working, government executives are rethinking their strategies and how they serve their populations. But how can government executives turn their strategies into actions that are future-proof, sustainable and resilient against economic shocks? Join us as we share actionable insights from senior EY, government and public sector leaders around the world.
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Analysis: Israel's Ground Invasion into Lebanon
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One year after the tragedy of October 7th, Israel has launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon to counter Hezbollah. Although it remains unclear how far Israel intends to send troops into Lebanon, Israel has issued a new evacuation order that reaches farther north than previous orders. Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the …
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Peter Schwartzstein: Climate Violence in the Middle East
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Peter Schwartzstein, an environmental journalist who reports on water, food security, and the conflict-climate nexus in around 30 countries, mainly in the Middle East and Africa. Together, they discuss Mr. Schwartzstein's new book, The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence, as well as …
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On September 23rd, Israeli airstrikes killed more than 180 Lebanese in the country’s deadliest day of conflict since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. This is one of the most recent developments in the ongoing escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about why this escala…
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Hussein Ibish: Popular Mobilization Since October 7
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, a columnist for The National, and a regular contributor to The Atlantic. Together, they discuss popular mobilization across the Middle East since October 7th and what it indicates about regional politics. Then, Jon …
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Last week, the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in Gaza. According to Israeli authorities, more than 60 living hostages, and the bodies of approximately 35 others taken captive during the Hamas-led attack on October 7th, are still in Gaza. Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Pro…
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How government leaders can seed a sustainable care economy
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In this episode host Kait Borsay discusses with her guests how government leaders can improve social care services and infrastructure to grow a sustainable care economy. 19 minsBy EY-Parthenon Global Government and Infrastructure
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How government leaders use investment vehicles for public returns
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In this episode of the Government Insights podcast, host Kait Borsay discusses with her guests how public investment vehicles can create public returns and what actions government leaders should consider. 15 minsBy EY-Parthenon Global Government and Infrastructure
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How government leaders can foster a thriving AI ecosystem
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In this episode Kait Borsay discusses with her guests the role of governments in advancing AI ecosystems and contrasting their goals with business interests. 19 minsBy EY-Parthenon Global Government and Infrastructure
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Isabelle Werenfels: North Africa's Relationship with Europe
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Isabelle Werenfels, a senior fellow in the Middle East and Africa Division of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. Together, they discuss how North African states are asserting their newly found leverage over European states, and how European states are changing the …
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Egyptians traditionally celebrate Sham Enessim, the country’s pharaonic spring holiday, by eating faseekh, a fermented mullet. But in the weeks prior to this year’s holiday, which fell on May 6, the price of seafood shot up 180 percent. In Port Said, where seafood is generally an affordable staple protein, the price hikes hit especially hard. Salma…
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Michelle Nunn: The Challenges of Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Michelle Nunn, the president and CEO of CARE. Michelle leads more than 8,000 people working around the world in crisis response, health and education access, gender equality, and climate change. Together, they discuss the unique challenges of Gaza's humanitarian crisis by contextualizing it among other g…
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Analysis: The Aftermath of Haniyeh's Assassination
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On July 31, Ismail Haniyeh, a senior leader of Hamas, was killed in Tehran. Just a day earlier, an Israeli airstrike killed a Hezbollah commander in the suburbs of Beirut. Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about how these events may continue to escalate, and their potential impact on the Israel-Hamas w…
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Last week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington D.C. to deliver a speech to a joint meeting of Congress. Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the implications of Netanyahu’s visit on U.S. foreign policy in the region. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.…
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Hasan Alhasan: The Strategies of Gulf States
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Hasan Alhasan, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) based in Manama, Bahrain. Prior to joining IISS, he served for five years on the staff of the Crown Prince of Bahrain as a senior analyst on foreign policy and national security. Together, they compare Gulf s…
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Masoud Pezeshkian recently won the runoff election to replace Iran's late president, Ebrahim Raisi. This week, Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at CSIS, about Pezeshkian and the election's impact on regional politics. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program. Jon Alterman, "The Impacts of Raisi's De…
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Ambassador Karim Haggag. After an Egyptian diplomatic career that spanned more than 25 years, Amb. Haggag is now a professor of practice at the American University in Cairo's School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, the director of the university’s Middle East Studies Center, and a non-resident visiti…
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How governments, corporates and investors can unlock a brighter future together
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This podcast explores opportunities and actions for governments, corporates and institutional investors to boost collaboration with the goal to unlock a faster acceleration toward a sustainable future. 16 minsBy EY Parthenon Global Government and Infrastructure
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Why government executives should focus on decarbonization strategies now
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This podcast provides insight for government executives into the current state of global climate action, the importance of inclusive policy-making, and the role of public-private partnerships in facilitating the transition to a greener economy. 14 minsBy EY Parthenon Global Government and Infrastructure
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How government executives can build better economic resilience
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Even as central banks work to tame higher for longer inflation through monetary policy, many economies are facing a structural mismatch between supply and demand in critical sectors. These imbalances are creating sustained inflationary pressures that will remain even after cyclical inflation recedes. In this episode of The Government Insights podca…
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Why government leaders need a robust geostrategy
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In this episode of The Government Insights podcast, host Kait Borsay discusses with her guests key geopolitical developments and what they mean for government leaders. 16 minsBy EY Parthenon Global Government and Infrastructure
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A Mezze: The Voice Inside AI's Head Speaks English
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On March 20, Saudi Arabia announced that it planned to invest $40 billion into AI development. This move comes on the heels of the UAE's creation of two large language models developed within the last year. However, as these Arabic-speaking nations race for AI supremacy, they are starting behind the pack. Josh Phillips, "The Voice Inside AI's Head …
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Karim Elgendy: Climate Diplomacy in the Middle East
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Karim Elgendy, an expert on climate and energy policy in the Middle East and North Africa. Elgendy is the associate director at Buro Happold, an associate fellow at Chatham House, and a senior non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute. They talk about the geopolitics of climate change, the challe…
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Analysis: Lebanon's Dangerous Campaign against Refugees
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Recently, the Lebanese government developed a plan to deport Syrian refugees who were not registered with the United Nations, which accounts for almost half of all refugees in Lebanon. Although Lebanon’s sovereignty is important, so are its humanitarian obligations and its role in regional security. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.…
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Jonathan Rynhold: Israel's Divided Politics
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Professor Jonathan Rynhold, the head of the Department of Political Studies at Bar Ilan University and a senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. Together, they talk about how Israeli public opinion has evolved since October 7th, the divisions within Israeli politics, and Israel…
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Analysis: Environmental Politics in Postrevolutionary Tunisia
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Since the revolution, Tunisia has had 12 different governments. Amid chronic political instability, Tunisian institutions lack the legitimacy necessary to implement policies. Environmental policies have taken a particularly hard hit. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program. Mohamed Omar Kardous, "Political Instability and Environmental Pol…
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Sanam Vakil: Iran's Trajectory after Raisi
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House and a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies for almost 20 years. They talk about the fallout from President Raisi’s death, how Gulf states are likely to react, and the feasibilit…
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This week, Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at CSIS, about the impacts of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash, and how it will affect Iran's foreign and domestic policy. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program. Jon Alterman, "The Impacts of Raisi's Death," CSIS, May 20, 20…
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Nicholas Blanford: Hezbollah’s Struggle Against Israel
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This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicholas Blanford, a Beirut-based security consultant, the author of two books on Lebanon, and a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. They talk about Hezbollah’s evolution, its ties to other actors in the region, and the role the group is playing in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict…
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A Mezze: The Bonds of Marriage between Syria and Iraq
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Desperate for stability and lured by promises of a life of luxury, a Syrian widow accepted a marriage proposal from a member of an Iraqi militia. She did not know that she would become one of dozens of Syrian women to fall victim to Iraqi marriage exploitation in the past year alone. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program. Josh Phillips, "Th…
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