Best Israel Democracy Institute Podcasts (2024)

1
Debating the inevitability of US confrontation with China - Part two 24:36

23m ago24:36

24:36

Dmitri Alperovitch is the author of World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century. In this Lowy Institute Conversation, he talks with Sam Roggeveen about China’s ambitions, why Taiwan is so important, the military balance in Asia, and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Election 2024 and US Foreign Policy 34:40

25m ago34:40

34:40

How has US foreign policy changed since the end of the Cold War? When—and over what issues—did America’s largely bipartisan foreign policy collapse? What major foreign policy challenges await the next US president? Where will the next US administration take America, and how might it seek to advance and protect its notion of the national interest? I…

1
Debating the inevitability of US confrontation with China - Part one 17:57

11m ago17:57

17:57

Dmitri Alperovitch is the author of World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century. In this Lowy Institute Conversation, he talks with Sam Roggeveen about China’s ambitions, why Taiwan is so important, the military balance in Asia, and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Israel's Wartime Economy: Navigating Crisis and Beyond 44:25

2d ago44:25

44:25

Since October 7th, Israel has been grappling with the immense economic toll of a prolonged, multi-front war. While the country’s economy has weathered crises before, the past 11 months have pushed its resilience to the limit. Soaring military expenditures, plummeting tourism, and the costs of compensating reserve soldiers and displaced citizens hav…

1
Rachael Stern, Director of Operations at The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL) 54:08

5d ago54:08

54:08

1
EVENT: In conversation with the President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga 58:56

3d ago58:56

58:56

On Tuesday 10 September we had a conversation with the President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, on key global economic challenges, what this means for Australia and the Asia-Pacific, and how the World Bank, governments, private sector, and civil society can work together to make the investments needed to end poverty and boost shared prosperit…

1
Back to School: Lessons from New Study on Israel and Campus Narratives 1:02:12

4d ago1:02:12

1:02:12

In the wake of rising campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas war, Jewish students have faced increasing hostility, with a reported 700% spike in antisemitic incidents since October 7. As colleges reopen for the fall, we dive into the complexities of these protests. A recent Brandeis University survey found that almost one-third of college students f…

1
EVENT: Sean Turnell’s Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of Reform in Aung San Suu Kyi’s Myanmar 1:01:16

8d ago1:01:16

1:01:16

On Tuesday 3 September 2024 we had a conversation with Sean Turnell about his latest book, Best Laid Plans, a unique first-hand account of the radical reforms implemented in Myanmar under the ill-fated civilian government of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. These reforms, designed both to turn around Myanmar’s dire economy and lay the economic foundations for…

1
Evolution of Hamas: Terror, Policy and Politics 52:39

11d ago52:39

52:39

On October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched the most significant and deadliest terror attack against Israel in the history of the state. Formed in the late 1980s, Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist military and socio-political movement. Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel, and the organization has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2006. How has Ha…

1
EVENT: Australia’s permanent contest: China in the Pacific Islands 1:06:34

21d ago1:06:34

1:06:34

From deals on policing in Solomon Islands to building parliamentary complexes in Vanuatu, China’s outreach and activities in the Pacific Islands region appear indefatigable. In the words of Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Canberra and its partners are locked in a "state of permanent contest" with Beijing over influence in the region. Previously underv…

1
Noa Cochva, Israel Advocate, Miss Israel 2021, IDF Combat Medic 53:47

16d ago53:47

53:47

Noa Cochva has fought for Israel in a multitude of ways. As a soldier, she served as a combat medic, including for five months on the Gaza border post-October 7. As an activist, she works tirelessly to spread the truth about Israel amidst a sea of antisemitism. And as the former Miss Israel, she represented her country on the international stage. H…

1
Regulating Big Tech: Is global coordination possible? 26:52

17d ago26:52

26:52

Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant leads the world’s first government regulatory agency committed to keeping its citizens safer online. While her appointment is domestic, the internet is global. In this episode of Conversations, the Lowy Institute’s Lydia Khalil talks with Inman Grant about what she learned from her previous experien…

1
EVENT: Sir Lawrence Freedman on the war in Ukraine 35:36

24d ago35:36

35:36

Eminent military historian and strategist Sir Lawrence Freedman talks with the Lowy Institute’s Sam Roggeveen about whether there is a plausible path towards peace or a ceasefire, the implications of a Trump Administration on support for Ukraine’s war effort, whether Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets are working, and innovations on the…

1
EVENT: An Address by Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon 56:46

21d ago56:46

56:46

Thursday 15 August 2024 The Lowy Institute was delighted to host the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, for a special foreign policy address on Thursday 15 August. Rt Hon Christopher Luxon is the 42nd Prime Minister of New Zealand. Since coming to power in October 2023, Prime Minister Luxon has focused closely on issues of for…

1
The Department: How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence 50:39

24d ago50:39

50:39

In the early 2010s, reports began to emerge of deaths linked to a government department. Suicide notes, coroners' reports, and research by disabled activists pointed to failings within the Department for Work and Pensions – the DWP – the government body responsible for the disability benefits system. As years passed, and austerity tightened its gri…

1
Ross Babbage on why the AUKUS submarines matter 29:40

24d ago29:40

29:40

Defence expert Ross Babbage talks with the Lowy Institute’s Sam Roggeveen about his new research paper, Deterrence and Alliance Power: Why the AUKUS Submarines Matter and how they can be Delivered. They discuss not just the viability of the project – can US and UK shipyards deliver? – but its justifications. Why does Australia need these submarines…

1
Middle East Crisis Moment: Stakes for the US-Israel Security Relationship 1:03:15

25d ago1:03:15

1:03:15

The Middle East is at a crucial moment. Dual retaliatory attacks by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel threaten to tip the region into total war. However, a breakthrough in the hostage-for-ceasefire negotiations in Doha, initiated by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, may delay or eliminate the attacks and could be a pivotal turning point in the Israel-Hama…

1
Development Futures: The world’s addiction to GDP 31:15

28d ago31:15

31:15

Can we measure national success beyond economic growth? Professor Robert Costanza speaks with the Lowy Institute’s Alexandre Dayant about why countries need to move away from gross domestic product as the measure of economic prosperity and factor in other complementary gauges of success. In a time of high inflation, increased cost of living, and gr…

1
Masha Merkulova, the Founder and Executive Director of Club Z 50:08

1M ago50:08

50:08

1
Canberra Launch: 2024 Lowy Institute Poll - Australian attitudes to the world 1:02:22

1M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

As the United States approaches a pivotal presidential election, how do Australians view our security ally? After two years of official re-engagement, have Australians’ perceptions of China changed? What should the government do about climate change, and how do Australians feel about renewable and nuclear energy? Now in its 20th edition, the Lowy I…

1
Can the Gaza War Bridge the Secular-Haredi Military Draft Divide? 1:00:39

1M ago1:00:39

1:00:39

The Gaza War is Israel’s longest battle since its War of Independence in 1948. Wartime demands have put an outsized strain on Israel’s army, reopening the debate over the ultra-orthodox (Haredi) draft and the broader secular-religious fault line in Israeli society. While the Haredim have historically enjoyed a blanket exemption from military servic…

1
South China Sea: Politics, alliances and regional dynamics 26:11

1M ago26:11

26:11

In the final episode of our series on the South China Sea, host Susannah Patton and Lowy Institute colleague Richard McGregor debate the implications of the recent tensions at Second Thomas Shoal for Beijing’s strategy, the credibility of US alliances, and the considerations of other regional countries such as Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener…

1
EVENT: Girt by Sea: Finding security in Australia’s maritime domains 1:07:06

1M ago1:07:06

1:07:06

What do the maritime security challenges close to Australia mean for the country's future? We were joined in discussion with Rebecca Strating and Joanne Wallis on their new book Girt by Sea: Reimagining Australia's Security, which looks at six maritime domains central to the country's national interests and offers an alternative vision for how Aust…

1
How Has Israeli Society Changed After 300+ Days of War? 50:00

1M ago50:00

50:00

Israeli society underwent a massive shock on October 7 that upended deeply held convictions about the army and the state. The horrors of 10/7 and the immediate demands of war unified Israelis at a time of deep division, but the 300+ days since Hamas’ assault have tested societal cohesion. How have 10/7 and the ensuing months of war changed Israeli …

1
Ahmir Lerner, CEO of Beit Issie Shapiro 38:01

2M ago38:01

38:01

1
Conversations: What can the US do about the South China Sea? 22:08

2M ago22:08

22:08

In part three of our South China Sea series, Dr Michael Mazarr speaks with the Lowy Institute’s Susannah Patton about the US’ strategy in the South China Sea. The United States has few easy options for countering China’s coercion of its ally the Philippines. Dr Mazarr of the RAND Corporation argues that the United States needs to plan for a scenari…

1
A New Calculus for War? Understanding Israel-Hezbollah Dynamics 58:15

2M ago58:15

58:15

In recent weeks, the mid-intensity conflict on Israel’s northern border with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite terror group, has threatened to explode into all-out war. With Israel ramping up its targeted killings of top Hezbollah military commanders and Hezbollah launching rockets and drones ever further into Israel, is total war inevi…

1
EVENT: Gods, Guns and Sedition 1:03:02

2M ago1:03:02

1:03:02

Weeks prior to the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, the Lowy Institute hosted global terrorism expert Professor Bruce Hoffman for a podcast with Program Director Lydia Khalil. They spoke about the future prospects of political violence in the United States and discussed Hoffman’s latest book, God, Guns, and Sedition, which traces the tra…

1
Conversations: Biden out, Kamala in – will it change anything? 24:40

2M ago24:40

24:40

In this special episode of Conversations, the Lowy Institute’s Dr Michael Fullilove and Hervé Lemahieu discuss US President Joe Biden’s momentous decision overnight to withdraw from his bid for a second term. In the past three weeks, US politics has been reshaped before our eyes. A resurgent former president Donald Trump, emerging from an attempt o…

1
Allies Under Pressure: The Gaza War and U.S.-Israel Relations 53:08

2M ago53:08

53:08

The ten months since October 7th have revealed both the profound strengths and strains of the U.S.-Israel partnership. Are current tensions a temporary consequence of the Israel-Hamas war, or do they represent a new and enduring divide between the two allies? In this episode, Dennis Ross joins David Makovsky on the eve of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s…

1
Conversations: Beijing’s South China Sea gambit 27:40

2M ago27:40

27:40

In part two of our South China Sea series, Dr Oriana Skylar Mastro speaks with the Lowy Institute’s Susannah Patton about China’s objectives in the region. Beijing is pursuing an aggressive strategy to push out the United States and prevent Southeast Asian claimant states, especially the Philippines, from exercising their sovereign rights. Dr Mastr…

1
Alon Tirer, CEO of Israel Emergency Aid and CEO and Co-founder of the Efrat Residence Fund 38:07

2M ago38:07

38:07

In a country besieged by enemies, trauma is an unfortunate fact of life for many Israelis. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Israelis has grown in the wake of October 7 and is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. Growing as Winners, an Israeli nonprofit, is dedicated to supporting PTSD-afflicted vets by getting them treatment and i…

1
Pacific Change Makers: Addressing climate change in Papua New Guinea 20:19

2M ago20:19

20:19

In this episode, Debra Sungi of PNG’s Climate Change and Development Authority speaks with the Lowy Institute’s Oliver Nobetau. Discussions around development in the Pacific consistently reference climate change as a major challenge. Countries such as PNG have to manage the support offered by international development partners without being overwhe…

1
Conversations: Sweden’s Defence Minister, Pål Jonson 24:43

2M ago24:43

24:43

The Lowy Institute’s Sam Roggeveen spoke with Sweden’s defence minister, Pål Jonson, during his recent visit to Australia. Prior to his ministerial career, Jonson worked in Sweden’s Defence Research Agency, and his depth of knowledge about not just European security but also Asia comes through in this interview. Roggeveen asks Jonson why Swedes sho…

1
Conversations: Manila charts its course 21:22

2M ago21:22

21:22

Tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea have reached their highest level in more than a decade. The risk of escalation, even conflict, between the two countries could test the credibility of the Philippines’ alliance with the United States. In the first of a series focused on the South China Sea tensions, Susannah Patton, …

1
Stabilisation vs Confrontation: The US, China and Australia 23:25

2M ago23:25

23:25

Since the Albanese government was elected, Australia has focused on stabilising relations with China. But there are limits to Australia’s ability to successfully pursue stabilisation if there remains a spectre of confrontation between its largest trading partner and its key security guarantor, the United States. Do either the US or China genuinely …

1
Dr. Efraim Chalamish, International Economic Law Prof., Senior Advisor, and Media Commentator 27:29

3M ago27:29

27:29

Now nine months after the October 7 terrorist attacks, Israel’s economy has bounced back incredibly well, with some metrics showing the market is even better than before the war. Agreements like the Abraham Accords are still in place, and corporations are still investing in Israel. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Dr. Chalamish, a Professor of …

1
EVENT: Launch of Deterring at a distance - The strategic logic of AUKUS by Luke Gosling OAM MP 1:14:17

3M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

On Tuesday 25 June 2024 we held an event at the National Press Club for the launch of a new Lowy Institute Analysis paper that makes the strategic case for AUKUS, written by one of the government’s most knowledgeable and experienced defence thinkers. Luke Gosling argued that nuclear-powered submarines will be central to Australia’s ability to defea…

1
Pacific Change Makers: Digital frontiers - Safeguarding PNG’s youth in the cyber age 13:18

3M ago13:18

13:18

Papua New Guinea is a nation undergoing rapid digital transformation. With increased connectivity, PNG faces the dual challenge of leveraging digital growth for development while protecting its young netizens. Initiatives such as ChildFund’s 1-Tok Helpline, which has received more than 70,000 calls since its establishment in 2015, provide a window …

1
Kevin Cohen, Co-Founder & CEO, RealEye and Dov Greenbaum, Law Professor & Founder/Director of Zvi Meitar Institute for Legal Implications of Emerging Technologies, Reichman University 48:01

3M ago48:01

48:01

Since the October 7 attacks, the importance of Israel’s security has never been more apparent. In addition to the military, Israeli startups have also popped up with the sole purpose of protecting Israel. One such company is RealEye, which is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to identify potential threats to Israel. Host Steven Shalow…

1
EVENT: The inaugural Allan Gyngell Lecture 1:28:29

3M ago1:28:29

1:28:29

On Friday 14 June 2024 we had our inaugural lecture in honour of Allan Gyngell, the first Executive Director of the Lowy Institute and one of Australia’s most respected foreign policy thinkers. Allan’s friend and contemporary, Ric Smith, delivered the Lecture on the subject of statecraft — a notion dear to Allan, and one that reaches beyond routine…

1
Development Futures: Angus Deaton on what economists got wrong 43:10

3M ago43:10

43:10

Angus Deaton, the 2015 Nobel Prize-winning economist, has dedicated four decades to studying poverty, inequality, health, wellbeing, and economic development. Recently, he strongly criticised his own profession, arguing that economists have overlooked the power dynamics inherent in capitalism. In this wide-ranging episode of Development Futures, Al…

1
Bret Stephens on Trump's election chances, AUKUS, and changing his mind on climate change 37:13

3M ago37:13

37:13

In this episode of The Director's Chair, the Lowy Institute's Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by The New York Times columnist Bret Stephens. They discuss the forthcoming US election and why he thinks Donald Trump is likely to return to the White House. They also talk about the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, AUKUS, cancel c…

1
Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Research Fellow, The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) 1:18:17

4M ago1:18:17

1:18:17

With his unique background as an Iraqi- and Lebanese-raised former journalist who has since become an outspoken voice for democracy and liberty, Hussain Abdul-Hussain remains one of the world’s foremost experts on Middle East relations in a time of growing unrest in Gulf State countries. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Hussain to discuss the d…

1
U.S. Militias: Guarding Tradition or Courting Chaos 28:08

4M ago28:08

28:08

America’s modern militia movement emerged in the 1990s, following armed stand-offs with government authorities at Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas. After rising to 370 groups nationwide by 1996, the number of these militias diminished to 68 by 1999—only to surge again when Barak Obama was elected president in 2008. After Donald Trump lost the 2020…

1
Prof. Shai Davidai, Assistant Professor of Management, Columbia University Business School 1:14:42

4M ago1:14:42

1:14:42

Shai Davidai did not set out to become one of the leading faces in calling out Jew hatred and anti-Israel rhetoric on college campuses. He just wanted to focus on his career in academia and be with his family. Yet, when the pro-Hamas protests came to his Columbia University following the October 7 attacks and Davidai found himself in a maelstrom of…

1
Labour Movement Solidarity with Palestine 54:39

4M ago54:39

54:39

At the time of recording, Israel’s relentless bombardment of Rafah continues. Around 1 million people have been forced to flee the city. Condemning the assault on Rafah, Spain, Ireland and Norway have joined 140 other countries in officially recognising a Palestinian state. It is a symbolic action that has undoubtedly damaged diplomatic relations b…

1
Russell Robinson, CEO, Jewish National Fund-USA 42:02

4M ago42:02

42:02

When Hamas attacked Israel’s border communities in Israel’s south, Jewish National Fund-USA was already there and had the infrastructure to provide rapid aid. Launching its Israel Resilience Campaign, the organization supported evacuations, housing, food, clothing, education, trauma therapy, donating firefighting and protective equipment for civil …

1
EVENT: Coming to terms with Myanmar’s fragmented state 1:07:24

4M ago1:07:24

1:07:24

Myanmar’s civil war has entered a crucial phase. While the junta remains firmly ensconced in the centre, a series of stunning victories by its opponents has severely diminished the reach of the military regime into the borderlands. A constellation of anti-junta forces has started delivering public services in “liberated areas” where they are in eff…

1
Kurt Campbell on China, Russia, AUKUS, and US foreign policy in Asia 30:56

4M ago30:56

30:56

In the new episode of The Director’s Chair, the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. They discuss Kurt Campbell’s new role in the State Department, American policy towards China, the relationship between Moscow and Beijing, Xi Jinping’s recent visit to France, Dr Campbell’s a…

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