Podcasts

On this week’s episode of the National Security Podcast, Nicole Zedeck and Dr. Chuck Freilich from the Institute for National Security Studies analyze the key pillars of Trump’s Middle East policy, from the Abraham Accords to the “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran. They explore his approach to Gaza, the Palestinian Authority, and how these strategies align with Israel’s interests.

In this episode of the i24NEWS National Security Podcast, we a speak with Avishay Ben Sasson-Gordis and dive into how the upcoming US election could reshape the US-Israel alliance. Explore where Harris and Trump stand on crucial issues like military aid, the Swords of Iron conflict, Gaza’s future, Iran, Hezbollah and Lebanon, and strategies for Middle East peace and stability. Discover how each candidate’s policies could impact Israel’s security and the future of US foreign policy in the region. This podcast was made possible by the support of the Ruderman Foundation

On Saturday, July 27th, Hezbollah fired a missile that killed 12 innocent Israeli children of the Druze community and injured more than 30 others while they were playing during the afternoon hours in a local soccer field in the town of Majdal Shams. While Israel mourns the massacre, the defense system is now working on a response. Is there a scenario for a severe Israeli response that will still keep Israel below the threshold of a total war? What are the current scenarios vis-a-vis Hezbollah and the state of Lebanon? What is the US position regarding the scale and dimensions of the planned Israeli response, and what should Israel do in the event of further escalation after Hezbollah responds back? In this program, researcher Adi Kantor sits down with INSS senior researchers Orna Mizrahi, former Deputy National Security Adviser for Foreign Policy, and Professor Chuck Freilich, who served for over 20 years in Israel’s national security establishment as a senior analyst and deputy national security adviser. Together, they discuss recent developments on the Israeli northern border and their implications on both internal and external fronts.

Since October 7 and during the eight months of the war in Gaza, Israel–US relations have known moments of true partnership, as well as moments of crisis. President Joe Biden is reportedly one of only two US presidents to have seriously considered a defense treaty with Israel. In a new memorandum titled “A US–Israeli Defense Treaty: The Time Has Come,” INSS senior researchers Prof. Chuck Freilich and Col. (res.) Eldad Shavit analyze the pros and cons of a bilateral defense treaty from both the Israeli and American perspectives and propose ways of addressing the concerns of both sides. In this program, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Prof. Chuck Freilich, co-author of the publication and a former deputy national security advisor in Israel. Together they discuss the feasibility of such an alliance between Israel and the United States under the current conditions. They ask: Why is it important and even crucial to consider a defense treaty with Israel precisely now, and what are the main advantages as well as disadvantages for both the United States and Israel when considering such a treaty?

On the occasion of Israel’s 76th Independence Day, INSS researcher Adi Kantor discusses with Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman, executive director of INSS and former chief of the IDF Intelligence Directorate, about the significance of “Israeli independence” in the shadow of the October 7th massacre and the Israel–Gaza war. Together they analyze the current situation in Gaza, particularly in Rafah and Jabaliya, and discuss the importance of establishing an alternative civilian authority in Gaza to replace Hamas and hopefully bring about a solid hostage deal and a safe return of Israeli citizens who have been displaced from their homes in the Gaza border communities. Furthermore, they address Hezbollah’s current strategy in the north and the danger of Israel’s paralysis in response to this threat and the ways to end it. They also discuss the lack of a viable solution for the tens of thousands of displaced Israelis who are eager to return home. Finally, they focus on the crucial need for a regional alliance in order to effectively counter Iran and the threat of the Shiite axis.

After Iran’s leadership repeatedly threatened to retaliate for the assassination of its senior officer in Damascus, their reaction indeed finally came. On the night of April 13, a total of 320 missiles and UAVs carrying 60 tons of explosives were fired for the first time from Iran toward Israel. Their objective was clear: to destroy numerous targets in Israel, including military facilities. Israel successfully managed to intercept and destroy 99% of the weapons fired, thanks in large part to its strong alliance and cooperation with the United States, France, Great Britain, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. In today’s show, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Professor Chuck Freilich, a senior researcher at INSS, and Danny Citrinowicz, a research fellow in the Iran Program at INSS. Together they discuss the implications of this historic event on all fronts and actors. Will there be an Israeli response to Iran’s unprecedented attack? If so, what are the possible scenarios for such a response? What is the current position of the United States toward an Israeli response, and how will it affect US–Israeli relations? How are Iran’s proxies in the region expected to react? And what are the complications arising from the Israel–Hamas war?

More than three months into the war against Hamas, IDF forces are now deepening their combat in the Gaza Strip. In the north, Hezbollah continues to launch rockets against Israeli military and civilian targets, but this activity currently remains below the threshold of war. On other fronts, the Houthis in Yemen and the Iranians have interfered with cargo ships in the Red Sea, and weapons smuggling from Syria to Jordan continues. In addition, more than 120 Israelis (men and women, babies, elderly, and soldiers) remain in Hamas captivity. Is Israel headed toward an ongoing war with no end in sight? What are its plans for the “day after,” and are they in line with the current principles and conditions of the Biden administration? How can Israel reach its war goals and maintain the support of the United States, its greatest ally? And how are the upcoming elections in the US related to this? INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with INSS senior researcher Prof. Chuck Freilich, who served for over 20 years in Israel’s national security establishment, as a senior analyst and then as deputy national security adviser. Together they discuss current US-Israel relations and future perspectives regarding the war in Gaza.

New INSS Podcast: A panel discussion from the INSS 15th Annual International Conference on the US presence in the Middle East. What is the Biden administration’s policy on the ME? Ms. Dana Stroul, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East and Mr. David Schenker, Taube Fellow and Director of the Program on Arab Politics, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs explain, in a conversation with Col. (res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, Senior Research Fellow, INSS

Conversation between Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, Executive Director, INSS and H.E. Thomas R. Nides, United States Ambassador to Israel

In this program, we are pleased to inaugurate our strategic partnership with the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC and the Emirates Policy Center in Abu Dhabi. In the spirit of the Abraham Accords, this trilateral strategic partnership will build on the momentum from the normalization process, and serve as a hub for those in the global think tank community who seek to contribute to UAE-Israel relations. The executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, the president and CEO of the Atlantic Council, Mr. Fred Kempe, and the president of the Emirates Policy Center, Dr. Ebtesam al-Ketbi, examine the regional outcomes of normalizing Israel’s relations with the UAE and Bahrain – and the continuation of this process. What are the responses in the Arab Gulf states and in Iran? How might this momentum of peacemaking affect U.S. policy in the Middle East, after the presidential elections? What regional opportunities for Israel do these agreements create? How could the Abraham Accords contribute to cooperation on common security concerns? Might the current normalization process ultimately lead the return of Israel and the Palestinians to the negotiating table?