CSIS Babel
Podcast

Babel: Translating the Middle East

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 the Middle East Program. This podcast is made possible through the generous support of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. All views, positions, and conclusions expressed here should be understood to be solely of those of the speaker(s). Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast Series by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Natasha Hall

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Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hanna Notte: Russia in the Middle East After Ukraine

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Hanna Notte, a senior research associate with the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. They talk about Russia's interests in the Middle East and where they stand after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's growing economic and defense relationship with Iran, and how Arab states view Russia's war in Ukraine. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Danny Sharp, discussing the implications for U.S. policy in the region and what U.S. decision-makers should do about it. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Daniel Sharp — January 24, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Untying the Knot

To bring divorce rates down in Egypt, the government is intervening before couples tie the knot in the first place.

Podcast Episode — January 17, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Jihad Azour: The Middle East's Economic Outlook

Jon speaks with the Jihad Azour of the IMF about the Middle East's economic outlook and the political consequences of economic reforms.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Daniel Sharp — January 10, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Weed Whacking

As regional conflicts blaze, Lebanese and Israeli drug markets are feeling the heat: over the past two years, hashish prices have fallen 50 percent in Lebanon, while in Israel, prices are rising.

Podcast Episode — January 3, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Khalid Albaih: The Information Bubble

Jon Alterman speaks with Khalid Albaih about how he got his start in political cartoons and the role of the internet for debating political ideas and art.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Lubna Yousef — December 27, 2022

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Blame it on the Bitcoin

Libya's electricity grid has been struggling for years, but the government thinks it has found a new culprit: illegal bitcoin mining farms it says are popping up across the country.

Podcast Episode — December 20, 2022

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

C. Raja Mohan: India's Middle East Strategy

Jon Alterman speaks with C. Raja Mohan about India's foreign policy in the Middle East and how Indian policymakers think about the region.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Lubna Yousef — December 13, 2022

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Patching Jordan's Water Leaks

In the Jordan Valley, influential tribal members and landowners have steady access to water, while individual consumers and small farmers struggle.

Podcast Episode — December 6, 2022

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Tamar Hermann: Israel's Rightward Shift

Jon speaks with Tamar Hermann about the rightward shift of young Jewish Israelis and changing attitudes about Arab citizens of Israel.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Daniel Sharp — November 29, 2022

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Toons That Teach

Increasingly, a range of dialects have appeared on television and in movies. Arab children’s television, however, has proven surprisingly immune to the trend. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Podcast Episode — November 22, 2022

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