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PODCAST

BICOM"s Podcast

A weekly podcast from BICOM, an independent British think tank producing research and analysis to increase understanding of Israel and the Middle East in the UK. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review and listen!

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All Episodes

25:09

Episode 267 | A British assessment of Israeli...

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/08/08

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Dr Lynette Nusbacher about the history of Israeli military strategy and doctrine, as well as how it has manifested itself in recent conflicts.She is a is a former British Army intelligence officer and worked on developing two of the UK’s National Security Strategies as part of Britain’s National Security Secretariat. She has been Senior Lecturer in War Studies, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; Head of the Strategic Horizons Unit in the UK Cabinet Office;

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17:33

Episode 266 | An Israeli journalist visits Yemen

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/08/01

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Dr Jonathan Spyer about his recent visit to Yemen, and prospects of an Arab-supported campaign to push the Houthis away from their coastal strongholds. Dr Jonathan Spyer is a British-Israeli analyst, writer, and journalist of Middle Eastern affairs. He is Director of Research at the Middle East Forum and Editor of Middle East Quarterly magazine. This is a follow-up interview from our earlier interview two weeks ago in Episode 264.

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38:41

Episode 265 | The Druze under attack

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/07/24

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh about the escalating violence against the Druze community in southern Syria. Gadeer offers powerful insights into the nature of the attacks, the fractured post-Assad Syria and the complex identity, history and loyalty of the Druze minority. She also explores the role of Israel and the international community in responding to the emerging threat of Islamist militias and reflects on the deep bond between Israel and the Druze.Gadeer

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24:33

Episode 264 | What’s next for Iran’s proxies

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/07/18

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Dr Jonathan Spyer about the aftermath of Iran’s regional setbacks and the evolving security picture in the Middle East. Dr Spyer offers first-hand insights from his recent trip to Yemen, assesses the trajectory of Iran’s proxy network post-Operation Rising Line, and examines the implications of the Assad regime’s collapse in Syria.Jonathan Spyer is a British-Israeli analyst, writer, and journalist of Middle Eastern affairs. He is director of research at

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26:08

Episode 263 | Crunch time in Gaza

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/07/04

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Oz Noy, a former senior security official, about Israel’s current strategy in Gaza and the prospects for a ceasefire with Hamas.In the conversation – recorded during a media briefing hosted by BICOM – Oz Noy unpacks the tension between Israel’s declared objective of dismantling Hamas and the parallel goal of returning the remaining hostages. He assesses the security risks of a potential prisoner release, the strategic leverage of hostage diplomacy, and

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46:55

Episode 262 | Where are we in the war in Gaza?

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/07/01

In this episode, Richard Pater speak with Professor Kobi Michael about the trajectory of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. In the conversation, recorded during a media briefing hosted by BICOM, Professor Michael outlines the emerging trilateral cooperation between Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, reflects on Qatari involvement, and discusses the prospects for further hostage releases.Prof. Kobi Michael is a senior researcher at INSS and a visiting professor at the International

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43:26

Episode 261 | International Law in the Gaza War

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/07/01

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Professor Amichai Cohen about the IDF’s conduct in the war against Hamas. They explore Israel’s approach to the rules of engagement, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and how Israel’s accountability mechanisms compare internationally. Professor Amichai Cohen is Professor of Law at Ono Academic College and head of the Amnon Lipkin-Shahak Program on National Security and the Law at The Israel Democracy Institute. Cohen was also a visiting professor and

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53:33

Episode 260 | Assessing Iran’s nuclear and missile...

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/06/27

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Behnam Ben Taleblu about the impact of Israel’s and the US’s recent strike on Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities. In this conversation – recorded during a media briefing hosted by BICOM – Ben Taleblu assesses the scale of the damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and explains why the strike may have lasting psychological and operational effects on the Iranian regime’s strategic planning.Behnam Ben Taleblu is senior director of the Iran Program at

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29:36

Episode 259 | Behind the strikes on Iran’s nuclear...

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/06/17

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Helit Barel about Israel’s recent strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. In this conversation – recorded during a media briefing hosted by BICOM – Barel explains the objectives and scope of the strike, how Israeli intelligence and Mossad operated with extraordinary precision on the ground in Iran, and the technical vulnerabilities Israel aimed to exploit within Iran’s nuclear facilities.Helit served as a Director at the Israel National Security Council,

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38:49

Episode 258 | Yemen and the Houthis

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/06/06

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Edmund Fitton-Brown, former UK Ambassador to Yemen, about the evolving Houthi threat and its implications for Israel, the Gulf states, and the broader regional balance of power. They explore the role of the Houthis in Iran’s attempts to project power in the region and in ongoing talks about the Iranian nuclear programme.Edmund Fitton-Brown is a veteran British diplomat who served as the UK’s Ambassador to Yemen from 2015 to 2017 and later coordinated UN

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28:12

Episode 257 | An assessment of the UK–Israel relations

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/05/23

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Dr Lynette Nusbacher about the future of UK–Israel relations, as viewed from a British strategic perspective. They explore how the Labour government’s evolving stance – including threats of sanctions and the suspension of trade talks – is reshaping bilateral ties, and what this means for defence, intelligence and cyber cooperation.Dr Lynette Nusbacher is a strategic consultant and former British Army intelligence officer who was Head of the Strategic

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42:23

Episode 256 | Meet the Pope’s Angel of Peace

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/05/02

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with veteran journalist and Middle East expert Henrique Cymerman about his extraordinary 12-year relationship with Pope Francis. They discuss Cymerman’s unique role as an emissary between the Vatican and the Middle East, including organising the Pope’s historic visit to Israel, brokering interfaith peace initiatives, and advocating for Israeli hostages in Gaza.Henrique Cymerman is a multi-award-winning journalist, fluent in five languages, with over 30 years’

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25:04

Episode 255 | Navigating the Iran nuclear talks

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/04/25

In this episode, Daniel Levy hosts Professor Chuck Freilich for a discussion on the current state of US-Iran nuclear negotiations and the broader strategic implications for Israel and the region. They explore how Donald Trump’s diplomatic posture shapes the unfolding talks and whether a viable deal is within reach.Professor Chuck Freilich is a former Israeli deputy national security advisor and currently a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. He is also an

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33:39

Episode 254 | The Kurdish geopolitical struggle

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/04/11

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Professor Ofra Bengio about the historical evolution and contemporary challenges of the Kurdish people across the Middle East. They discuss how being divided among four main states shaped Kurdish identity and delve into recent challenges, including the rise of the new Jolani regime in Syria.Professor Ofra Bengio is a senior research fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East and African Studies, where she directs the Kurdish Studies programme. She is

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29:00

Episode 253 | Qatar and the rise of antisemitism in...

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/03/25

In this episode, Richard Pater discusses with Professor Charles Asher Small the ideological and financial influence of Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood on Western academia, especially in the UK and the US. Professor Small outlines how Qatar’s soft power has contributed to the spread of antisemitism and anti-democratic values on university campuses and beyond.Professor Small is the founder and director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), holds academic degrees

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41:22

Episode 252 | Bridging Divides in the Middle East

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/03/14

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Tom Wegner, founder of the newly launched Center for Middle East Normalization. They discuss the center’s role in fostering civil society connections between Israel and pro-democracy, pro-peace groups across the region. Wegner shares insights from his experience in Israeli politics, military coordination with the Palestinian Authority Security Forces, and interfaith dialogue initiatives.As a professional strategic consultant, Tom has led over 40 election

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33:08

Episode 251 | Ben Gurion University of the Negev

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/02/28

In this episode, Dr Amira Halperin speaks with Professor Chaim Hames, the Rector of Ben Gurion University of the Negev. They discuss the horrific situation on campus following October 7th when, 88 members of the BGU community, students, staff, and family members, were murdered, and 6 students were taken hostage. One-third of the student body are active reservists. Prof. Hames also shares his experiences and actions regarding academic boycotts and radicalisation on campuses outside of

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35:40

Episode 250 | Palestinian prisoners

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/02/28

In this episode, Dr Amira Halperin speaks to Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch about the release of Palestinian prisoners in the ceasefire deal, and the state of security in the West Bank.Lt-Col (res.) Hirsch served as Director of the Military Prosecution for Judea and Samaria. Since retiring from the IDF, Hirsch worked as the Head of Legal Strategies for Palestinian Media Watch, as a Senior Military Consultant for NGO Monitor, an advisor to the Ministry of Defense, and head of an advisory

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31:29

Episode 249 | Trump's plans for the region

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/02/07

In this episode Richard Pater speaks to Ilan Berman, Senior Vice President at the American Foreign Policy Council. The conversation was recorded as part of a live media briefing following Prime Minister Netanyahu's meeting with President Trump. They discuss a range of regional issues including Trump’s plan for Gaza and his likely approach towards Iran. Ilan is an expert on regional security in the Middle East. In the past he has consulted for the Central Intelligence Agency as well as the US

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43:36

Episode 248 | Surviving a suicide bus bombing

BICOM"s Podcast ·

2025/01/31

In this episode, Dr Amira Halperin speaks to Sarri Singer. Sarri is the founder and director of Strength to Strength, a charity based in New York, established to bring survivors of terrorism and their families together globally to heal. After witnessing 9/11, Sarri moved to Israel and volunteered her time to help Israeli victims of terror attacks. In 2003, Sarri herself was a victim of the Davidka Square bombing in Jerusalem in June 2003 by Hamas.Content warning: this podcast contains some

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