The Beirut Banyan

Please make sure to check out the video version: https://youtu.be/rKUnhF4hXU4 On displacement and refuge on both sides of the Green Line, the diversity we retain and a tribute to the city we call home fifty years after April 13, 1975. With special thanks to Ali Hamed. Videography by Alexy Chidiac. Soundtrack by Marc Codsi. The podcast is made possible through donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & X: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com

George Wardini returns to The Beirut Banyan. We look back to 1983 and discuss similarities in the relative calm Lebanon experienced following Israel's siege of Beirut and expulsion of Arafat from Lebanon. We also examine post-2024 war developments and security risks related to attempts at disarmament, what the potential of a wider Arab-Israeli peace deal under the Trump administration could mean for Lebanon, the need for the government to make Lebanon's case against Iran's inclinations to hold onto Hezbollah as a proxy militia, and why caution over confrontation remains the preferred mode of governance. George Wardini is the founder and director of PolyBlog. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:59 What changed 6:17 Caution vs Confrontation 11:37 Question of disarmament 14:50 Trump & Iran 22:15 “Peace” 28:59 Conflicting message 35:11 Measuring success 38:47 Lebanon’s case 42:27 Current govt support 47:21 Abnormal state 51:09 Network of interests 53:04 Personal evolution

البير كوستانيان: وحدها المحاسبة وإعادة الهيكلة تسترجع الودائع، لا بيع الأوهام

Nadim Shehadi returns to The Beirut Banyan. In this episode we discuss the 2020 Eurobond default and the controversy surrounding that decision. We also look at fault lines formed between the banking sector and restructuring-advocacy groups and the wider story of the economic direction of the country. Nadim Shehadi is an economist and regular contributor to Arab News. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:47 The bigger story 2:58 Any banking sector 5:39 Individual action 12:45 Default 18:49 Fault line 24:08 The banks 33:11 A clear dichotomy 36:04 The Central Bank 43:23 The real question

Albert Kostanian returns to The Beirut Banyan. In this short episode he candidly discusses a campaign to discredit his economic views and media reputation, debunks accusations of shadow funding and behind-the-scenes government orchestration regarding Kulluna Irada, dispels smear tactics increasingly used to sideline reform-minded advocates in government and civil society, and conveys a firmly held belief in solution-based policies - in particular the ongoing debate surrounding banking restructuring plans and fiscal policy. Albert Kostanian is an economist and journalist, and hosts LBCI's Vision 2030. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:12 Why are you here? 1:59 Why is there an increased discrediting campaign happening now? 5:23 Conspiracy theories & Kulluna Irada 8:42 Orchestrated attacks & social media misinformation 10:42 Reform-minded credibility

On a wedding, a commemoration & a funeral. And holding Nawaf Salam’s incoming government to a higher standard.

POINT COUNTERPOINT - Episode 3 An exchange on political affairs impacting Lebanon and the Middle East, with a unique vantage point from Beirut. Co-hosted by Michael Young (senior editor at Carnegie’s Middle East Center and editor of Diwan) and Bashshar Haydar (professor of philosophy at AUB) - both Beirut-based analysts sharing their nuanced perspectives while honing in on disagreements. Episode 3 covers three topics: (1) Nawaf Salam's cabinet formation process, a perception dilemma that has left his allies frustrated and Amal Movement's continued insistence on the Ministry of Finance; (2) the presidency so far, Joseph Aoun's mandate and the security reality dictated by the Israelis with international support that has allowed for the enforcement of 1701; and (3) the upcoming twenty year commemoration of Rafic Hariri's assassination, and how 'Sunni' and 'Shia' politics will play out with a diminished Iranian sphere of influence. Michael Young's article discussed during this episode: "Hezbollah Tries Making a Comeback": https://carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/diwan/2025/01/hezbollah-tries-making-a-comeback?lang=en Bashshar Haydar's articles referred to can be accessed via his new column in Nidaa al Watan: https://www.nidaalwatan.com/author/1883-بشار-حيدر Stay tuned for more episodes. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:38 Cabinet formation process 15:48 Presidency, security & ceasefire 42:14 Twenty year Rafic Hariri commemoration

An episode on a new and unexpected duo: President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam. Covering the dramatically shifting security climate that brought about rapid political change, Joseph Aoun's leadership and the consensus that ushered in his presidency, Nawaf Salam's clean slate and the majority vote that guaranteed his prime minister-designation, and freeing local governance from the Doha Agreement's forced national unity paralysis. With Sarah Yassine, architect and political activist. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:45 Joseph Aoun 6:58 Nawaf Salam 10:33 Current climate 17:03 Clean outsider 22:11 Constant pressure 28:25 Majority coalition 32:58 Unlocking the stranglehold 38:05 Dismantling the ‘Blocking Third’ 40:58 Freeing the Ministry of Finance 43:01 Continued violence in the South 48:20 Independent voters & the South 57:15 A different Hezbollah

An interview by the gifted Marie Jo Sader, a Paris and Beirut-based independent journalist and 2023 Lokman Slim Prize winner for her investigative work on the circumstances of Lokman Slim's assassination. A discussion on the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, a retrospective on anti-Assad protests that shaped Lebanon in 2005 and wider implications for Lebanon, Syria and the region. Follow Marie Jo Sader on X [at]mariejosader The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps 0:00 Intro 0:22 Decades apart 3:17 Post Syria occupation journey 5:01 Signature elimination 6:59 Political reasons & calculations 8:27 Coordination between Syria & Iran 9:47 The Lebanese 'state' 12:38 Emotions of the moment 15:10 Notions of justice 17:14 Mohamad Chatah today

Words shared on the closing evening of Aaliya's Books. With Nadia Tabbara, Brother Michael, Wael Taleb, Ronnie Chatah & William Dobson. For Niamh Fleming-Farrel, William Dobson & the Aaliya's community. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps 0:00 Intro 0:09 Nadia Tabbara 5:59 Brother Michael 12:45 Wael Taleb 17:57 Ronnie Chatah 28:31 William Dobson

An episode on the fall of the Assad regime and its implications on Syria and Lebanon. Covering the rapid collapse of the Assad regime, identity formation in the wake of over half a century of minoritarian rule mired by tyranny, where Iran stands in the near future and a wider ambition for the region carried by hope. With Bashshar Haydar, professor of philosophy at The American University of Beirut. The Nidaa al Watan article mentioned is accessible here: https://www.nidaalwatan.com/article/297082-الهوية-الوطنية-لسوريا-ما-بعد-الأسد The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:37 Carried by hopes 6:50 Many reasons for Assad’s end 11:31 The last stretch of the regime 20:29 Turkish ambition 24:58 Dictatorial security machine 28:07 Minority rule 31:05 Intervention 38:07 Arab nationalism & myth 41:51 We are people who suffered 48:40 Forced identity 55:00 Political Islam 1:06:51 Druze border villages & Golan Heights 1:08:27 Israeli military measures 1:12:34 The problem of peace & Israel 1:14:02 Back to Lebanon 1:21:55 The Iranian regime moving forward 1:26:23 Less pessimistic than usual

Recorded Thursday, 5 December 2024. Three days before the Assad regime's fall. An episode for Syria & Lebanon. Hosted by Ralph Baydoun (founder of Influeanswers) with George Wardini (director of PolyBlog) and Ronnie Chatah (host of The Beirut Banyan). Ralph Baydoun leads the discussion and posits 'resistance'-focused counter narratives to neutrality and sub-state disarmament discourse. The conversation includes the potential for Israeli settlements in southern Lebanon, communities allegedly abandoned by the state, liberation as a so-called just means for continued armed struggle, the Lebanese army's limits in offensive and defensive measures, and how ideology and misinformation leads to false assumptions. Make sure to check out and support Ralph Baydoun's Patreon channel: https://www.patreon.com/Perspectiveleb Follow Ralph Baydoun on IG: [at]perspectiveleb and George Wardini on IG: [at]polyblog.lebanon The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:48 Up to the Litani 8:17 Ultranationalism 13:03 Settlement literature 17:25 Vulnerability 22:18 Dreams & religion 28:40 Constant war in Lebanon 30:02 Indefensible borders 37:13 Abandoned by the state 42:27 Sectarianism & sacrifice 51:45 The Syrian regime 53:47 Foreign involvement 1:00:21 Expansion & retreat 1:03:51 Liberation in itself 1:07:14 In the name 1:11:59 Warlike reasons to fight 1:14:45 The Lebanese army 1:16:41 A winning argument 1:21:51 Resistance

Outtakes from an interview on my New Lines piece following Hassan Nasrallah's death titled "Dust Over Dahiyeh". Link to article: https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/hassan-nasrallah-the-killing-of-a-killer/ The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:05 Why did you title your recent piece in New Lines Magazine, "The Killing of a Killer"? 0:59 Why is there no feeling of satisfaction? 2:16 Is this a particularly Lebanese experience? 2:37 How do you see Lebanon right now? 4:13 Is this a long war? 6:26 What do you think of Netanyahu's comments to Lebanese? 8:51 Is Netanyahu's rhetoric dangerous for Lebanese? 10:10 Can you criticize this war without risk? 11:44 Do you sense an atmosphere of intimidation? 14:06 Can you differentiate security problems from politics? 15:44 What are 'red flags' for criticism? 16:30 Is Hezbollah popular today in Lebanon? 18:22 Can Israel eradicate Hezbollah? 19:57 Is Lebanon's destiny doomed to failure?

POINT COUNTERPOINT - Episode 2 An exchange on political affairs impacting Lebanon and the Middle East, with a unique vantage point from Beirut. Co-hosted by Bashshar Haydar (professor of philosophy at AUB) and Michael Young (senior editor at Carnegie’s Middle East Center and editor of Diwan) - both Beirut-based analysts sharing their nuanced perspectives while honing in on disagreements. Episode 2 covers three topics: (1) Trump's election win and what that means for US policy towards Lebanon; (2) the example of 1982 and drawing parallels between Western support for Bachir Gemayel's presidency and Joseph Aoun's current status as a potential consensus candidate; and (3) examining preconditions for internal strife and why the likelihood for a return to civil war is low. Michael Young's articles discussed during this episode include: "Trump or Harris? It's pointless to ask who's better for the Middle East" - The National https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2024/11/06/donald-trump-kamala-harris-middle-east-foreign-policy-israel-gaza/ and "Is Hezbollah Moving In?" - Diwan https://carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/diwan/2024/10/coming-to-a-neighborhood-near-you?lang=en Stay tuned for more episodes. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:53 Donald Trump's election win 20:16 The Example of 1982 43:04 The Potential for Civil Strife 1:04:34 Outro

From a panel that took place in late November 2013, with the presence of Switzerland and Austria’s then-ambassadors to Lebanon. Including some of my father’s last words on the fundamental need for neutrality, 1701’s necessity, what neutralization actually means and how it worked (albeit briefly) in the 1950s & 60s. We should have no role in regional war other than shielding ourselves from its rippling effects. There are ideological voices today ranging from frustrated academics with fringe access to politics to propaganda-fuelled journalists blinded by hate that are insisting our fate should remain tied to Gaza while making their case for Hezbollah. Ignore them.

On all that is happening in Beirut's southern suburbs, southern Lebanon and the region vis-a-vis Israel and Iran. Along with absent Lebanese diplomacy and the upcoming port blast anniversary. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com

Recorded Monday, 29 July. Reflecting on escalation between Hezbollah and Israel and deliberately staying in Beirut throughout the conflict. With predictions on post Majd Al Shams retaliation by Israel and a potential response by Hezbollah, along with thinking through worst case scenarios and red lines that have yet to be crossed. Also includes a look part on August 4, 2020 and the upcoming port blast's fourth year anniversary. With Georges Haddad & Giulia Cingolani - both employed in the humanitarian and development field. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:47 The airport 7:29 False comfort 12:27 ‘Here’ is fine 18:30 The red line 25:54 Messages to the contrary 31:16 Worst-case scenario 33:34 Buildup to 2006 40:09 Port explosion 44:45 Palestine 52:52 Connect to Gaza

Reflecting on the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel war in southern Lebanon and its impact on daily life away from the battlefield. Looking back on periods of relative calm vs manageable instability, the long-term political and societal impact of failed governance, false economies and tourism destinations like Batroun, and an acceptance of impunity and injustice on the port blast's upcoming anniversary. With George Wardini - director of PolyBlog. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:47 Relative normalcy 4:51 Relative anxiety 10:13 Targeted strikes 13:16 Familiar terrain 16:51 Failed state 19:42 Batroun 22:32 Static 26:37 Regime survival 31:47 The long term 34:58 Violence wins 37:13 Port blast & paralysis 39:36 Hezbollah undeterred

Three updated scenarios for what could play out in the near term for Lebanon.

Reflecting on the July 2006 War and UNSCR 1701 eighteen years later, during a time of escalation and regional war's expansion. Looking back on humanitarian assistance in times of emergency and crisis, the Lebanese government's negotiating role in helping shape UNSCR 1701, a return to border conflict and battlefield over armistice and deterrence and the lack of state agency bringing us closer to Hezbollah's interests. With Sarah Borgi - economist and independent consultant. The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations. Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:11 First day 6:22 Anthony Bourdain 10:14 Samidoun 15:04 Guilt 19:39 Lebanon’s role 22:27 Opposition government 25:30 Free from Syrian hegemony 29:05 Leftist wing of March 14 34:47 Israeli attack on Hezbollah 38:03 Main points of UNSCR 1701 48:22 Warzone 51:02 Closer to the problem 54:47 Stature 57:12 Restraint 1:00:25 Legitimizing the battlefield 1:04:04 Drawn out 1:07:07 Deterrence 1:09:19 Armistice