BICOM's Podcast

In this episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to Lt. Col. (res) Jonathan Conricus. They discuss the progress of Israel’s operation in Rafah, South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the ICJ, and the prospects for a diplomatic resolution in the north. Conricus is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies. He served in the IDF for 24 years, in a variety of roles including as an infantry commander, as liaison to the UN, and finally as the IDF’s international spokesperson.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Jacky Hugi, an expert on regional affairs. They discuss the state of Hamas and its leadership, the ongoing hostage negotiations, what could come next for Gaza and who could be in charge. Hugi is an Israeli journalist, serving as the Arab affairs editor and host at Army Radio and as a columnist at the daily newspaper Maariv.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Professor Rosa Freedman, an expert in international human rights law. They discuss Israel’s obligations in facilitating aid into Gaza and the current role of NGO’s operating in the Strip. Prof Freedman also explores the politicisation of aid, and the failure of the Red Cross to visit the Israeli hostages since October 7th. Freedman is Professor of Law, Conflict and Global Development at the University of Reading. She is a member of the UN Secretary-General's Civil Society Advisory Board on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse, a member of the FCDO Steering Committee on the Global Framework, and the Civil Society Workstream Lead on the Prevention Project.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Prof. Kobi Michael, an Israeli expert on security affairs and the Palestinian arena. They discuss the performance of the IDF so far, the Israeli security calculus during Ramadan, the internal dynamics within both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, and the need for Israel-Palestinian peace to be pursued through a multilateral regional framework. Prof. Michael is a senior researcher at INSS and the Misgav Institute, as well as a visiting professor at the International Centre for Policing and Security University of South Wales. The author of 20 books, he previously served as the deputy director general and head of the Palestinian desk at the Ministry for Strategic Affairs.

In this episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to Barak Seener about Qatar, its regional policies, and its role post-October 7th. They discuss Qatar’s status as, simultaneously, a major sponsor of extremism and a western security ally. They also consider its role in the hostage negotiations and in the future reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Seener is a Senior Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and the founder of Strategic Intelligentia and the Gulf Futures Forum. He also co-hosts The Geo-Godfather Wars podcast. Previously, Barak was a Global Intelligence Manager at HSBC and the Middle East Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

In this episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to Jonathan Paris about the latest US thinking on Israel’s war in Gaza and its regional implications. They discuss the US position on a potential operation in Rafah, President Biden’s push for a two-state solution, and the likely impact of Middle East policy on the next US election. Paris is a London-based analyst, a former Middle East Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and an advisor to the Chertoff Group in Washington.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Dr Elai Rettig about the Gaza Strip’s water and energy supply. Rettig explains how much of Strip’s energy supply Israel was responsible for providing prior to October 7th, the importance of fuel to the water supply, and Hamas’s neglect of the Strip’s infrastructure and its own people’s welfare. Rettig is Assistant Professor at Bar Ilan University and the head of the energy division at the Begin Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Inbal Nissim-Louvton, an expert on Yemen. They discuss the Houthis’ foundation and their emergence as a social and political power. Inbal presents their ideological roots and gives her assessment on the current political environment in Yemen. She also relates to the Houthis’ regional role and their connections to Iran and the Palestinians. Inbal Nissim-Louvton teaches at the Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies at the Open University in Israel and is a Research Associate at the Forum for Regional Thinking.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Lt. Col. (res.) Sarit Zehavi about the situation on Israel’s northern border. They talk about how it feels for families to live under Hezbollah missile fire, the prospects of a diplomatic solution, and Hezbollah and Iran’s strategic calculations. Sarit is a former IDF intelligence officer and the founder of Alma, an independent research and education centre focussing on Israel’s security challenges on its northern border.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Shalom Lipner. Two months into the war, they discuss the military campaigns in the south and the north as well as the diplomatic front and Israel - US relations. They also speculate on the day after for the Palestinians and inside Israel. Shalom Lipner is a nonresident senior fellow for Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council, and a former veteran of the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, serving seven consecutive Israeli prime ministers over 25 years.

In this episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to Mohammad Darawshe, a leading expert on Jewish-Arab relations. They discuss the heroic sacrifice made by Darawshe’s cousin Awad on October 7th. They discuss the high levels of national Israeli identification amongst Arab-Israelis since the Hamas massacre, and the future prospects of Arab-Jewish cooperation in Israel. Darawshe is Director of Planning, Equality and Shared Society at Givat Haviva Educational Centre, and a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. Mohammad Darawshe previously served as a city council member in his hometown Iksal. In 2009 he served as a member of The National Committee which drafted Israel’s Coexistence Education policy and was previously Co-Director of The Abraham Fund Initiatives (2005-13).

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Behnam Ben Taleblu about Iranian regional aggression. They discuss the structure of Iran’s proxy network, the extent of Iranian knowledge of Hamas’s plans for October 7th, and the effectiveness of the Biden Administration’s Iran policy. Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies where he focuses on Iranian security and political issues. A native Farsi speaker, he has testified before the US Congress and Canadian Parliament.

In this recording of a live briefing, Richard Pater speaks with Colonel (res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch. Pnina explains the context of the war and why it’s crucial that Israel defeats Hamas for there to be peace in the future. They discuss recent actions, including around the hospitals in Gaza and some of the moral dilemmas Israel faces. Pnina served in the International Law Department of the Military Advocate General (MAG) Unit for twenty years, five of which (2003 - 2009), she was head of the Department. Following her retirement from the IDF she joined the INSS as a senior researcher and heads the programme on law and national security.

In this recording of a live briefing, Richard Pater speaks with former director of the Mossad Efraim Halevy. Halevy presents his assessment of Israel’s operation in the Gaza Strip, the chances of Iran entering the conflict and the response within Israeli society. Halevy joined the Mossad in 1961 and advanced through its ranks. From 1990–1995, he served as an emissary and negotiator on behalf of Prime Minister Rabin and Israel’s ambassador to the EU. From 1998, Halevy served as head of the Mossad during the terms of Prime Ministers Netanyahu, Barak, and Sharon. In 2002 he became the head of the National Security Council.

In this episode, Calev Ben-Dor talks to Gidi Grinstein about Israel’s war aims in Gaza. They discuss Israel’s current lack of a clear exit strategy, the prospects of the Palestinian Authority taking control in a post-Hamas Gaza Strip, and the role of Iran’s regional strategy in the October 7th attacks. Grinstein was part of Israel’s negotiating team at the Camp David talks under Prime Minister Barak. He is the founder of the Reut Group, a non-partisan not-for-profit research, strategy and leadership group, and of Tikkun Olam Makers, Reut’s social impact arm.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Koby Huberman about reaction in the Arab world to Hamas’s attack of October 7th. They explore the responses of Israel’s Abraham Accords partners, Egypt’s reluctance to open its borders, and Qatar’s destabilising regional role. A leading figure in the promotion of regional peace programmes, Huberman is co-founder of the Israeli Peace Initiative, a non-partisan Impact Group working with partners across the Arab world.

In this episode Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer about US-Israel relations and the prospects for an Israel-Saudi normalisation deal. They explore the range of possibilities for the Palestinian component of any deal, and potential opposition in the Democratic Party to the defence alliance demanded by Riyadh. Ambassador Kurtzer is the S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern policy studies at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton. He previously served as US. ambassador to Egypt from 1997 to 2001 and to Israel from 2001 until 2005 when he retired after a 29-year career in the US Foreign Service. He was a crafter of the 1988 peace initiative of Secretary of State George P. Shultz and was instrumental in bringing about the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks to Dr Najat AlSaied, a Saudi academic based in the Emirates, who gives her perspective on the normalisation deal. She explores Saudi considerations – distinct from those of the Abraham Accord countries, views on normalisation amongst the Saudi public, the role and motivations of the Biden Administration, and the likely impact of a deal on the Israeli-Saudi security dynamic. Dr AlSaied is a writer and analyst specialising in political and societal development communication geared toward a modern and tolerant Middle East. She is a Professor at American University in the Emirates in the UAE and a columnist with Al Ittihad and Arab News.

In the second part of this two-part episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman continues his discussion with renowned Israeli legal scholar Professor Yuval Shany. They address the legal factors in the exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from military conscription; the question of prime ministerial conflict of interest; and whether Israel has reached a “constitutional moment”. Professor Shany is the Chair in International Law at Hebrew University and its former Dean of Law. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Israeli Democracy Institute and a former Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. His PhD in International Law is from SOAS.

In the first part of this two-part episode, Jack Omer-Jackaman speaks to renowned Israeli legal scholar Professor Yuval Shany. They discuss the Supreme Court’s upcoming deliberations on the legislation annulling reasonability; the significance of basic laws; the impact of reservists' protests on Israel’s military preparedness and the role of a citizen army in a democracy. Professor Shany is the Chair in International Law at Hebrew University and its former Dean of Law. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Israeli Democracy Institute and a former Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. His PhD in International Law is from SOAS.