Babel: Translating the Middle East

By Center for Strategic and International Studies

Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.


Category: Government

Open in Apple Podcasts


Open RSS feed


Open Website


Rate for this podcast

Subscribers: 198
Reviews: 1
Episodes: 231

Aurélien Snop
 Apr 4, 2022
good balance between depth of analysis and the telling of current events

Description

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).

Episode Date
Analysis: Iran and Israel's Cycle of Retaliation
Apr 23, 2024
Hiba Husseini: Peacemaking After Oslo
Apr 16, 2024
Analysis: Support for Refugees Erodes in the Middle East
Apr 09, 2024
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein: Human Rights in a Messy World
Apr 02, 2024
Analysis: The New Forever Wars
Mar 26, 2024
Dana Stroul: The U.S. Defense Strategy in the Middle East
Mar 19, 2024
Analysis: Redefining Climate Finance for a Troubled World
Mar 12, 2024
Amos Yadlin: A New Type of Israeli War
Mar 05, 2024
Audio Brief: What Will the United States Do after the Drone Strike in Jordan?
Feb 27, 2024
Amb. David Satterfield: Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
Feb 20, 2024
Audio Brief: A Different Two-State Solution
Feb 13, 2024
Bader Al-Saif: Kuwait's Perceptions, People, and Progress
Feb 06, 2024
Analysis: Environmental Action in Tunisia
Jan 30, 2024
Yana Abu Taleb: Environmental Peacebuilding in Jordan
Jan 23, 2024
Analysis: Climate Entrepreneurs in the Middle East
Jan 16, 2024
Rafat Al-Akhali: Yemen on the Brink
Jan 09, 2024
Audio Brief: China's Essential Role in the Gulf States' Energy Transitions
Jan 02, 2024
Danny Hajjar: Today's Arab Music
Dec 26, 2023
Analysis: Human Rights in a Multipolar World
Dec 19, 2023
Renad Mansour and Farea Al-Muslimi: The Cost of Political Settlements in the MENA Region
Dec 12, 2023
Analysis: The Ripple Effect of Water Insecurity
Dec 05, 2023
Rula Hardal: Life as a Palestinian Citizen of Israel
Nov 28, 2023
Audio Brief: Israel Could Lose
Nov 21, 2023
Khalil Sayegh: What We Get Wrong About Gaza
Nov 14, 2023
A Mezze: Chat GPMufti
Nov 07, 2023
Neri Zilber: Inside Israeli Politics During Wartime
Oct 31, 2023
Analysis: Developments in the Israel-Hamas War
Oct 24, 2023
Dalal Mawad: The Port of Beirut Explosion Through Women's Eyes
Oct 17, 2023
A Mezze: Fishing for Food Security
Oct 10, 2023
Khalid Ikram: Egypt's Economic Crisis
Oct 03, 2023
Viewpoint: Data Dead Zone
Sep 26, 2023
Tarek Megerisi: Libya's Crises
Sep 20, 2023
A Mezze: Tunisia's Hunger Games
Sep 12, 2023
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad: Iraq Through Iraqis' Eyes
Sep 05, 2023
A Mezze: Baaloul Verde
Aug 29, 2023
Haneen Sayed: Lebanon's Economic Crisis
Aug 22, 2023
A Mezze: Keeping Iraq's Solar Community on Message
Aug 15, 2023
Hana Al Omair: The Saudi Film Industry
Aug 08, 2023
A Mezze: Bride of the Beqqa
Aug 01, 2023
Jason Rezaian: The Rise of Hostage Taking
Jul 25, 2023
A Mezze: Saudis Take to the Streets
Jul 18, 2023
Shirin Hakim: Iran’s Environmental Challenges
Jul 11, 2023
A Mezze: The Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Jul 04, 2023
Dalia Hatuqa: Palestinian Politics
Jun 27, 2023
Analysis: LGBTQ+ Advocacy in the Middle East Backfires
Jun 20, 2023
Christoph Reuter: Syria’s War Economy.
Jun 13, 2023
A Mezze: Iran's "Cloudy" Accusations
Jun 06, 2023
Nicolas Pelham: Morocco's Missing King
May 30, 2023
A Mezze: From Stable to Table—Egypt's Donkey Meat Controversy
May 23, 2023
Hafsa Halawa: Egypt's Economic Turmoil 
May 16, 2023
A Mezze: Power Plays
May 09, 2023
Killian Clarke: Egypt's Counterrevolution and the Return to Tyranny
May 02, 2023
A Mezze: An Uphill Battle
Apr 25, 2023
Ayham Kamel: The Gulf's Regional Diplomacy
Apr 18, 2023
A Mezze: Help Wanted, But Not Found
Apr 11, 2023
Ali Vaez: Iran's Regional Policy
Apr 04, 2023
A Mezze: Saudi Arabia's New Anime Journey
Mar 28, 2023
Iraq 20 Years Later with Marsin Alshamary and Hamzeh Hadad
Mar 21, 2023
A Mezze: Going Green with Envy
Mar 14, 2023
Will Todman: Powering Recovery
Mar 07, 2023
A Mezze: From Beijing to Jerusalem
Feb 28, 2023
Natasha Hall: The Aftermath of Earthquakes in Syria
Feb 21, 2023
A Mezze: On the Hook
Feb 14, 2023
Bilahari Kausikan: The Middle East in a Multipolar World
Feb 07, 2023
A Mezze: Salmon Farming in the UAE
Feb 01, 2023
Hanna Notte: Russia in the Middle East After Ukraine
Jan 24, 2023
A Mezze: Untying the Knot
Jan 17, 2023
Jihad Azour: The Middle East's Economic Outlook
Jan 10, 2023
A Mezze: Weed Whacking
Jan 03, 2023
Khalid Albaih: The Information Bubble
Dec 27, 2022
A Mezze: Blame it on the Bitcoin
Dec 20, 2022
C. Raja Mohan: India's Middle East Strategy
Dec 13, 2022
A Mezze: Patching Jordan's Water Leaks
Dec 06, 2022
Tamar Hermann: Israel's Rightward Shift
Nov 29, 2022
A Mezze: Toons That Teach
Nov 22, 2022
Helen Lackner: Yemen in Conflict
Nov 15, 2022
A Mezze: Syrians Need Not Apply
Nov 08, 2022
COP 27 Preview: Electrifying the Middle East with Ali al-Saffar
Nov 01, 2022
A Mezze: Meat Market
Oct 25, 2022
Mahsa Alimardani: Protest, Social Media, and Censorship in Iran
Oct 18, 2022
A Mezze: Honey, I Froze the Kids
Oct 11, 2022
Sami Atallah: Lebanon's Freefall
Oct 04, 2022
A Mezze: Volunteer Trash Collectors
Sep 27, 2022
Marc Owen Jones: Real News, Fake News, and No News
Sep 20, 2022
A Mezze: It Takes a Village to Protect a River
Sep 13, 2022
Olivia Lazard: Climate in the Middle East
Sep 06, 2022
A Mezze: Deus ex Trafica
Aug 30, 2022
Marsin Alshamary: Iraq's Political Crisis
Aug 23, 2022
A Mezze: Egypt's Killer Cuisine
Aug 16, 2022
Accountability in Syria
Aug 09, 2022
A Mezze: Taking the Heat
Aug 02, 2022
Henry Rome: Nuclear Negotiations with Iran
Jul 26, 2022
A Mezze: Lebanon's Brewing Crisis
Jul 19, 2022
Gregory Gause: President Biden's Trip to Saudi Arabia
Jul 12, 2022
A Mezze: No Milk, No Honey
Jul 05, 2022
Frank Verrastro: The Middle East and Global Energy Markets
Jun 28, 2022
A Mezze: The DNA of Moroccan Society
Jun 21, 2022
Nadia Oweidat: Disinformation in the Arab World
Jun 14, 2022
A Mezze: Locals Be Dammed
Jun 07, 2022
Frederic Hof: Lessons Learned from U.S. Negotiations with Syria
May 31, 2022
A Mezze: Junked Food
May 24, 2022
Haider al-Abadi: Iraq and the Fight Against the Islamic State
May 17, 2022
A Mezze: Dental Freelancers
May 10, 2022
Tim Lenderking: Hope in Yemen?
May 03, 2022
A Mezze: Algeria's Poorly Oiled Machine
Apr 26, 2022
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Seven
Apr 19, 2022
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Six
Apr 12, 2022
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Five
Apr 05, 2022
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Four
Mar 29, 2022
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Three
Mar 22, 2022
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Two
Mar 15, 2022
U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part One
Mar 08, 2022
Jane Arraf: Not Your Mother's Iraq
Mar 01, 2022
A Mezze: Beauty Therapy
Feb 22, 2022
Natasha Hall: Rescuing Aid in Syria
Feb 15, 2022
A Mezze: Morocco's Sand Mafias
Feb 08, 2022
Jason Rezaian: What We Get Wrong About Iran
Feb 01, 2022
A Mezze: An Olive's Odyssey
Jan 25, 2022
Bassem Youssef: Satire and Dissent
Jan 18, 2022
A Mezze: High-Tech Hajj
Jan 11, 2022
Gulf Youth and the Urge for Change
Dec 21, 2021
A Mezze: Water Woes
Dec 14, 2021
In and Out of the Ivory Tower
Dec 07, 2021
A Mezze: A Grave Dilemma
Nov 30, 2021
A Mezze: Camel Corruption Crackdown
Nov 23, 2021
Authoritarian Nostalgia in Libya
Nov 16, 2021
A Mezze: Killer Congestion
Nov 09, 2021
The Middle East's Political Economies
Nov 02, 2021
A Mezze: A Hard Pill to Swallow
Oct 26, 2021
Levantine Contrasts
Oct 19, 2021
A Mezze: Learning Curve
Oct 12, 2021
Competing Views of the United States
Oct 05, 2021
A Mezze: New Housewives of Egypt
Sep 28, 2021
Tunisia's Popular Authoritarian
Sep 21, 2021
A Mezze: Balancing Priorities
Sep 14, 2021
Iran's Interests in Afghanistan
Sep 07, 2021
A Mezze: Morocco's Mixed Harvest
Aug 31, 2021
The Global Energy Transition
Aug 24, 2021
A Mezze: Abu Dhabi Goes Green for Greens
Aug 17, 2021
U.S. Restraint in the Middle East
Aug 10, 2021
A Mezze: Women's Work
Aug 03, 2021
Yemen's Civil War
Jul 27, 2021
A Mezze: Spending to Save
Jul 20, 2021
Iran's Future
Jul 13, 2021
A Mezze: Reeding between the Lines
Jul 12, 2021
The Politicization of Aid in Syria
Jun 29, 2021
A Mezze: Gold from Garbage
Jun 22, 2021
Israel's New Government
Jun 15, 2021
A Mezze: Bright Skies, Bright Future
Jun 08, 2021
Rituals of Protest
Jun 01, 2021
A Mezze: Chopped Liver
May 25, 2021
Building Sustainable States
May 18, 2021
A Mezze: Set in Stone
May 11, 2021
Journalism and Politics in Egypt
May 04, 2021
A Mezze: Moonstruck
Apr 27, 2021
Jordan's Royal Intrigue
Apr 20, 2021
A Mezze: Baby Boom or Bust
Apr 13, 2021
Lebanon's Energy Sector
Apr 06, 2021
A Mezze: Borders Without Doctors
Mar 30, 2021
Syria's Decade of Tragedy
Mar 22, 2021
A Mezze: Perils of the Sea
Mar 16, 2021
UN Mediation in Libya
Mar 09, 2021
A Mezze: Influence Peddlers
Mar 02, 2021
Erdogan's Middle East Policy
Feb 23, 2021
A Mezze: Home Grown
Feb 16, 2021
Saudi Arabia and the Labor Market
Feb 09, 2021
A Mezze: Pipe Dream
Feb 02, 2021
Restoring Iraq's Marshes
Jan 26, 2021
A Mezze: Ba'athist Blues
Jan 19, 2021
The Arab Spring Ten Years On
Jan 12, 2021
A Mezze: Drivers of Change
Jan 05, 2021
Rising Temperatures in the Middle East
Dec 29, 2020
A Mezze: Secondhand in Demand
Dec 22, 2020
Satire and Comedy in the Arab World
Dec 15, 2020
A Mezze: Delivering the Goods
Dec 08, 2020
Surveying Arab Youth
Dec 01, 2020
A Mezze: Dying for Power
Nov 24, 2020
Iran and the New U.S. Administration
Nov 17, 2020
A Mezze: Reading the Signs in Istanbul
Nov 10, 2020
How the Middle East Views the U.S. Election
Nov 03, 2020
A Mezze: Seoul Music
Oct 27, 2020
The Rise of Iraq's Shi'ite Militias
Oct 20, 2020
A Mezze: Cyber-Sheikh
Oct 13, 2020
Russia in the Middle East: Part Six
Oct 06, 2020
Russia in the Middle East: Part Five
Sep 29, 2020
Russia in the Middle East: Part Four
Sep 22, 2020
Russia in the Middle East: Part Three
Sep 15, 2020
Russia in the Middle East: Part Two
Sep 08, 2020
Russia in the Middle East: Part One
Sep 01, 2020
Lebanon's Latest Explosion
Aug 25, 2020
Why Women Join the Islamic State
Aug 11, 2020
The History of Saudi-Iranian Competition
Jul 28, 2020
A Mezze: Blessed Bling
Jul 21, 2020
The Changing World of Arab Television
Jul 14, 2020
A Mezze: Bad Love
Jul 07, 2020
Jordan's Economy During Covid-19
Jun 30, 2020
A Mezze: Fodder for Debate
Jun 23, 2020
The Internationalization of Libya
Jun 16, 2020
A Mezze: Cut from Whole Cloth
Jun 09, 2020
The Climate-Security Nexus with Marwa Daoudy
Jun 02, 2020
A Mezze: Speaking the Same Language
May 26, 2020
Changing Gulf Economies During Covid-19
May 19, 2020
A Mezze: Wife Goes On
May 12, 2020
Disinformation During Covid-19
May 05, 2020
A Mezze: You've Got Mail
Apr 28, 2020
COVID-19 in Iran
Apr 21, 2020
A Mezze: Moral Test
Apr 14, 2020
Economic Implication of COVID-19 in the Middle East
Apr 07, 2020
A Mezze: Iraq’s Explosive Plague
Mar 31, 2020
COVID-19 and Cascading Crises in the Middle East
Mar 25, 2020
Jihadi Poetry in Yemen
Mar 24, 2020
A Mezze: Sana's Solar Revolution
Mar 17, 2020
Sectarianism in Lebanon
Mar 10, 2020
China in the Middle East: Part Six
Feb 25, 2020
China in the Middle East: Part Five
Feb 18, 2020
China in the Middle East: Part Four
Feb 11, 2020
China in the Middle East: Part Three
Feb 04, 2020
China in the Middle East: Part Two
Jan 28, 2020
China in the Middle East: Part One
Jan 21, 2020
A Mezze: Santa Claus is Coming to Tehran
Dec 17, 2019
A Mezze: Dodging a Bullet
Dec 10, 2019
The Rise of Individualism in the Arab World
Dec 05, 2019
A Mezze: Fire Sale
Nov 26, 2019
Climate and Conflict in the Middle East
Nov 19, 2019
A Mezze: Cosmic Intervention
Nov 14, 2019
Russian Disinformation in Syria
Nov 06, 2019
A Mezze: Bringing Back Babel
Oct 30, 2019
Getting aid to Yemen
Oct 23, 2019
Do Syrian Negotiations Matter?
Oct 09, 2019
How Iran Negotiates
Sep 24, 2019
U.S. Diplomacy in the Middle East
Sep 11, 2019