Hidden Forces

Turning Point: A New Security Order in the Middle East? | Joshua Landis

Oct 28, 2024

Joshua Landis, the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, shares his insights on the contrasting futures of the Middle East: one of ongoing conflict and another of potential peace. He explores the implications of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lebanon's political instability, and U.S.-Israel-Saudi partnerships for global security. Landis delves into the rise of sectarian divisions and critiques outdated foreign policies, highlighting the urgency for a cohesive approach to foster stability and unity in the region.

56:48

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Joshua Landis

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Quick takeaways

The Middle East stands at a crucial crossroads, where the potential for ongoing conflict clashes with the hope for a fragile peace through regional compromise.

Recent conflicts, especially between Israel and Hezbollah, have highlighted shifting power dynamics, exposing vulnerabilities that could reshape long-standing regional relationships.

The rise of right-wing politics in Israel complicates the prospects for Palestinian statehood, as current leadership prioritizes settlement expansion over dialogue and compromise.

Deep dives

Two Possible Futures for the Middle East

The future of the Middle East is portrayed as a critical juncture where two divergent paths are evident: ongoing conflict marked by instability and nuclear threats, or a cautious peace based on regional cooperation and compromise. This choice is influenced by various socio-political factors, including the impact of ongoing wars in Lebanon and Gaza that exacerbate tensions and complicate relationships between neighboring countries. The ongoing violence highlights the region's vulnerability and the changing dynamics of power, with external influences from nations like the United States and Israel shaping potential outcomes. This presents a pivotal moment where intentional efforts towards peace could redefine the geopolitical landscape, contrasting sharply with the cycle of violence that has historically defined the area.

Intro

3min

Geopolitical Dynamics and the Display of Power in the Middle East

5min

Navigating Sectarian Divisions in the Middle East: Challenges and Lessons

4min

Complex Geopolitics of Israel and Lebanon

15min

Navigating the Israel-Palestine Conflict

13min

The Impact of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict on Iranian Regime Legitimacy

2min

Navigating the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

15min

In Episode 386 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, Joshua Landis about two possible futures for the Middle East: The first will be defined by perpetual conflict, insecurity, and the specter of nuclear proliferation. The second would be defined by a tenuous, albeit hopeful, peace built on compromise and regional security.

Professor Landis explains why he believes that this choice is now upon us and that we are at a turning point in the Middle East that provides us with a glimpse into what the future of this conflict-ridden region will look like and how it will fit into the larger global security order (or disorder) that is currently emerging.

Between the first and second hours of this conversation, Dr. Landis and Kofinas discuss the wider war between Israel and Iran, the implications of the ongoing war in Lebanon, the Israeli war and occupation of Gaza, the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the future of the Palestinian movement for independent statehood, the rightward shift in Israeli politics, the status of the Abraham Accords, and the prospects for a new security arrangement and partnership between the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia that could result in a historic reset of the political and economic status quo in this still vital region of the world.

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Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas

Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou

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Episode Recorded on 10/23/2024

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Hidden Forces

Turning Point: A New Security Order in the Middle East? | Joshua Landis

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Two Possible Futures for the Middle East

The Fallout from the Israeli-Lebanese Conflict

Challenges of U.S. Intervention in Lebanon

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Its Complexities

Shifts in Israeli Politics and the Quest for Peace

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts