Friday Focus: Bibi's Gaza plan prioritizes his political survival over his country's interests and Putin dreams of a new Russian Empire
Aug 8, 2025
The discussion ignites around Netanyahu's controversial Gaza plan, prioritizing political survival over Israeli national interests. Tensions rise as the implications for displaced residents and hostages are scrutinized. Shifting gears, the focus turns to Ukraine, with concerns over Trump's possible deals with Putin that could alienate Europe. The hosts delve into historical perspectives, emphasizing Russia's divergent worldview compared to the West. Ultimately, both crises reveal complex intersections of politics and military strategy, raising ethical questions and urgent implications for the future.
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Students' History Knowledge Is Limited
Janice Stein is stunned by how little history college-age students know.
She warns education must do better to fill narrative gaps for young people.
insights INSIGHT
Gaza City Operation Lacks Strategic Rationale
Janice Stein calls the Gaza City plan ill-conceived and strategically damaging.
She notes Netanyahu pushed the plan despite vigorous opposition from the chief of staff.
insights INSIGHT
IDF Will Not Follow Illegal Orders
Rudyard Griffiths reports the IDF senior command told officers they will not follow illegal orders.
He warns forced displacement would require illegal practices under international law.
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Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.
Rudyard and Janice start the show talking about developments in the Middle East, where Netanyahu ordered his war cabinet to take over Gaza City temporarily and hand it over to Arab security forces. This would involve evacuation orders for residents of Gaza city, who have already been displaced multiple times over the course of this war. This is an unpopular plan, opposed by both governments abroad and the majority of Israeli citizens, including the chief of defense staff. How does the rescue and recovery of Israel's hostages factor into this plan? Rudyard and Janice agree that this is one of the most egregious examples of a politician putting his own political survival over the long term strategic interests of his country. In the second half of the show Rudyard and Janice turn to the war in Ukraine and Trump's changing attitudes towards Russia. A Trump and Putin deal that excludes Zelensky would infuriate not only Ukraine but all of Europe. The West must understand that Russians have historically viewed the world through a different lens that does not align with Western liberal attitudes. Ultimately, Russia wants the West to recognize its sphere of influence in the region, a view Trump is sympathetic to. In the final moments of the show Rudyard and Janice reflect on the 80th anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima. The dropping of two Atomic bombs in Japan at the end of World War Two has left a moral stain on all those involved, and should remain a subject of deep reflection. How should this horrible chapter in our history inform our attitudes towards the major geopolitical conflicts unfolding today?
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