The Burn Bag Podcast

In light of the recent Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel and subsequent Israeli military action in Gaza, The Burn Bag is re-releasing several episodes A'ndre and Ryan recorded during the 2021 Israeli-Palestinian crisis, aiming to assess the history of the broader Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts, highlighting a multitude of perspectives. We hope that you listen to all of these re-releases, in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of this conflict.In the last episode of our miniseries on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we speak to Yossi Klein Halevi, famed Israeli author and journalist, on  'myths' and 'realities' around the Jewish people, the State of Israel, and Zionism. Yossi talks about the idea of Israel and 'historic' Israel before the founding of the modern day state, and what Israel means to Jewish people -- drawing on the intersection of history, religion, and culture. Discussing the expulsion of Jews around the world before, during, and after the creation of the State of Israel, Yossi discusses how Israel is perceived as more than just a country, providing his take on what Zionism means, in his perspective. Yossi dispels critiques that Israel is a 'white' state and talks about the diversity present within Israel's population, and then dives into relations between the Israelis and Palestinians. Yossi, the author of Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor, acknowledges and refutes criticisms of Israel, delineating between 'legitimate' criticisms of recent actions around Sheikh Jarrah and more 'existential' criticisms around overarching anti-Zionism -- providing his rationale on why he believes those existential criticisms are anti-Semitic.NOTE: In A’ndre’s introduction, he mentioned that Professor Rashid Khalidi was a negotiator for the PLO. The correct statement is that he was an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1991 until June 1993. 

In light of the recent Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel and subsequent Israeli military action in Gaza, The Burn Bag is re-releasing several episodes A'ndre and Ryan recorded during the 2021 Israeli-Palestinian crisis, aiming to assess the history of the broader Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts, highlighting a multitude of perspectives. We hope that you listen to all of these re-releases, in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of this conflict.In this week's episode, A'ndre and Ryan dissect the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with University of Michigan Professor Victor Lieberman. This episode provides a broad overview of the conflict itself, going back more than a 100 years and framing the conflict as not one between Muslims and Jews, but one between two rival nationalisms -- Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism. Professor Lieberman provides a timeline that goes back to the days of the Ottoman Empire and then into the British administered Mandatory Palestine, the demographic shifts that occurred in the region due to European anti-Semitism, and the political and armed conflicts leading up to creation of the State of Israel. Professor Lieberman digs into the wars between Israel and its Arab state neighbors, the nature of Palestinian political leadership, and the relationship between the goals of the Arab states and the goal of a Palestinian state.  Land, borders, and failures in diplomacy form a large bulk of the discussion, and Professor Lieberman rounds out the conversation with why he is cautiously pessimistic about any potential resolution to the conflict. The conversation aims to effectively and objectively cover the hundred year conflict in one hour, providing a primer that will help our audience formulate opinions on their own, given the issue's sensitive nature. Professor Victor Lieberman teaches a popular course on the Arab-Israeli conflict at the University of Michigan, where he serves as the Raoul Wallenberg Distinguished University Professor of History and Professor of Asian and Comparative History. His effective and objective teaching style was rewarded with the Golden Apple Award in 2014 -- given to a professor for outstanding teaching, by the students.  NOTE: In A’ndre’s introduction, he mentioned that Professor Rashid Khalidi was a negotiator for the PLO. The correct statement is that he was an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1991 until June 1993.  

In light of the recent Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel and subsequent Israeli military action in Gaza, The Burn Bag is re-releasing several episodes A'ndre and Ryan recorded during the 2021 Israeli-Palestinian crisis, aiming to assess the history of the broader Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts, highlighting a multitude of perspectives. We hope that you listen to all of these re-releases, in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of this conflict.[Originally released 5/29/21] In this special release, A'ndre and Ryan speak with Dr. Jess Ghannam, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Global Health Sciences at the UCSF School of Medicine, about post-conflict trauma and the importance of incorporating this trauma into larger conversations about national security. Dr. Ghannam, who is Palestinian-American and hails from Detroit, speaks on how "the juxtaposition of pain and curiosity" motivated him to learn about and work on the impact of trauma, in order to address health inequalities at home and abroad.  Dr. Ghannam recounts his on-the-ground experience in working in creating medical clinics in Gaza and the public health crises he observed there as a starting point to contextualize the broader conversation from a global standpoint. We have a conversation on the different types of trauma that children and adolescents experience, how mental health gives way to physical and other symptoms, and why Western ways of thinking about PTSD may not be adequate in describing the heavy trauma that civilians in conflict zones face. We discuss how a focus on chronic illnesses (non-communicable) and mental illnesses, such as depression, do present a security risk for the United States and the global community, and the interventions that the public health sector is engaging in to address these huge health issues.NOTE: In A’ndre’s introduction, he mentioned that Professor Rashid Khalidi was a negotiator for the PLO. The correct statement is that he was an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1991 until June 1993. 

In light of the recent Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel and subsequent Israeli military action in Gaza, The Burn Bag is re-releasing several episodes A'ndre and Ryan recorded during the 2021 Israeli-Palestinian crisis, aiming to assess the history of the broader Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts, highlighting a multitude of perspectives. We hope that you listen to all of these re-releases, in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of this conflict.[Originally Released on 6/3/2021] In this special episode, A'ndre and Ryan speak with Nabil Fahmy,  Founding Dean of the American University in Cairo's School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and former Egyptian Foreign Minister. Dean Fahmy shares his perspective on the recent Gaza War and Egypt's historical role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dean Fahmy digs into Egypt's relationship with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas, while giving his prognosis on the path ahead in the more than seventy year conflict. He also discusses Egypt's unique geopolitical position as an African and Asian power, and how this informs its foreign policy and relationship with regional and international actors, such as the United States. The conversation concludes with a discussion on Egypt's future and how the younger generation can bring positive change.NOTE: In A’ndre’s introduction, he mentioned that Professor Rashid Khalidi was a negotiator for the PLO. The correct statement is that he was an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1991 until June 1993.

In light of the recent Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel and subsequent Israeli military action in Gaza, The Burn Bag is re-releasing several episodes A'ndre and Ryan recorded during the 2021 Israeli-Palestinian crisis, aiming to assess the history of the broader Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts, highlighting a multitude of perspectives. We hope that you listen to all of these re-releases, in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of this conflict.[Originally released 6/19/21] In the latest episode of our miniseries focusing in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we speak to Dr. Rashid Khalidi, a Palestinian American historian who currently is the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, on the history of the Palestinian people and Palestinian nationalism. Dr. Khalidi, the author of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine (2020) and Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness (1997), discusses the origins of Palestinian Nationalism and provides a primer on the development of the Palestinian identity, dispelling the myths and talking the realities of Palestinian Nationalism in both the Mandate and Pre-Mandate period (the 'Mandate' referring to British governance of the Palestinian region in the years preceding 1948). Dr. Khalidi discusses why early attempts at creating a Palestinian state failed, and what agency the Palestinians actually had in their own fate amidst the involvement of regional and foreign powers. Dr. Khalidi goes on to talk about the Palestinians as a political entity, with the rise of the PLO, and gives his take on why the Oslo Peace Process failed -- drawing on his own personal experience as an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington peace negotiations between 1991 and 1993.NOTE: In A’ndre’s introduction, he mentioned that Professor Rashid Khalidi was a negotiator for the PLO. The correct statement is that he was an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1991 until June 1993. 

This week, A'ndre chats with Michael Kugelman, the Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, on the recent diplomatic tensions between India and Canada over the assassination (on Canadian soil) of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader. We dive into Canada's allegations against India, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused the Indian Government of being involved in the assassination -- which the Indian Government has since denied. India has in turn accused Canada of harboring extremists supporting Khalistan separatist movement,  dedicated to the creation of a separate Sikh homeland in Punjab, which turned violent in the 1970s and 1980s before being quelled by the Indian Government. Michael and A'ndre take a deep dive on that separatist movement, and why Canada has been accused of being a "safe haven for terrorists" by India. We then take a step back to assess India-Canada relations under Narendra Modi and Justin Trudeau, in addition to evaluating whether the diplomatic row will hamper U.S.-India relations -- particularly in light of reports that the United States may have provided Canada with valuable intelligence on India's alleged involvement in the Nijjar assassination.

Professor Joseph S. Nye Jr., one of the most influential international relations thinkers of our time, sits down with A'ndre Gonawela and Andrew Wilson to discuss the applicability of his theories around neoliberalism in a Great Power competition framework, his assessments of executive foreign policy in past administrations, and where academia can inform the public as the international landscape continues to change. Professor Nye, who co-founded the neoliberalist school of thought, provides his take on what people get wrong about it. The hosts and Professor Nye discuss what 'soft power' is, in addition to recent concepts around 'smart power' and 'sharp power'. A'ndre and Andrew also question Professor Nye about his views on what constitutes a 'moral' foreign policy, as Nye provides his rankings on U.S. Presidents and their own moral foreign policies.

This week, A'ndre spoke with Courtney Weatherby, the Deputy Director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia Program and a Research Analyst with the Energy, Water, & Sustainability program, on the intersection of water insecurity and conflict, with a particular focus on the Mekong River Dispute. Courtney discusses the connection between water and national security, and how water insecurity, while not often a direct driver of war, can be a tension point underlying a broader conflict. We briefly discuss how countries approach the sharing of water resources, and why energy security and food security are vitally linked to water security. We then focus on the Mekong River Dispute, talking about how China's actions in building dams on the river have affected countries downstream, leading to significant tensions.

This week, Christina interviews Anne Clawson, Principal and Head of Policy & Government Affairs Practice at Cascade Strategies. With an extensive portfolio in the manufacturing, natural resources, and clean energy space, Anne gives an extensive background on the state of critical minerals today. She discusses the race for critical minerals, rising tensions with adversaries and allies alike, and predicts what the future will look like for the United States in a setting where they are not the only dominating power. Anne gives insight into the complexities of critical minerals, from China's overwhelming refining capabilities, to developing nations' desire to capitalize on their raw resources.

The Burn Bag is collaborating with the Climate Migration Council to conduct several episodes on the security risks surrounding climate change, amidst severe heat and climate-related crises that are gripping the country and the world.This week, A'ndre spoke with Rebecca Bill Chavez, the President and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue, on the migration crisis in Latin America -- discussing why democratic decay across the region has factored in, and how the effects of climate change intersect. Rebecca, who worked on Latin American issues at the Department of Defense during the Obama Administration, talks about the key drivers of migration in Latin America and the internal dynamics of countries that are both the sources and receivers of migrants. We discuss why anti-democratic political cultures have exacerbated migration, and touch on how governments (across the right and left) have leveraged militarized law enforcement arms. Rebecca then outlines how climate change has intensified these relevant challenges, but provides some examples of hope on international cooperation, particularly highlighting how local and municipal leaders (such as Mayors) across Latin America are aiming to collaborate via dialogue in engaging with climate change and climate-driven migration.