Babel: Translating the Middle East

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Ambassador Karim Haggag. After an Egyptian diplomatic career that spanned more than 25 years, Amb. Haggag is now a professor of practice at the American University in Cairo's School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, the director of the university’s Middle East Studies Center, and a non-resident visiting scholar with Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Together, they compare the war in Gaza to other crises in Egypt’s history, discuss Egypt's complicated relationships with Israel and Hamas, and anticipate Egypt's role in the "day after" in Gaza. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert to discuss U.S. diplomatic leverage in the Middle East. Transcript, "Karim Haggag: Egypt's Balancing Act," CSIS, July 9, 2024.

On March 20, Saudi Arabia announced that it planned to invest $40 billion into AI development. This move comes on the heels of the UAE's creation of two large language models developed within the last year. However, as these Arabic-speaking nations race for AI supremacy, they are starting behind the pack.Josh Phillips, "The Voice Inside AI's Head Speaks English," CSIS, June 18, 2024.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Karim Elgendy, an expert on climate and energy policy in the Middle East and North Africa. Elgendy is the associate director at Buro Happold, an associate fellow at Chatham House, and a senior non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute. They talk about the geopolitics of climate change, the challenges hindering climate diplomacy, and the factors driving energy production in the region. Then, he continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert to discuss climate's role in regional diplomacy and the public discourse around climate in the Middle East.Transcript, "Karim Elgendy: Climate Diplomacy in the Middle East," CSIS, June 25, 2024.

Recently, the Lebanese government developed a plan to deport Syrian refugees who were not registered with the United Nations, which accounts for almost half of all refugees in Lebanon. Although Lebanon’s sovereignty is important, so are its humanitarian obligations and its role in regional security. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.Natasha Hall and Will Todman, “Lebanon’s Dangerous Campaign against Refugees,” CSIS, June 4, 2024. 

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Professor Jonathan Rynhold, the head of the Department of Political Studies at Bar Ilan University and a senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. Together, they talk about how Israeli public opinion has evolved since October 7th, the divisions within Israeli politics, and Israeli attitudes towards President Biden. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert to discuss the dynamics in Israeli strategic thinking and President Biden’s efforts to move the conflict closer to resolution.Transcript, "Jonathan Rynhold: Israel's Divided Politics," CSIS, June 11, 2024.

Since the revolution, Tunisia has had 12 different governments. Amid chronic political instability, Tunisian institutions lack the legitimacy necessary to implement policies. Environmental policies have taken a particularly hard hit. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.Mohamed Omar Kardous, "Political Instability and Environmental Politics in Postrevolutionary Tunisia, CSIS, April 9, 2024.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House and a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies for almost 20 years. They talk about the fallout from President Raisi’s death, how Gulf states are likely to react, and the feasibility of U.S. policy options going forward. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert to discuss what’s next for Iranian foreign policy and what opportunities there are for the United States.Transcript, "Sanam Vakil: Iran's Trajectory after Raisi," CSIS, May 29, 2024.

This week, Leah Hickert speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at CSIS, about the impacts of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash, and how it will affect Iran's foreign and domestic policy. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.Jon Alterman, "The Impacts of Raisi's Death," CSIS, May 20, 2024.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicholas Blanford, a Beirut-based security consultant, the author of two books on Lebanon, and a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. They talk about Hezbollah’s evolution, its ties to other actors in the region, and the role the group is playing in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert to discuss Hezbollah’s deep roots in Lebanese society and the organization’s future. Transcript, "Nicholas Blanford: Hezbollah’s Struggle Against Israel," CSIS, May 14, 2024. Nicholas Blanford, Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah's Thirty-Year Struggle Against Israel, Random House, 2011. Nicholas Blanford, Killing Mr Lebanon: The Assassination of Rafik Hariri and Its Impact on the Middle East, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006.

Desperate for stability and lured by promises of a life of luxury, a Syrian widow accepted a marriage proposal from a member of an Iraqi militia. She did not know that she would become one of dozens of Syrian women to fall victim to Iraqi marriage exploitation in the past year alone. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.Josh Phillips, "The Bonds of Marriage between Syria and Iraq," CSIS, May 1, 2024.