This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Amb. David Satterfield, the U.S. special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues. They discuss the crisis in Gaza, the challenges of getting aid to civilians, and the role of humanitarian assistance in ending the conflict. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert to discuss other hu ... Show More
May 2025
Babel Special: Jon Alterman's Next Chapter
This week on a special edition of Babel, Will Todman speaks with Jon Alterman, the creator of Babel and the show’s host since it began in 2019. They discuss Jon’s reflections on 22 years directing the CSIS Middle East Program, his analysis of how the Middle East policy ecosystem ... Show More
34m 59s
May 2025
Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ... Show More
50m 16s
May 2025
Analysis: Will Trump’s Houthi Deal Stick?
On Tuesday, May 6, President Trump declared that the United States would immediately halt its bombing of Houthi targets, bringing an end to months of intensified U.S. strikes across Yemen. The president linked the policy reversal to what he described as the Iran-backed Houthis’ c ... Show More
6m 13s
Nov 2023
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
As Israel says its troops have entered Gaza City, the humanitarian crisis is stark. Bakeries in North Gaza are closed, according to the UN, and hospitals are nearly out of fuel, says the Palestinian Red Crescent. The UN Secretary-General today called for an unconditional release ... Show More
58m 56s
Jul 2025
Crisis and control in Gaza and the West Bank
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Hugh Lovatt, ECFR policy fellow, and Tahani Mustafa, visiting fellow in ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme, to discuss Israel’s military action in Gaza and the West Bank, the ensuing humanitarian crisis, and the political dynamics o ... Show More
28m 53s
Oct 2023
World exclusive: Queen Rania of Jordan interview
As Israel continues bombing Gaza, bringing its health care system to the brink of collapse, Jordan's Queen speaks with Christiane Amanpour about the humanitarian catastrophe and the plight of Palestinians. Plus, seasoned hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin, who played a prominent r ... Show More
59m 26s
Mar 2025
USAID Cuts Imperiling Lives
First: Now that USAID is gutted, we hear from frontline humanitarian David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee.
Then: The Netflix hit sparking an important conversation: Adolescence—it’s about young minds, male rage, and the dangers of social media. Star of the ... Show More
40m 39s
Nov 2023
A compounding crisis in Gaza
After weeks of Israeli bombardment, and now a ground invasion, Gaza is in desperate need of food, water, fuel and electricity. We hear about the humanitarian crisis on the ground.
Today, a first hand account of the conditions at the center of Gaza from Amjad Shawa, coordinator fo ... Show More
28m 17s