This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Arwa Damon, a former CNN international correspondent and founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance (INARA). She talks with Jon from Gaza. Together, they discuss her two decades of work in war zones and the effects of war on the young children her charity supports. Then, Jon continues the ... 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
Jul 26
Palestinian Authority PM on the Hunger Crisis and Desperation in Gaza
As appalling scenes of starvation and destruction out of Gaza continue, Christiane speaks exclusively with the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister. The two discuss the hunger crisis in the enclave, who governs the day after the Gaza war ends, and hopes for Palestinian statehood. ... Show More
40m 50s
Oct 2022
Shadia Qubti: Wrestling with reconciliation, justice, faith and gender
Shadia Qubti is a Palestinian from Nazareth who is currently completing a degree in Interreligious and Indigenous Studies at Vancouver School of Theology in Canada. Prior to coming to Canada, Shadia studied International Relations and English Language at the Hebrew University in ... Show More
46m 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 s ... Show More
42m 39s
Aug 2024
Turning Pain into Power: Feeding Families & Bringing Attention to Gaza
In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Rania Batrice speaks with Hani Almadhoun, Gaza native, Director of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA, and co-founder, along with his family in Gaza, of Gaza Soup Kitchen. They discuss survival and loss in Gaza, where Hani's parents, sibli ... Show More
32m 26s
Oct 2024
One Year of Pain and Suffering in Israel and Gaza
This week on the show, one year since the horrors of October 7th that sparked a devastating war on Gaza, Christiane speaks to Israeli and Palestinian journalists about how their lives have changed. And in an exclusive interview, Siamak Namazi, the longest-held American in Iran, b ... Show More
42m 43s
Sep 15
The impact on Afghan women of US aid cuts
The BBC reports from inside Afghanistan on the loss of access to maternity care, after US aid cuts. Also on the programme, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said US-Israeli relations have "never been stronger", as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits to discuss t ... Show More
47m 22s
Jan 2024
US Journalist Gonzalo Lira Murdered by Ukraine | The UK and US Attacks Yemen
On this Moats, George Galloway gives his take on the South Africa vs Israel Hague Case, the large protests in support of Palestine across Britain and the shipping container war. Moats reflects on the contribution to the truth made by American journalist Gonzalo Lira Jr, who was t ... Show More
1h 10m