Best David Makovsky Podcasts (2025)

1
Israel into 2025: Building on Regional Successes, Avoiding Domestic Fractures 46:14

4M ago46:14

46:14

Israeli society has been through the gambit of emotions in 2024: from the national trauma of the aftermath of October 7th and repeated failed hostage negotiations, to major military achievements that have shifted the regional security landscape. As the nation looks ahead to 2025, healing internal divisions within Israel remains elusive despite the …

1
After Assad: Navigating Syria's Power Vacuum and Regional Fallout 1:03:43

5M ago1:03:43

1:03:43

After just a few days of fighting, Bashar al-Assad's regime has fallen, and Assad has fled to Russia. However, the collapse of the Assad regime is far from a fairytale ending. The rebels responsible for toppling Assad, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, and history shows that power vacuums i…

1
Inside the Middle East: How War, Ceasefires, and Trump’s Arrival Are Reshaping the Middle East 52:04

5M ago52:04

52:04

The past few weeks in the region have been some of the most eventful in recent history. Hizbullah, the crown jewel of Iran’s proxy network, has suffered a devastating blow, Iran’s air defense systems have been dismantled, and a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been established. At the same time, the election of President Trump has i…

1
Will the Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Hold? 40:13

5M ago40:13

40:13

After more than a year of intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, President Biden recently announced a ceasefire, raising hopes that this agreement could save lives, restore stability, and bring an end to the unprecedented escalation that began with the October 7 attacks. But how did this ceasefire come about, and how does it compare to the …

1
Israel and Iran Tensions: Calculating Risk Amid Conflict 52:36

6M ago52:36

52:36

Since October 1st, tensions between Israel and Iran have reached new heights. In recent weeks, we’ve seen significant Israeli strikes on Iranian targets and a weakening of Iran’s proxy network. At the same time, Israel is stretched across multiple active fronts, challenging its traditional military doctrine of short, decisive wars and increasing it…

1
Post-Sinwar: Hostages, Succession & Thwarting Hamas Revival 58:56

6M ago58:56

58:56

On October 16th, the world was shocked to learn that the architect of the October 7th attacks, Yahya Sinwar, was killed by an IDF infantry unit. Yahya Sinwar’s death was a central goal of the Israeli war effort, and it marks a significant turning point for Hamas leadership, hostage negotiations, and Palestinian society. In this episode, David Makov…

1
Trump & Harris Senior Advisors Contrast Visions for US Middle East Policy 1:11:57

6M ago1:11:57

1:11:57

On November 5th, Americans will head to the polls to make a decision that will shape U.S. foreign policy towards the Middle East for years to come. Now more than ever, it is important to understand the critical foreign policy decisions that lie ahead for the United States. With the Middle East at a pivotal juncture, the outcome of this election wil…

1
Hezbollah Decapitated?: The War with Israel and Lebanon's Future 52:33

6M ago52:33

52:33

The past few weeks have been some of the most pivotal in Israel’s modern history with Lebanon. Recently, Israeli intelligence and operational successes have delivered devastating blows to Hezbollah’s leadership, decapitating its senior command, including the infamous Hassan Nasrallah. With thousands displaced across Northern Israel and Lebanon due …

1
Iran, Israel & Missiles: Roots of Iran's Enmity & Military Escalation 55:38

7M ago55:38

55:38

Iran's recent ballistic missile attack on Israel marks a significant escalation in their long-standing enmity. This attack, one of the largest in history, raises critical questions about the future of the relationship and the region at large. As tensions peak, the strategic, political, and ideological dimensions of this rivalry take on even greater…

1
30 Years of Peace Under Pressure: Israel and Jordan in Regional Turmoil 46:48

7M ago46:48

46:48

October marks the 30th anniversary of the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty, a key moment in Middle East diplomacy. Since October 7th, the relationship between the two countries has been challenged like never before, with cracks appearing in the Israel-Jordan relationship. While Jordan and Israel have collaborated on strategic issues like water, energy, a…

1
Ring of Fire: Iran’s Proxy Network Against Israel and How to Disrupt It 54:29

7M ago54:29

54:29

Since Israel’s founding in 1948, it has never faced a reality quite like this: seven active combat fronts, including Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, the West Bank, Gaza, and Yemen. This multi-front war was once the vision of Qassem Soleimani, the late commander of the Iranian IRGC’s Quds Force, who referred to it as the “ring of fire” — a strategy desi…

1
Israel's Wartime Economy: Navigating Crisis and Beyond 44:25

8M ago44:25

44:25

Since October 7th, Israel has been grappling with the immense economic toll of a prolonged, multi-front war. While the country’s economy has weathered crises before, the past 11 months have pushed its resilience to the limit. Soaring military expenditures, plummeting tourism, and the costs of compensating reserve soldiers and displaced citizens hav…

1
Back to School: Lessons from New Study on Israel and Campus Narratives 1:02:12

8M ago1:02:12

1:02:12

In the wake of rising campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas war, Jewish students have faced increasing hostility, with a reported 700% spike in antisemitic incidents since October 7. As colleges reopen for the fall, we dive into the complexities of these protests. A recent Brandeis University survey found that almost one-third of college students f…

1
Evolution of Hamas: Terror, Policy and Politics 52:39

8M ago52:39

52:39

On October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched the most significant and deadliest terror attack against Israel in the history of the state. Formed in the late 1980s, Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist military and socio-political movement. Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel, and the organization has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2006. How has Ha…

1
Middle East Crisis Moment: Stakes for the US-Israel Security Relationship 1:03:15

9M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

The Middle East is at a crucial moment. Dual retaliatory attacks by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel threaten to tip the region into total war. However, a breakthrough in the hostage-for-ceasefire negotiations in Doha, initiated by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, may delay or eliminate the attacks and could be a pivotal turning point in the Israel-Hama…

1
Can the Gaza War Bridge the Secular-Haredi Military Draft Divide? 1:00:39

9M ago1:00:39

1:00:39

The Gaza War is Israel’s longest battle since its War of Independence in 1948. Wartime demands have put an outsized strain on Israel’s army, reopening the debate over the ultra-orthodox (Haredi) draft and the broader secular-religious fault line in Israeli society. While the Haredim have historically enjoyed a blanket exemption from military servic…

1
How Has Israeli Society Changed After 300+ Days of War? 50:00

9M ago50:00

50:00

Israeli society underwent a massive shock on October 7 that upended deeply held convictions about the army and the state. The horrors of 10/7 and the immediate demands of war unified Israelis at a time of deep division, but the 300+ days since Hamas’ assault have tested societal cohesion. How have 10/7 and the ensuing months of war changed Israeli …

1
A New Calculus for War? Understanding Israel-Hezbollah Dynamics 58:15

9M ago58:15

58:15

In recent weeks, the mid-intensity conflict on Israel’s northern border with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite terror group, has threatened to explode into all-out war. With Israel ramping up its targeted killings of top Hezbollah military commanders and Hezbollah launching rockets and drones ever further into Israel, is total war inevi…

1
Allies Under Pressure: The Gaza War and U.S.-Israel Relations 53:08

9M ago53:08

53:08

The ten months since October 7th have revealed both the profound strengths and strains of the U.S.-Israel partnership. Are current tensions a temporary consequence of the Israel-Hamas war, or do they represent a new and enduring divide between the two allies? In this episode, Dennis Ross joins David Makovsky on the eve of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s…

1
The Judiciary Debate and the Future of Israeli Democracy 1:10:33

2y ago1:10:33

1:10:33

Host David Makovsky is joined by Prof. Yedidia Stern, president of the Jewish People Policy Institute and former dean of the law faculty at Bar-Ilan University, and Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, Israel’s former attorney-general and the recently retired deputy president of its Supreme Court. After breaking down the history and structure of Israel’s ju…

1
Grappling with the Direction of the New Netanyahu Government 1:04:42

2+ y ago1:04:42

1:04:42

In the season finale, David is joined by Ben Caspit, columnist and author of The Netanyahu Years, and David Horovitz, the founding editor of The Times of Israel, to discuss Israel's returning prime minister and his controversial right-wing government. David and the guests break down the keys to Binyamin Netanyahu's long-lasting political career, th…

1
Combating Anti-Semitism in the Middle East and Beyond 39:48

2+ y ago39:48

39:48

David is joined by acclaimed historian Deborah Lipstadt, appointed by President Biden as the State Department's Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism. The two discuss the state of contemporary anti-Semitism, reflect upon the role of the Holocaust in Israel, and draw takeaways from Lipstadt's travels to the Gulf and Morocco. Hoste…

1
Rabbi Kook: Founding Religious Zionism and Those Who Seek to Subvert His Legacy Today 54:49

2+ y ago54:49

54:49

In this episode, host David Makovsky welcomes Yehudah Mirsky, professor of Near Eastern and Judaic studies at Brandeis University, faculty member of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, and author of Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution. The two discuss the ideology of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, founder of Religious Zionism, and how his te…

1
Too Much History and Too Little Geography: A Conversation Across the Israeli-Palestinian Societal Divide 48:53

2+ y ago48:53

48:53

Yossi Klein Halevi, Shalom Hartman Institute fellow and author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, joins the podcast to discuss Israeli-Palestinian coexistence with Yousef Bashir, Director of Research & Operations for the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace and author of The Words of My Father. Halevi and Bashir share personal experie…

1
An Insider's View of the Carter White House: Negotiations with Sadat, Begin, and Assad 56:33

2+ y ago56:33

56:33

David Makovsky hosts veteran diplomat Stuart Eizenstat, who served as Jimmy Carter’s chief domestic policy advisor and whose book President Carter: The White House Years provides an unparalleled view of the administration’s Middle East decisionmaking. In this episode, David and Stuart discuss the Camp David Accords, U.S.-led negotiations with Syria…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

David Makovsky Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Decision Points

David Makovsky

1
Israel into 2025: Building on Regional Successes, Avoiding Domestic Fractures 46:14

1
After Assad: Navigating Syria's Power Vacuum and Regional Fallout 1:03:43

1
Inside the Middle East: How War, Ceasefires, and Trump’s Arrival Are Reshaping the Middle East 52:04

1
Will the Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Hold? 40:13

1
Israel and Iran Tensions: Calculating Risk Amid Conflict 52:36

1
Post-Sinwar: Hostages, Succession & Thwarting Hamas Revival 58:56

1
Trump & Harris Senior Advisors Contrast Visions for US Middle East Policy 1:11:57

1
Hezbollah Decapitated?: The War with Israel and Lebanon's Future 52:33

1
Iran, Israel & Missiles: Roots of Iran's Enmity & Military Escalation 55:38

1
30 Years of Peace Under Pressure: Israel and Jordan in Regional Turmoil 46:48

1
Ring of Fire: Iran’s Proxy Network Against Israel and How to Disrupt It 54:29

1
Israel's Wartime Economy: Navigating Crisis and Beyond 44:25

1
Back to School: Lessons from New Study on Israel and Campus Narratives 1:02:12

1
Evolution of Hamas: Terror, Policy and Politics 52:39

1
Middle East Crisis Moment: Stakes for the US-Israel Security Relationship 1:03:15

1
Can the Gaza War Bridge the Secular-Haredi Military Draft Divide? 1:00:39

1
How Has Israeli Society Changed After 300+ Days of War? 50:00

1
A New Calculus for War? Understanding Israel-Hezbollah Dynamics 58:15

1
Allies Under Pressure: The Gaza War and U.S.-Israel Relations 53:08

1
The Judiciary Debate and the Future of Israeli Democracy 1:10:33

1
Grappling with the Direction of the New Netanyahu Government 1:04:42

1
Combating Anti-Semitism in the Middle East and Beyond 39:48

1
Rabbi Kook: Founding Religious Zionism and Those Who Seek to Subvert His Legacy Today 54:49

1
Too Much History and Too Little Geography: A Conversation Across the Israeli-Palestinian Societal Divide 48:53

1
An Insider's View of the Carter White House: Negotiations with Sadat, Begin, and Assad 56:33