Best Mideastsoccer Podcasts (2026)

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Unrest in Iran and Its Implications BFM89.9 07012026 11:00

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1h ago11:00

11:00

Iran has been facing widespread unrest since Dec 28, with economic hardship sparking protests across the country and policymakers attempting reforms amid US sanctions and a faltering currency. Dr James M. Dorsey, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, shares with BFM 89.9 his analysis on the situation.…

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US Apprehends Maduro. What Next 04-01-2026 - JMD on PTV 23:19

1d ago23:19

23:19

James discusses the apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on PTV.By James M. Dorsey

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Radio Islam 02012026 6:34

4d ago6:34

6:34

James discusses this week’s Middle East developments on Radio IslamBy James M. Dorsey

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Israel and UAE risk further fracturing of the Middle East 11:20

5d ago11:20

11:20

If Israel and the United Arab Emirates have their way, 2026 promises to be a year of further fracturing of the Greater Middle East.Israel’s strategy is to balkanise, if not break up states, while the UAE’s approach is to capitalise on opportunities failed states offer, much as Iran did with its support for militant non-state actors in Lebanon, Iraq…

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Whither US-Israel relations? 10:51

9d ago10:51

10:51

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confidante Ron Dermer positioned Evangelicals five year ago as Israel’s most reliable supporters, more reliable than American Jews.Today, Mr Dermer is gone. He resigned in November as strategic affairs minister and the prime minister’s point man on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.Gone too is Evangelical reliability …

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Is Trump playing with conservative American Jews 12:26

12d ago12:26

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President Donald Trump has used a White House Hannukah celebration to highlight the Israel lobby’s reduced influence as a result of US public opinion, including young Evangelicals, increasingly questioning the perceived communality of American and Israeli national interests and turning critical of Israel’s Gaza war conduct.In a twist of irony, the …

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On the sports pitch, Russia and Israel fight for hearts and minds 10:58

16d ago10:58

10:58

Russia and Israel share a common problem: much of the international community views them as regional brutes and occupiers of other people’s lands.To address the problem, both use fog to gain lost ground in their information wars.In sports, the difference is that Russia is gaining ground, Israel isn’t.The reason is that Russia plays offense, while I…

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Egypt balances on Gaza knife’s edge 15:13

19d ago15:13

15:13

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, pressured by the United States and Israel, could make a move as bold as his predecessor, Anwar Sadat, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed did in when they recognised Israel.Only this time, Mr. Al-Sisi would be going out on a limb in a far more emotionally charged environment after more than two years of Isr…

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Resetting US-Israel relations-Will he, or won’t he 11:38

29d ago11:38

11:38

The question is not if, but when US-Israel relations will reset.The writing is already on the wall as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu prepares for an end-of-the-year visit to Washington, his fifth since US President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office in January.The reset is unlikely to be sudden or in one big bang. Instead, it will …

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Middle East Report 9:03

1M ago9:03

9:03

James discusses this week’s Middle East developments on Radio Islam.By James M. Dorsey

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Are Trump and Netanyahu approaching crunch time? 11:44

1M ago11:44

11:44

US President Donald Trump is turning the screws on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as policy towards Israel and the Middle East emerges as a main faultline in the president’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) support base.In recent days, Mr. Trump has pressuredMr. Netanyahu to abide by the Gaza ceasefire, facilitate the surrender of trapped Hamas f…

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From 911 to MAGA Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia 10:18

1M ago10:18

10:18

There is a straight line that connects Osama bin Laden’s destruction of multiculturalism with his 9/11 attacks 24 years ago to today’s mainstreaming of racism, particularly in the form of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.By James M. Dorsey

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Divide and conquer 10:47

1M ago10:47

10:47

Divide and conquer has become Israel’s main operating principle in a world in which it stands condemned for its war conduct, impunity, and intransigence, and is increasingly isolated.Israel applies the principle whether it is in Gaza, Syria, its uphill battle to gain the high ground in its information wars, or its efforts to encourage Jewish immigr…

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Shifting Paradigms-MbS positions Saudi Arabia as a global powerhouse 15:19

1M ago15:19

15:19

When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Washington this week, he shifted multiple paradigms.In an increasingly multilateral world, Mr. Bin Salman, backed by US President Donald Trump, suggested that the kingdom is claiming its place at the table as a geopolitical and geoeconomic powerhouse.US support gives (Mr. Bin Salman) more room to …

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Radio Islam 21112025 5:46

2M ago5:46

5:46

James discusses this week’s latest Middle East developments on Radio Islam.By James M. Dorsey

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Changing US attitudes catch Israel in a pincer movement 10:58

2M ago10:58

10:58

Israel’s US support base is narrowing.Coming at Israel from different directions, US President Donald Trump, increasingly critical Evangelicals, until recently a rock-solid Israeli support base, and influential Make America Great Again torchbearers are chipping away at Israel’s standing.By James M. Dorsey

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The Middle East in 72 Minutes 1:12:34

2M ago1:12:34

1:12:34

On this edition of Parallax Views, independent journalist James M. Dorsey of The Turbulent World with James M. Dorsey returns for our regular Middle East update. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the historic visit of Al-Sharaa to Washington and what it signals for U.S.–Syria relations, the internal ethno-religious divides within Syria,…

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Ye’s repentance-A blip on the radar 13:19

2M ago13:19

13:19

Alarmed by shifting attitudes towards Israel and rising anti-Semitism in Trump’s support base, Israeli officials likely see Ye’s repentance as a rare success of their multi-million dollar endeavour to halt a tidal shift among American Evangelicals and Make America Great Again (MAGA) figures away from Israel and towards the Palestinians that, at tim…

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Middle East Report 07112025 6:07

2M ago6:07

6:07

James discusses this week’s Middle East developments on Radio Islam.By James M. Dorsey

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Evangelicals to the rescue 9:58

2M ago9:58

9:58

Evangelicals to the rescue. That may seem an oxymoron in the case of Gaza and Palestine.Yet, the ground is shifting under a core, traditionally pro-Israel pillar of US President Donald Trump’s support base.The shift is occurring against the backdrop of legitimate concern that mounting criticism of Israel in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) crowd…

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The Middle East Report 5:20

2M ago5:20

5:20

James discusses this week’s developments on Radio Islam’s Middle East Report.By James M. Dorsey

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Testing boundaries 12:34

2M ago12:34

12:34

Palestinian public opinion is blowing new wind into Hamas’s sails, shredded by two years of brutal warfare in Gaza.The most recent public opinion poll, conducted in late October after a fragile ceasefire took hold, suggests that Hamas may have reversed its consistent rock bottom performance in repeated surveys during the war.…

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The Middle East Report 10:42

2M ago10:42

10:42

James discusses this week's Middle East events on Radio IslamBy James M. Dorsey

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Trump’s Middle East reality check 12:06

3M ago12:06

12:06

US President Donald Trump may think his 20-point proposal will end the Gaza war and solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but reality on the ground suggests otherwise.To be sure, Mr. Trump's proposal is the only game in town, if only because no one, not Israel, not the Palestinians, who weren't consulted, not the Arab states, wants to get on the …

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Racism in sports raises its ugly head on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide 13:46

3M ago13:46

13:46

Nowhere are the lines separating legitimate criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism more blurred than on the soccer pitch.A series of incidents in the last year highlights the confusion and obfuscation, part the product of an Israeli effort to deliberately conflate criticism with anti-Semitism in a bid to stifle questioning of Israeli policies and pa…

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The Middle East Report with JamesM. Dorsey 7:20

3M ago7:20

7:20

James discusses the prospects of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal on Radio Islam.By James M. Dorsey

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Fraying at the edges, the Gaza ceasefire spotlights fragility 12:40

3M ago12:40

12:40

It took barely 24 hours for US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal to fray at the edges, with Israel and Hamas hurling allegations of ceasefire violations at one another.By James M. Dorsey

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Ceasefire approved but is peace in sight_CNA 11102025 16:14

3M ago16:14

16:14

Israel has approved a ceasefire deal with Hamas. But with one explosion reported in Gaza hours after the deal was passed, can we still expect peace as Israel begins withdrawing from parts of Gaza? Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak with correspondent Blake Sifton and James M. Dorsey, Adjunct Senior Fellow, RSIS.…

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Can the Gaza ceasefire agreement hold TRT09102025 4:50

3M ago4:50

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James M. Dorsey from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies weighs in on the Israel-Hamas Gaza ceasefire deal and discusses whether Israel will commit to the agreement.By James M. Dorsey

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A look at key events of the Israel-Hamas war in the past year_CNA 07102025 12:37

3M ago12:37

12:37

Staring at minute 04:18, James discusses the Gaza ceasefire talks on CNABy James M. Dorsey

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TRT 04092025 5:14

3M ago5:14

5:14

James M. Dorsey discusses on TRT World what happens next as Hamas and Israel negotiate the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war.By James M. Dorsey

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U.S.-Israel Peace Plan, UEFA Suspension Threats, and Iran’s Nuclear Strategy_RadIslam 03102025 10:41

3M ago10:41

10:41

During this week’s Middle East Report, analyst James M. Dorsey provided insights into the evolving geopolitical landscape of the region.By James M. Dorsey

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Trump’s Gaza plan is a game of bluff poker 8:44

3M ago8:44

8:44

US President Donald Trump may envision himself as a Middle Eastern puppet master only to find out that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Arab and Muslim leaders have played him.Even so, it is Hamas and the Palestinians who are likely to hold the bag, not Mr. Trump.The fact of the matter is that no one in the Middle East and the broader …

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Trump and Netanyahu draw battlelines 11:52

3M ago11:52

11:52

US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack appeared to frame the administration’s thinking in a freewheeling interview on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's high-stakes meeting on Monday in Washington with President Donald Trump, his fourth in ten months.The two men’s discussions will focus on a 21-point plan…

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Parallax Views James Dorsey 9-24-25 1:14:11

3M ago1:14:11

1:14:11

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israel continues bombing Gaza, Houthis launch a drone strike on the Israeli city of Eilat, Israel conducts airstrikes in Doha, Qatar, the Gaza aid flotilla is being swarmed by Israel according to crew, and European states are recognizing Palestinian statehood. A lot is going on in terms of the Middle East and espe…

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Israel cuts off its nose to spite its face 10:32

3M ago10:32

10:32

Even by its own standards. Israel is cutting off its nose to spite its face.On Sunday, Israel scored an own goal when it targeted the compound of Gaza's powerful Doghmush clan, killing 25 extended family members.Located in Gaza City's Sabra district adjacent to the city's municipality, the Doghmush have long had a troubled relationship with Hamas.W…

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Palestinian Statehood In More Than Name_bfm 89.9 Sep 24 2025 9:45

3M ago9:45

9:45

Recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN is gaining momentum, with Australia, the UK and France joining over 145 countries in support. Yet, major players like the US and Japan remain hesitant. What impact does this have on a long-lasting solution to the war in Gaza? BFM 89.9 discusses this with Dr. James M. Dorsey, Adjunct Senior Fellow at S. R…

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Are sports associations next to boycott Israel 12:18

4M ago12:18

12:18

International sports boycotts of Israel are a question of if rather than when, with mounting pressure and ever more targeted boycotts and sanctions against Israel and widespread public anger at the Jewish state’s conduct of the Gaza war.Next week’s United Nations General Assembly proceedings in New York, where Gaza is certain to take centre stage, …

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Reports of mental health struggles among Israeli soldiers_TRT 18092025 5:03

4M ago5:03

5:03

James M. Dorsey discusses on TRT World the impact of the Gaza war on Israeli soldiers, with hundreds reportedly taken their own and many more suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).By James M. Dorsey

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What steps will the Doha emergency summit take following Israel’s attack_TRT 16092025 6:00

4M ago6:00

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What steps will the Doha emergency summit take following Israel’s attack_TRT 16092025 by James M. DorseyBy James M. Dorsey

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Rubio and Netanyahu frame discussions with religious and civilisational symbolism 13:38

4M ago13:38

13:38

US Secretary Marco Rubio’s first engagement after arriving in Israel this weekend to discuss the Gaza war and the fallout of Israel’s strike in Qatar sent a dangerous signal.By visiting Jerusalem’s Western Wall, a Jewish place of prayer and pilgrimage together with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the United States’ Christian Zionist a…

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Is Qatar the straw that breaks the camel’s back 15:37

4M ago15:37

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Is Qatar the straw that breaks the camel’s back by James M. DorseyBy James M. Dorsey

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Netanyahu puts Trump in a bind 11:35

4M ago11:35

11:35

Israel is playing a high-stakes game of bluff poker.The problem is that the stakes are high not only for Israel but also for its foremost supporters, the United States and Europe, as well as Gulf states with which it enjoyed close relations despite differences over Gaza, Palestine, and Iran.How the US, Europe, and the Gulf respond to Israel's targe…

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Israel’s attack on Qatar could be a watershed 7:40

4M ago7:40

7:40

Israel’s risky strike against Qatar was neither an unmitigated success in Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s terms nor a complete failure, even if it’s too early for a definitive cost-benefit analysis of what could prove to be a watershed.By James M. Dorsey

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US and Israel discuss restructuring their military relationship 12:00

4M ago12:00

12:00

With the United States and Israel discussing a follow-up to a US$38 billion ten-year Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries, which is set to expire in 2028, Israeli officials are warming to the notion of a paradigm shift in US-Israeli military relations.By James M. Dorsey

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The Middle East Report With James Dorsey 05092025 9:47

4M ago9:47

9:47

Nearly two years into Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, ceasefire negotiations remain stalled, the humanitarian toll continues to mount, and international divisions are deepening. Despite mounting global pressure, Israel has resisted calls for a permanent ceasefire, insisting on unfeasible conditions.During this week’s Middle East Report, James M. …

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Israel ignores gathering storm winds at its peril 16:06

4M ago16:06

16:06

Israelis are enjoying their mangoes this summer at sharply reduced prices at the expense of food-deprived Gazan Palestinians.The sharp drop in mango prices is as much a result of Israel's throttling of the flow of food into Gaza and its economic blockade of the Strip as it is a byproduct of increasing consumer boycotts of Israeli products and US Pr…

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UAE’s campaign against Islamists fuels moves to ban the Muslim Brotherhood and anti-Muslim sentiment 13:41

4M ago13:41

13:41

The UAE’s long-standing no holds barred campaign to persuade Western and other nations to proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood as the source of all Islamist evil, is producing results.The question is whether crackdowns on freedoms of expression and assembly, leaving Muslims and others with few, if any, release valves, coupled with anger at Western and …

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Radio Islam 29 Aug 2025 8:31

4M ago8:31

8:31

James discusses on Radio Islam the dim prospects for ending the Gaza war and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.By James M. Dorsey

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Gaza mediators work at cross purposes 16:14

4M ago16:14

16:14

Pursuing diametrically opposed objectives, Gaza's ceasefire mediators are working at cross purposes.The divide among the mediators, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, significantly diminishes the chances of the ceasefire talks succeeding and, if they do, reaching a deal that would lead to an end of the war.Hamas’s renewed acceptance by Hamas of a…