Podcasts
Broaden your horizons with Al-Monitor podcasts, where our contributors deliver the latest news and developments. Be sure to listen and subscribe via your favorite podcast app.
On the Middle East with Andrew Parasiliti and Amberin Zaman
Andrew Parasiliti and Amberin Zaman interview newsmakers each week from the US and Middle East about the latest news and trends in the region, with additional commentary from Al-Monitor’s ‘on-the-ground’ correspondents.
Most Recent Episode #69
Wall Street Journal National Security Reporter Vivian Salama discusses what to expect at the UN this week, including the impact of the US-France diplomatic dispute on the Middle East; why an Iran nuclear deal remains elusive; the state of UN diplomacy in Yemen, Syria and Libya; and more!
Links:
-Middle East economic outlook hinges on vaccinations (Al-Monitor)
On Israel with Ben Caspit
Ben Caspit, an Israel correspondent for Al-Monitor, brings you weekly interviews with newsmakers and officials to discuss the latest news in Israel.
Most Recent Episode #60
Ben Caspit speaks this week with Channel 12’s diplomatic correspondent Dana Weiss. The senior analyst comments about Prime Minister Naftali Bennett appearing on Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of 2021. What is amazing, she notes, is not that Bennett was included in the list, but rather that Arab politician Mansour Abbas would be the one to endorse him. "This is practically science fiction, to think that this could have happened. That this leader of an extreme right party and of the settlers, would be endorsed by someone that until the last elections was considered almost as an outcast in Israeli politics," she notes.
Links:
-100 days in, Bennett’s government challenged on Iran, Gaza - Al-Monitor
-Egypt’s embrace of Bennett highlights divisions in Israeli cabinet - Al-Monitor
Off The Hookah with Phil and Cooper
We get it: the Middle East can be a complicated place, and sometimes it’s difficult to wrap your head around all the regional conflicts and political drama - that’s where we come in. We’re here to break down the major headlines, talk with experts and journalists, and give you a clearer picture of what’s happening in the region so you can impress your friends and promote our podcast. Sorry, that’s the shameless plug we were supposed to delete. Oh well. Off the Hookah with Phil and Cooper is a production of Al-Monitor.
As the coronavirus crisis continues to grip the world, the markets have been on the shakiest ground yet since the 2008 economic recession - especially with regards to the price of oil. In the last few years, Saudi Arabia and Russia have developed a special relationship to stabilize oil prices in the face of growing competition from the Americans, who for the first time has begun to outpace both countries in terms of production. But when demand for oil began to fall precipitously in the face of COVID-19, the relationship ended in a messy way. Phil and Cooper break down the bad breakup and how it’s affected economies worldwide.
- Russia might not be ready for long-term OPEC commitment (Nikolay Kozhanov)
- Russia hoping to outdo Saudis over time in coronavirus-hit oil market (Max Suchkov)
- Does Moscow's withdrawal from OPEC-plus deal end Russia-Saudi honeymoon? (Nikolay Kozhanov)
- Intel: How the US is relying on Riyadh to reassure global markets (Elizabeth Hagedorn)
Extra Listening
- Episode #114, Double Double, Oil and Trouble (9/27/2019): Exploring the special relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.
Music: Elman - “Антигерой” (Spotify)