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 #56
Fyodor Lukyanov, Chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy in Moscow, discusses why Russia wants an agreement with the US on cyber security; why Russia does not expect the US to lift sanctions on Russia; how Russian and Iranian policies differ in Syria; why Syria and Iran are minor issues in US-Russia relations; how to understand Russian President Vladimir Putin’s relationships with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; and much more.
Links:
-Will Syria come up in Biden-Putin summit? - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
-Russia looks for way back into Yemen - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
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 #48
Ben Caspit hosts this week former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Speaking just minutes after the swearing-in ceremony of the new government, Olmert says former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his "thugs" in the Knesset behaved shamefully, yelling and shouting at Israel’s new PM Naftali Bennett as he delivered his inauguration speech. "You may disagree with this government — that’s legitimate. You can criticize this government — that’s legitimate. But to organize members of parliament to prevent the designated prime minister from delivering a statement in an honorable and dignified manner, that is really shameful. Still, it is typical of the way Netanyahu and his friends had conducted themselves throughout the last few years."
Links:
-Netanyahu era ends as Naftali Bennett sworn-in as Israel’s new PM (al-monitor.com)
-Can Lapid-Bennett coalition keep it together? (al-monitor.com)
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)