Best Mideastsoccer Podcasts (2025)

1
President Trump's Gulf Yatla-Indian Futures 26052025 58:55

1d ago58:55

58:55

President Trump's Gulf Yatla-Indian Futures 26052025 by James M. DorseyBy James M. Dorsey

1
The Trump administration’s ‘brain trust’ aims to change the paradigm of US-Israeli relations 10:33

3d ago10:33

10:33

The Trump and Netanyahu administrations may diverge on immediate issues, including Iran, Gaza, and Syria, but are weighing a long-term strategy to strengthen Israel militarily while making it less dependent on the United States.By James M. Dorsey

1
Netanyahu’s latest war goal risks accelerating Israel becoming a pariah state 13:59

6d ago13:59

13:59

This week, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accelerated the Jewish state’s travels towards international pariah status by declaring that the Gaza war aims to expel Gazan Palestinians from their homeland.Mr. Netanyahu added resettlement of Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians to his war goals after earlier adopting as official Israeli policy a p…

1
How much longer can FIFA ignore Gaza 8:43

10d ago8:43

8:43

European members of the world soccer body FIFA staged a dramatic walkout at the world governing body’s congress in Paraguay when President Gianni Infantino arrived late earlier this month.The Europeans accused Mr. Infantino of prioritising his personal political interests by attributing greater importance to meetings with US President Donald J. Tru…

1
Qatar is at the center of a battle for hearts and minds 14:41

13d ago14:41

14:41

The winds didn’t just blow hot when Donald J. Trump recently touched down in Qatar on the first visit ever to the Gulf state by a sitting US president, which generated deals worth US$s1.2 trillion.They also blew cold, chilled by a long-standing, Israel-inspired campaign aimed to sully Qatar’s reputation.…

1
Is Trump’s Gulf victory lap a watershed-Gaza may be the litmus test. 10:58

17d ago10:58

10:58

Donald J. Trump and the American economy are two beneficiaries of the president’s Gulf road show. So are the Gulf states, Syria, and Make America Great Again supporters within Mr. Trump’s administration.In less than 24 hours in the kingdom, Mr. Trump received a standing ovation from Arab leaders and hundreds of thousands poured into the streets of …

1
Is Syria the Middle East’s next exploding powder keg 14:11

20d ago14:11

14:11

Syria could be the Middle East’s next exploding powder keg.By James M. Dorsey

1
US-Houthi truce triggers pro-Israel alarm bells 10:20

23d ago10:20

10:20

Alarm bells went off in Jerusalem and pro-Israel circles in Washington when US President Donald J. Trump this week announced a truce in America’s Red Sea tanker war with Yemen’s Houthi rebels that failed to take Israeli interests into account.Mr. Trump’s announcement of a deal that protects US assets and international shipping but leaves space for …

1
Separately, Trump and Hamas let the cat out of the bag 10:51

24d ago10:51

10:51

US President Donald J. Trump and Hamas have separately opened a Pandora’s Box that could fuel Middle Eastern fires for years to come.Hamas did so when it unleashed Israel’s assault on Gaza with its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.With more than 50,000 dead and tens of thousands wounded and/or maimed…

1
US-European culture war puts Israel in a bind 10:37

27d ago10:37

10:37

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s embrace of the global far-right faces a difficult choice.The question for Mr. Netanyahu is whether to maintain Israel’s boycott of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD), the country’s second-largest political party, and Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ) amid an escalating feud between the Trump administrati…

1
Is Algeria Next 10:12

30d ago10:12

10:12

Algeria may be the latest target in efforts to garner further Arab recognition of the Jewish state, despite its Gaza war conduct and rejection of Palestinian national aspirations.To that end, a Philadelphia-based far-right pro-Israeli organisation, the Middle East Forum, has put Algeria in its crosshairs in an apparent attempt to build pressure on …

1
Netanyahu hardens his position despite pressure to lift the Gaza blockade 9:14

1M ago9:14

9:14

Netanyahu hardens his position despite pressure to lift the Gaza blockade by James M. DorseyBy James M. Dorsey

1
Crunch time may be approaching for Netanyahu 9:42

1M ago9:42

9:42

The coming days will tell whether it’s crunch time for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.The litmus test will be whether US President Donald J. Trump forces Mr. Netanyahu to lift his almost two-months-long blocking of the flow of humanitarian aid into war-ravaged Gaza.By James M. Dorsey

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Netanyahu’s allies turn Jews into potential scapegoats 22:28

1M ago22:28

22:28

Betar, the far-right youth movement of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, is happy to help US President Donald J. Trump curtail pro-Palestinian speech and academic freedoms. That has mainstream American Jews fear that the Trump administration’s crackdown on democratic freedoms of speech, assembly, and academia will fuel anti-S…

1
Hamas and Netanyahu bet on each other’s unpopularity 13:34

1M ago13:34

13:34

This week’s Gazan anti-Hamas protests demanding an end to the war could prove to be a double-edged sword.There is no doubt that Gazans want to see an end to the further devastation of their already war-ravaged Strip, the killing of more than 50,000 primarily civilian Palestinians, and Israel’s blocking of the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, inc…

1
Vietnam looms large in Gaza 11:50

1M ago11:50

11:50

Hamas has Israel where it wants it. The group’s insistence that ending the war be part of any ceasefire deal and refusal to disarm strengthens its position.To be sure, Israel has severely weakened Hamas militarily. To be sure, Israel has severely weakened Hamas militarily. Moreover, Hamas barely scores double digits in Gaza opinion polls.Hamas may …

1
Whither Trump’s Gaza resettlement plan 9:26

2M ago9:26

9:26

As he embarked on a Middle East tour, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto this week offered to accept an estimated 1,000 wounded Gazan Palestinians and “traumatised, orphaned children.”Mr. Prabowo, the leader of the Muslim world’s most populous country and democracy, was careful to limit those that would qualify to Palestinians in medical or psyc…

1
Israel’s Gaza strategy is doomed to fail 12:14

2M ago12:14

12:14

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s multi-pronged strategy to crush the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation by destroying Hamas is doomed to failure with or without the potential expulsion or departure of Gazans.Eighteen months into the Gaza war, Israel has failed to dislodge Hamas, militarily free hostages held by the group, stop …

1
Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington 8:14

2M ago8:14

8:14

This week, US President Donald J. Trump put Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on a pedal stool for the second time since he returned to the Oval Office two months ago.Mr. Trump is not known for handing out goodies without extracting a price. The question is whether that is what Mr. Trump’s last-minute surprise invitation to the White House …

1
The Israeli-Palestinian battle of the narratives 11:03

2M ago11:03

11:03

Israeli journalist Zvi Yehezkeli pinpointed the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as he reflected on a post-interview conversation with Yasser Arafat, the late chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), more than two decades ago.A one-time secular security official who became a religious West Bank settler and called on air for …

1
Gaza’s anti-Hamas protests mean different things to different players 11:52

2M ago11:52

11:52

The United Arab Emirates is betting that recent anti-Hamas protests in Gazan towns, supported by influential tribes and clans, will strengthen Abu Dhabi-based Mohammed Dahlan’s chances of playing a prominent role in the territory’s post-war administration.By James M. Dorsey

1
Reading tea leaves-Is the US signalling potential differences with Israel 11:21

2M ago11:21

11:21

A stickler for language, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu twice this month remained conspicuously silent when senior Trump administration officials chose words that signalled potential changes in US policy towards Gaza, the Palestinians, and Hamas.By James M. Dorsey

1
Gaza’s fault lines are less linear than meets the eye 9:25

2M ago9:25

9:25

Like much else in the Middle East, Gaza’s fault lines are less linear than meets the eye.By James M. Dorsey

1
Want to join the fight against anti-Semitism Check your anti-Semitic antecedents at the door. 9:49

3M ago9:49

9:49

It’s ok to be anti-Jewish as long as you support Israel. That is Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s bottom line.Mr. Netanyahu is willing to risk losing European officialdom and prominent mainstream intellectuals and activists in the fight against anti-Semitism to garner the support of the global far-right, despite its anti-Jewish roots and…

1
Netanyahu gambles on Trump 12:48

3M ago12:48

12:48

At first glance, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu could not have a better friend in the White House.In his first two months in office, President Donald J. Trump authorised US$11 billion in arms sales, signed a swath of executive orders to crack down on criticism of Israel, put universities and student protesters in his crosshairs, and legi…

1
Israel’s times may be ‘a-changin’ 15:40

3M ago15:40

15:40

When Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu first cultivated Evangelical and far-right support for Israel, he didn’t worry about their theologically rooted associations with anti-Semitism and/or willingness to turn a blind eye to racially-motivated anti-Jewish sentiment. It was a bet that paid off for decades. It solidified Republican support for Israel…

1
Netanyahu’s reshaped Middle East aligns neatly with Trump’s new world order 11:41

3M ago11:41

11:41

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s effort to reshape the Middle East aligns neatly with US President Donald J. Trump’s notion of big power geopolitics.In 2023, Mr. Netanyahu outlined elements of his vision in an address to the United Nations General Assembly. The prime minister held up a map that erased Palestine and showed the Golan Heigh…

1
With his right hand not knowing what his left hand is doing, Trump plays with fire 10:57

3M ago10:57

10:57

US President Donald J. Trump may be a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.Mr. Trump’s dealings this week with the Palestinians tell the story.By James M. Dorsey

1
The logic in Trump’s madness 10:57

3M ago10:57

10:57

There is logic to Donald J. Trump’s madness.Irrespective of the merits of the US president’s ethics, policies, and style, Mr. Trump’s grenade-throwing shock-and-awe approach has galvanised Arab states into action over Gaza, much like it did with the Europeans regarding their defense and Ukraine policies.“Love him or hate him, Trump has shaken thing…

1
Israel joins Russia in laughing its way to the bank after Trump-Zelensky spat 10:48

3M ago10:48

10:48

Russia is not the only country laughing all the way to the bank after US President Donald J. Trump’s war of words with his visiting Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.So is Israel. Mr. Trump’s willingness to accommodate Russian President Vladimir Putin serves Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s purpose as he seeks to redraw the Middl…

1
Israeli security demands threaten to upset Syria’s apple cart 8:55

3M ago8:55

8:55

Israeli security demands threaten to upset Syria’s apple cart by James M. DorseyBy James M. Dorsey

1
US President Trump’s Gaza shock therapy rocks Arab boats 12:51

3M ago12:51

12:51

US President Donald J. Trump’s shock-and-awe Gaza therapy appears to be working.Infuriated by Mr. Trump’s assertion that the United States will take ownership of the Strip, resettle its 2.3 million inhabitants in Egypt, Jordan, and elsewhere, and turn it into a high-end beachfront real estate development has forced Arab leaders to come up with an a…

1
Trump can only play both sides against the middle so long 12:22

3M ago12:22

12:22

Second-guessing US President Donald J. Trump is a tricky business.By James M. Dorsey

1
Israel and Hamas adopt hard line as they enter second-phase ceasefire talks 8:51

3M ago8:51

8:51

An Israeli refusal to allow mobile homes and heavy construction equipment into Gaza bodes ill for this week’s second-phase indirect Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel and Hamas hardening their negotiating positions.By James M. Dorsey

1
UAE emerges as the United States and Israel’s best Arab friend 12:45

4M ago12:45

12:45

With Arab leaders gathering in Cairo later this month for an emergency summit on Gaza, the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the United States and Israel’s best Arab friend.By James M. Dorsey

1
Trump puts ‘might is right’ principle on steroids in Gaza and Ukraine 13:15

4M ago13:15

13:15

Might is right.That sums up US President Donald J. Trump’s vision of a 21st-century world order.Barely a month in office, Mr. Trump has not wasted time creating building blocks for his worldview. Mr. Trump’s efforts to end fighting in Ukraine, coupled with his territorial ambitions in Gaza, Greenland, Panama, and Canada, have put the ‘might is righ…

1
Saudi Arabia’s Future-Palestine or Zion 15:40

4M ago15:40

15:40

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may have opened a Pandorra’s Box when he suggested creating a Palestinian state on Saudi territory.Mr. Netanyahu wasn’t just throwing a hand grenade into US efforts to engineer Saudi recognition of Israel when he told Israeli television, “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have …

1
Marco Rubio treats himself to a Middle East reality check 8:48

4M ago8:48

8:48

Marco Rubio is likely in for a reality check when he visits the Middle East for the first time this week as US Secretary of State.By James M. Dorsey

1
Trump plays with fire in Gaza 13:33

4M ago13:33

13:33

US President Donald J. Trump’s Gaza plan could change the nature of the Gaza war and prolong rather than end the hostilities.Amid calls for a unified Arab response to Mr. Trump’s plan to resettle or ethnically cleanse Gazan Palestinians, according to many Middle Easterners, officials, journalists, analysts, and social media activists are mulling op…

1
Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrive in Ramallah_TRT 9 Feb 2025 5:33

4M ago5:33

5:33

Hamas has released the fifth batch of hostages to the Red Cross.In exchange, Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners, some convicted of involvement in attacks that killed dozens of people, including 18 serving life sentences, and 111 detained in Gaza during the war, according to Hamas.James M. Dorsey, an adjunct Senior Fellow, at the S. Rajar…

1
Trump focuses Middle Eastern minds with potentially unintended consequences 10:52

4M ago10:52

10:52

US President Donald J. Trump’s call for the permanent resettlement of Gazan Palestinians has focused regional minds, even if the White House and senior officials have walked back key elements of the president’s proposalBy James M. Dorsey

1
Trump’s Gaza plan turns the Middle East on its head 10:49

4M ago10:49

10:49

US President Donald J. Trump’s plan to expel Palestinians and take control of Gaza threatens to render second phase ceasefire negotiations to the dustbin of history and kill prospects for Saudi recognition of Israel.So has Mr. Trump’s suggestion that he would decide in the next month whether to endorse Israeli annexation of the West Bank occupied b…

1
Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu could decide the Gaza ceasefire’s fate 9:36

4M ago9:36

9:36

Donald Trump’s Oval Office could be Binyamin Netanyahu’s brick wall.That is if the president uses Tuesday’s meeting with Mr. Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit Washington since Mr. Trump returned to office, to ensure a successful Israeli-Hamas negotiation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement’s second phase.…

1
Trump’s Middle East plan may have legs 11:27

4M ago11:27

11:27

US President Donald J. Trump’s approach to managing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may have legs, even if Arabs and Muslims reject his call for the resettlement of Gazan Palestinians.Egypt, Jordan, and Palestinians have rejected resettlement in no uncertain terms. So have non-Arab Muslim countries like Indonesia and Albania, who the United States…

1
Netanyahu flaunts his ties to the global far-right 8:50

4M ago8:50

8:50

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Israel’s ultra-nationalists and ultra-conservatives have turned Israel into a ‘haven’ for some Jews rather than all Jews.Not only by encouraging an intolerant, supremacist domestic environment hostile to vigorous public debate and equality for all but also by endorsing the far-right’s flirt with language and im…

1
Trump’s support for expelling Palestinians fans Middle Eastern fires 12:02

4M ago12:02

12:02

US President Donald J. Trump risks putting relations with Saudi Arabia and other US partners in the region on a knife’s edge, sending the Middle East into a tailspin, and complicating, if not undermining, negotiations to make the three-phase Gaza ceasefire permanent rather than temporary by advocating the removal to Egypt and Jordan of 1.5 million …

1
Trump has everyone running in circles when it comes to his Middle East policy 12:56

4M ago12:56

12:56

US President Donald J. Trump has foreign governments, domestic constituencies, journalists, and pundits running in circles as they attempt to identify his Middle East policy.By James M. Dorsey

1
US-backed Israeli efforts to curb freedom of expression are likely to backfire 12:05

4M ago12:05

12:05

US President-elect Donald J. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may soon diverge in their approaches to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Yet, the Trump administration is set, as a ceasefire takes effect in Gaza, to cement suppression of criticism of the Jewish state, a pillar of Israel’s long-standing effort to mani…

1
Trump puts Israelis and Palestinians on a knife’s edge 9:15

5M ago9:15

9:15

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may welcome two Middle East policy goals articulated by US President-elect Donald J. Trump in response to the Gaza ceasefire but may not like what it will take to achieve them.The same is true for the Palestinians, including the West Bank-based, internationally recognised Palestine Authority and Hamas.…

1
The Middle East’s New Jigsaw Puzzle 25:07

5M ago25:07

25:07

Decimating Hezbollah and ousting President Bashar al-Assad were the first steps in a Middle Eastern power struggle that is likely to define not only who wields the most influence in Syria but also who will emerge as regional hegemons. Turkey, Israel, and Iran are prime candidates, with countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qata…

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