Matthew D'Ancona previously served as Education Correspondent and Assistant Editor for The Times, Deputy Editor of The Sunday Telegraph, and Editor of The Spectator.

The pair discuss the realities and intricacies of diplomacy in the 21st Century, offering an insight into the goals and responsibilities of the international community in Afghanistan and the inner workings of NATO, whilst also reflecting on the lessons that can be learned from the Cold War and other conflicts.

In this episode, we speak with Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), to unpack the latest developments in the region and explore how they may be reshaping Iran’s position in the Middle East.

Ahmed grew up in the Middle East, spending time in Gaza during his childhood. He is now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, where he heads Realign for Palestine. In this podcast, he gives his thoughts on the Israel-Palestine discourse, assesses various barriers to peace, and explains his hopes for what Palestinian statehood might look like. 

Richard Kemp spent close to 3 decades in the British military, which included serving as commander of British Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Richard is a best selling author, and regularly appears in British media discussing military affairs and national security.

He sat down with Nadav Tikochinsky, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow, to reflect on his own experience in combat, how non-state actors are changing urban warfare, and how he sees the rules of war being misunderstood and manipulated. 

TIMESTAMP: Please note that this episode was recorded on Wednesday February 12th, amid speculation that Hamas planned to halt the hostage release which had been agreed in phase 1  of the ceasefire negotiations. 

This conversation took place before the recent Beijing summit which saw Palestinian factions agree to unify. Have a listen to hear how our Fellows’ predictions match up with recent events!

Mackenzie and Paul further discuss whether Netanyahu’s support for the reform is ideological or pragmatic, and what benefits various coalition members hope to derive from it. Paul also noted that the judicial reform is hurting Israel’s reputation abroad, not only among the critics of Israel but also among her friends.

This episode of People Talk… Politics, unpacks the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran with a focus on how this impacts Israeli foreign policy and national security. They also discuss the historical basis of the modern rivalry between these two players in the Middle East.

Relatedly, they debate what Britain’s role in the war should be and how Britain can best aid the Ukrainian war effort. The fellows also touch on the prospect of conflict resolution and what a ‘victory’ for Ukraine could look like.

The fellows cover the rise of far-right extremism in the UK as well as how the Covid-19 pandemic may have led to a rise in online extremism and ‘lone-wolf’ attacks. Lastly, they debate how terrorism is covered in mainstream British media, with a particular focus on terrorist attacks carried out in Israel.

In this episode of People Talk… Politics Policy Fellows Alex, Elliot and Ojel debate the importance of the humanities to higher education and the value of higher education itself. They also highlight the failings of the education sector to adapt to the needs of the modern economy and other issues, such as funding courses, that have arisen from increasing student numbers.

They discuss the politics and historical legacy of Menachem Begin, the sixth Prime Minister of Israel who famously made peace with Egypt. Mackenzie and Paul also analyse the shorter-term political events which will result in Israel’s fifth election in three years.

Including, the withdrawal of Afghanistan. They ask how this has fed the notion of western weakness under the Biden, and potentially impacted Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.

The episode also covers US-Israel relations, specifically how these have been affected by the war in Ukraine.

They discuss the historical and geopolitical importance of the South Caucasus. Primarily, how the political climate has shifted in light of the Russo-Ukrainian war, and what this means for China’s and Iran’s influence in the region.

Oliver, Thomas and Avishai debate how states differed in their ability to gain access to, and distribute vaccines, they ask both if the race to vaccinate has led to a rise in nationalism globally and if this could impact other areas of policy such as energy security.

The fellows highlight Iran’s extensive sponsorship of international terrorist groups and the Iranian regime’s pursuit of a nuclear bomb. 

In terms of internal security dynamics, the implications of the use of cyber tools,  namely NSO group’s Pegasus Spyware, for the balance between security and privacy in Israel is also debated.

The policy fellows also assess the International Criminal Court and the UN Human Rights Council’s ability to hold perpetrators of crimes to account, and explain the evidence of bias in the UN General Assembly and UN Relief and Works Agency.

They focus on why the ‘long-arm’ of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and CCP linked bodies, are detrimental to campus debate and the quality of education that home and international students receive whilst studying in the UK. 

Oliver, Thomas and Avishai also cover how universities could better respond to the complex topic of campus cancel culture and the censorship of external speakers.

This was recorded before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Energy policies of different nation’s, and their reliance on Russian energy, have become central to how nation’s have responded to the Russian invasion.  

Elliot, Alex and Ojel, though of course unaware of exactly what would unfold in Russia/Ukraine,  predict the complications that some nations face in balancing their national security considerations whilst also ensuring a sustainable supply of energy.

They discuss trade agreements, strategic regional partnerships and wider questions around what Britain's place in the world has become, and what it can be in future, in the aftermath of leaving the EU.

Does it prepare students for the real world? Is the tax payer's money being spent wisely? What adjustments could be made to improve the state of higher/further education? 

We look at some of the most elementary questions regarding bitcoin - what is it? How does it work? - whilst also looking at some of the more intricate topics of debate, like do cryptocurrencies  provide a cloak of darkness for criminals and the corrupt? 

Today, he talks with Peter, a Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow and student at Durham University, about the hurdles faced in discussing Israel in academia and on college/university campuses.

Universities are often thought of as the marketplace of ideas, so is it harmful to restrict access to certain ideas? Or rather, as the use of no platforming policies suggests, are some ideas so harmful that they should not be given the space to be heard? 

Please note, this podcast was recorded before Donald Trump's twitter access was revoked. 

Today, he sits down with Daniel Sacks, a Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow, to discuss the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court's probe into Israeli activity. 

In this episode, Daniel Sacks, a Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow and student at the University of Birmingham, interviews Paul Gross of the Menachem Begin Heritage Centre, asking him these questions, and more. 

In this episode, Angus, Ariella and Sarah, three Pinsker Centre Policy Fellows each studying at a different university in the UK, reflect on their experiences of anti-Semitism on campus. 

In the inaugural episode of our podcast, Ariella Taub, a student at Cambridge University and Pinsker Centre Policy fellow, sits down with Meir to discuss the changing tides in the Middle East, and the impact that changing US policy is having on the region.