Peace, Modernity, and the Changing Middle East with Hussain Abdul-Hussain

About this episode

Hussain Abdul-Hussain discusses his book and the prospects for normalization with Israel in the context of Middle Eastern geopolitics.

In this episode of IsraelCast , Steven Shalowitz welcomes back Hussain Abdul-Hussain to discuss his new book, The Arab Case for Israel . Drawing on history, geopolitics, and his own personal journey from Iraq and Lebanon to Washington, D.C., Hussain argues that normalization with Israel is not only possible, but in the strategic interest of Arab states and societies. He explores how Iran's aggression has reshaped Gulf thinking, why Egypt and Jordan's "cold peace" has fallen short of its potential, and how the Abraham Accords offer a far more promising people-to-people model. The conversation also examines Lebanon's future, Saudi Arabia's calculations, Qatar's double game, and the roots of anti-Israel narratives in both Arab nationalism and political Islam. Along the way, Hussain reflects on culture, identity, and what it means to challenge deeply entrenched orthodoxies from within the Arab world. This is a candid, provocative, and deeply informed conversation about peace, modernity, and the changing Middle East.

People in this episode

Host: Steven Shalowitz

Guest: Hussain Abdul-Hussain

Topics covered

• peace
• modernity
• Middle East
• Arab-Israeli relations
• geopolitics
• cultural identity

Keywords

• Arab Case for Israel
• normalization
• Iran
• Abraham Accords
• anti-Israel narratives
• Arab nationalism
• political Islam

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Arab Case for Israel

Places: Iraq, Lebanon, Washington, D.C., Iran, Gulf, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar

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