The New Arab Voice

It has been annus horribilis for Hezbollah.They were struck by a deadly pager attack, Israel launched a devastating air and ground campaign against the group, and their long-time leader was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The war left Hezbollah battered and broken, and now, the Lebanese government is moving in to clear up the arms, which is taking place under the shadow of continued Israeli airstrikes.At the start of September, the Lebanese army presented its plan to disarm Hezbollah once and for all to the cabinet. While welcomed by much of the cabinet, Hezbollah rejected the notion.This week on The New Arab Voice we examine the state of Hezbollah today. How are the Lebanese state disarming the group? And what is the future of the self-styled resistance movement in Lebanon?We're joined by David Wood, Senior Analyst for Lebanon at International Crisis Group (@CrisisGroup); and Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (@MiddleEastInst).This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The New Arab Voice, we look at the recent ceasefire agreement between the PKK and the Turkish state. The Kurdistan’s Worker’s Party (PKK) and the Turkish state have been in a state of conflict since 1984. The conflict has killed over 35,000 people and achieved little, for either side. But now, a ceasefire has been announced. In a symbolic ceremony, PKK fighters burnt their arms in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq; and more recently, a commission was started at the Turkish Parliament to discuss the Turkish parliament. Is this the opportunity for Kurds to secure their rights in Turkey? Why is the Turkish state agreeing to a ceasefire now? Is President Erdogan using the ceasefire talks to increase his grip on power?Joining us to examine the Kurdish position, we speak with Dr. Salim Çevik (@salimcevikk), a visiting fellow at the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (@CATS_Network) at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (@SWPBerlin).And to guide us through Turkish thinking, we speak with Henri Barkey (@hbarkey), adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (@CFR_org) and the Bernard L. and Bertha F. Cohen chair in international relations at Lehigh University (Emeritus) (@LehighU). This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we look at the recent Israeli surprise attack, and the Iranian response that rained down on Israeli cities. The war started on 13 June with surprise attack launched by Israel, attacking high profile military and nuclear figures, as well as nuclear and military sites across the country. Iran responded with a wave of drones and missiles, some of which got through. We've seen outbreaks of violence between the two countries before, but this round was far more costly for each nation. Why did Israel decide to launch a surprise attack? How were Iran able to inflict damage to Israel? Who was targeted by Israel and what impact do the killings have? What's the state of the Iranian nuclear deal? And can a new deal be reached?Joining us to untangle the Israeli decision making is Mairav Zonszein (@MairavZ), Senior Israel analyst for the International Crisis Group (@CrisisGroup). And to understand the Iranian position, we speak with Alex Vatanka (@AlexVatanka), Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute (@MiddleEastInst), with a particular focus on Iran. This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to stand with Palestine in a world on fire?In this special live episode, recorded at Reference Point in London, Benjamin Ashraf of The New Arab chairs a powerful conversation with historian Ilan Pappé, scholar Katherine Natanel, and legal academic Nadine El-Enany. Together, they explore the urgent connections between the movement for justice in Palestine and global liberation struggles.As Ghassan Kanafani once wrote, Palestine is “a cause for every revolutionary.” Nineteen months into a "livestreamed" genocide, with millions mobilising worldwide, that truth has never felt more immediate.The discussion draws on the new book Palestine in a World on Fire (Haymarket, 2024)—a collection of interviews with leading thinkers and activists including Angela Y. Davis, Paul Gilroy, Judith Butler, Noam Chomsky, and others—offering reflections on how to sustain and deepen international solidarity.Tune in as we return to and expand these conversations in the context of the current moment.You can purchase a copy of Palestine in a World on Fire from the Haymarket Books website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is episode five of Sanaa's Odyssey, a special series from The New Arab. For the final episode of Sanaa's Odyssey, we travelled to Cairo, to meet with Sanaa in person. When we spoke, a ceasefire had been agreed between Israel and Hamas, although, there was little hope that it would hold. In her Cairo apartment, we spoke with Sanaa about how she feels about the war now that she has escaped, the tragedies that she has experienced, how she feels about Hamas, prospects for peace, and what she wants from the future. Sanaa's Odyssey is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge.You can follow The New Arab's podcast on X, and email us podcast@newarab.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is episode 3 of our new podcast, Sanaa's Odyssey.You can subscribe to Sanaa's Odyssey on all podcast platforms.As the war in Gaza continues to rage, Sanaa has to continue working as a journalist.Sanaa has been working as a journalist for 19 years, and while she has witnessed many wars in Gaza, the current conflict has been the most difficult to report on. Already forced from her home, she had to struggle to continue to produce stories, while also wondering how she was going to be able to charge her phone, or find a signal to send a story. At the same time, she had to protect herself and her family from Israeli airstrikes, as best as she could, which appeared to be targeting journalists.In episode three of Sanaa's Odyssey, we talk to Sanaa about her career as a journalist, what it means to be a journalist in Gaza, and how this war was different from everything that came before.Sanaa's Odyssey is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge.You can follow The New Arab's podcast on X, and email us podcast@newarab.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is episode one of Sanaa's Odyssey; a brand new series from The New Arab. You can subscribe to Sanaa's Odyssey on Apple, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.The war in Gaza began on October 7th 2023.Sanaa Kamal watched it happen from her balcony as she drank her morning coffee. That day would be the start of a nightmare for her and her family.On this episode of Sanaa's Odyssey, Palestinian freelance journalist Sanaa Kamal tells us what it was like in Gaza when the war began. The rockets being fired from Gaza, as part of the Hamas-led attack, when the Israeli bombs started falling, the first time she was forcibly displaced from her home, and the memories and belongings that she left behind.Sanaa's Odyssey is a new five-part series from The New Arab in London, about one women's tale of survival, her work as a journalist in the most dangerous reporting environment in the world, and her desperate attempt to keep her family together, in the face of a brutal Israeli onslaught.Sanaa's Odyssey is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge.You can follow The New Arab's podcast on X, and email us podcast@newarab.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.