In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Shira Efron about Israel’s strategic challenges and the upcoming Israeli elections. Shira examines the latest situation regarding both Iran and Gaza as well as Israel’s strained relations with Britain and the erosion of bipartisan support in the United States. Shira also shares her outlook on the election, including Gadi Eisenkot’s appeal and the challenges of forming a governing coalition.

Shira Efron is the RAND Corporation’s Distinguished Israel Policy Chair, with over two decades of experience in policy analysis and research on Israel and the Middle East. She previously served as an adviser to Israel’s Ministry of Defence and National Security Council, and co-chaired the regional cooperation subgroup of President Herzog’s climate forum.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Shiri Fein-Grossman about Israel’s strategic challenges three years after the October 7th attacks. Shiri reflects on Iran’s regional strategy, the prospects for disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza, and Israel’s approach to the information war. She also assesses the threat posed by the Houthis, Turkey’s regional ambitions, and the security of Syria’s Druze community.

Shiri Fein-Grossman is the CEO of the Israel-Africa Relations Institute and a board member of the Forum Dvorah. She previously served in a number of positions at Israel’s National Security Council culminating as the Head of the Foreign Policy Branch for Regional Affairs, where she played a central role in advancing Israel’s relations with the Abraham Accords countries.

In this episode, Richard Pater speaks with Marc Sievers about the current status of the Abraham Accords. Marc assesses the growing economic and security ties between Israel and the UAE, the impact of Iranian attacks on the Gulf, and the prospects for Saudi–Israeli normalisation. He also discusses the experience of Israelis and Jewish communities in the UAE, Oman’s approach to Israel, and the potential for expanding the Accords.

Marc Sievers is an Abu Dhabi based business consultant and Middle East policy analyst. He is a former US ambassador to Oman and a veteran diplomat with over three decades of experience across the Middle East.