In this episode of the Middle East Forum Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with Dr. Joel Fishman, historian and fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, about information warfare in the Israel-Gaza war and the campaign to delegitimize Israel.

Fishman examines how anti-Israel narratives have spread through media coverage, academia, demonstrations, and international institutions since October 7. He argues that these claims are part of a broader propaganda effort aimed at undermining Israel’s legitimacy, sovereignty, and right of self-defense.

The conversation also explores the history of political propaganda, the link between incitement and violence, and the role of education, intellectual leadership, and moral clarity in countering falsehoods that gain power through repetition.

In this month’s Forum Roundtable, host Lauri Regan speaks with Zineb Riboua of the Hudson Institute and Brigadier General (Res.) Assaf Orion of the Washington Institute and Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies about how the Iran war has affected China’s ambitions in the Middle East and beyond.

The panel examines Beijing’s relationship with Tehran, Iran’s weakened regional position, and the limits of China’s effort to balance ties with both Iran and the Gulf states. They also discuss how energy security, sanctions evasion, proxy warfare, and regional infrastructure have shaped China’s Middle East strategy.

The conversation expands to Israel-China relations, the Belt and Road Initiative, U.S.-China competition, and the stakes surrounding Taiwan, trade, and global power. Together, the panelists assess whether the war has strengthened American leverage, disrupted China’s assumptions, and opened a new phase in the contest between Washington and Beijing.

In this episode of the MEF Podcast, host Lauri Regan speaks with Michael Rubin, Director of Policy Analysis at the Middle East Forum, about why Hezbollah remains the central obstacle to stability between Israel and Lebanon.

Rubin examines Hezbollah’s role as an Iranian proxy, its grip on Lebanese politics, and the limits of diplomacy while the group remains armed and entrenched. He also discusses the weaknesses of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the risks of international miscalculation, and what a realistic path toward Hezbollah’s disarmament would require.

The conversation offers a clear-eyed look at Iran’s regional influence, Hezbollah’s evolving strategy, and why lasting peace depends on changing the conditions that allow the group to operate as a state within a state.