The Middle East Forum cordially invites you to this week's podcasts.
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Qatari Soft Power and Influence Operations in the U.S.
with Michael Pregent |
Qatar’s covert influence is reshaping American institutions, from universities to think tanks, with billions in funding fueling a subtle but pervasive agenda. Doha’s playbook is all but an open secret: bankrolling Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood while buying silence and praise in U.S. academia, media, and politics. Qatar’s $4.7 billion in undisclosed donations to American universities correlates with rising anti-Semitic incidents and pro-Hamas activism on campuses, while its grip on D.C. think tanks stifles dissent against its terror ties. How does Qatar wield such unchecked power in the U.S.? Can America counter this soft-power assault? What does this mean for Western security and democratic integrity? |
Monday, May 5, 2025
1:30PM Eastern Time |
Michael Pregent, a former senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, was stripped of his fellowship title after writing critically about Qatari influence in the United States. He is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer with 28 years’ experience working on Middle Eastern issues, and has served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq. He was a liaison officer in Egypt in 2000, a counter-insurgency intelligence officer at CENTCOM in 2001, and a company commander in Afghanistan in 2002. Mr. Pregent holds a B.A. from Indiana University-Indianapolis and an M.A. from George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Defense Language Institute in Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Dialect. |
Israel Insider
with Alex Selsky |
The Knesset's summer session has opened, bringing with it battles over the coalition's stability. What's on the agenda, and what are Netanyahu's biggest political landmines? |
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
3:00PM Eastern Time |
Alex Selsky is a senior adviser to the Israel Victory Project and serves on the board of directors of Middle East Forum-Israel. Mr. Selsky currently serves as a reserve major in the IDF Homefront Command emergency information unit. He is also a lecturer at the School of Politics and Journalism at Hadassah Academic College in Jerusalem. Previously, Mr. Selsky served as an advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spokesperson for the Israeli National Economic Council, member of the board of governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, member of the executive board of the World Zionist Organization, and CEO of the International Israel Beytenu Movement. He holds a B.A. in Business and an Executive Master of Public Policy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. |
The Australian Elections and the Middle East
with Joel Burnie |
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party has won a decisive victory in elections in Australia. The Middle East looks set to be an issue dividing Australia in the period ahead. Albanese’s Labor Party is vague on the Iran issue, and supports recognizing Palestinian statehood. The (Center-right), opposition Liberal-National Coalition has a firmer stance on Iran, in line with current U.S. policy. The anti-Israel Greens and ‘Teals’ (independent liberals) will be seeking to influence the new government, risking Australia’s U.S. alliance and trade stability. How will Albanese balance these pressures? What’s at stake for Australia’s security and global role? |
Thursday, May 8, 2025
1:00PM Eastern Time |
Joel Burnie is the executive manager at the Australia-Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, known as AIJAC. His prior positions have included president of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students and working for the Zionist Federation of Australia. He holds a B.A. and a J.D., both from Monash University. |
The Middle East Forum, an activist think tank, deals with the Middle East, Islamism, U.S. foreign policy, and related topics, urging bold measures to protect Americans and their allies. Pursuing its goals via intellectual and operational means, the Forum recurrently has policy ideas adopted by the U.S. government. |
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