On this edition of Your Call, diplomatic historian Daniel E. Zoughbie discusses his new book, Kicking the Hornet’s Nest: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump. Zoughbie argues that the decisions of twelve US presidents – from Truman to Trump – have unleashed the instability and conflict that has shaped the Middle East today. He says decades of presidential decision-making – often driven by short-term political interests – have fueled genocides, nationalist conflicts, and refugee crises. The only way to build a better future is by understanding this complex past.
Then, scholars Rami Khouri and Hussein Ibish share their insight on where things stand for Gaza. Despite an ongoing ceasefire, Israel’s onslaught has continued with near-daily attacks on the territory. According to reporting from The Guardian, since the ceasefire began, more than 360 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,000 have been injured. As Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, warns, “the ceasefire risks creating a dangerous illusion that life in Gaza is returning to normal, but while Israeli authorities and forces have reduced the scale of their attacks and allowed limited amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the world must not be fooled. Israel’s genocide is not over.”
Guests:
Daniel E. Zoughbie, complex-systems scientist, diplomatic historian, and author of Kicking the Hornet’s Nest: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump
Rami Khouri, Senior Fellow at the American University of Beirut, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Arab Center Washington
Hussein Ibish, Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute
Resources:
Democracy Now: U.S.-Backed Ceasefire Is Cover for Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza & West Bank
The Guardian: Israel still committing genocide in Gaza, Amnesty International says
The Guardian: It's not just Gaza. From the West Bank to Syria and Lebanon, Israel's onslaught continues
The Guardian: Israel strike kills five, including two children, says civil defense agency
