A Mezze: An Olive's Odyssey

This week on a special edition of Babel, Will Todman speaks with Jon Alterman, the creator of Babel and the show’s host since it began in 2019. They discuss Jon’s reflections on 22 years directing the CSIS Middle East Program, his analysis of how the Middle East policy ecosystem ...  Show more

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ...  Show more

In today’s episode, host Diana Buttu, takes us on a deep dive into all things olives and their strong connection to Palestine. Diana speaks with olive expert, Dr. Osama Odeh, from the Palestinian village of Biddya, coincidentally meaning the ‘stone to crush olives.’ Dr.Osama is a ...  Show more

When you think of good quality olive oil, which countries first come to mind? This week, we’re travelling to the heart of the world’s largest exporter of organic olive oil to learn all about the liquid gold that graces dinner tables around the globe. And it’s not where you’d expe ...  Show more

In this episode of MEnbar, host Marc Owen Jones welcomes Galip Dalay, a nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, to explore the shifting landscape of Middle East cooperation. Dalay discusses regional integration efforts, from the Abraham Accords to ...  Show more

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In today's episode, Yumna Patel speaks with Palestinian farmers working to bring in their olive crop as the harvest season winds down. This is a shorter episode that captures their stories and some of the sounds of the olive harvest.</span>