Can the UN be repaired - or should it be defunded and replaced?

In this episode of Mideast Horizons, former Israeli Minister and Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan joins Asher Fredman for a candid, no-holds-barred conversation about the failure of the UN system, the future of Gaza, and the historic opportunity now facing the U.S. and Israel in Iran.

Ambassador Erdan pulls back the curtain on his four years at the UN, describing an organization that is “broken and corrupt” and dominated by non-democratic regimes. As PM Netanyahu meets with President Trump, Erdan argues that we are facing a "watershed moment” in which the U.S. and Israel must focus on one goal: regime change in Tehran.

• The UN Exposed: Why the UN is beyond repair and why the U.S. should defund it.
• The Trump Opportunity: Why a new Iran “deal” isn’t enough - and why the West must support the Iranian people in their efforts to topple the ayatollahs.
• Gaza’s Future: Erdan explains why the PA must have no role in Gaza, and why international forces cannot be relied upon to oversee Hamas’s demilitarization.
• The Communications War: A candid look at Israel’s failure to prioritize public diplomacy and the urgent steps needed to strengthen Israel’s international standing.
• Resilience Under Fire: Erdan’s new mission as Global President of Magen David Adom and how his ambulance teams prepare for incoming Iranian missiles.
• What’s Next? Erdan discusses his plans for the future, including his intention to return to politics.

Don’t miss this insider’s look at the global diplomatic battlefield! Watch, share, and subscribe to Mideast Horizons for more in-depth conversations with leading policymakers and strategic thinkers. You can send comments or suggestions to mideasthorizonspodcast@gmail.com.

In this episode of Misgav Mideast Horizons, hosts Asher Fredman and Lahav Harkov sit down with Dr. Ariel Admoni - one of Israel’s leading experts on Qatar - for a deep dive into the most controversial actor in the Middle East today.

Is Qatar merely a mediator between warring sides - or something far more strategic and dangerous?

Dr. Admoni, a Senior Fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, explains Qatar’s decades-long relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, its hosting and financing of Hamas leadership, and how Doha has positioned itself as the “default” intermediary for the United States - from Gaza to the Taliban to the Houthis. We examine whether Qatar’s role reflects good-faith mediation or a sophisticated strategy to legitimize terror actors while expanding its global influence.

The conversation explores:

• Qatar’s ideological and financial ties to the Muslim Brotherhood
• Whether Al Jazeera functions as an independent media outlet or a Qatari state instrument
• How Qatar leverages education, universities, aid, and media to shape Western discourse
• Qatar’s influence operations in Washington and Europe
• The controversy surrounding “Qatargate” in Israel
• Whether Qatar could ever join the Abraham Accords
• The strategic risks of Qatari involvement in post-war Gaza

Dr. Admoni argues that Qatar’s power lies not in overt confrontation, but in subtle, long-term influence - shaping academic narratives, political incentives, and media ecosystems across the West.

In the opening segment, Asher and Lahav analyze the latest developments regarding Iran and the possibility of renewed U.S.–Iran negotiations, Israel’s strategic timeline vis-à-vis Iranian missile and air defense rebuilding, Israel’s surprising economic resilience in 2025, and the debate over how democracies should combat rising antisemitism.

Subscribe and follow Misgav Mideast Horizons for fresh insights into the most critical security and diplomatic issues facing Israel and the Middle East! You can send comments or suggestions to mideasthorizonspodcast@gmail.com.

In this powerful episode of Mideast Horizons, recorded on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, hosts Asher Fredman and Lahav Harkov sit down with Arsen Ostrovsky, Misgav Institute Senior Fellow and Head of the Sydney Office of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).

Arsen shares his harrowing firsthand account of surviving the Bondi Beach terror attack, which claimed the lives of fifteen innocent people gathered for a Chanukah celebration. As gunfire rang out and victims lay wounded around him, Arsen was shot in the head and believed he might never see his wife and daughters again. His survival, which doctors later described as a miracle, has reshaped his personal mission and intensified his resolve to combat antisemitism worldwide.

The conversation explores the explosion of antisemitism since October 7, how anti-Zionism increasingly serves as a mask for anti-Jewish hate, and how unchecked incitement led to Islamist violence. Arsen discusses the lessons that the global Jewish community, Australia, and all democracies must learn from the deadly attack.

The episode also delves into the rise of AI-generated disinformation, the role of social media companies and governments in confronting online hate, the rise of Holocaust distortion, and strategies for defending Israel in the international legal and diplomatic arenas.

In the first part of this episode, Lahav and Asher discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by President Trump’s Board of Peace, the danger of Israeli concessions in Syria, developments in Iran, and the deeper trends driving Saudi Arabia’s increasingly hostile stance towards Israel and the UAE.

This is a sobering, courageous, and ultimately hopeful conversation about resilience, responsibility, and the urgent need for moral clarity and bold action in the fight against antisemitic hate.

Please subscribe and share the Misgav Mideast Horizons podcast! You can send comments or suggestions to mideasthorizonspodcast@gmail.com.