Just World Books Podcasts

Just back from ten days in China, Chas Freeman, the author of 'Interesting Times: China, America, and the Shifting Balance of Prestige' describes and assesses how the many high-level Chinese officials he talked to there propose to calm the tensions currently wracking East Asia, regarding North Korea and other issues.

Dr. William Quandt, veteran Middle East analyst and editor of 'Troubled Triangle: The United States, Turkey, and Israel in the New Middle East,' discusses the latest breakthrough in Turkish-Israeli relations with Dr. Sebnem Gumuscu from Sabanci University and Dr. Soli Özel from Istanbul Bilgi University during his recent trip to Turkey.

Matt Zeller, author of 'Watches Without Time: An American Soldier in Afghanistan,' discusses the highlights from his recent college speaking tour and his key lessons learned from Afghanistan—some of which come from surprising places. Matt also reflects on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, what the war in Afghanistan would have looked like if we had never invaded Iraq, and how these wars have reignited the issue of veterans’ mental health.

In this podcast, Rabbi Brant Rosen, author of 'Wrestling in the Daylight: A Rabbi’s Path to Palestinian Solidarity,' shared his reflections on his book and how it has impacted his understanding of “what to do” with his beliefs and convictions as well as provided his insights about the effects of Operation Cast Lead, the Gaza flotilla incident, and other Israeli actions on both the views of young American Jews and the Arab Spring. He also offers his opinion on what President Obama should do in his second term about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Miko Peled, author of 'The General's Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine' discussed his fascinating recent travels in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan with Just World Books owner Helena Cobban. In this conversation, Miko also looked back at some of the main things he's learned doing book events around 'The General's Son' over the past ten months.

Thirty years ago this month, fighters from Lebanon's Christian-extremist Phalangist militia, working in close coordination with the Israeli military, committed massacres against unarmed Palestinians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila that shocked the world. JWB author Jonathan Randal was in Beirut at the time. In this podcast, which is linked to the recent publication of his book "The Tragedy of Lebanon: Christian Warlords, Israeli Adventurers, and American Bunglers", Randal discussed the lasting legacy of the Sabra and Shatila massacres with Just World Books owner Helena Cobban.

Yaprak Gursoy, a contributor to Troubled Triangle: The United States, Turkey, and Israel in the New Middle East and a professor at Istanbul's Bilgi University, discussed Turkey's role in the Syrian crisis and other regional arenas in a mid-August interview with JWB's Dalia Mortada.

Soli Özel talks about Turkey's role in Syria and the rest of the Middle East

In this 26-minute podcast, Amb. Chas W. Freeman, Jr. discusses the risk of heightened U.S. confrontation with Iran during the current election year. He says he expects little U.S. activism in Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking-- and that U.S. influence in the region is anyway declining. Also, that there is now little prospect of a two-state outcome emerging. He also gives a smart assessment of the effects of the Arab Spring at its first anniversary.

The U.S. occupation of Iraq is scheduled to draw to a final end on December 31 of this year. Just World Books author Reidar Visser has closely tracked Washington's efforts to try to build a democratic, accountable government in Iraq and now, as the nearly nine years of occupation draws to an end he tells Helena Cobban that the political situation there is bleak.

On Friday, November 4, a small flotilla crewed by western and Palestinian peace activists was stopped and boarded by the Israeli Navy as its members tried to break Israel's blockade of Gaza by sailing into Gaza with medical supplies and letters from pen-pals. That same day, Just World Books owner Helena Cobban spoke by Skype with Laila El-Haddad, author of the acclaimed book 'Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting, and Everything In Between.'

Just World Books author Joshua Foust discussed mid-year trends in how U.S. policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan have been doing, with Dalia Mortada. In this lively discussion, Foust challenged much of what Gen. David Petraeus, until recently the commander of all U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, has said about violence in the country having been reduced. Listen to this experienced analyst's take on the situation-- and buy his book!

On May 19, Just World Books will be publishing a fine new book by Lebanese agronomy specialist and social-justice activist Rami Zurayk. The book is called 'Food, Farming, and Freedom: Sowing the Arab Spring'. In this podcast episode, JWB owner Helena Cobban talks with Zurayk about a big civil-society action he participated in alongside other activists, centered around expressing supporting for the rights of the Palestinians. Sadly, the Israeli forces opened fire into Lebanon on some of the unarmed youths taking part, and killed ten of them. Zurayk talks about some of the background to the action there.

Visser talks from Norway about what led the U.S. democratization project in Iraq to fail, and how Iraq is NOT a model for activists in the current pro-democracy movements in the Middle East.

Laila El-Haddad reads an excerpt from her book, Gaza Mom, during an event at Westmont College. Full video of the event can be seen at http://bit.ly/dPjK7D