Ropescast

Host Ksenia Svetlova is joined by Ido Dembin, expert on Israel-US relations and director of the Two States Coalition, to break down the political earthquake of the Democratic landslide and what it means for the future of the US-Israel relationship.

They examine the long-standing bad blood between Benjamin Netanyahu and the Democratic Party, the steady deterioration of Israel’s image among American voters and elites, and the growing political cost of that shift. More importantly, they look forward: What concrete steps must Israel and its supporters take now — while the new political reality is still taking shape — to arrest the decline and rebuild sustainable bipartisan support?

Chapters:

0:00 The Midterm Earthquake: What Just Happened in America?

4:29 Who Is Abdul El-Sayed?

10:02 A Rejection of Trump

13:51 How Much More Critical of Israel Will Washington Become?

16:52 Israel Needs More Than a Change of Government

21:57 The End of U.S. Military Aid?

27:46 Could America Stop Protecting Israel at the UN?

34:33 Can Israel Rebuild Its Relationship With the US?

38:03 Why Israel's Future May Depend on Its Arab Partners

42:31 Can Civil Society Succeed Where Politicians Cannot?

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In this high-stakes episode, host Ksenia Svetlova sits down with Dr. Ephraim Sneh, former senior IDF officer, long-serving Member of Knesset, and former Deputy Minister of Defense. With Israel approaching pivotal elections, Dr. Sneh delivers a stark warning: without a fundamental political change, Israel risks deepening international isolation and losing the core character of the state as we know it today.

During their conversation, Dr. Sneh details the concrete strategy the opposition must pursue to avert this trajectory and offers a sharp critique of Israel's past failed policies regarding Iran. He also examines the strategic realities and emerging possibilities along Israel's northern borders in Lebanon and Syria. Most importantly, despite years of conflict, Dr. Sneh makes a compelling case for why a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians remains not only possible, but essential for the nation's future.

Chapters:

00:00 – Why Israel’s Next Election Could Change Everything

03:49 – The Arab World Is Watching Israel

07:00 – Is Israel Becoming an International Pariah?

09:33 – The Real Cost of Israel’s Growing Isolation

13:25 – The Iran Threat: Warnings Ignored

18:05 – Is America Losing Its Influence in the Middle East?

19:18 – Iran, Netanyahu, and the Politics of War

28:33 – The Missed Opportunity for Israel-Lebanon Peace

35:47 – Gaza, the West Bank, & the Urgent Need for Change

43:18 – Can Young Israelis and Palestinians Build Peace from the Ground Up?

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In this episode of ROPESCAST, ROPES CEO Ksenia Svetlova sits down with Dr. Marwan Muasher - former Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan and current Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment - for a wide-ranging and candid conversation.

Dr. Muasher draws on decades of diplomatic experience, including opening Jordan's first embassy in Israel and helping shape the Middle East roadmap, to reflect on the current state and future of Israeli-Jordanian relations. The conversation covers the enduring relevance - and limitations - of the Arab Peace Initiative, whether a two-state solution remains viable today, and how the recent war with Iran has reshaped Jordan's strategic calculations and regional security concerns.

This extraordinary episode offers a rare, ground-level perspective from one of the region's most experienced diplomatic minds.

Listen now on ROPESCAST — the independent voice of the Middle East.

Chapters:

00:47 Meet Dr. Marwan Muasher

03:00 What Was the Arab Peace Initiative?

05:24 Why Israel Rejected the Initiative

07:27 Why the U.S. Looked Away

09:42 The Road Map to Peace

14:49 Did Israel Lose Its Peace Camp?

21:48 Why Isn’t the Arab Peace Initiative Moving?

27:03 Is a Two-State Solution Still Possible?

37:23 A New Regional Security Architecture

43:38 Does Geography Still Protect Israel?

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In this episode of ROPESCAST, Ksenia Svetlova sits down with Professor Sari Nusseibeh — Palestinian philosopher, former president of Al-Quds University, and one of the most consistent voices for a political settlement.

They look at why previous peace initiatives collapsed, the reasons those efforts never took hold, and the worrying slide toward radicalization on both sides. Nusseibeh also asks a harder question: why the academic world has produced so few bold voices, and so little leadership, capable of offering a real perspective for change.

A co-author of the 2002 People’s Voice initiative with ex-Shinbet chief Ami Ayalon, Nusseibeh speaks from decades of trying to make compromise thinkable — and from watching that space shrink.

Tune in for a candid conversation about the peace that failed, the polarization that followed, and the work that is yet to be done.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:39 Representing Arafat in Jerusalem

03:59 When Israelis and Palestinians Still Had Hope

06:37 Why Talk About Peace During War?

08:35 The People, Not the Leaders, Hold the Key

10:49 What Happened to Academic Cooperation?

14:44 Is the Two-State Solution Still Possible?

18:28 How Israel and Palestine Lost Hope

23:29 Why Hamas Gained Strength

34:54 The Mistakes That Destroyed the Peace Process

43:04 From Enemy of Israel to Peace Advocate

45:59 “It’s Crazy Not to Do It”

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What happens to one of Israel’s most important regional relationships when the Middle East is being reshaped by war, new alliances and shifting interests?

In this episode of ROPESCAST, Ksenia Svetlova speaks with Amira Oron, former Israeli Ambassador to Egypt, a senior diplomat with deep expertise in the Arab world.

They discuss the increasingly tense Israeli-Egyptian relationship, Egypt’s role in a rapidly changing Middle East, and how new regional alliances are affecting Cairo and Jerusalem. They also look at the consequences of the war with Iran for Egypt and its economy—from regional security to trade, energy and the Suez Canal.

And, because no conversation about Egypt is complete without talking about Cairo itself, Ksenia asks Amira the ultimate tough question: What is her favorite place in Cairo?

🎧 Tune in for an inside look at Egypt, Israel and a Middle East in transformation.

Chapters:

00:00 — Israel–Egypt Relations Today

01:47 — Why Ties Are Failing

05:13 — The Somaliland Divide

09:38 — Can Arab States Unite?

11:33 — Israel’s Regional Hegemony

17:53 — Iran’s Impact on Egypt

24:22 — Egypt’s New Alliances

30:47 — Egypt, Gaza & Trump’s Plan

35:44 — Rebuilding Ties with Egypt

40:07 — Amira’s Cairo

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