Rania Khalek Dispatches

The media wants you to think “Greater Israel” is a fringe fantasy belonging to Ben Gvir and the settler far right. It's not. It's a project for dominating the entire Middle East, and it goes far beyond land grabs.

Daniel Levy, former Israeli peace negotiator and president of the US/Middle East Project, joins Rania Khalek to explain what “Greater Israel” actually is: annexation in Palestine, military occupation zones in Lebanon and Syria, and beyond that, a region where every state is subservient, dependent, or collapsed. Levy breaks down why Israel has no recognized borders by design, how the Lebanon "framework agreement" serves the Israelis and was signed by a Lebanese government that got nothing in return, why Israeli leaders now openly declare that Turkey is next, and the contradiction at the heart of it all: Netanyahu calls Israel a superpower while insisting it was on the brink of annihilation. Is this project achievable or is it imperial overreach?

Plus, Levy reflects on his own evolution from an Orthodox Zionist upbringing in London, with a seat at the negotiating table, to becoming a sharp critic of Israel and Zionism.

Follow Daniel Levy's analysis on Substack: https://daniellevy2.substack.com

This is just part of the episode. To watch the full interview, become a Breakthrough News member at https://breakthroughnews.org/subscribe

It's been over a thousand days since Israel began its livestreamed genocide in Gaza, and global politics is still shifting as a result. Candidates who refuse AIPAC money are toppling Democratic incumbents across the US, support for Israel has become a political liability and the establishment's answer has been a full-blown red scare.
Rania Khalek speaks with Palestinian novelist, poet, and activist Susan Abulhawa, author of “Mornings in Jenin,” to discuss how Palestine has become the litmus test of American politics, how AIPAC was dragged out of the shadows, and why she believes the cultural boycott and solidarity movement must stop centering Israeli feelings. She addresses Netanyahu's cynical claims about protecting Christians in Lebanon, Iran's demonstration that the empire can be defeated, and how accusations of antisemitism are weaponized to shield a state committing genocide.
This is only part of the episode. The full interview is available to Breakthrough News members only. Become a member at breakthroughnews.org/subscribe.

Ali Abunimah joins Rania Khalek on Dispatches to discuss the dramatic collapse of global support for Israel, the growing backlash against Western support for genocide in Gaza, and why governments are increasingly resorting to repression as public opinion shifts in favor of Palestine.
In this episode they discuss:
New polling showing Israel’s popularity collapsing across the world
Why propaganda and celebrity endorsements aren’t working anymore
The crackdown on Palestine solidarity activists in the U.S. and Europe
The October 7 rape narrative versus documented Israeli sexual violence against Palestinians
Lebanon, Iran, and why submission to Israel doesn’t bring peace
Whether Israel controls the U.S. or serves U.S. imperial interests
The rise of anti-Israel voices on the American right
Why Ali believes Israel is facing a long-term legitimacy crisis
The Gwyneth Paltrow debacle
This is just part of this episode. The full interview is available to Breakthrough News Members only. Become a member at breakthroughnews.org/subscribe

As Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues and Lebanon faces ongoing aggression and political pressure to capitulate, many people are grappling with fear, exhaustion, and despair.
But what if hopelessness itself is part of the strategy?
Psychoanalyst and author Lara Sheehi joins Dispatches with Rania Khalek to discuss the psychological dimensions of fascism, empire, colonial violence, and resistance — from Israeli psychological warfare and sexual humiliation as a tool of domination, to the weaponization of sectarianism in Lebanon, the role of media propaganda, and why revolutionary optimism is itself a political act.
Sheehi also discusses her new book, From the Clinic to the Streets: Psychoanalysis for Revolutionary Futures, and explains why the work of Frantz Fanon is more urgent than ever.
Topics include:
Psychic militancy and psychological warfare
How fascism reshapes society psychologically
Israeli violence, humiliation & domination
Lebanon, sectarianism & capitulation politics
Why empire depends on despair
The limits of liberalism
The politics of the wellness industry
Media propaganda and psychological control
Revolutionary optimism and resistance
🎥 The full episode is available to Breakthrough News members.
Become a member at: https://www.patreon.com/BreakthroughNews 
Follow Lara’s podcast Psychic Militancy on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy
And on IG: @psychicmilitancypod https://www.instagram.com/psychicmilitancypod/# 
Follow Lara on IG: @psychoanalystactivist https://www.instagram.com/psychoanalystactivist/

The U.S. and Israel launched a massive war on Iran expecting quick capitulation. Instead, Iran absorbed the assault, retaliated across the region, and exposed major limits to American and Israeli power.

Now the Trump administration appears to be searching for an off-ramp while Israel continues pushing for escalation, including in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, sanctions, economic warfare, and the risk of a wider regional conflict continue to threaten the entire Middle East.

To break down the latest developments, the shaky ceasefire negotiations, Trump’s contradictory messaging, and whether this war is entering a dangerous new phase, Rania Khalek is joined by Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute.