Transcript [00:00] It's time to look back at 2025 [00:04] and we got to get to 2025 between before [00:07] 2026 takes all the all the attention [00:09] away. There's already so much action in [00:11] just the few days of 2026. So, we got to [00:14] look back at 2025. And I thought to [00:16] myself, then there would be nobody [00:18] better in the world to do this with than [00:21] Dr. Michael Duran who is a senior fellow [00:23] and director of the Middle East Center [00:25] at the Hudson Institute who specializes [00:28] in Middle East security issues and uh [00:30] does a great job on YouTube as well with [00:32] Gotti Ta. Shalom Michael. Nice to have [00:34] you on the show. [00:35] >> Shalom Mishai. It's great to be here. [00:38] >> Where are we catching you? Are we [00:39] catching you? Last time I I rang you, [00:41] you were in Morocco and you were another [00:43] and often times you're found at [00:45] Beakistan and Turkey and other places. [00:47] Where where you at right now? I'm I'm [00:49] I'm in my home in Washington DC. [00:52] >> Listen, 2025 was an exciting year. Do [00:54] you agree with that? Is that is that a [00:56] fair assessment that it was an exciting [00:57] geopolitical year? It wasn't a one of [00:59] those calm years. [01:00] >> No, no, it was thrilling. Absolutely [01:02] thrilling. I just realized that that I [01:04] saw your ka and uh is it are we not [01:08] engag engaging in paganism when are you [01:11] not engaging in paganism when you talk [01:12] about the last year 2025? Is that not um [01:16] >> ah that the answer to that it's a very [01:18] fair question and I have I have a Jewish [01:20] technical answer. Uh there are many [01:22] sources where the sages took the secular [01:26] year or the year of whatever was the [01:28] empire of the time and said this is now [01:30] the financial new year. Okay. So people [01:34] say I when I say to people 2025 I'm [01:36] talking about the fiscal year 2025. I'm [01:38] not talking about [laughter] the [01:39] religious year. I have a list here that [01:42] was compiled by my uh by myself uh with [01:46] uh my producer Yo, with my mom and with [01:49] Gemini and with Chat GPT. Okay. So, [01:52] there was a lot of going over this very [01:54] serious list. Uh we we took it very [01:57] seriously to get you on the show. And of [01:59] course, if you think there's something [02:00] else, I'd love to to have your thing. [02:02] >> I have a number one. I'm curious what [02:04] your number one is. What's your number [02:05] one? [02:06] >> Uh my number one is the Israel Iran [02:08] 12-day war. [02:09] >> Yeah. Okay, that that's my number one, [02:11] too. So, we're in totally agree. [02:12] >> Should we watch a clip about that? Okay. [02:14] What we're seeing is uh bombing. We saw [02:17] the B2 bomber uh coming in there. [02:22] Um you know, Israeli Israeli airplanes [02:27] uh hitting in the heart of those nuclear [02:29] plant names like Fordo and others that [02:31] we knew about. So, here it is happening. [02:34] People in the streets saw it. Powerful, [02:36] you know, attack. Uh and it took a few [02:39] days for us to find out. Actually, Nat [02:42] is one of them. Uh look, it says our [02:44] peaceful nuclear facilities have been [02:46] have been attacked. Of course, we know [02:47] that they were not peaceful. Um and uh [02:51] okay, that 12-day attack also hit the [02:53] SAMs. It hit the nuclear uh nuclear [02:56] buildup. Uh here's the famous scene of [02:59] the lady being hit in the news studio [03:02] and then she has to run out of the news [03:04] studio. That's what it looks like. Okay. [03:06] And then of course there was a major [03:08] rocketeering into Israel. I was stuck in [03:11] New York uh and had to fly in a you know [03:14] dangerous flight pattern to get into [03:17] back into Israel. [03:19] So that was that was the facts of it. [03:21] How do you understand it? [03:23] >> I I understand it um largely [03:27] as an Israeli victory. We should we [03:30] should talk a little bit not get too um [03:34] triumphalist about it because I I I [03:36] think there's some dimensions to this [03:37] that we need to be aware of that are [03:39] that that um point to a serious Iranian [03:43] strategy against Israel which is ongoing [03:46] but basically an Israeli victory on on [03:49] many levels. Uh and also it's a major [03:53] turning point in US Israeli relations. [03:57] This is the first time that the United [03:59] States and Israel went to war together. [04:02] As far as I know, that's never happened [04:04] before. And it it it's it's not an [04:07] accident. It's part of President Trump's [04:09] vision of the new regional order, which [04:11] is a a partnership between the United [04:14] States and Israel of the likes that we [04:16] we haven't seen before. And I think that [04:19] needs I think it's a a very positive [04:22] development and it hasn't gotten as much [04:24] attention as it as it deserves. [04:28] >> Uh do you see it do you see that joint [04:32] attack as indeed a joint attack or an [04:35] Israelile attack? Did did you understand [04:37] that Trump wanted to jump in? Did you [04:40] understand that that Trump was there [04:41] from the get-go and he was backing this [04:42] thing? H how do you like analyze this [04:45] this what what did you call it? a kind [04:47] of joint strike. How did you how did you [04:48] >> I I I I I said they they they went to [04:52] war together. [04:54] >> Uh no, I don't think it was a foregone [04:57] conclusion that the United States was [04:58] going to join the war. Uh and I wouldn't [05:01] call it Israelled either, although in a [05:04] way it was. Um but Israel Israel acted [05:08] alone. Um, it acted in the hopes I think [05:12] I've talked to senior Israeli officials [05:14] and I think I have a pretty good idea [05:16] about how this unfolded. They acted in [05:18] the in the in the hopes that the United [05:21] States would join in. They they didn't [05:24] hide anything from the United States. [05:26] The Americans knew they were going to do [05:27] this. Um, but they did not know uh until [05:32] about four days in whether the United [05:34] States was actually going to join or [05:35] not. Uh and and really it was uh nothing [05:40] breeds success like success. Donald [05:42] Trump saw that it was going to succeed [05:45] and he saw that it was going to succeed [05:47] um um uh big time and he wanted to be [05:51] part of that. Um I think also he [05:54] probably we don't know that I haven't [05:55] heard as much from the American side and [05:57] Trump's thinking. I think Trump also [06:00] realized that the most the easiest [06:03] least messy way for him to achieve his [06:06] goal which is to make number one goal [06:07] which is to make sure that Iran doesn't [06:09] have a nuclear weapon was for the United [06:11] States to take action because Israel was [06:14] going to make sure that that that Iran [06:16] didn't have nuclear capabilities with or [06:18] without the United States but if it did [06:21] so without the United States it was it [06:23] was going to be a lot longer a lot [06:25] messier and and and more difficult for [06:27] Trump to handle than just deciding to go [06:29] in himself. So, I I think those were the [06:31] the two major [06:34] um the the two major factors that that [06:36] convinced Trump to go in. The success of [06:39] the Israelis and the and and the fact [06:41] that Trump can't achieve what he wants [06:44] in an elegant way unless he unless he [06:46] took action. [06:47] >> And was this part of Trump's China [06:48] containment policy? [06:50] >> I believe so. Yes, I believe so. [06:53] This is one of the more difficult uh uh [06:56] things to grasp right now is to what [06:59] extent China is weighing on Trump's [07:03] mind. Um uh because you know he was more [07:06] overtly competitive with China in the [07:09] first in his first term than he is now. [07:12] Overtly in terms of of of talking openly [07:16] and daily about China competition. when [07:18] you know when his national security [07:20] strategy came out by the way I that's a [07:22] another issue that we need to talk about [07:23] later is the national security strategy [07:25] but I'm gonna say basically this so [07:27] another item on my list is his national [07:30] security strategy which when I first [07:33] looked at it I was I was disappointed I [07:35] just I just skimmed through it and I [07:38] didn't see China anywhere I saw the [07:40] emphasis on the western hemisphere uh [07:42] and so on and uh um and I thought that [07:47] he had kind have forgotten about um [07:50] competition with with with China. But [07:52] then I sat down and I read through it [07:54] twice very carefully and I think China [07:57] is in every paragraph and in every [07:59] sentence. You can't make this thing [08:01] doesn't make sense unless uh unless you [08:04] assume major competition with China for [08:08] reasons uh uh which I can only guess at. [08:12] I I think he just doesn't want to say [08:14] competition with China every other [08:16] sentence. But that's what's that's [08:17] what's going on. [08:18] >> Okay, but break it down for us. Is it [08:20] that is it that Iran feeds China energy? [08:24] Is it that China feeds Iran because it's [08:26] a striker? It's it's fighting the West. [08:29] Are both of those true? [08:31] >> Oh, all both of those are true. And both [08:33] of those are their reasons. I mean, 95% [08:36] of Iran's oil goes to China at uh um at [08:41] re at reduced prices. Uh but also China [08:46] is feeding Iran its ballistic missile [08:48] program or helping its ballistic missile [08:50] program. you know, the Israelis last in [08:53] August of 2024, I'm sorry, October, I [08:56] think of o of of 2024, the the second [08:58] round that Israel had with Iran, uh they [09:02] um they took out the ballistic missile [09:05] production capability of the Iranians [09:07] and they calculated that that they had [09:10] taken it offline for at least a year, [09:13] probably longer. Uh that was a [09:15] miscalculation because the Chinese [09:17] stepped in and gave the provided, I know [09:21] they gave them that they sold them uh [09:23] the the technology and the products that [09:26] it needed in order to produce its [09:29] medium-range ballistic missiles. And so [09:31] they ca the Iranians came back. One of [09:33] the causes of the of the 12-day war is [09:35] the Iranians came back um with a new [09:38] strategy uh to produce even more [09:42] ballistic missiles that would give them [09:44] an arsenal that was big enough to itself [09:48] present an existential threat to Israel [09:50] equal to the nuclear program. [09:53] >> Wow. It's like it's like it's like China [09:54] is the new Soviet Union in this in this [09:57] big game, you know. It's like it's like [09:58] Israel was always being struck by Syria, [10:01] by Egypt. they were always being uh [10:03] given the the SAMs by the Soviets. Now [10:06] there's this China that's feeding the [10:08] these rockets through Iran. It's it's [10:10] like it's like we're going around the [10:12] same type of uh the same type of [10:13] consciousness. [10:14] >> Yeah. Although I I agree uh with but [10:18] with I'd make two caveats to that. One [10:20] is that the the difference in the [10:23] contest with with the Chinese is that [10:24] the Chinese are totally embedded in the [10:26] global economy in a way that the Soviet [10:28] Union wasn't. It makes them a very [10:30] different kind of adversary. And but the [10:32] other thing is that we don't talk enough [10:34] about it. Unfortunately, um uh it's one [10:37] of the one of the failures of Trump's [10:39] national security strategy. I I don't I [10:41] don't I don't fault them for not putting [10:43] China in every line. they have the [10:45] reasons why they don't want to do that. [10:47] But there needs to be there needs to be [10:50] a um a network of third-party validators [10:55] of the Trump administration who are [10:58] explaining how Trump is actually [11:00] thinking about things. One of the one of [11:02] the bizarre characteristics that we have [11:03] today in the Trump administration is [11:05] that Trump's number one explainer in the [11:09] MAGA world, MAGA broadcaster, is Tucker [11:13] Carlson, who's actually fighting Trump [11:15] on a number of these major issues. He's [11:17] fighting Trump on Israel. He's fighting [11:19] Trump on Jews, by the way, too. I mean, [11:21] he's an anti-semite. So, um, and [11:24] >> that's one of our That's one of the [11:25] numbers. So, we we're going to get to [11:26] that's one of the [11:28] >> Go ahead. I'm sorry. I let go. So, go [11:29] ahead. No, no, nothing. Sorry. You you [11:31] you we it was the big one. It was [11:33] definitely the big one. So, it makes [11:34] sense that we that we talked a lot about [11:36] that. So, Israel, Iran, and it and it [11:38] also shook up it shook up the the the [11:41] regional uh the regional power uh [11:45] dynamics. [11:47] >> Everything flows from this. every [11:49] everything that we're seeing today when [11:51] I and when I say seeing today I mean [11:53] these are other things that might be on [11:54] our list but everything that we're [11:55] seeing Israeli recognition of Somali [11:58] land the tensions between the Saudis and [12:01] the Emiratis the conflict that that [12:03] we're seeing there the tensions between [12:05] Israel and Turkey and so on it all stems [12:09] from the fact that there is that we are [12:11] now seeing um unfolding [12:16] a new vision of regional order the [12:18] Donald Trump's post Iran regional order. [12:22] I mean, Iran isn't gone yet, but it's [12:24] like the king, you know, the the king is [12:26] sick and the all of the uh everyone in [12:29] the court is jockeying for position now. [12:31] So we're the Iran is still around but [12:34] there's a there's a there's a a contest [12:36] going on for the post Iran regional [12:38] order and Donald Trump has put Israel US [12:42] cooperation at the top at the center of [12:45] that order and that is that's causing [12:47] all of the other motion around [12:49] >> you. You're saying that Iran is like the [12:51] sick man of the Middle East. It [12:53] >> is the sick man of the Middle East. [12:54] Absolutely. [12:55] >> Okay. Well, number two for me here was I [12:58] guess related, but it it was but it's [13:01] different. And that is it was at the [13:04] very end of uh of 2024, December 8th, [13:07] 2024. Bashar al-Assad fled Syria. Uh and [13:12] uh throughout 2025, the implications [13:14] unfolded rapidly. Syria entered a [13:16] volatile transition phase, creating both [13:18] danger and opportunity along Israel's [13:20] northern border. The collapse was uh [13:22] connected to Russia's effective exit [13:24] from the Middle East. And then the um [13:28] rise of uh of Golani uh the three-point [13:32] the famous three-point shooter Golani. [13:34] Um that was a reference to his [13:36] Washington DC video where he's shooting [13:38] basketball hoops there. But the point is [13:40] is that the the the the other the other [13:44] player that that falls here's here's a [13:46] video on it. we see uh Assad going down [13:50] uh and he uh you know runs away from [13:53] from Syria. Syria is revealed to be uh [13:57] full of these awful horrific prisons, [14:01] these prisons with all these tortured [14:03] people. I found that whole thing to be [14:05] disgusting, you know, when you when you [14:07] saw what they were doing down there, you [14:09] know, how they were how they were [14:11] torturing uh the the the the people of [14:13] Syria, this Assad regime. [14:16] Um but that regime also kept uh kept [14:20] certain players in place like the [14:22] Alawites who were who were the backers [14:25] of the regime was an Alawite regime and [14:27] the backers of them and and the and the [14:29] Drews. The fall of the Assad regime [14:31] brought in Golani a former a kind of [14:35] jihadi what was he ISIS or or al-Qaeda [14:37] that that kind and he uh came in. Then [14:40] we saw remember we saw those the attacks [14:42] on the Alawites. We saw then in attacks [14:45] on Drews and Syria is not Syria any [14:49] longer. And of course one more huge part [14:51] of that story for here for Israel is the [14:54] hold on the Hermon mountain range which [14:58] is the tallest range in Israel's north. [15:00] Uh and it's been called forever in [15:03] Israel the eyes uh of of northern [15:05] Israel. Uh it's also a great water [15:08] source and so Israel now controls a much [15:10] bigger swath of it and has not left. [15:12] Golani has called for Israel to leave. [15:14] But there you could see the you could [15:15] see the mountain range up there to the [15:17] right. Uh this guy I just read an [15:19] article about Bashar al-Assad. He's [15:21] spending now his life in kind of fancy [15:24] apartment in in Moscow and going [15:26] shopping from time to time and also [15:28] brushing up on his opthalmology. [15:29] Although he's a mass murderer and his [15:31] brother is a is a is a is famous for uh [15:35] what was the what's the drug called? [15:37] Octagon or something like that. Uh he [15:39] was uh [15:40] >> Capagon. Captagon. Thank you. Uh so so [15:44] that has fallen and I and before I turn [15:46] it over to you, Michael, I just want to [15:47] say Dr. Duran, I just want to say that [15:49] when I was in the army, uh when I was in [15:52] the in this in the regular army, you [15:54] know, when I was 18 and 19, there were [15:56] these posters about the Syrian tank uh [16:00] embankments, Syrian tank positions, what [16:02] they look like. It was called a it was [16:04] called a pasulit. It was how they would [16:07] build a embankment like a pitha shape [16:09] and they would park their tanks and and [16:11] our big enemy was like Syria. We were [16:13] paratroopers. We were always north [16:15] facing and that seems to Syria is still [16:17] a dangerous place but not that great [16:19] state that uh that was always like this [16:22] danger that we had to uh be afraid of. [16:24] It's it's something very different [16:25] today. How do you see that the fall of [16:27] the Assad dynasty in Syria? [16:29] >> Well, it's a big deal for me. I wanted [16:31] to show you. You were talking about [16:32] that. [16:33] >> I'm pointing at the the mountain. [16:35] >> Oh, yes. There's the Kmon. There it is. [16:37] There she is. That That beautiful [16:39] >> That's That's from That's from Damascus, [16:41] THOUGH. [laughter] [16:44] >> I [clears throat] went to [16:45] >> That's awesome. That's awesome. [16:46] >> I went I went to uh I went to Syria [16:49] right after Assad fell. I went to [16:51] Damascus with my friends, the Turks, and [16:54] we drove from uh Gazant down to [16:58] Damascus. Oh, so you traveled south [17:01] >> to Damascus. Wow. [17:02] >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And uh [17:04] >> I mean, and I just want I want the [17:06] audience to understand why I say wow. [17:08] Jews, Israelis, we never go to these [17:10] places. We can't go to these places. [17:11] They've been like forbidden to us. And [17:13] also these places are biblical places. [17:15] These places are part of the the these [17:17] are famous mountain ranges. And it's the [17:19] kind of thing that my daughter will say, [17:21] I I so one day want to see Damascus. So, [17:23] and Damascus, by the way, is mentioned [17:25] in the Bible. uh Eleazar, the servant of [17:28] Abraham came. He was known as Damascus [17:30] Eleazar. So therefore, you know, it [17:33] these these are important places that [17:34] mean something to to us here in the [17:36] Middle East. Go ahead. [snorts] [17:38] >> So I I um right after um in in 2020, I [17:43] went to Azerbaijan during the uh during [17:47] the war between Azarbaian and and um and [17:50] Armenia, the second Kabak war. I went [17:53] there as a guest of the Turks. Uh and I [17:56] I learned uh I learned then I got access [17:59] and and was able to see things and [18:01] understand things um u because I was [18:05] friends with the Turks because [18:06] Azarbaijanis are so close to the Turks. [18:08] So uh because Shara was uh backed by the [18:12] Turks the minute he fell I called up my [18:15] friends and said hey let's go. So I [18:17] wanted to repeat what I did. It's good [18:20] at moments like that. I mean, it was [18:22] dangerous to a certain extent uh uh to [18:24] go at that moment uh because everything [18:27] was still unstable, but I figured if I [18:29] go with that with with Turks, I have a [18:31] little bit of extra protection and you [18:33] get to see things that you wouldn't [18:34] otherwise um otherwise see. But it was [18:38] it was amazing to me, Ishai, because [18:42] I've never seen such destruction before. [18:45] [clears throat] [18:45] I mean, village after village after [18:48] village all the way down from the [18:50] Turkish border all the way down to [18:52] Damascus. And [18:54] >> are you talking about is this all [18:55] because of the Syrian civil war? [18:58] >> Yeah. Yeah. Total destruction. Total [19:00] destruction. I I [19:02] >> How many people did this guy Bashar [19:03] al-Assad kill? [19:05] you know, the they they when when they I [19:08] think the number they usually throw out, [19:09] nobody really knows, but the the the [19:11] estimates they they throw out are about [19:13] about uh about 600,000. That's what's [19:17] but uh the the they displaced at least [19:23] 10 million. Uh I think even more, maybe [19:27] 12 million. Uh I don't think [19:29] >> and they're mostly they're mostly in [19:30] Turkey or on the Turkish border and many [19:32] people went to Europe, right? Yeah, [19:35] millions went to Europe and uh went to [19:37] went to Lebanon, Jordan, but uh but [19:40] there are some that I think the Turks [19:43] say three million in in in Turkey, but [19:46] they but that but I think the real [19:48] number is more like 6 million. [19:50] >> Wow. [19:50] >> It's it's um uh it's very uh [19:54] controversial in Turkey. you know, uh, [19:58] President Erdogan took a principled [20:00] stance in the, um, in the election [20:04] because the immigration in Turkey is is [20:07] controversial like it is in in Europe [20:08] and in the United States and there's an [20:10] anti-immigrant feeling, anti-Syrian [20:12] refugee feeling. And he took a principal [20:14] stance and said, you know, those people [20:16] are going to stay until they have [20:17] somewhere to go home to. uh and um [20:21] uh and so there's a a desire I think the [20:24] tendency of the government is to [20:25] downplay the numbers because of the of [20:28] the of the controversy if you go into [20:30] because of principle or is it because he [20:32] also has eyes on on Syria and wants to [20:35] control it and therefore wants to [20:36] already have people on his side and you [20:38] know or maybe maybe some other reasons [20:40] that I don't see [20:41] >> like any you know like any political [20:43] calculation I think there's there's [20:44] there's a number of different uh [20:46] calculations going on simultaneously [20:49] He they created the Turks created um a [20:53] Syrian army. I mean there there's the [20:55] Syrian National Army uh that the [20:58] official name of the organization called [20:59] the Syrian National Army is a Turkish [21:01] created proxy organization you know that [21:05] it that it used. When I went to Damascus [21:08] I had Syrian National Army I had a [21:11] couple guys was young kids really. I [21:13] mean, they were like 22, 23 years old [21:15] with pistols, but they escorted us uh to [21:18] uh to to uh to Damascus. And they're [21:20] they're Syrians, but they're but they're [21:22] Turkish. They're they're Turkish back. [21:24] So, in that sense, Syria is in Turkey [21:27] now in a way that uh um that it wasn't [21:31] historically. [21:32] >> We're talking 50, 60 years, okay? It's [21:35] controlling the land. Israel was afraid [21:37] of it for a long time. Uh and now it's [21:40] gone. Man, there's like a there's like a [21:42] country that's like [21:44] it's it's not there anymore. It's just a [21:46] country that's not there. This this this [21:48] this jihadi dude is trying to take it [21:50] over immediately. He's he's doing jihadi [21:53] stuff on the Alawites. Payback time on [21:55] the Drews because it's a different [21:57] people, different religion, whatever it [21:58] is. Uh but [22:02] this and this is all of course on the [22:04] heels of the [22:06] uh uh fall. theah starting up with [22:09] Israel getting rocked by the beepers and [22:11] other attacks and now they're gone. The [22:14] the the anti-Syrian forces in Syria [22:18] swoop in realize that this is their [22:19] moment because the strongest defender of [22:22] the Assad regime and and they they they [22:26] felt Now here's the question. Did [22:28] Netanyahu Trump did these people foresee [22:31] this or was this an eventuality that was [22:33] not foreseen? [22:34] >> No, no, no, they didn't foresee it. I [22:36] mean, the Israelis, the so the the Assad [22:39] regime was being propped up by um uh uh [22:45] you [laughter] the Assad regime. I'm [22:48] sorry. I'm I hate it when I when I don't [22:51] know my dates, you know. I I think we I [22:53] I think we date the Assad regime from [22:55] 1970. Actually, uh that's when Assad [22:59] when Assad the father took over 100% was [23:03] 1970, but anyway, it doesn't matter. the [23:05] uh [23:06] >> they say they say al-Assad was from 71 [23:09] to 2000 and like you were saying you you [23:12] were right and his son Bashar al-Assad [23:14] from 2000 to 2024. [23:16] >> Yeah. [23:17] >> Okay. The very end of 24 [23:20] after he takes over after Black [23:21] September as anyway the um so um [23:28] >> the question that I asked you was did [23:29] Netanyahu Trump did they know about [23:31] this? [23:32] >> No. No, they they kind of saw it, but [23:34] they didn't. They Well, uh the it was it [23:37] happened under Biden, right? Because [23:40] Israel was attacking the Iranians in in [23:43] Syria. Uh and and that escalated during [23:49] the war after October um after October [23:52] 7th. And so the the uh the regime was [23:57] increasingly really being propped up by [24:02] the Russians and the Iranians. [24:05] The Russians got busy in Ukraine and [24:07] then the Israelis hollowed out the the [24:10] Iranians and Assad's own forces were [24:14] were not even being paid. And so then [24:16] then uh Shara with the backing of the [24:19] Turks, what the Turks wanted to solve [24:22] their problem in northeast Syria with [24:25] the with the uh with the PKK uh and they [24:29] had been trying to get the Russians and [24:30] the and the Assad regime to negotiate [24:32] with them seriously about this and they [24:35] kept getting stiff armed. So they uh [24:38] they supported Shara to go take Aleppo [24:41] or part of Aleppo as a way to shake up [24:44] the Iranian the to shake up the Assad [24:47] and the Russians to really cut the deal [24:50] that the Turks wanted in the northeast. [24:52] But once Sh once Shara started to go to [24:55] Aleppo, [24:57] the the the Assad forces just [25:00] evaporated. They just collapsed. Wow. [25:03] And and [25:03] >> you're saying even the Turks didn't know [25:05] that this was going to happen in Toto. [25:06] >> Nobody knew. Nobody knew. It was uh I [25:09] mean, everyone knew that Assad was weak. [25:12] >> Uh and they could see the general [25:14] dynamic. Um there was a there was a [25:17] there was I don't think it's gotten a [25:19] lot of reporting. There was a there was [25:21] an initiative. I don't know how [25:23] seriously the Israelis took it, but [25:25] there was an initiative. I thought it [25:26] was stupid myself to be honest with you. [25:28] Uh but it was an Israeli Imirati [25:31] initiative [25:33] to go and give money to uh and backed by [25:38] some members of the Biden administration [25:40] uh to give money to Assad to pay his [25:44] forces to sort of buy him away from the [25:47] Iranians. So that there would be in this [25:49] con configuration it would be Russia, [25:52] UAE, Israel, uh, Assad to pull Assad [25:57] away from Iran. And the idea being that [25:59] he had to keep the relationship with [26:01] Iran because he didn't have money and [26:03] the Iranians were giving him the money [26:04] to prop up. He needed his bullah to be [26:07] his his uh his backer. So the Israelis [26:10] thought, oh, we'll get the partner that [26:12] we need to to what what the Israelis [26:14] really wanted was no Iranians [26:16] and cut the border, you know, they cut [26:19] the Iranian connection in Syria to the [26:21] to Hezbollah in in Lebanon. So, but that [26:24] this was too clever by half. This is [26:26] what happens when you have clever Jewish [26:28] brains and clever Imirati brains getting [26:31] together and coming up with schemes like [26:33] this. So they were busy thinking about [26:35] this possibility and boom, the Turks [26:37] came in u and the whole thing fell [26:39] apart. [26:40] >> Wow. Okay. How does that What is [26:43] Israel's how is Israel 2026 different [26:47] visav the change that happened 25 on the [26:50] northern border? [26:51] >> Well, this is the I mean you mentioned [26:53] that they've taken the hero and they [26:54] have the they've [26:57] Israel has this new doctrine of no [26:59] monsters on our borders. uh and u and [27:02] they're they're they're implementing [27:04] that in Lebanon, in Gaza, and in Syria [27:06] simultaneously. They is Iran is now gone [27:10] from Syria. That's a huge huge [27:13] strategic shift. And that's one of the [27:15] reasons why I mean we said the war in [27:18] the war in the 12-day war was an Israeli [27:21] victory. Um what makes it a victory is [27:23] not just what happened in those 12 days, [27:25] but that's the culmination of this whole [27:28] contest. I you have to give it the prime [27:31] minister Netanyahu. He understood from [27:33] moment one that this was not Israel [27:36] versus Hamas. This is Israel versus [27:39] Iran. And and he and he [27:43] you know and he uh managed this [27:46] unbelievably complex [27:49] conflict in such a way that it [27:51] culminated with the Israelis hitting the [27:54] Iranians which is where it should have [27:55] culminated. So that's uh you have to [27:57] give him credit for that. [27:58] >> Definitely. And and and Dr. Michael [28:00] Duran in many ways this was what like [28:04] Natana was born for. I remember I [28:07] remember 25 years ago when I worked at [28:11] Apac hearing a speech. [28:14] I I wasn't working there. I was I was an [28:16] intern and I heard a speech by Netanyao. [28:18] He was talking all about Iran 25 years [28:21] ago. This has been on his mind all this [28:23] time. We know that. We know this has [28:25] been his like number one issue that he's [28:27] been uh preoccupied with and [28:30] >> go ahead. [28:31] >> More important in two ways. I I totally [28:33] agree with you and I I'm just agreeing [28:35] but also saying nobody understands [28:41] the complexities the nuances of [28:44] USIsraeli relations as well as he does [28:49] and he managed those masterfully. And [28:52] when the when the when the story is [28:54] finally told, I think I think people are [28:57] going to marvel at how he managed them [28:59] because he he was under enormous [29:01] pressure from the Biden administration [29:03] to shut this thing down. Well, he was [29:04] very lucky that that he had a different [29:07] president come in just when he needed [29:09] him. Let's just watch a short video [29:11] about the return uh of Israelis to the [29:15] north which was really cleared out uh uh [29:18] in the beginning uh of this war and then [29:20] then the the returning of Jews to these [29:23] places. Let's take a quick look. [29:24] >> I've been [music] here since the war [29:26] began. [29:31] [music] [29:39] >> [music] [29:45] >> Okay, so they're moving. People are [29:47] moving back. [29:48] >> But the kibbutz is already beginning to [29:50] reconstruct the hundreds of homes [29:51] damaged and destroyed here. The [29:53] community was once home to about [music] [29:55] 280 people. Today, around 90 have [29:58] returned, but that number is expected to [30:01] grow. Those are uh [30:03] >> Go ahead. [30:04] >> Those are those are children's uh you [30:06] those are children's um schools, you [30:09] know, that that don't have tunnels in [30:11] them that that that go down to caches of [30:13] arms like you have in Gaza. [30:15] >> That's right. And now that now people [30:17] are coming back. So that's also part of [30:19] the victory over uh over over the Assad [30:22] regime. The Bashar al-Assad regime is [30:24] the it's it's it's it's a multiple it's [30:27] multiple prongs. It's it's a victory [30:29] against Iran. It's a victory against [30:31] Bashar al-Assad and also and now Jews [30:34] are moving back. Israelis are moving [30:36] back and even there's some videos about [30:38] them trying to settle to the close to [30:41] the already in what's what's called [30:43] Syria. Okay, so we basically covered two [30:46] big ones. Now let's let's knock let's do [30:49] a few ones really in short in short [30:52] shift and we'll get to a few other big [30:53] ones. First one is for 2025 for many [30:56] Israelis one of the big stories is the [30:57] return of the hostages. Many people, [31:00] most people and certainly person like [31:02] myself did not expect those remaining [31:04] hostages to return. I wrote them off. Uh [31:08] I thought that they were casualties of [31:09] war in many ways. And we could discuss [31:11] the philosophy of it if if that's right [31:13] or not right. But there was this big [31:15] thing which was the return of the [31:16] hostages. That could be read in two [31:18] ways. Either a great Israeli victory or [31:20] one could also read it a little bit more [31:22] cynically that this was the playbook [31:24] that uh ex the kamas and Iran always [31:28] said. They said, "Listen, stop the war. [31:30] We'll give you back your hostages." They [31:31] were always ready to do that. How do you [31:33] read the uh return of all those [31:35] hostages? [31:36] >> I read it exactly as you just described [31:38] it. There's this human dimension, you [31:40] know, no normal person uh can see [31:43] without their heartbreaking about how [31:45] the families feel and and and so on. But [31:48] to understand what's going on, we have [31:49] to realize that these people are being [31:51] used as a tool uh by the uh by the [31:54] Iranians and by and and by by Hamas. Um, [31:58] and that game isn't over yet. The [32:01] hostages are back. Thank God that [32:03] they've been returned to their their [32:04] families. But the uh uh Gaza, you know, [32:09] Hamas is still in Gaza. Hamas is still [32:11] ruling Gaza. Um, and it's still using um [32:15] it's using it's using uh Gazin civilians [32:19] as a tool now uh in in in this in in [32:22] this contest. Uh you know you know you [32:25] know that there was just this big Natao [32:26] Trump meeting and one of the things that [32:29] annoyed me to no end was when Natao told [32:32] Trump he's like yeah kamas has 60,000 [32:34] kalachnikovs in their possession and [32:37] that that that just got my goat. It [32:39] pissed me off cuz I'm just like wait a [32:41] minute [32:42] like what [32:44] what are you complaining about? The war [32:46] is yours to win. You know you want to [32:49] take care of these guys now. What did [32:50] Trump say throughout 2025? He said to [32:52] him, and I'm skipping now from the [32:54] hostages to the next point, which is the [32:55] Gaza transition and ceasefire. Remember, [32:57] do you remember the one of the key [32:59] moments of 2025? Do you remember when [33:01] Trump releases on his social media [33:03] platform, he releases an AI video of [33:07] this Gaza turned? [33:10] >> Yeah. Yeah. But it's like this like, you [33:12] know, it's like South of France, this [33:14] Riviera, and then there's inappropriate [33:16] little clips there and everybody's [33:18] having fun and the whole thing is [33:19] beautiful towers. Remember that? [33:20] Remember that? Like I first thing that [33:22] was a Trump that was a Trump only [33:24] moment. That was one of those only Trump [33:26] moments. Okay. Where you release a AI [33:29] video of a crazy fantasy Gaza. I thought [33:34] it was brilliant. I was like this is [33:35] this is this is a great moment. I love [33:37] that stuff. Uh it's just entertaining, [33:39] but it's also smart. It's like I want [33:41] you to visualize a crazy alternative [33:44] here. [33:44] >> It didn't it did not quite happen that [33:46] way. And Kamas still, as you said, is [33:49] still in possession of 47% with 60,000 [33:53] uh uh Kalashnikovs. And they're still [33:55] killing anybody who they deem was uh a a [33:59] um what's it what's the word? Associate [34:02] of Israel, was a conspirator of Israel. [34:06] Uh they're getting rid of them and [34:07] they're they're still there. And you [34:09] know, there are Arabs who say, "Look, [34:11] Israel." There are like my my previous [34:13] guest was like, "All the Arabs around [34:15] are like, "Wow, you don't mess with [34:16] Israel." But there are some Arabs who [34:18] say no. Look, [34:19] >> yeah, I don't I don't totally agree with [34:21] that. Unfortunately, there are Arabs who [34:23] say it's very important very important [34:26] not to get too triumphalist because [34:28] there are a lot of people who are still [34:30] messing with Israel and messing with [34:31] Jews. Uh so uh uh the is Israel remains [34:37] small and vulnerable. It has outsized [34:39] talents. It has outsized power, you [34:42] know, way beyond their typical country [34:44] of 10 million people. Uh but uh but it's [34:47] not invulnerable. I was going to say [34:49] before about the whole Iran thing, um [34:51] the the Iranians had a strategy and they [34:53] still have a strategy which was to force [34:56] Israel to run through all of its [34:58] interceptors [35:00] and um and that is a Chinese Russian [35:04] Iranian strategy. They know that it's a [35:07] lot cheaper for them to throw missiles [35:10] at Israel or at the at American allies [35:12] than it is for for them to shoot those [35:15] missiles down. It's very expensive. Um [35:17] and they you know we we the United [35:19] States we ran through 25% of our THAAD [35:24] interceptors during the 12-day war. [35:26] >> Wow. I did not know that. [35:27] >> And and 25% of that's our global uh [35:32] arsenal. and and it takes uh it takes [35:36] five years to rep under under current [35:38] replenishment rates five years to build [35:41] up that 25% again. [35:44] >> So this is the the the this is a serious [35:47] strategy that the Chinese, Russians and [35:49] Iranians have against Israel, against [35:51] the United States. Um and it has [35:53] multiple dimensions and this Gaza [35:55] business is part of it. They're trying [35:56] to wear you down there. And the fact is [35:59] I I understand your frustration when you [36:01] said there 60,000 kalashnikovs in Gaza, [36:04] but the the Israelis, I'm not talking [36:07] about every Israeli, but just the [36:08] Israeli security establishment, it [36:11] doesn't want to go in and finish the job [36:13] in Gaza. It doesn't think it's worth it, [36:16] >> right? [36:17] >> And that's this we have to recognize [36:19] this that this is that the that they and [36:23] there's they have a serious argument. [36:24] And I don't have the I don't personally [36:26] don't have the position but we need to [36:27] understand their argument is we go in we [36:30] clean it out but then we have to [36:33] withdraw and when we withdraw they [36:35] spring back and then we're in the same [36:38] position again. So let's just cut out [36:39] that whole loop and we'll just be we'll [36:41] just manage the conflict as it is right [36:43] now rather than go through this whole [36:45] you know we're going to we're going to [36:47] go in the they go what does going in and [36:50] occupying mean? It means completely [36:53] leveling the Gaza Strip because you [36:55] cannot go in and disarm the Hamas [36:58] without going in and taking out all the [37:00] tunnels. You can't you can't go you [37:03] can't go um [37:06] block by block in every street and [37:08] protect your own soldiers unless you [37:10] level the buildings from which they're [37:12] shooting at you. So it it means that [37:14] occupation of Gaza means they have to [37:16] level any part that they that they that [37:19] they occupy. is lots of civilians are [37:22] going to die, lots of Israeli soldiers [37:25] are going to die and there's going to be [37:27] a lot of condemnation of Israel [37:28] worldwide for that. So had this war been [37:32] managed in a different way where siege [37:34] was the right way to do it. siege it [37:36] first. Let out anybody who wants to be a [37:38] non-combatant. Find a different place [37:40] for them. [snorts] Help them be, you [37:42] know, uh, functional refugees. Help them [37:44] out. Whoever stays in Gaza is is a [37:47] combatant and fight like that. You would [37:49] have been in better shape. But, you [37:50] know, [37:52] >> we we'll have to go back. Um um I I I I [37:56] I agree with you, but I'm I'm reluctant [37:59] to do Monday morning quarterbacking [38:01] because they were under the Israeli [38:04] government was under such pressure from [38:06] the Biden administration from moment one [38:08] not to go in, not to go in at all. [38:11] >> So it it wasn't like they had this this [38:14] option that you were mentioning. Uh that [38:17] that came that would have come with huge [38:18] costs and I I can't blame them for not [38:21] doing that. [38:22] >> I understand what you're saying. Right [38:24] now, we're just covering 2025. Analysis [38:26] about full analysis about how to fight [38:28] the Gaza war is like, you know, like to [38:30] to me the idea that there that the Gaza [38:32] is still a dangerous place for Israel. [38:34] It's sick. And a lot of people here in [38:36] Israel are like, you know how to fight [38:37] in Iran and shut down a whole a whole [38:40] country over there. You know how to get [38:42] rid of whole regimes, but you can't deal [38:43] with the sandbox next door. You've [38:45] allowed it to be built up like this. [38:46] Okay, let's go on to we we we hit the [38:49] big ones. The big ones we hit was Iran, [38:52] Syria Gaza. [38:54] >> Yeah. [38:55] >> Okay. Those those are really the big [38:56] ones. But then there's these other wars. [38:59] Okay. There's these other wars. [39:01] The woke right, the growth of the Tucker [39:04] Carlson, Candace Owens, [39:07] Alex Jones thing. [39:08] >> That's on that's on my list very high. I [39:10] think actually number two. [39:12] >> Right. And and Right. And here is a war. [39:15] There is no triumph here. That's for [39:17] sure. I'll get I'll get your analysis. [39:19] And let's not forget the takedown of a [39:24] strong pro-Israel voice and definitely a [39:26] moment in American history, which is the [39:29] murder of Charlie Kirk. [39:30] >> Yeah. [39:30] >> Which is somehow tied into this whole [39:32] story. [39:33] >> It is. Yeah. [39:34] I love how how how anti-Israel folks [39:37] blame Israel for the murder of Charlie [39:39] Kirk when what you had and I I just [39:41] played a video a few days ago of him [39:44] speaking in 2019 in Jerusalem where [39:46] where like if anything the loss of [39:48] Charlie Kirk uh as a player within uh [39:52] the the intellectual [39:55] field of conservativism was a great blow [39:58] to Israel and it was in no way pro [40:00] pro-Israel moment in in the scheme of [40:03] conservative talkers and thinkers which [40:05] have become more prominent given the [40:07] fact that social media is a more [40:08] prominent thing in our time. The screen [40:10] is itself is a more this very thing that [40:12] we're doing right now is part of that as [40:14] part of creating content of this kind. [40:16] It's it's more prominent in in the world [40:18] than ever before. Uh well, Israel and [40:22] classic conservativism [40:24] uh is definitely and certainly Israel [40:26] and Jews are on the run. Tied into that [40:29] is another story which is maybe separate [40:32] or maybe the same which is the election [40:34] of Mandani in New York also happened in [40:36] 2025. Go ahead Dr. Michael Duran. How do [40:39] you see that uh that warfront of of of [40:43] consciousness of social media of [40:44] conservativism in America? [40:46] >> Well, you know, it's that there's this [40:48] um there's this contradiction in the in [40:51] the Trump administration. [40:54] uh contradiction inside the [40:56] administration, but also the Trump [40:58] moment. Uh that I I think it is I think [41:03] a very sober analysis to say that Trump [41:06] is the most pro-Israel president that [41:08] that we've ever seen. He says that about [41:11] himself and just because he says it [41:14] about himself doesn't mean it's not [41:15] true. It's 100% true. And uh uh and this [41:19] like I mentioned at the beginning, the [41:21] fact that the Israel and the United [41:22] States are going to war together now and [41:24] thinking about regional order together. [41:25] This is a big deal. At the same time, at [41:29] the heart of the MAGA movement is this [41:31] guy Tucker Carlson. He's very close to [41:34] the vice president. He's very close to [41:35] the president's son. Uh he is at the top [41:39] of a pyramid of influencers in the MAGA [41:41] movement. And there's a there's a war [41:44] going on inside the MAGA movement. [41:46] >> Le let's hear him let's hear Tucker [41:48] talking about it again. It's [41:50] >> most people have no idea that's true. It [41:51] is true. Why is China running the port [41:54] of Hifa, Israel's biggest port? Really, [41:56] they're such a close ally. And of [41:58] course, the answer is because from [42:00] Israel's perspective, we're not a close [42:03] ally. We're a country that has been [42:04] willing to help them. But when you only [42:07] have 9 million people in a limited [42:10] defense budget, you know, you take help [42:12] where you can get it. So the loyalty is [42:14] not reququed. It's one way. [42:18] And I think the good news is that the [42:21] government of Israel, in particular, the [42:23] prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has [42:25] pushed it too far. And he did that in [42:27] part by running around telling people [42:31] what he thought was true. Apparently, I [42:32] control Donald Trump. I control the [42:34] United States Congress. I control the [42:35] United States. He said that to political [42:38] allies and opponents in his country. He [42:41] said it to foreign heads of state. Fact. [42:44] I control these people. [42:46] >> All right. So, we we we know about this [42:48] guy. [42:48] >> He's the number one anti-semite [42:51] uh in in America today. [42:53] >> Let's just let's just remember. Let's [42:54] just remember only a few years ago this [42:57] guy would have these 25minute monologues [42:59] and you listen to them, you're like, [43:01] "This guy's right on everything. He [43:03] really gets it and he says it in such an [43:05] eloquent manner. He was pro- Israel, [43:07] pro-Trump, [43:09] anti- jihad [43:11] and suddenly this guy is a totally [43:13] different person. Right. [43:14] >> I never trust I never trusted him and I [43:17] I I always knew he was an anti-semite. [43:20] Um you can Are you friends with Lee [43:23] Smith? [43:24] >> Sure. [43:24] >> Yeah. You can you can ask Lee. I told [43:26] Lee 10 years ago he's an anti-semite. [43:28] >> H [43:29] >> because uh he he you said he was [43:32] pro-Israel. He was never pro- Israel. He [43:34] always [43:36] um he always avoided talking about it. [43:39] And that's where that was the tell. It's [43:41] the dog that didn't bark. He would never [43:43] ever talk about Israel. Obvious moments [43:45] when you when when a conservative would [43:47] say positive things, he never he he [43:50] never did. And now I I believe that what [43:52] he's doing is you can't do what he's [43:54] doing. He's systematically, if you [43:56] follow all of his um by the way, I have [43:59] an article on this coming out at Tablet [44:01] Magazine tonight, uh on this fight [44:04] within the MAGA and I and I and I [44:06] analyze Tucker in detail. Uh the um uh [44:11] he he has systematically [44:14] trying to dismantle uh the USIsraeli [44:18] relationship and he's doing it uh using [44:21] classic anti-semitic arguments. I mean [44:23] he's he's updating the protocols of the [44:25] elders of Zion for the 21st century. Um [44:29] and u [44:29] >> and let's also add that he's doing it [44:31] successfully. Meaning to say there are a [44:32] lot of people [44:33] >> absolutely successfully [44:34] >> right and throw into that throw into [44:37] that the Epstein thing and the other you [44:39] know other issues and it all comes [44:41] together you know we're giving them a [44:44] lot of money. They're forcing us to [44:45] they're forcing America to fight wars [44:48] that we don't need to fight. America [44:49] should be America first. Uh the Jews are [44:52] are conniving, tricky in at everything. [44:55] You know, they have this lobby, this [44:56] Israel lobby. By the way, I have a I [44:58] have a line for you. There's a small [45:01] Middle Eastern country. There's a small [45:03] Middle Eastern state which has outsized [45:06] power. They have power in media. They [45:09] have power in politics. They have their [45:11] tentacles in everything. uh and they [45:14] control banking, they control media, [45:17] they control real estate, uh they [45:20] control education, and that middle small [45:22] middle east country is not Israel. [45:26] >> You're going to say Qatar. [45:27] >> That's right. It's like it's the other [45:29] one, right? And and and those guys, I [45:32] mean, the the the the amount of money [45:34] that the Israel Israel lobby has has [45:37] paid, done, worked with is nothing [45:40] compared to the Qatari money in [45:42] Washington. and the Qatari money in New [45:44] York City, Qatari money in media, Qatari [45:47] money in in in in in academia, it's [45:49] nothing. It it the Jewish, you know, [45:52] efforts in that seem to be dwarfed by by [45:55] this by this massive thing. And a lot of [45:57] people accuse Tucker Carlson of being, [45:59] you know, Qatar Olson and all that kind [46:01] of thing. Uh so [46:02] >> yeah, I I I don't think we have to um I [46:05] you maybe he takes money from Qatar, [46:07] maybe he doesn't. I don't know. But I um [46:10] I I think unfortunately is when you look [46:14] at the agenda that he's pursuing and the [46:17] way he's pursuing it, this is good [46:19] oldfashioned homegrown uh Christian [46:22] anti-semitism or just gentile [46:24] anti-semitism. We don't don't have to [46:26] see I I um I think understanding how it [46:29] intersects with foreign uh countries and [46:32] foreign agendas is very important. But [46:35] the problem this rock begins at home [46:38] unfortunately. [46:39] >> Uh the the um uh uh his impact on young [46:46] people, young you know newer MAGA people [46:49] is u is I think well documented and we [46:52] have to fight it. We have to fight it [46:54] tooth and nail uh because it's it's [46:56] extremely dangerous. It's dangerous for [46:58] the Jews. Of course it's dangerous for [46:59] America. He look, you know, Tucker uh [47:02] you you seen the clip where Tucker [47:04] claims that he fought a demon. He was [47:06] attacked by a demon. [47:07] >> Yeah. [47:08] >> Yeah. So, we're him and Candace Owens [47:11] and others were we're talking about [47:12] people who are literally hunting demons. [47:16] You know, this is this is a witch hunt. [47:18] And when a when when someone with that [47:20] much power and influence in your culture [47:22] is um is is is hunting demons and is is [47:26] asking you to to uh alter your foreign [47:30] policy in pursuit of their demons. This [47:33] is a very dangerous thing. It's not good [47:35] for our country. This is going to be a [47:37] huge strategic mistake. The uh the fact [47:40] is that everything that he says the [47:42] truth is 180 degrees out from what he's [47:45] what he's saying. Israel is the most [47:48] loyal ally the United States has. The [47:50] Israel is more [47:53] um is more uh subordinate to the United [47:57] States than any other ally with this [47:59] kind of capabilities. Uh it's not that [48:02] it's not the power you know he looks at [48:04] this small people without powers which [48:07] is what is Israel is and he and he says [48:09] therefore they are actually controlling [48:11] us. No, because they're small and [48:14] dependent on us. All of their outsized [48:16] powers are used by us for our purposes. [48:19] That's basically the way to to see it. [48:23] >> You know, I'd rather I'd rather hear [48:25] that language be like, okay, Israel is a [48:27] is a great ally. You know what I mean? [48:29] It's not an issue of subordinate, not [48:30] subordinate. We have we have joint [48:32] interests and and we have uh those [48:34] interests are against bad guys that want [48:36] us both out and and we have joint [48:38] economics interests as well. [48:39] >> I'm happy saying that, too. But but I [48:41] mean but the reality is we are a [48:43] superpower. You know we are 330 million [48:45] people or whatever the largest economy [48:47] in the world and you're a country of 10 [48:49] million people. Incredibly talented [48:51] people talented way beyond their numbers [48:53] and so on. But still I mean the size is [48:56] is what it is. [48:57] >> Very good. What about Zan? What about [49:00] Zan Zran Mani? You think that that's [49:03] part of that uh part of that picture? [49:05] >> Yeah sure. I mean it the [49:07] >> I mean I mean just just just before [49:08] before you answer that just give me one [49:10] second to remind people I just want to [49:12] make it a little bit more visceral. I [49:14] was living in upper Manhattan [49:18] in in in 2001 September 11th. The [49:21] downtown area was was smoking after [49:25] after the Twin Towers uh not only did [49:28] they take down those two buildings but [49:30] but killed thousands of people. We knew [49:32] who did it. Jihadis. [49:34] >> The city of New York. He's being [49:36] inaugurated [49:36] >> Mani [49:38] according to the best of my ability. [49:40] >> So help me God. [49:41] >> So help me God. [49:42] >> Congratulations Mr. Mayor. [49:45] >> Okay. When he says so help me God, he [49:47] was swearing on a Quran. And and it's [49:49] not that I have a problem with Muslims. [49:51] I have a problem with jihadis. And he is [49:54] uh and you know he's he's an [49:56] anti-Israel. He has he has made many [49:59] statements anti-Netanyao, anti-Israel, [50:03] anti- aliyah, anti- anti- he's he's [50:06] literally anti- the state of Israel, [50:09] right? And this guy, he's he's certainly [50:11] also, you know, he's he's he's he's he's [50:14] what I call Obama 2.0. He's both a [50:16] jihadi and a communist. He's like a [50:18] better version of, you know, even even [50:20] cuter, even even a better talker than [50:22] Obama. He's like he's like he's like a [50:24] better Obama. He's like perfect. Um and [50:27] and this guy is coming into the biggest [50:29] Jewish community in the world outside of [50:31] the land of Israel. Uh and this is this [50:34] has been a sea change for for this city [50:38] which in many ways is the is one is like [50:41] you could say the US is powered by New [50:43] York City. There's or at least a big big [50:46] element of it. Now this thing now now [50:48] this city which only 20 years ago was [50:51] attacked by the jihad is electing a [50:53] jihad. Well, that's a victory for the [50:55] other side, is it not? [50:58] >> I I see it slightly different than you. [51:00] I I have I'm I'm as alarmed as as you [51:03] are, as disturbed as as you are. Uh but [51:07] I think the comparison that you made [51:10] that is most apt is him and Obama [51:13] because I don't look at him and see a [51:15] Gihadi. I look at him and I I see an [51:19] American progressive [51:21] with a with a with a with a with a [51:24] progressive transnational progressive [51:26] worldview um which is based on third [51:29] worldism this ideology of third [51:32] worldism. My colleague at the Hudson [51:34] Institute Zanvoua wrote a great article [51:37] published in the free press about that [51:40] we need to understand Mamani's worldview [51:43] is third worldism. This is an [51:45] identifiable ideology. It's very easily [51:47] identifiable because it's what our [51:49] universities have been teaching our [51:51] young people for the last 30 years. Uh [51:54] and that's the this is the this is the [51:57] problem. The Jews today are taking it in [51:59] the neck [52:01] simultaneously from the Tucker Carlson [52:03] right and from the university generated [52:07] third worldist uh worldview and and that [52:11] and this is this is why this moment is [52:13] so is is so dangerous and this this [52:16] contradiction we've got at the in this [52:19] moment at the moment of greatest [52:21] cooperation uh between Donald Trump and [52:24] you know between the United States and [52:25] and and Israel we have anti-semitism at [52:28] all time high at an all-time high and [52:31] it's coming from two directions [52:32] simultaneously and they meet up the [52:35] Tucker Carlson worldview and the Mandani [52:37] worldview meet up in a couple of key [52:40] ways um not least of all in their vision [52:43] of the Middle East which is let's cut a [52:44] deal with Iran. Israel is dragging us [52:46] into all these conflicts. We can pull [52:48] back, cut a deal with Iran, distance [52:50] ourselves from Israel, so on and so [52:52] forth. So, so if if we break down the [52:55] the the stuff that we talked about 2025, [52:58] the first half what we were talking [52:59] about is a lot of Israeli victory, [53:01] right? Victory via via Iran, Syria, [53:04] Gaza, maybe even somewhat containment of [53:08] Houthis and Somali land is probably a [53:11] story of containment of Houthis and and [53:13] control of the of the Red Sea lane down [53:15] there from the Mandelbab Strait and all [53:18] that. Okay. So, victories, strengths, [53:20] and then [clears throat] and then when [53:21] it comes to [53:23] uh American consciousness, global [53:26] consciousness, tick tock consciousness, [53:28] Tucker Candice Mom Donnie like [53:32] there's been a lot of losses for Israel. [53:34] Not to mention Sydney, Australia, what [53:36] happened there, which was obviously a [53:38] sign that liberal countries, the British [53:41] Isle countries, the British uh uh uh the [53:43] countries that that were born out of [53:45] Britain, which is Britain itself, [53:47] Canada, Australia, and even the US have [53:50] anybody who had a liberal tendency has [53:52] gone to progressive, gone to pro- jihad [53:55] tendencies. And so, Israel is, you know, [53:57] if you ask the global consciousness of [53:59] the world, Israel is not a big winner [54:01] right now. It's not a great looking [54:03] state. [54:03] >> Yeah. [54:04] >> Legitimacy is eroded. [54:06] >> Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. And and we [54:09] we have to fight. We have to fight. And [54:11] again, it's the same thing I was saying [54:13] before. What we're what we're fighting [54:14] for. I I say as a as a gentile American. [54:19] Um the fight isn't for the Jews. Of [54:21] course, it is. It that's part of it. The [54:23] fight is for us, right? We if if we if [54:26] we define third worldism as the ideology [54:29] of the United States, then we are going [54:32] to be the big losers and we're going to [54:33] be big losers in the end. [54:35] >> Anybody who's serious knows that [54:37] anti-semitism is a type of barometer. [54:39] It's not it's not it's not about the [54:41] Jews. It's about the health of the [54:43] internal health of of that society. Uh [54:46] lastly, lastly, uh there was one more [54:48] thing. I don't know if this is, you [54:49] know, up your alley, but it is very [54:51] important to me. There was one more big [54:53] change uh in 2025 and that was on the [54:56] Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Temple [54:58] Mount became much more accessible and [55:00] there was more. [55:00] >> Not on my list. Not on my list at all. I [55:03] wasn't even aware of that. [55:04] >> Oh yes. [55:05] >> Meanwhile, Israel's farright national [55:07] security minister Bengavir has visited [55:09] the Al Axa mosque compound in Jerusale. [55:11] >> This is about Ben going to prayed there [55:14] and also called for Israel's sovereignty [55:16] of the Gaza Strip. This is a violation [55:19] of a decades old arrangement covering [55:22] one of the most sensitive sites in the [55:23] Middle East. Online pictures show Itamir [55:27] Bengavir who has been sanctioned by the [55:29] UK government appearing to lead Jewish [55:32] prayers at the compound with Israeli [55:34] settlers and the compound itself is [55:36] known by Jews as the Temple Mount. [55:40] >> All right. So, there's been a change on [55:41] the Temple Mount. And I could tell you, [55:43] my mom, by the way, goes to the Temple [55:44] Mount once a week at least. And there's [55:47] something that never happened on the [55:48] Temple Mount for for for hundreds, maybe [55:50] maybe thousands of years, and that is [55:53] full protestation, full bowing down of [55:55] Jews in prayer at the Temple Mount. It's [55:58] been a big change for those of us who [56:00] who, you know, who have those feelings [56:03] and and feel a closeness uh to the the [56:06] the temple consciousness in Jerusalem. [56:09] That has been a big change in 2025. That [56:11] really the She's right. The status quo [56:13] has changed. I don't like to apply the [56:15] word status quo when it comes to Israel. [56:16] To me, the advent of a Jewish state in [56:18] the land of Israel after 2,000 years of [56:20] exile is anything but status quo. So, [56:22] the word status quo is not something [56:24] that I think is is pertinent, but that [56:25] was one of the big changes in 2025. [56:28] >> I wasn't uh tracking that. We'll have to [56:30] you and I sometime have to sit down and [56:32] and talk about this oneonone because [56:34] when I see that, I get nervous to be [56:36] honest with you. [laughter] [56:37] >> No doubt. I could understand that. I [56:39] could certainly understand that. [56:40] >> I I don't I I I I I want uh you know, I [56:43] want harmony among the nations among the [56:46] religions in the [56:48] >> remember remember Michael Duran, Dr. [56:50] Michael Duran that uh the house of [56:52] prayer is supposed to be a house of [56:53] prayer for all nations as it says on at [56:56] Isaiah. So I can understand that it is a [56:58] place of tension, but it's also a place [57:00] that actually wants to bring peace to to [57:02] to the world. Uh listen, we're out of [57:06] time. I want to first thing thank you so [57:07] much. [57:08] >> Do I get one more? I want I want [57:09] >> and I was going to give you one last [57:10] word and one last kind of thought and [57:12] hopefully you got even some kind of [57:14] positive sense to put 2025 in in [57:16] perspective for us. [57:17] >> My thing isn't really a positive thing [57:19] or a negative thing. I just wanted to [57:20] say that the the other event. Do you [57:23] remember the all the you probably don't [57:24] remember. You're too young. All the [57:26] jokes about Franco. Hey, did did you [57:28] hear the news about Franco the dictator [57:30] of Bane? You know, and then the punch [57:32] line is he's still dead. And the the it [57:35] was a joke because he was he was on his [57:37] last legs forever, you know, and then [57:40] but then and then he died and then the [57:41] joke was, you know, he's still dead. But [57:43] uh uh so I think we need to in that kind [57:46] of spirit, we need to talk about the [57:48] Netanyahu trial. The the the Netanyahu [57:51] trial is still going on. And uh um uh [57:55] but but it's it it at some point [57:58] probably around about the time that that [58:00] Trump called on the on the on President [58:03] Herzog to acquit um Prime Minister [58:07] Netanyahu. It started to become a joke. [58:10] This trial will probably go on for [58:12] another 20 years. I mean, it seems like [58:14] the prosecution is ready. Uh there's a [58:16] there's a famous uh there's a famous uh [58:19] Charles Dickens novel Blee House where [58:21] the there's this struggle going on over [58:24] inheritance of an estate and that the [58:26] the the struggle goes on for decades and [58:29] decades until all of the money in the [58:31] state has been burned out by the lawyers [58:33] fighting over the estate and nobody ever [58:35] wins the the the thing. I I look at the [58:38] Nifty Arrow like trial like that. It's [58:40] perpetual. It will never ever end, but [58:42] it's a joke at this point. [58:44] >> That's right. It is a joke. Uh and by [58:46] the way, there was one more perpetual [58:47] thing. I was sitting with Arabs in [58:49] Hebrron uh Thursday night and I said to [58:51] them, I said, "What's with Mahm Abbas? [58:52] Does this guy ever die? He never dies." [58:54] They're like, "He's a billionaire. He's [58:56] 90 years old. He's never leaving." And [58:58] they were they were laughing. [59:00] >> I No, I I I think that that's when I [59:02] die. Um [59:06] >> as we say, until 120, right? [59:07] >> When I die at age 120, there's going to [59:10] be two things that are going to be [59:12] absolutely certain. I can make this [59:13] prediction with no doubt. Maybe no three [59:15] three things. One is that Mahmud Abbas [59:19] is still going to be uh is still going [59:21] to be running the Palestinian Authority. [59:24] Number two, Brazil is going to be just [59:27] on the edge of becoming a superpower. [59:29] People are always predicting next year [59:31] this Brazil is about to be a superpower. [59:34] And we're also going to be on the edge [59:36] of a of a revolution in batteries that [59:40] is going to allow us to hold on to all [59:42] the wind and solar power so we can we we [59:44] we can use it. The battery revolution [59:46] Brazil is a superpower and Mahmud Abbas [59:49] those are all going to be [59:50] >> you know what you know what you just [59:51] made me realize [59:53] >> what [59:53] >> Dr. Michael Duran, there was there was a [59:55] missing you just you were joking around, [59:57] but you made me realize that the one [59:58] thing that was not on this list was the [60:01] was the arrival of AI in our life that [60:04] happened this year. [60:05] >> That's like a major one. That's like a [60:07] major thing. [60:09] >> M Dr. Michael Duran is our guest and we [60:12] want to thank you so much. Uh Dr. [60:14] Michael Duran is a senior fellow and [60:15] director of the Middle East Center at [60:17] Hudson Institute. Specializes in Middle [60:19] East uh Middle East security issues and [60:22] does a great show with Gotti Tab on [60:24] YouTube which uh we watch uh and I [60:26] recommend you watch as well. Uh he [60:29] worked in the White [music] House and uh [60:31] was also senior director at the National [60:33] Security Council. A lot of important [60:35] stuff. Thank you so much for being with [60:36] us and covering 2025. God bless you and [60:40] >> God bless you. Thank you. All right, [60:42] that was an amazing segment. I also want [60:44] to thank uh my producer Yo, who actually [60:46] pushed me to do this year in review and [60:49] that was a very special opportunity to [60:51] do that. Uh and I want to thank all of [60:53] you and ask you to like, subscribe, [60:56] comment uh at Flea TV. Very important. [61:01] And I want to ask you for that. I also [61:03] want to ask you for checking out fight [61:06] forisrael.org. Fight the number [61:08] fourisrael.org. [61:10] Fightforisrael.org. or uh and support [61:13] our restoration because we're into [61:15] restorationism. We're restoring the land [61:18] of Israel in every which way. And the [61:21] the heart of that restoration is the [61:24] restoration of the Jewish people to the [61:25] land of Israel and the building of [61:27] Jerusalem, which is God's big project. [61:31] Yes, he is restoring the Jewish people [61:33] to the land. And just like we saw Jews [61:36] moving back to the north, restoring them [61:38] to the land and making the land of [61:40] Israel bigger, brighter, better, and a [61:43] and more and with more spiritual oomph. [61:47] Thank you, Hashem. Hashem is means the [61:49] name. Thank you, God. Thank you, Hashem. [61:52] Uh, and there's one more way to support [61:54] the show, which is buy me a [61:56] coffee.comshi. [61:58] And when you support me, I support you [62:00] back. And the way that I support you [62:02] back is by giving you great information [62:04] together with my team. And I want to [62:06] thank Yo, Moshe, David, Yona, [62:11] uh, who else? Oh, uh, Amir, we got a big [62:15] team these days. I want to thank all the [62:17] folks on the team. But the other way [62:18] that I can support you is by sending you [62:21] blessings. [62:23] Don't poo poo it. It's huge. I'm sending [62:26] you blessings from the land of Israel. [62:28] Blessings from the land of blessings. [62:30] I'm sending you blessings because you [62:32] are part of the good team. You're [62:34] fighting the good fight. You are in [62:36] you're part of Hashem's story. If you're [62:38] watching with me now, it's because you [62:39] love Israel, because you love Hashem, [62:41] because you love the Bible, because you [62:43] love the the the good things in this [62:44] world, and you hate evil. And that's [62:46] what we got to do. And we got to and and [62:48] if we the people here on the show that [62:50] hate evil, we're a team. We're a team. [62:53] We're the hate evil team. [62:56] We're the do bad to bad people team so [62:58] that good people can flourish. All [63:00] right, folks. Uh um I want to bless all [63:02] of you. I want to bless the Iranian [63:04] people and the Venezuelan people. I want [63:06] to bless Gaza and I want to bless Syria [63:08] and I will bless the land of Israel and [63:10] I want to bless you and thank you very [63:13] much for being with me wherever you are. [63:15] Lots of blessings from the land of [63:16] blessings. May God's face shine into [63:18] your homes wherever you are. And thank [63:20] you again and shalom.
