Jonathan Schanzer

As the Middle East undergoes a dramatic realignment, host Trudy Stern is joined by Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to break down the shifting balance of power following Iran’s weakening and the degradation of its terror proxies. The conversation explores Saudi Arabia’s changing posture toward Israel, rising tensions with the UAE, Turkey’s growing regional ambitions, and the dangerous vacuum forming across Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. Together, they examine whether Israel now faces stronger and more complex threats closer to its borders—and what these developments could mean not just for Israel, but for the West and U.S. interests more broadly.