Stay ConnectedThe Middle East never stops moving. Neither does the FDD Morning Brief.
Three mornings a week, FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer cuts through the noise with the experts who have spent their careers studying, shaping, and living the region’s most consequential moments. All before your morning coffee gets cold.
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WHAT HISTORICAL LESSONS FROM PREVIOUS WARS CAN BE APPLIED TO ISRAEL'S CURRENT CONFLICT WITH HAMAS?
HEADLINE 1: Israel’s anti-missile laser system is nearly operational.
HEADLINE 2: Two Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack at the Allenby border crossing between Jordan and the West Bank.
HEADLINE 3: A Houthi drone evaded Israeli air defenses and slammed into a hotel in Eilat.
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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Executive Director of the Hudson Institute's Public Interest Fellowship Garrett Exner.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
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Featured FDD Pieces:
"The United States Should be Prudent Regarding al-Sharaa’s Turn" - Jonathan Schanzer and Ahmad Sharawi, The National Interest
"Human Rights Are the Key to a Free Iran" - Janatan Sayeh, RealClearWorld
"US designates 4 Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations" - Bridget Toomey, FDD's Long War Journal
HOW ACCURATE ARE THE CLAIMS OF FAMINE IN GAZA?
HEADLINE 1: The Treasury Department rolled out a fresh batch of Iran sanctions.
HEADLINE 2: In response to Israel's strike against Hamas leaders in Doha, representatives from nearly 60 Arab and Islamic countries convened in Qatar to lash out at Israel.
HEADLINE 3: Israel carried out strikes against Yemen’s Hodeidah Port.
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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with FDD Vice President of Research David Adesnik.
Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
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Featured FDD Pieces:
"The Saudi-Qatari Competition for Influence in Syria" - Ahmad Sharawi and Natalie Ecanow, The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune
"Three years later, Iran’s freedom martyr Mahsa Amini inspires demands for change" - Rich Goldberg and Benham Ben Taleblu, New York Post
"President Trump, Don’t Settle for Empty Promises on Reindustrialization" - Emily de La Bruyere and Nathan Picarsic, Newsweek
For COGAT statistics on humanitarian aid in Gaza: https://gaza-aid-data.gov.il/mainhome#AidData
WHAT LESSONS HAS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS LEARNED FROM TWO YEARS OF WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS?
HEADLINE 1: Yesterday, the IDF issued evacuation orders for at least three high-rise buildings in Gaza City, including a tower at the Islamic University.
HEADLINE 2: Another Israeli citizen was caught spying for Iran.
HEADLINE 3: Arab countries are considering establishing a joint military force.
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FDD Senior Fellow Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Shane O'Connor, a humanitarian advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
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Featured FDD pieces:
"Wasn’t Hell Supposed to Break Loose if the U.S. Struck Iran?" - Reuel Marc Gerecht and CFR's Ray Takeyh, The Wall Street Journal
"Lessons from Doha: Eject Hamas now" - Ahmad Sharawi, The Hill
"המבצע הבא בעזה חייב להתחיל במסיבת עיתונאים" - Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, Israel's N12 News
"The art of lying about Israel" - Cliff May, The Washington Times
WILL ISRAEL’S STRIKE ON HAMAS IN DOHA AFFECT THE ABRAHAM PEACE ACCORDS?
HEADLINE 1: The Pentagon approved a new security assistance package for Lebanon.
HEADLINE 2: Speaking of Hezbollah, guess who busted a Hezbollah cell? The Syrian army.
HEADLINE 3: The Treasury Department rolled out fresh sanctions targeting Houthi financial networks.
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FDD Senior Research Analyst Natalie Ecanow, filling in for Jonathan Schanzer, provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Hussain Abdul-Hussain, an FDD research fellow who specializes in the Gulf region and Yemen.
Learn more at: https://fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
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Featured FDD Articles:
"Turkey Could Be Next in Israel’s Cross-hairs After Qatar. The Consequences? Catastrophic" - Sinan Ciddi, Haaretz
"Baghdad Has an Opportunity To Counter Illicit Iranian Activity in Iraq. Will the Government Take It?" - Bridget Toomey, FDD Policy Brief
"From Playground to Classroom: The Spread of Antisemitism in K-12 Schools" - Brandy Shufutinsky, Congressional Testimony
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR LEBANON?
HEADLINE 1: Qatar isn’t the only target for the Israel in the last 48 hours — Syria was hit, too.
HEADLINE 2: Israel ordered the full evacuation of Gaza City.
HEADLINE 3: Tensions are soaring between Israel and Spain.
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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Ambassador Edward Gabriel, president and CEO of the American Task Force on Lebanon.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief
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Featured FDD Articles:
"Building the Future U.S. Cyber Force" - RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Dr. Erica Lonergan, FDD Monograph
"China’s money launderers are bankrolling America’s fentanyl epidemic" - Max Meizlish and Elaine Dezenski, The Hill
"Why Israel Shouldn’t Celebrate Lebanon’s Promise to Disarm Hezbollah Just Yet" - David Daoud, Haaretz
"Hamas’ Chief Negotiator Is a Terrorist, Not a Peacemaker" - Jonathan Schanzer and Ahmad Sharawi, The Dispatch
IS GAZA ISRAEL'S VIETNAM?
HEADLINE 1: Some major weekend action from the Houthis. Yesterday, the Iran-backed terrorists launched an explosive drone at Israel, and it made impact.
HEADLINE 2: In some more Houthi news, the government in Southern Yemen accused Iran of helping their enemies in the north of Yemen, the Houthis, produce chemical weapons.
HEADLINE 3: Saudi Arabia is expanding its role in post-Assad Syria.
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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Aaron MacLean, an FDD Senior Advisor and host of the "School of War" podcast.
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Featured FDD Articles:
"China Won’t Get Addicted to America’s Chips" - Craig Singleton, The Wall Street Journal
"How the U.N. Became Hamas’s Partner" - Cliff May and Richard Goldberg, FDD's Foreign Podicy
"FDD's Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: September" - John Hardie
IS IRAN'S "RING OF FIRE" STRATEGY BURNING BRIGHT — OR BURNING OUT?
HEADLINE 1: Israel launched a satellite into space.
HEADLINE 2: Apparently,Tehran had increased its stockpile of enriched uranium in the weeks before Israel launched its first preemptive strike on the program in June.
HEADLINE 3: The Shin Bet thwarted a plot to assassinate Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
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FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Emily Schrader, an Israeli journalist, author, and activist who serves as a news anchor at ILTV News Israel.
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Featured FDD Articles:
"Turkey’s Quiet Relationship with ISIS" — Sinan Ciddi in The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune
"Xi’s military parade showed just how dangerous China has become" — Bradley Bowman in The New York Post
"10 Takeaways From Simulated Attacks on Taiwan’s Energy Sector" — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Craig Singleton, Johanna Yang, and Jack Burnham, FDD Insight
WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED FROM ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE FAILURES ON OCTOBER 7?
HEADLINE 1: The Trump administration dialed up the pressure on Iran.
HEADLINE 2: The Houthis took a beating. And then they raided UN offices in Yemen over the weekend.
HEADLINE 3: Another European country plans to recognize a state of Palestine.
BONUS HEADLINE 4: Purported environmentalist Greta Thunberg is trying to send another flotilla to Gaza.
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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/
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Featured FDD Articles:
"What if Israel Was Right and the Arabs Were Wrong?" — Hussain Abdul-Hussain, This Is Beirut
"By Tying Ukraine’s Hands, the Pentagon Undermines Trump" — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and John Hardie, The Wall Street Journal
"The Shadows Moscow Casts Over Historian Mark Galeotti" — Cliff May and Mark Galeotti, FDD's Foreign Podicy
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO EMPOWER JEWISH STUDENTS FACING ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS?
HEADLINE 1: It’s official. France, Britain, and Germany are planning to reimpose sanctions on Iran.
HEADLINE 2: UNIFIL’s days are officially numbered.
HEADLINE 3: Israeli officials issued an arrest warrant for an American who was lobbying for Qatar in the country.
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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Jacob Baime, CEO of the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC).
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/
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Featured FDD Articles:
"5 Urgent Tasks for the New National Cyber Director" — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Annie Fixler, FDD Insight
"A Year of Meming Dangerously: Iranian Influence Operations Targeting Israel Since October 7" — Ari Ben Am, FDD Memo
"Qatar’s growing footprint in Africa" — Natalie Ecanow, FDD's Long War Journal
WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED FROM PAST MIDDLE EAST PEACE EFFORTS?
HEADLINE 1: Australia and Iran are engaged in a heavyweight diplomatic spat.
HEADLINE 2: The IDF conducted a rare daytime raid in Ramallah yesterday.
HEADLINE 3: Officials from France, Britain, and Germany met with an Iranian delegation in Geneva yesterday to discuss the looming snapback sanctions.
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FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer provides timely updates and in-depth analysis of the latest Middle East headlines, followed by a conversation with Ambassador Dennis Ross, The Washington Institute's William Davidson Distinguished Fellow and a former Israeli-Palestinian peace process negotiator under Presidents H. W. Bush and Clinton.
Learn more at: https://www.fdd.org/fddmorningbrief/
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Featured FDD Articles:
"Iran faces a perfect storm of domestic failures" - Janatan Sayeh and Navid Mohebbi, JNS
"Oil holds the key to Ukraine war’s end — if Trump plays hardball" - Rich Goldberg and John Hardie, New York Post
"Reexamining the U.S.-South Africa Relationship" - FDD Virtual Event
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