Information and the war of ideas

Dear Colleagues,

This past Saturday, thousands of people — men, women, and children all wearing black — gathered at the burial site; many carried portraits of the slain leader Hezbollah leader. It was one year since the Israelis killed Hassan Nasrallah in an air attack in southern Beirut.

Nasrallah’s successor Naim Qassem pledged that Hezbollah will keep its military capabilities. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Ali Larijani, attended last Saturday’s commemoration in Beirut.

There’s no end of history in sight in our region. Advocates of the Administration’s Gaza Peace Plan acknowledge concern about Bibi’s willingness and ability to follow through. Hamas will be difficult. “You never know with these guys,” said one U.S. official this week.

Meanwhile: There are signs that Iran may be preparing for another armed conflict with Israel. Succession planning in military ranks is afoot. Attempts to recruit Israeli spies are up.

Keep an eye out for Andres’s new weekly on Iran. We’re set to launch soon. Things are bubbling. There was news this week of an Israeli influence operation inside Iran aimed at creating support for a return to Shah monarchy.

The MBN Role

MBN is arguably more important ever. Our digital-first media platform provides original news, analysis and perspectives on the region — and about the American approach to the Middle East — for audiences of important decision-makers and influencers in politics and policy, business, culture and media.

Who else can connect America and the Middle East? We’re the essential, and distinctly American voice in Arabic language for this crucial, fluid, and volatile region. We’re becoming multi-lingual.

MBN’s robust and free platforms allow the real story to emerge, and are a vital counterweight to the disinformation pushed by China, Russia, and Iran and China in the Middle East and North Africa.

Our audiences want to know the American story. Things are moving quickly with President Trump’s efforts to enlist Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar to pressure Hamas to sign up to a Gaza deal.

Washington is interesting. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN) and Rich McCormick (R-GA) recently introduced legislation to allow the U.S. to send seized Iranian weaponry to U.S. allies.

America shows no sign of turning away from the region. U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers have been moving into the Middle East over the past week, marking one of the largest aerial refueling deployments in recent months. Aircraft are departing from Atlantic bases to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, part of U.S. Central Command.

MBN Guests

We’re hard at work every day working defining our niche and sharpening Alhurra’s distinctive voice. We’ll keep enriching our work through vibrant networks and relationships.

We’ve invited Marc Rod to join us for a conversation on his Washington reporting. Marc has written about MBN and knows Capitol Hill inside and out.

Barak Ravid has agreed to give a talk for us on the Abraham Accords. Barak is a top reporter for Axios and his 2023 book on American efforts to reshape the Middle East is an important read. We’re passionate about craft, history, and a better understanding of foreign policy strategy.

We have other guests on the way. I’ve asked Rob Satloff of the Washington Institute to speak with us about the new graduate studies program he’s launched with Pepperdine University. On regional developments, we’ll interview Ken Pollack, vice president of the Middle East Institute (MEI). Ken has kindly invited me to meet with his research team at MEI next month.

MBN cares about culture. Aya plans to visit MEI’s gallery and the current exhibit on Arab pop art. Stay tuned for her video report.

What’s Next?

The MBN board meets next Tuesday. We’re awaiting a new grant agreement from USAGM once the federal government reopens. Let’s hold our next town hall meeting the week of October 13 (date tbd).

I’ll brief our board on Tuesday on the editorial offsite we just convened in Old Town Alexandria. MBN material keeps flowing: on Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Houthis’s terror beyond Yemen, on anti-Semitism across the region. Internal process and accountability at MBN are tightening.

Today’s newsletter is another strong showing, including Al Jazeera’s plans to start Hebrew programming. We’re hunting for clues in a change in strategic direction.

Our Friday MBN Briefing is in Arabic and in English. Keep spreading the word. Encourage people to sign up here.

I’m proud of the way you maintain focus and drive forward in uncertain times. We owe it to our audience, Congress, and the American taxpayer.

My tip of hat to all of you.

Sincerely, Jeff