Babel: Translating the Middle East
Hosted by Jon Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson · Center for Strategic and International Studies
4.8from 142 ratings
- 284
- Episodes
- 70
- Transcribed
- 142
- Ratings
- 2019
- First episode
- 59M
- YouTube views
About Babel: Translating the Middle East
Babel will take you beyond the headlines to discuss what’s really happening in the Middle East and North Africa. It features regional experts who explain what’s going on, provide context on pivotal developments, and highlight trends you may have missed. Jon Alterman, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, hosts the podcast along with his colleagues from the Middle East Program. This podcast is made possible through the generous support of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. All views, positions, and conclusions expressed here should be understood to be solely of those of the speaker(s).
- Publisher
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Category
- government · news · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 11 Sept 2019
- Latest episode
- 22 May 2025
Latest episodes
70 of 284 episodes have a transcript.
22 May 2025TRANSCRIPT
Babel Special: Jon Alterman's Next Chapter
15 May 2025TRANSCRIPT
Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade
8 May 2025TRANSCRIPT
Analysis: Will Trump’s Houthi Deal Stick?
Inside a recent episode
Babel Special: Jon Alterman's Next Chapter
Published 22 May 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] What else has changed in the role that think tanks play in Washington DC in this policy making ecosystem? Apart from the information saturation piece, how do you view think tanks having a different role today to when you join CSIS? You know, I think one of the most dramatic changes is there used to be a much more personal element to it. And I think it's partly because of so much going on in the Middle East space and partly because of COVID. I think for young people starting, they don't know everybody. I tell you, I had a one year postdoc at the Washington Institute. And by the end of the year, I really did know everybody in the Middle East space in Washington. […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on Babel: Translating the Middle East
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Mohanad Hage Ali
- Dina Esfandiary
- Dr Craig Larkin
- Dr Dahlia Scheindlin
- Nicolas Pelham
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 58,974,216
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.7 / 5
- 85 ratings
- Spotify
- 5.0 / 5
- 57 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 82 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 88
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 93
- Engagement
- 99
Contact Babel: Translating the Middle East
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Babel: Translating the Middle East
Who hosts Babel: Translating the Middle East?
Jon Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson host the show. Published by Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Does Babel: Translating the Middle East take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
70 of 284 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
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