Decision Points

About Decision Points

Decision Points is the podcast that gets beyond the noise on tough choices in the Middle East. Hosted by David Makovsky of The Washington Institute, the show brings together top policymakers and experts from Washington and the region for candid conversations about the forces and factors driving Middle East policymaking. Season Six tackles the toughest U.S. foreign-policy debates, from the brink of war in Iran to the painful aftermath in Gaza and the new government in Syria. In each episode, Makovsky sits down with top American, Israeli, and Arab policy experts and former officials to clarify the options and understand the stakes. This season asks: Is the Middle East headed for more war and uncertainty? Or could America help the region move toward greater security and progress? David Makovsky directs the Washington Institute’s Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations and is a leading expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S.-Israel relations. He served as a senior advisor to the special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at the U.S. Department of State in 2013-14 and is the author of four books on Arab-Israeli relations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

David Makovsky

Category

news · news · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

23 Oct 2019

Latest episode

22 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

14 of 79 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   22 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   What's Next for Hamas, 3 Years After October 7th

   Host David Makovsky interviews former intelligence officials Matthew Levitt and Neomi Neumann about Hamas's resilience and the uncertain future of Gaza three years after October 7th.

2. 

   20 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Are Israel and Turkey on a Collision Course? With Tamir Hayman and James Jeffrey

   Host David Makovsky interviews Tamir Hayman and James Jeffrey about the escalating tensions and potential collision course between Israel and Turkey.

3. 

   6 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Can Gaza Have a Brighter Future? With Ghaith al-Omari and Shira Efron

   Host David Makovsky interviews Ghaith al-Omari and Shira Efron about pathways to a brighter future for Gaza amidst ongoing challenges.

Inside a recent episode

What's Next for Hamas, 3 Years After October 7th

Published 22 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Now to the second question, how does Hamas maintain its influence today? As you said, because it's very weak and because it's not in power. So Hamas actually, David, built a decentralized model of control in Gaza. Governance without government. That allowed it to rule in practice even without formal authority. Hamas actually operates through civilian, economic, social, and security network. Hamas is inserting loyalists into the municipalities, commercial hubs, and planning a body. Hamas is also using enforcement, like, you know, radar force, a force designed to deter, to prevent, to suppress threats, where a visible governance has collapsed. […]

Who has been a guest on Decision Points

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Matthew Levitt
• Neomi Neumann
• Tamir Hayman
• James Jeffrey
• Ghaith al-Omari

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

128 ratings

Spotify

4.7 / 5

39 ratings

Contact Decision Points

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Decision Points