Aaron Magid discusses his new book titled "The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan" in a special episode. Danny Stoker, a Professor of Middle East History at Brigham Young University, joins the podcast to ask Aaron questions about the King Abdullah biography. Aaron discusses why the key themes of the book along with the meaning behind the book's title. The book can be purchased on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Most-American-King-Abdullah-Jordan/dp/1599427788
Aug 01, 2025•21 min
Dr. Saud al-Sharafat, a former brigadier general in the Jordan General Intelligence (GID), joins the podcast to discuss his 29-year career in the agency. Sharafat, who also serves as the chairman of the Shorufat Center for Globalization and Terrorism Studies, views the GID's relationship with the CIA. He details which country is the GID's top adversary and highlights a misconception some Jordanians have about the GID. Finally, Sharafat responds to reports of GID intervention in domestic Jordania...
Feb 02, 2025•18 min
Merissa Khurma, the Wilson Center's Middle East Program Director, joins the podcast to discuss how the Jordanian government reacted to the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Khurma, a former office director for Prince Ali, analyzes Jordan's relationship with the new Syrian administration. She details how the Jordanian public has responded to the overthrow of Assad's regime. Finally, Khurma addresses the Jordanian government's campaign to normalize ties with Assad in the previous few yea...
Jan 01, 2025•20 min
Professor Hasan Al-Momani, Dean of the Prince Al-Hussein Bin Abdullah II School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Jordan, joins the podcast to discuss Jordan's Air Force downing Iranian drones in April. Dr. Al-Momani explains how the Jordanian public responded to the incident and analyzes the Hashemite Kingdom's summoning of an Iranian diplomat. Finally, he examines the statement by Kataib Hezbollah — an Iran-backed militia — pledging to send weapons to 12,000 f...
Jan 01, 2025•17 min
Former Jordanian minister Amer Hadidi joins the podcast to discuss Vice President Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump's ties with Jordan. Hadidi, who also served as the CEO of Royal Jordanian Airlines, views the attitudes of the Jordanian public toward the US race. He addresses whether the US election will bring tangible change in the US-Jordanian relationship and examines if Amman-Washington ties have been stronger with Democratic or Republican presidents.
Nov 01, 2024•18 min
Daoud Kuttab, director general of the Amman-based Balad Radio discusses the new election law for the September 10 parliamentary race. Kuttab, a veteran Al-Monitor columnist, explains which political parties are expected to do well in the race. He details the key domestic policy issues being raised in the campaign along with how the Gaza war will impact the elections. Finally, Kuttab addresses expected voter turnout during the upcoming election.
Sep 01, 2024•20 min
Senior Human Rights Watch researcher Hiba Zayadin joins the podcast to discuss the mistreatment of children born to a Jordanian mother and a foreign father. Zayadin explains the reasons for the discrimination, including how it relates to the Palestinian question. She notes that these children are denied citizenship despite being born in the Hashemite Kingdom to a Jordanian parent and details how it impacts their employment opportunities. Finally, Zayadin addresses how Queen Rania attempted unsuc...
Jul 18, 2024•17 min
Saad Hattar, head of the Roya News Media Group based in Amman, joins the podcast to discuss Jordan's reaction to Iraq's 1990 conquest of Kuwait, Hattar, who previously co-founded the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ghad's editorial division, explains why Saddam Hussein and King Hussein formed such close ties in the 1980s. The analyst discusses Jordanian public opinion during the war and detailed how King Hussein's stance led to tensions with the United States. Finally, Hattar examined how Jordan shifted ...
Apr 07, 2024•17 min
Charles Lister, director of the Syria program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, joins the podcast to discuss Jordanian airstrikes in Syria during the past two months. Lister addresses whether this bombing campaign has been effective against the drug smugglers and notes civilian casualties. He also examines how the Syrian government has handled smuggling across its border into Jordan. Finally, Lister views whether the January killing of three US soldiers in Jordan will be a regular occu...
Feb 04, 2024•19 min
Former Jordanian minister Marwan Juma joins the podcast to discuss how the Israel-Hamas war has affected the Hashemite Kingdom. Juma views the Jordanian government's influence on the Gaza conflict since October 7th. He discusses the government's attitude toward strikes and boycotts inside Jordan along with the level of public support for Hamas. Finally, given the many protests outside of the US Embassy in Amman, Juma analyzes whether the outrage against the Biden administration for supporting Is...
Dec 25, 2023•20 min
Rev. David Rihani, head of the Assemblies of God Church in Jordan, joins the podcast to discuss the Christian community in the Hashemite Kingdom. Rev. Rihani discusses government treatment of Christians and views how the community has changed compared to 50 years ago. He also details his own upbringing in the Church growing up in the Jordanian city of Salt.
Oct 30, 2023•20 min
Former Jordanian minister Mohammad Abu-Rumman joins the podcast to discuss the popularity of Hamas among Jordanian public opinion. Dr. Abu-Rumman, a political science professor at the University of Jordan, also details the Jordanian government's current attitude toward the Palestinian militant group. He explains why King Abdullah expelled the Hamas leadership from Jordan in 1999 during his first year on the throne. Dr. Abu-Rumman also views Jordan's response to the victory of Hamas in the 2006 P...
Jun 18, 2023•20 min
Oraib Rantawi, director of the Amman-based Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, joins the podcast to discuss the improved ties between Jordan and Syria. Rantawi views Amman's motivation for the gestures toward the Assad regime and explains how the US critique of normalization with Syria impacts King Abdullah's policy. He also analyzes the May 2023 Jordanian airstrike in Syria against drug smugglers. Finally, Rantawi addresses whether the numerous Syrian refugees living in Jordan will soon retur...
May 28, 2023•19 min
Jordanian queer and feminist activist Hasan Kilani joins the podcast to discuss the LGBTQ community in the Hashemite Kingdom. Kilani details the challenges facing the community while also noting how the situation in Jordan has improved in recent years. Kilani addresses whether it is beneficial to the LGBT community in Jordan for the US Embassy in Amman to publicly promote queer events. Finally, Kilani describes the role of class among Jordanian LGBT individuals.
Apr 23, 2023•18 min
Dr. Yezid Sayigh, senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, joins the podcast to discuss Jordan's 1970 civil war. He examines the origin of the crisis and discusses how much support King Hussein had among Jordanians for the crackdown against Palestinian militants. Dr. Sayigh, author of the award winning book: "Armed Struggle and the Search for State: The Palestinian National Movement, 1949-1993," explains why Syria invaded northern Jordan during the conflict. He views the US role in the ...
Feb 27, 2023•23 min
Jordanian political economist Laith Al-Ajlouni joins the podcast to discuss the Hashemite Kingdom's ties with the International Monetary Fund. He addresses the IMF's priorities in Jordan along with the reasons pushing Amman to first work with the Washington DC-based organization in 1989. Al-Ajlouni also explains why some Jordanians cited the IMF as one of their grievances during the Arab Spring protests. Finally, the Amman-based analyst notes whether the Jordanian government will soon wean itsel...
Feb 12, 2023•20 min
Daoud Kuttab, Director General of the Amman-based Balad Radio, joins the podcast to discuss the December 2022 trucker demonstrations. Kuttab explains what sparked the protests and views the government's response to the discontent. He notes the role of Tik-Tok during the unrest and provides more information about the killing of the four Jordanian officers. Finally, Kuttab views whether these protests will bring strategic change to the Hashemite Kingdom.
Dec 23, 2022•19 min
Barak Ravid, contributing correspondent for Axios, joins the podcast to discuss how Benjamin Netanyahu's expected return to power will change Jordanian-Israeli relations. Ravid explains the significance behind King Abdullah's November 14th reported call with Netanyahu and details the security ties between the two neighboring countries amid political tensions. Finally, Ravid addresses a Washington Post article claiming that Netanyahu was involved in the 2021 Prince Hamzah sedition affair against ...
Nov 20, 2022•20 min
Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, joins the podcast about HRW's September report on the difficulties facing Jordanian civil society. Coogle details how the civic space in the Hashemite Kingdom has shrunk in recent years and explains if the New York-based organization was calling for the United States to cut aid to Jordan. He discusses why the Jordanian government rejected a local NGO's request to receive a German grant for a recycling awareness program. Finally, Coo...
Oct 02, 2022•19 min
Dr. Jillian Schwedler joins the podcast to discuss her new book on the kingdom's protest movement. She details the obstancles that the Jordanian government places to make demonstrations more difficult. Schwedler, who serves as a professor of Political Science at Hunter College, addresses whether protestors only assail the prime minister or also criticize King Abdullah. Furthermore, she analyzes whether the Jordanian government's management of the Arab Spring demonstrations was considered a succe...
Jul 16, 2022•21 min
Former Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher joins the podcast to discuss what political changes are necessary for the Hashemite Kingdom. Dr. Muasher, who also served as Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Ambassador to the United States, views the impact of last year's Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System. He also recounts his personal experience trying to build a secular Jordanian political party a few years ago while outside the government along with his 2005 effort to advance...
Jun 27, 2022•22 min
Amer Sabaileh, a columnist for 12 years at the Jordan Times, joins the podcast to discuss King Abdullah's May letter criticizing Prince Hamzah. Sabaileh, previously a professor at the University of Jordan, views Hamzah's popularity among Jordanians. He also evaluates whether King Abdullah's latest letter will close the chapter for the Kingdom on the 2021 sedition affair. Finally, Sabaileh details the differences in tone between Hamzah's March apology letter to King Abdullah and his April tweet r...
Jun 02, 2022•17 min
Ashraf Zeitoon, former Head of Public Policy for the Middle East at Facebook, joins the podcast to discuss which social media platforms are most popular in the Hashemite Kingdom. Zeitoon, who previously served in Jordan's Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister's office, explains why WhatsApp calls cannot be made to Jordan. He discusses how the Jordanian government restricts social media access. Zeitoon, who also served as the first director of Public Policy for the Middle East at Netflix, examines ...
May 08, 2022•24 min
Jordan's Tourism Minister Nayef Al-Fayez highlights the Hashemite Kingdom's best tourist attractions. Minister Fayez details the biggest misperception of Jordan when speaking with colleagues abroad. His Excellency discusses the country's new tourist initiatives and explains what day-to-day life is like while serving as a Jordanian minister.
May 01, 2022•19 min
Taghreed Risheq, a longtime Jordanian reporter, details her 11 hour detention at the Amman airport due to a tweet criticizing another journalist. Risheq, who worked for 17 years as a reporter for the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ghad explains how Jordanian authorities prosecuted a case against her without offering any notification. Risheq explains how US Congresswoman Betty McCollum contacted the Jordanian Embassy in Washington on her behalf and the case's eventual dismissal. Finally, Risheq discusses...
Apr 07, 2022•16 min
Dutch Ambassador to Amman Harry Verweij joins the podcast to discuss Jordan's efforts to combat climate change. Ambassador Verweij explains the difficulties climate change poses to the Hashemite Kingdom in the upcoming decades. He details the Dutch Embassy in Amman's specific initiatives to address some of Jordan's environmental challenges. Finally, Ambassador Verweij notes his favorite tourist spot in Jordan.
Mar 27, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Dr. Hassan Barari, a Jordanian political analyst joins the podcast to discuss the Hashemite Kingdom's stance on the Ukraine war. Dr. Barari, who is a professor of international relations at Qatar University, explains why Jordan voted at the United Nations to condemn Russia's invasion. He discusses Jordanian public attitude toward the conflict and notes why King Abdullah has declined to personally criticize Moscow since the February 24th invasion. Professor Barari also details the Ukraine war's i...
Mar 14, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Farah Maraqa joins the podcast to discuss the February 20th New York Times report of King Abdullah's Swiss bank accounts exceeding over $200 million. Maraqa, who has reported for Raialyoum and Deutsche Welle, discusses how the Jordanian public and media responded to the story. She explains the Royal Court's response to the affair along with why King Abdullah keeps such large amount of his wealth outside Jordan. Finally, Maraqa details how the Hashemite Kingdom's ...
Mar 06, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 15
An interview with Canadian Ambassador to Amman, Donica Pottie, about women's rights in Jordan. Ambassador Pottie discusses how the pandemic has impacted gender equality in the Hashemite Kingdom. The senior Canadian diplomat explains the challenges regarding employment as 86% of Jordanian women are currently absent from the country's workforce. Ambassador Pottie addresses the impact of an amendment to the Hashemite Kingdom's constitution adding the term "Jordanian women." Additionally, she notes ...
Feb 15, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Dr. Joas Wagemakers, Associate Professor of Islam and Arabic at Utrecht University, joins the podcast to discuss the current goals of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood. Professor Wagemakers, who wrote a 2020 book on the Islamist group, explains the tension between King Abdullah and the Muslim Brotherhood. He also estimates how the Islamic Action Front would fare if elections were held in the Hashemite Kingdom without gerrymandering and government restrictions. Finally, Dr. Wagemakers notes the attitud...
Feb 09, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 13
