the middle east you could not have. a person from tel aviv and a person from syria sitting in the same classroom anywhere over there. working with these people has really allows me to feel like i'm in some way connected to the realities of the region even though i'm not there. and that. i find a channel through which i feel i'm doing something even if it's not necessarily immediately visible and even if it's not political activism it feels like in some way. my work is relevant to that reality. there's so much to say about. the hitler youth books and bring them here in the middle of the square authors who are writing in ways that were seen as anti german or degenerate yeah this is the term the nazis used to generate art it's a bit stuffy the surface it's hard to see inside but i invite you to take a look down there in the inside the hall there and see what you see. this is something that occupies me a lot. well in today and in jewish history and their current conflict in the middle east and how these things somehow. are

area -- middle east. kal: i don't think you are directly quoting your boss. i'm not going to defend that position vociferously, but isn't part of the issue that people fear that if you do not react strongly, you will embolden? so at bottom, there is a deterrence rationale and ability rationale. overboard,gree we go but it's not like being hit by lightning. i would say here is, how many americans are killed by gun violence in this country tomorrow clearly, americans can be resilient. to resilient. we can be resilient to tens of thousands of americans getting killed by weapons. we know if we removed those weapons, it would be done. that would not happen. why is it acceptable that tens of thousands of americans get killed by gun violence in this country, but it is an acceptable if for americans get killed in the middle east to mark -- if four americans get killed in the middle east? that question, and i don't want to go too long, because there are others, it is all of that. after 9/11, americans were told by

is running of the middle east for the benefit of the people who middle east.reason to think newton there were parts of the middle east that had no experience with self-government. and how you subtly to limited countries? you can't create nothing. woodrow wilson insisted that if the run for the benefit of the people in middle east. the british and the french really wanted to make sure their interest in the middle east was safeguarded. an existing interest in the eastern end of the mediterranean. what they were also considering was oil because it was become more fuel and for industry and for the british. it was very important because they were now running the navy. sources of oil which everybody knew there were some in the middle east they didn't know how much they certainly do it was something that had become very important. the british and the french go along with woodrow wilson but really what they wanted to do was run the middle east to suit themselves. i'm trying to think of the present day. i think britain and france have a different attitude toward middle

to project basically you say ok let's hope secure the problem and if all this only involved the middle east it makes perfect sense. it doesn't look james jump in how do you react to that. i again i fundamentally disagree here 1st off there is american policy the middle is just kind of 2 headed it's obviously oil energy something that really shouldn't concern us much anymore and then of course the other thing is if you're able which is the other i would say not economic. pillar of american policy in the region and that has all sorts of roots to it that we can discuss and i remember mcfarlane formerly of the n.s.c. was interview that she panicked you months ago and she pointed out that because of our energy independence we saw that time that we no longer had any interest in the tribal quarrels of the middle east and then she said and that's why we can now go in to hammer iran and why do we kill generously monny because we can now when i say there is just absolutely stunning and that we don't care about the trouble who are so let's dig down and really hammer one of the parties and a tribal or

but the point is that that work can continue without fighting war after the war in the middle east . that's my basic promise. >> next question, do you believe that the way the us has our covid-19 response will affect its previous number one superpower standing relative to the east asian countries who strong responses so in other ntwords obviously we do not look good . how do you think this will play out geo strategically over time. >> i think we're no longer seen as the superpower in the world and i think americans don't fully appreciate the extent to which everybodyelse has already moved on . there's, this is already happening because of the rack. we were had kind of artificial and to the cold war that was never going to endure. no country is that powerful for that long. i think iraq really accelerated people saying well, this is an, having america be so powerful they can do something that stupid is not a good approach and you see that point russia beginning to push back more than, you see thechinese beginning to emerge from their shell a bit more but i think with trump , and obama i

in end of 2007 we went to the middle east we did $27.00 shows in 30 days all sold out it was crazy we were like we became rock stars over the atlantic because nobody listened if you think about it back then there was nobody really voicing anything for the people of the middle east who are western or who just were like frustrated with being always depicted as the terrorists and so when we came out and were doing jokes and we're you know they were like waiting for us so when we get in the middle east we went to dubai for the beginning of the tour and the promoter goes listen we have a press. this afternoon about my press commodore prescott will devastate take us to this hotel rooftop there's like 17 different magazines and outlets and they're asking questions and i'm like what the beatles of the middle east all of a sudden he saw that it was a it was. quite an experience isn't been great that i'm getting goosebumps listen and good right in the middle of it and you find out the commonality not everybody wants to be treated every time like exhibit a they're human beings they want to go

tonight we will be discussing her book the arab winter the exploration of the contemporary middle east which challenges representation of the arab spring. citing those consequences with the egyptian revolution the syrian civil war the rise and fall for the islamic constitutionalism to identify the arab spring with the mass political action with unprecedented self-determination across the middle east her own observations the arab winter is a timely and insightful exploration of the arab spring by one of the foremost scholars and intellectuals of the united states were so honored to host this event tonight i will now turn things over. >>. >> good evening i am pleased to help discuss your book how much i enjoyed this book it is not a typical book of the arab spring that what you offer us is the interpretation and that is something that i really enjoyed as someone who has followed itself especially around the events so we want to start with one argument and the argument in your book of the economy and i want to read from it. this is what you write. in my view the meaning of the arab spring

israel's territorial gains would change the map of the middle east. to this day israeli occupation of these lands is the main but to peace in this turbulent region . is huge scotto if it is really army had conquered it completely intoxicated everybody was intoxicated no one could even think splayed. but the story of this school is much longer than the 6 days of fighting. its roots lay years earlier. 2 decades before the 5th of june 1967. to. tell of eat the food of may 1948. the day that sinus leader david ben-gurion declared the establishment of the state of israel. is sought. and mulatto. say on my own. i like a norm that to begin i ask. how i started to talk about even when the war. on the day after the declaration 5 arab armies and to palestine. the lebanese attacked from the north the syrians iraqis and jordanians from the east but the most serious threat came from the south. the egyptian army advanced to the village of you've been a vicious 22 kilometer from tel aviv. to vet a very thin line of soldiers who were defending what was collecting the

nicholai not enough is the un's middle east coordinator the specialist on middle east peace issues following up on what the secretary general said in fact saying he backs it up and calling phase rael to immediately abandon its plans to annex parts of the west bank we will hear from other members of the security council as well as the israelis and the palestinians are right now this is a made up of gate the secretary general of the arab league to be candid and 34 with my doctor that it is a duty and the responsibility of this council to live but as any a situation that threatens international peace and security that of me thirdly believes that the possible moreover by the israeli government the next part of the by the syrian territory would constitute if implemented and it's hideous said to regional stability with broader a mythic ations on the international security and the words. since 1993 the palestinians have wisely chosen the path of peace and coexistence. they signed interim agreements with that is that are in in the whole that this would be the way for the establishment of an independ

already though we have heard from the likes of nickell who is the un's middle east peace envoy. who is the arab league secretary general but 1st it was the u.n. secretary general and tony a good terrace he summed it up in calling for nothing short of israel abandoning its annexation plans. if implemented and accession of course into the most serious violation of international law grievously harmed the prospect of a to spend solution and the current possibilities of a new will of negotiations. i call on the israeli government would ban is an exception class. so has time space out diplomatic editor who is listening to that along with those early speeches we heard james what was your take on it. well we have the secretary general very strong comments we heard those backed by his man who's based interest in the north and by the secretary general of the arab league no surprise there they have opposed this idea of an exception very strongly for a very very long time because this would be illegal under international law it goes against the u.n. security council resolutions and the secu

which still plagued the middle east to this day.israel found itself governing and being responsible full a 1000000 palestinians in the newly occupied gaza strip west bank and jerusalem. to could vote 6 months to. live in nearly. all those. most in the west bank and then they came back and they said. there was other people there and they have a national movement. so what do we do if there are ways we conquer them and create. a pot of state or we huff the loaf to move predominantly deletion of the state called israel and the west bank and gaza should be a basis for future negotiations terrible condition of their rights to have a state of their own the viable state of total in the west bank and gaza. what israel chose was and still remains the 1st option. in the aftermath of the war israel declared what it called the unification of jerusalem. the entire holy city was placed under israeli jurisdiction including christian and muslim holy sites. we are the government and the only government in the area that is just a goods we have obligat

a day that will change the history of the middle east.the plane is waiting to take off toward sinai. marshall added happy mohamed deputy supreme commander of the egyptian armed forces is making a morale boosting visit to troops deployed on the borders with israel for the last 3 weeks. than it was of the ship. and. c.s.c. and what. we have come up lemme men an anomaly anybody cameron. out on the even minimum or theme of the. of this egyptian show of strength was put to good use by israeli media. memories of the holocaust were invoked to persuade israelis they were facing a threat to their very existence. in a difference where the nazis. grandmother nothing was never mentioned by name in the bow media at the time it was called the egyptian tyrant it was his name. in washington u.s. president lyndon b. johnson issued a stark warning to which ever side should start the war. it was a thinly veiled threat to the egyptian leadership. that the extra. power is going to lob them also. by your. heel. to warm a doubt about. what to go away there are

in the middle east is dramatically all the lebanese during instability across you know by palestinians . and maybe beyond this call has been marked by periods of the extreme violence but never in the risk of escalation in somebody might include school ryan so this isn't an economic situation so it runs around in the region. in this crucial role steeples the action that enable the parties step back from. kosovo as president has been indicted for war crimes along with 9 other us prosecutors at the hague say the president touch and touchy and the other suspects are responsible for nearly $100.00 murders other charges including forced disappearances and torture a special court has been investigating crimes committed during kosovo's war of independence in the 1990 s. a u.s. appeals court has ordered the dismissal of a criminal case against donald trump's former national security advisor michael flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the f.b.i. during the investigation into russian interference in the 2016 presidential election the international monetary fund is forecasting an even deeper global r

a north korea in the middle of the middle east. we think that that will not make them particularly attractive as someone as you knew, 911 in the middle east. if you call 911 and what you will end up with is the next syria as it looks today as you put it, the north korea of the middle east if it goes that route. then we think that that, their ambitious project to totally change to their favor the middle east. we haven't talked much about that. that's a reality. different end goals but united in opposing our current system. and the region current system security in the middle east and the more attractive they can make their alternative the more likely they'll have success. >> ambassador thank you so much. we'll move toward closing and i'm going to ask one final question. or maybe you can take your pick between two questions. and the first one is a difficult one where do you think we might be 6 to 12 months from now as deputy assistant secretary has suggested we're about to enter the summer of caesar sanctions. perhaps you can suggest

in new infections iran relaxed its lockdown in april when the worst covert 19 hour break in the middle east began to ease but this week the president threatened to reimpose restrictions as doctors recorded the highest ever total of daily cases south korea was praised for controlling its outbreak but shortly after they reopened hundreds of schools museums and parks are closed again because of a new wave of infections in the capital seoul china germany japan and saudi arabia already imposed some restrictions over the past month some scientists say a 2nd wave of infections is inevitable the world health organization warned recently that we may all have to learn to live with the virus this where is may become just another in demi gross in our communities and this way this may never go away hiv is not going away we've come to terms with the virus and we have found the therapies and we found the prevention methods and people don't feel as scared. as they did before and we're offering life to people with long healthy lows to people who cherry. let's introduce the panel in manchester in the u.s. st

troops to remain in fact general mattis wanted to expand america's role in syria and across the middle east not looking to end the generations long wars or a some call us occupation of the region so to expand on this conversation our panel today investigative journalist and co-host of boom bust ben swan and co-host of watching the hawks tyrrel been turned away and our guys when matt has stepped down as sept he publicly said that it would be inappropriate and counterproductive for him to criticize a sitting president and it threatened be a political nature of the military so what has changed since that ben. well one thing that changes were in an election year right now and everyone's kind of piling on look that's the 1st problem but the 2nd thing is that it just rings so hollow to me when you have a secretary of defense and a general former general who essentially was carrying out a war that was never approved by congress that led to the deaths of millions of people across syria and who wanted to remain there and continue to fight wars in syria and across the middle east and he wanted to con

bring the country's marketplace to a near standstill plus despite the highest death toll in the middle east the government has shifted focus from saving lives to save the economy counting the calls on al-jazeera. is it time we learn to live with the coronavirus and how should we all profile for a new wave of infections some countries reimpose lockdowns while others prioritize their economy this is inside story. hello and welcome to the program and it's me. lockdowns to stop the spread of coronavirus are being lifted worldwide shops and businesses are reopening students are returning to school and some airlines are flying again but several countries have since reported a resurgence in new infections iran relaxed its lockdown in april when the worst covert 19 hour break in the middle east began to ease but this week the president threatened to reimpose restrictions as doctors recorded the highest ever total of daily cases south korea was praised for controlling its outbreak but shortly after they reopened hundreds of schools museums and parks are closed again because of a new wave of infectio

europe but also afghanistan and the middle east it's really not a very impressive record so my guess is preoccupied with the coming election he is making these gestures and that's all they are these gestures to try to make it possible for him to argue as he consistently does that he is a successful president and therefore deserving of a 2nd term ok so really if trump does not care enough to maintain good relationships with europe with gemini and with nato how essential is that transatlantic alliance and can gemini instead look more within europe to strengthen nato over germany the transatlantic relationship is by far the most important one and everyone across the board in the german party spectrum sees it that way and therefore what we saw with the announcement of what's going to troops is of course another step in what mohs describes as a complicated relationship but it's certainly not the problem the problem is that's the core components of the transatlantic relationship mutual trusts the rule of law a western understanding of what is democracy. the core principles and values and w

is the hardest hit country in the middle east in terms of coronavirus so why do so many iranians appear to have lost their fear of the virus and is this preparing the ground for a lethal 2nd wave. plus sham transactions and almost 2000000000 euros missing as the scandal around financial service provider wired technique deepens the firm's former c.e.o. marcus brown has been arrested. following good to have you with us nearly 400000 people are being forced into a new lockdown in the german state of north rhine-westphalia this comes after health experts here in germany are warning that a new cluster of corona virus cases have the potential to spread if action isn't taken more than 1500 workers at a slaughterhouse near good as low tested positive for the virus. well germany's robot called institute for infectious diseases now says the country's coronavirus reproduction rate is $2.00 meaning every active case in texas almost 3 people it was under $101.00 less than a week ago our correspondent nina followed that briefing nina will come to the health institute numbers in just a moment but 1st

sparked quite a debate within the community that's following syria and events elsewhere in the middle east. with sort of partnering the debate accusing the sanctions of having an overly negative effect on the civilian population and i think we've all-- all three of you have addressed why that argument by itself is potentially problematic, but i wanted to ask you about the fact that, you know, sanctions of any kind can have unintended consequences and is there, or are there any other plans of action by the u.s. government to try to prevent or ameliorate any of those consequences? there's been talk in northern syria in recent weeks talking whether the u.s. should be bailing out the increased salaries by 150% last week, to make up for the inflation being seen in damascus and that's one example. and the other thing that struck my mind included in the sanctions, engaged in some form of work and dependent 90% on u.n. financial assistance. will syria trust essentially cease to exist. some of those unintended consequences and the perspective from the u.s. government would be very helpful. >> first

compliance if needed also on the program iran is the country hardest hit by the coronavirus in the middle east but complacency has set in clearing the way for a new wave of infections. and the world needs more leadership from germany was the word from nato secretary general following u.s. plans to cut the number of american troops in germany. i'm told me a lot of ball welcome to the program more than 600000 people are now back on the lockdown in the western german state of north rhine-westphalia authorities are imposed restrictions in the districts of goods a slow and violent of after more than $1500.00 workers at a meat packing plant tested positive for corona virus. the districts are good to slow and found and off the back undercurrent of virus restrictions until the end of june residents. in the western german districts could only have contact with their own household just weeks after restrictions were eased schools pope's cafes museums and gyms will all close again. we will now for the 1st time in germany return the whole region to the lock down the ashes that were in place a few weeks ago

plenty of hot sunshine across the middle east at the moment as it should be a big c. we have still got that pesky area of clout there just around yemen that still continues to bring some very heavy showers the remnants of our old tropical system of course and that will continue to bring some rather heavy rain is the western parts of yemen as we go through thursday else where there's the hey there's the sunshine 48 celsius in kuwait be getting up into the mid forty's in baghdad a rather more pleasant mid to high twenty's there just around the levant 4 by rote and forgery slim winds really picking up over the next couple of days just around the gulf so here in casaba can watch out for some lift the dust and sand that is the case to. into that eastern side of saudi arabia just notice the showers yet on friday they're continuing their that western side if you mean the starting to fizzle out you can leap across the waters there. follow that line of cloud right into the heart of africa war heavy showers coming through heavy show was a course just around the gulf of guinea i

people who got us in a war in the middle east. recently i said what did you think? i think made the right decision. i said you lost me there it was the worst decision in the history of our country. i know you may disagree with that well now you might agree. at the time you would have, you know, felt differently. but also, the libyan model, do you know what that means, right? look it up. one of the dumbest things ever said, i think defaced th deface. libyan model would set us back, you have no idea. john bolton was a stupid guile and a guy with no heart. and he also had a statement that he would lie whenever he had to. he has that statement. it's a well-known statement. and i fired him. and i didn't think it was a big deal. i wasn't around him very much. but, what he did do is he took classified information and he published it during a presidency. one thing to write a book after. during and i believe he is a criminal and i believe frankly he should go to jail for that.

it is an extensive and extends the altar europe and throughout the middle east, you've seen decisions the president has made there but how it is we can do the right things to meet the challenges of the day. lastly, this connects up to the topic i spoke about today, make no mistake about it. the united states does believe it has a real responsibility to ensure we have the capability and capacity to challenge any threat the chinese calmness party should make militarily to the united states of america. so we're constantly thinking about how we engage, diplomatically, economic and militarily to meet that challenge. as the president thinks that europe, middle east, our soldiers that are station stationed in africa we are ever mindful that a free and open indo-pacific matters to all of us including europe and want to make sure with allocated resources appropriately address those concerns. >> i've got a question from the audience. i read it. do you understand it european friends and allies see a threat to democracy generates from the u.s. due to a slow and dangerous breakdown of state instit

without the support of those external backers then there could be serious issues for the regime middle east analyst simon nathan speaking with us thank you very much. thank you hugh watching t.v. news follow us on twitter for the latest headlines at g.w. it's good to have you with us. combating the corona pandemic. where does research stand. what are scientists learning. background information and. our corona. 19 special next on d w.

put this spike the highest death toll in the middle east the government has shifted focus from saving lives to save the economy counting the cost on al-jazeera. if you want

a little later in the programme we will speak to a middle east expert in washington.e daily high of 40,000 coronavirus infections, according to figures from the johns hopkins university. two of the country's biggest states, texas and florida, have reimposed some lockdown restrictions. the governor of texas has ordered all bars to close. here's our north america editor, jon sopel. florida seemed to be flourishing — beaches had reopened, bars were buzzing. the republican—controlled state was one of the first to lift the shutters, despite not meeting government guidelines. but now coronavirus cases are absolutely skyrocketing — up over 60% injust21i hours, and the governor is hitting the pause button, urging people to maintain social distancing and wear masks. but it's not going to be an easy sell. i need you to tell me, how do i play saxophone and sing with a mask on? listen to these people in palm beach. you literally cannot mandate somebody to wear a mask knowing that that mask is killing people. it literally is killing people. and they want to throw god's wonderful b

there's cuban broadcasting service, the middle east broadcasting network, all run by the u.s.ent. they are all supposed to be totally insulated from any domestic partisan politics in this country. they are be supposed to be straight news organizations that bring both the values of the free press and actual free, unbossed journalism to the world courtesy of the american people. but this week, it has all gone haywire. the voa chief, amanda bennett, and her deputy resign suddenly and without notice. then two nights after that, in what's being headlined as a wednesday night massacre, the heads of all those other networks all get fired all at once as well. radio free europe, radio liberty, radio free asia, the cuban broadcasting service, the middle east broadcasting network, fired, fired, fired, fired. no reason given for any of those network heads being fired, they were all just wiped out. so what's going on here? a couple of months ago, the president started denouncing the voice of america as, in his words, disgusting. and that seemed kind of out of the blue. but, you know, welco

i'm wondering if you have any thoughts on how the american arab spring is remembered in the middle east? >> you want to say something about that western mark. >> is a great question. i don't know how to respond right now. i think that people have great memories today of this moment. a lot of books, poetry, novels even have been written about it. you know, i often visit tunisia and i see in bookstores so many books about it, even movies so i think this is a watershed moment not just in tunisia but everywhere else in the arab world. and is an emotional moment for people. and sometimes when people are tired of polarization, disputes they remember the first weeks and there was magic in those weeks. there was something quite extraordinary happening and i remember people saying it's like regaining our independence for the second time. new liberation so there was violence, yes. people died. there was a lot of good questions, there wereeconomic problems , social unrest and at the same time it was an extraordinary moment that people need experienceand still remember and thatis why i think it's n