Many would consider the term ‘death factory’ to be associated with another era, one that is long in the past.

But reports have emerged from inside Sednaya prison, bringing to light the horrific death camp and torture complex that was operated by the Assad regime until the regime’s collapse, just one week ago. It has been reported that 96,000 people have disappeared into Syria’s vast network of secret prisons, including thousands of women and children. The overwhelming majority were tortured to death.

The Center for Peace Communications (CPC), an NGO that works through media, schools and spiritual centers to resolve identity-based conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, gained unprecedented access to Sednaya. They have captured exclusive footage from inside its underground dungeons, and recorded testimonies of those lucky enough to survive what many have called a human slaughterhouse. This footage was released by and in partnership with The Free Press.

To discuss what we know about Sednaya prison and Syria’s path moving forward, our guests are Joseph Braude and Ahed Al Hendi.

Joseph Braude is the founder and president of the Center for Peace Communications. He is the author of four books on North Africa and the Middle East, and is a frequent contributor to English and Arabic newspapers and magazines. He has served as a consulting advisor to non-profit organizations, the U.S. government, and the private sector in the realms of Arab civil society engagement, strategic communications, and counterterrorism.

Ahed Al Hendi is a Syrian affairs analyst. He is a former political prisoner in Syria, and was arrested for establishing a secular anti-regime student organization.

Exclusive footage and survivor testimony from inside the Sednaya prison, courtesy of the CPC and The Free Press:

https://www.thefp.com/p/watch-assads-human-slaughterhouse-sednaya-prison

Over the past few months, and especially in recent days, we have seen Iran’s decades-old proxy system and strategy collapsing.

What are Iran’s options?

To help us understand how Iran is dealing with this crisis, our guest is Raz Zimmt, one of Israel’s top experts on Iran.

Raz Zimmt is a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and a research fellow at the Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University. He is the author of the book "Iran From Within: State and Society in the Islamic Republic" published (in Hebrew) in 2022.

Recent published pieces by Raz Zimmt discussed in this episode:

https://www.inss.org.il/publication/syria-rebels/

https://www.inss.org.il/publication/iran-changes/

HOUSEKEEPING NOTE:

Please note that as of our Thursday episode this week, we will be updating Call Me Back’s cover art. This will not be a dramatic change, but as to not miss out on any new episodes due to this change, please keep an eye out.

TODAY’S EPISODE:

As we witness Iran’s proxy system unravelling, there may be an opportunity for a new hostage deal and temporary ceasefire in Gaza.

Over the past few months, Israel has seen a number of successes, from the deaths of key Hamas and Hezbollah figures, to the destruction of Iran’s air defenses, a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, and finally the fall of the Assad regime, which has collapsed Iran’s proxy strategy.

With Hamas in its weakest position yet, will they try to negotiate a hostage deal?

Are there common threads between this new development, the fall of Assad, the ceasefire in Lebanon, and the incoming US administration? To discuss, Nadav Eyal returns to the podcast.

Nadav Eyal is a columnist for Yediiot. He is one of Israel’s leading journalists. Eyal has been covering Middle-Eastern and international politics for the last two decades for Israeli radio, print and television news.

To visit our website where you can access transcripts for each episode, sign up for updates, and get in touch with us: https://arkmedia.org/

HOUSEKEEPING NOTE:

Please note that as of our Thursday episode this week, we will be updating Call Me Back’s cover art. This will not be a dramatic change, but as to not miss out on any new episodes due to this change, please keep an eye out.

TODAY’S EPISODE:

A lot has unfolded in the Middle East over the past 48 hours, with the fall of the Assad regime. Nadav Eyal returns to the podcast today for an emergency episode to discuss the end of Assad’s rule in Syria, and the implications for Israel.

Nadav Eyal is a columnist for Yediiot. He is one of Israel’s leading journalists. Eyal has been covering Middle-Eastern and international politics for the last two decades for Israeli radio, print and television news.

To visit our website where you can access transcripts for each episode, sign up for updates, and get in touch with us: https://arkmedia.org/

HOUSEKEEPING NOTE:

The Jewish Food Society is a nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and celebrate Jewish culinary heritage in order to deepen connections to Jewish life. As part of their annual fundraising drive, the Jewish Food Society is holding an auction to support their work. To place a bid on any of the items up for auction (including a lunch with Dan Senor), visit: https://givebutter.com/c/JFSFallAuction/auction

To learn more about the work of the Jewish Food Society, visit: https://www.jewishfoodsociety.org

TODAY’S EPISODE:

Over the past week, we have been monitoring developments in Syria, where there has been a significant escalation in its on-again, off-again, and now on-again civil war. Rebel forces, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, launched a surprise offensive, swiftly capturing key areas in northwestern Syria, including 13 villages and the strategic towns of Urm Al-Sughra and Anjara. Two days later, the rebels had breached Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, marking their most substantial advance in years.

In response, Syrian government forces, supported by Russian airstrikes and Iran-backed militias, initiated counterattacks to halt the insurgents' progress. The intensified conflict has resulted in significant casualties and displacement.

What does this tell us about major power shifts taking place in the region? Is it part of larger tectonic shifts taking place globally? And what does this mean for Israel?

To help us understand, our guest is Yonatan Adiri.

Yonatan Adiri is a leading Israeli digital healthcare entrepreneur, and was formerly the Chief Technology Advisor and a senior diplomatic advisor to the late Israeli president, Shimon Peres. He is the founder of Healthy.io, a digital healthcare startup, which he has been building for the last decade, and is now returning to public service.

Earlier in his career, Yonatan worked as an officer in the IDF Strategic Command - including when President Obama issued his “red line” in the summer of 2012 against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

To learn more about Yonatan’s startup, Healthy.io: https://healthy.io/

HOUSEKEEPING NOTE:

The Jewish Food Society is a nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and celebrate Jewish culinary heritage in order to deepen connections to Jewish life. As part of their annual fundraising drive, the Jewish Food Society is holding an auction to support their work. To place a bid on any of the items up for auction (including a lunch with Dan Senor), visit: https://givebutter.com/c/JFSFallAuction/auction

To learn more about the work of the Jewish Food Society, visit: https://www.jewishfoodsociety.org

TODAY’S EPISODE:

Is Israel winning? This is a question we kept running into in our conversations in Israel with Israelis last week, especially as Israel reached a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

To help us assess, Haviv Rettig Gur returns to the podcast.

Haviv Rettig Gur is the political analyst at The Times of Israel. He was a long time reporter for the Times of Israel. Haviv was also a combat medic in the IDF where he served in the reserves.

On October 8th, 2023, Hezbollah joined the war against Israel. Now, nearly fifteen months later, a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon may be imminent.

As of this evening in Israel, the Israeli security cabinet has officially approved a ceasefire deal with Lebanon. Under the proposal, Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days, while Hezbollah forces would relocate farther north, effectively establishing a buffer zone. The Lebanese Army would be stationed in southern Lebanon, to ensure that Hezbollah remains north of the Litani River.

To analyze the key terms of the agreement, and help us unpack its military, political, and social implications, our guest is David Horovitz.

David Horovitz is the founding editor of The Times of Israel. He was previously the editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, and editor and publisher of The Jerusalem Report.

David on X: https://x.com/davidhorovitz

The Times of Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/

This past Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israel’s former defense minister, Yoav Gallant. The warrants were issued on charges of attempting to orchestrate starvation as a method of warfare, and crimes against humanity, of “murder and persecution”, in the ICC's terms. A warrant was also issued for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, who was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July.

To help us understand the ICC; its role, jurisdiction and credibility; and the wide range of implications of these arrest warrants, our guest is Natasha Hausdorff.

Natasha is a British barrister and expert on international law, foreign affairs, and national security policy. She is the Charitable Trust Legal Director of UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI). Natasha regularly briefs government leaders and international organizations, and has spoken at parliaments across Europe and at the United Nations. She is a regular commentator on issues of international law, both generally and specifically as they apply to Israel.

UK Lawyers For Israel on X: https://x.com/uklfi