East to West | Voices of the Middle East

From Brazil to Beirut: What Keeps Hezbollah Running?

Most people know Hezbollah through headlines about rockets, wars, and southern Lebanon. But behind that image is another story, one that stretches across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and beyond. In this episode of East to West, Balig Sladeen speaks with Dr. Emmanuel Ottolenghi, Senior Research Fellow at the Center on Terror Finance, about the global financial networks that have helped Hezbollah sustain itself for decades.

What It Was Like Being Jewish in Lebanon

In this episode of East to West, Balig Sladeen talks with David Daoud, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), about the country where his story began. From memories of his childhood and leaving Lebanon, to building a life in Israel and later the United States, David shares how those experiences shaped his identity and the way he understands Lebanon today. It's a personal conversation about home, belonging, and the memories that stay with you long after you've left.

When They Took My Father, Everything Changed

What do you say when the regime you're negotiating with is the same regime that executed your father? In this powerful episode of East to West, host Balig Sladeen sits down with Gazelle Sharmad, a German-American freedom advocate whose father, Jamshid Sharmad, was kidnapped and executed by the Iranian regime. For Gazelle, this isn't a policy debate. It's deeply personal. She shares her family's story, reflects on what justice means after such a loss, and explains why so many Iranians believe the world continues to confuse the Iranian people with the regime that oppresses them. This is a conversation about grief, resilience, courage, and the fight for a free Iran. It is also a reminder that behind every headline are families whose lives have been forever changed.

Follow the Money: How the IRGC Makes Billions

In this hard-hitting interview, JCFA Senior Researcher Ella Rosenberg joins the studio to break down the complex web of the regime's financial survival. From the shadow fleets in the Strait of Hormuz to the dark realities of human trafficking and crypto-laundering, this conversation reveals how the IRGC maintains its grip on power despite crushing international sanctions and global pressure.

I Lived in Beirut as an Israeli: The Man Who Tried to Build Ties with Lebanon

In this new episode, Dan Catarivas, Senior Advisor on International Relations at the Manufacturers Association of Israel, reflects on his extraordinary time living and working in Beirut during the early 1980s. Speaking with host Balig Sladeen at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, he shares memories of daily life inside Israel’s liaison office in Lebanon, the unexpected relationships he built with Lebanese businessmen, and the brief moment when peace and normal relations between the two countries seemed possible.