Culturally Clueless | Stolen Land, Depleted Weapons & A World Shifting Its Alliances | Episode 110

In this episode, Nes takes stock of a world where the rules keep changing — and not in anyone's favor.

She opens with the explosive story unfolding in New York: pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside a New York synagogue to demonstrate against an expo called "the Great Israeli Real Estate Event," which featured properties for sale in Israel and the occupied West Bank [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/25/politics/live-news/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner) , including listings in settlements considered illegal under international law. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/25/politics/live-news/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner) Nes lays out why this is not just a moral issue — activists have argued that the events run afoul of US domestic law as well, including anti-discrimination statutes [news](https://english.news.cn/20260428/c4cffb08e85e414d9c5c28012a5c6b06/c.html) — and why the protesters showing up in solidarity are on the right side of both history and the law.

She then circles back to the Iran situation, dissecting the cascade of failed decisions that got the world here, the staggering costs of the war, and Trump's whiplash-inducing rhetoric that swings from threats of total annihilation to vague talk of deals and back again. She also breaks down Netanyahu's 60 Minutes appearance and what it revealed: a leader intent on continuing the war while everyone else is scrambling for a way out. [The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/25/trump-whcd-evacuation-live-updates/) Nes connects the dots — every rejected proposal has not brought stability closer, it has pushed it further away.

On the military and economic front, Nes unpacks the UAE's shifting position. The heavy use of US munitions in the war on Iran has raised serious concerns about Washington's ability to replenish its stockpiles [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-suspect-cole-allen/) , leaving allies like the UAE to look elsewhere for military partnerships — including Turkey. Meanwhile, JPMorgan announced it will remove the UAE from its emerging market bond indexes, citing that the country has surpassed its income thresholds for three consecutive years [ABC7 San Francisco](https://abc7news.com/post/stanford-investigating-altercation-between-israeli-soldier-student-during-political-event/18961708/) — a reclassification that, while framed as a sign of economic maturity, leaves the UAE in a financial no-man's land, having outgrown one category with no clear place in another. Nes asks the question nobody in mainstream media is asking: what does all of this mean for the UAE's standing and leverage going forward?

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