Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas
When it comes to Israel, antisemitism, and American Jewry, the conversations are seemingly endless—there are so many perspectives and so many difficult questions that it can be hard to know where to start.
That’s why we created Boundless Insights—to bring you thoughtful, in-depth, and engaging discussions to help make sense of the issues.
Our goal is to become your trusted source for insights that are not just informative, but also empowering – giving you the confidence to start conversations of your own.
Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas
Trump's Plan to Take Over Gaza – with Jonathan Schanzer
President Donald Trump stunned the world when he announced that the United States should take over Gaza, clear the rubble, rebuild it into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” and relocate its population to other countries. Is this a serious policy proposal, a negotiation tactic, or something else entirely? And what does it mean for Israel, the hostages, and the broader Middle East?
I’m joined by Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to break down Trump’s stunning announcement and its far-reaching implications. Is Trump’s plan bold or reckless? Could it change the course of the Middle East? Dr. Schanzer brings his expert analysis.
Guest Bio
Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is the executive director at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he oversees the work of the organization’s experts and scholars.
Jonathan previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he followed and froze the funding of Hamas and al-Qaeda. Jonathan has held previous think tank research positions at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Middle East Forum. He has written hundreds of articles on the Middle East and U.S. national security.
His most recent book is Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War (FDD Press 2021). His other books are State of Failure: Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Unmaking of the Palestinian State (Palgrave Macmillan 2013), Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine (Palgrave Macmillan 2008), and Al-Qaeda’s Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups and the Next Generation of Terror (Washington Institute for Near East Policy 2004).
Jonathan testifies often before Congress and appears on television channels such as CNN, Fox News, BBC, and MSNBC.