Interviews

Exclusive conversations with Al-Monitor.

Hamas fighters gather at the site of the handing over of two Israeli hostages in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Feb. 22, 2025.

Trump's back channel to Hamas says militants could cede heavy weapons in disarmament deal

Bishara Bahbah

Founder, Arab Americans for Peace

A sad and beautiful world

Culture

Director Cyril Aris on Lebanon’s Oscar submission, trauma and cinema

Lebanese director Cyril Aris talks about "A Sad and Beautiful World" — Lebanon’s official submission to the 2026 Academy Awards and winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Venice Film Festival — and reflects on art, trauma and finding humor amid national collapse.

Khaled Alanani, the Bank of London & The Middle East's head of real estate and investments

Interview

Gulf real estate investors choose UK over US amid political instability

The London-based lender is seeing an increase in demand from Gulf investors in UK real estate as US markets have become less predictable.

Khaled Alanani

Head of real estate finance and investments, Bank of London and The Middle East

Ziad El Chaar, Dar Global's chief executive officer. — Dar Global

Interview

Dar Global hints at Trump real estate deals in Saudi Arabia’s gigaprojects

The Dubai-headquartered real estate company has worked with the Trump Organization on luxury property developments across the Gulf.

Ziad El Chaar

Chief Executive Officer, Dar Global

Israeli police escort Israeli former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin.

Interview

Israel's Oslo architect Yossi Beilin: 2 years after Oct. 7, Netanyahu 'has no hope' of reelection

Veteran left-wing politician and former Minister Yossi Beilin says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has caused Israel's deepening international isolation and military quagmire in the Gaza Strip.

Yossi Beilin

Former Israeli Minister

Bellieud

Interview

Al-Futtaim targets 2026 UAE rollout for game-changer ultrafast EV charging

The technology, which has only been deployed in China, will enable up to 400 kilometers of car recharging in five minutes, roughly the same time as filling a petrol tank.

Lucas Bellieud

Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility Managing Director

John Lamparski/Getty Images for Concordia Annual Summit

Interview

Qatar says 'ambitious' Gaza plan hinges on Trump applying Israel leverage

Qatari spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said security assurances are needed following the Israeli strike on Qatari soil, adding that Israel’s “unhinged” prime minister must “be put on a leash.”

Majed al-Ansari

Qatar Foreign Ministry Spokesperson

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) meets with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

Macron aide warns Israel: All options on table as France readies for Palestine recognition

French President Emmanuel Macron’s special adviser, Ofer Bronchtein, told Al-Monitor that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his associates are mounting a smear campaign against the French president.

Ofer Bronchtein

Ofer Bronchtein

Special adviser to the French president

Palestinian Authority's Foreign Affairs Minister Varsen Aghabekian attends a press conference with the Latvian Foreign Minister (unseen) on Aug. 28, 2025 in Riga, Latvia.

Interview

Palestinian FM: US visa bans will not derail statehood drive

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian took time during a visit to Cairo on Sept. 4 to speak with Al-Monitor about the US' barring of President Mahmoud Abbas and other officials from the UN General Assembly, Israeli annexation threats in the West Bank and more.

Varsen Aghabekian

Varsen Aghabekian

Palestinian Foreign Minister

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel

Interview

Israel deputy FM: France’s Palestinian recognition push is 'reward' for Hamas

Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel says that French President Emmanuel Macron has undercut ceasefire negotiations and bolstered Hamas by declaring his intention to recognize Palestinian statehood and encouraging other states to do the same.

Interview

Marwan Barghouti’s wife slams ‘political targeting’ after Ben-Gvir video

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Fadwa Barghouti condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s prison video as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate her husband, Marwan Barghouti, while saying it instead reinforced his symbolic status among Palestinians.

Fadwa Barghouti

Fadwa Barghouti

Member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council

JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images

Interview

Israel’s former Germany envoy: Arms embargo 'warning sign' of growing isolation

Berlin’s embargo over the Gaza City offensive signals a rare fracture in one of Israel’s closest strategic partnerships, former Israeli Ambassador Jeremy Issacharoff says.

Jeremy Issacharoff

Jeremy Issacharoff

Former Israeli ambassador to Germany

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the conflict in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question at the United Nations headquarters on April 29, 2025 in New York City. The Security Council held a meeting on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) holds its second day of hearings into Israel’s humanitarian obligations to Palestinians after more than 50 days of Israel’

Interview

Palestinian UN envoy: Saudi-France summit was 'historic' milestone, builds on France recognition

Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour told Al-Monitor in an interview that the the summit created fresh momentum for Palestinian statehood in line with recent recognition moves by countries such as France and the UK.

Riyad Mansour

Riyad Mansour

Palestinian Ambassador to the UN

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