A Conversation with Jose Galison: The UAE/Israel Dialectic

In this latest installment of the “Weekly Wolfson” series on No Way, Jose!, host Jose Galison sits down with journalist Matt Wolfson to unpack his new Al Mayadeen piece, “Under Western media cover, the UAE and Israel divide and conquer MENA.” The conversation centers on the deepening strategic partnership between Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem, tracing how their alignment creates a distinct dialectic shaped by their respective relationships with Washington, Riyadh, and other regional and global actors. Wolfson and Galison examine how this axis operates beneath the surface of mainstream narratives, influencing everything from Gulf security arrangements to the broader balance of power across the Middle East and North Africa. The discussion also contrasts the personal and ideological formation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with that of the UAE’s ruling elite, highlighting an unexpected secularizing current that emerges from their interaction. They explore how Netanyahu’s upbringing and commitment to a particular vision of Jewish identity intersect with the pragmatic, post-Islamist orientation of Emirati leadership, and what this tension reveals about shifting identities, power projection, and long-term regional trajectories.

Read Matt's Work: Piece covered in podcast: https://english.almayadeen.net/articl...‍ ‍

Additional Reading: https://oppo-research.com/news/the-un... https://oppo-research.com/news/the-un...