Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by Lara Friedman — President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) — to examine the recent Gaza ceasefire deal.
Together, they discuss what makes ceasefire deals work, America's sordid history as a "peacemaker" in the Middle East, why the current deal is unlikely to restrain Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza, the shifting politics on Israel in Washington, and much more.
Learn more about Lara's work at fmep.org and make sure to check out the Occupied Thoughts podcast.
CHAPTERS
1:21 | Welcoming our TikTok overlords
8:25 | Is the Gaza ceasefire even working?
11:47 | What makes a ceasefire effective?
18:05 | Does Israel care about the global outcry for Gaza?
23:35 | We can't unsee Israel's crimes in Gaza
28:34 | U.S. politics on Israel have changed for good
33:41 | Ceasefire next steps
37:08 | Is the US indispensable for peace, or an obstacle to it?
43:39 | The cynical embrace of the Two-State Solution and Palestinian statehood
55:56 | The exceptional US-Israel relationship
1:01:39 | Why is the US Always at War, anyway?
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Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions.
Each episode, they’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.
Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.org
Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org
Show art by Justin Hantz
###
Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank.
Help fund our research: quincyinst.org/donations
Read our reporting: ResponsibleStatecraft.org
Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInst
TikTok: tiktok.com/quincyinst
Facebook: facebook.com/quincyinst
Instagram: instagram.com//quincyinst
Website: quincyinst.org
In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by Lara Friedman — President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) — to examine the recent Gaza ceasefire deal.
Together, they discuss what makes ceasefire deals work, America's sordid history as a "peacemaker" in the Middle East, why the current deal is unlikely to restrain Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza, the shifting politics on Israel in Washington, and much more.
Learn more about Lara's work at fmep.org and make sure to check out the Occupied Thoughts podcast.
CHAPTERS
1:21 | Welcoming our TikTok overlords
8:25 | Is the Gaza ceasefire even working?
11:47 | What makes a ceasefire effective?
18:05 | Does Israel care about the global outcry for Gaza?
23:35 | We can't unsee Israel's crimes in Gaza
28:34 | U.S. politics on Israel have changed for good
33:41 | Ceasefire next steps
37:08 | Is the US indispensable for peace, or an obstacle to it?
43:39 | The cynical embrace of the Two-State Solution and Palestinian statehood
55:56 | The exceptional US-Israel relationship
1:01:39 | Why is the US Always at War, anyway?
###
Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions.
Each episode, they’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.
Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.org
Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org
Show art by Justin Hantz
###
Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank.
Help fund our research: quincyinst.org/donations
Read our reporting: ResponsibleStatecraft.org
Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInst
TikTok: tiktok.com/quincyinst
Facebook: facebook.com/quincyinst
Instagram: instagram.com//quincyinst
Website: quincyinst.org
