In the wake of two major assassinations of a Hezbollah commander in Beirut and a Hamas leader in Tehran, both at least ostensibly by Israel, former Mossad director Efraim Halevy issues a surprisingly critical assessment of Israel’s strategy for the broader Middle East. Plus, former US Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale gives some much-needed context on Hezbollah’s engagement in the conflict, and what diplomacy might achieve, should cooler heads prevail. Recommendations: Hamish: Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan Geraldine: The Lammy Doctrine by Jason Cowley in The New Statesman VOTE FOR US: We've been announced as a finalist in the Radio Today Australia/NZ podcast awards! You can vote for us here. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]