48. Simon Sebag Montefiore: The impact of conflicting histories in the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars

Is understanding history a means to peace between Israel and Palestine? Has Putin’s obsession with Russia’s imperial history motivated his invasion of Ukraine? Is it possible to dismantle Hamas under Netanyahu’s leadership?

Rory and Alastair are joined by British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to answer these questions and more in today's episode of Leading.

TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-free listening to both TRIP and Leading, benefit from discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, join our Discord chatroom, and receive early access to live show tickets and Question Time episodes. Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics.

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Producers: Dom Johnson + Nicole Maslen
Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport
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The Rest Is Politics’ Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart interview politicians, leaders, intellectuals, and more.

From inside and outside of politics, guests join Rory and Alastair to discuss life, leadership, and the philosophy that’s led them to success in their chosen field. Their conversations cover key political events, global affairs, and the big ideas shaping the world today, offering listeners in-depth perspectives from those at the heart of change.

The Rest Is Politics Plus: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to Question Time episodes to live show tickets, ad-free listening for both TRIP and Leading, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics.

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• No. of episodes: 148
• Latest episode: 2025-07-27
• News Government Politics

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