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Biden Lead Negotiator Brett McGurk

2025/6/9
logo of podcast Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

Call Me Back - with Dan Senor
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Brett McGurk: 10月6日，我还在白宫办公室与沙特团队讨论以色列-沙特关系正常化。以色列和沙特主动找到我们，希望促成关系正常化，并设定了2023年底的时间表。拜登总统曾向沙特传递了时任总理拉皮德的信件，我们尽力促成此事。以色列和沙特之间的历史性协议本有希望达成，我相信最终会实现，因为这是大势所趋。巴勒斯坦领导层应该支持关系正常化趋势。2023年，我们与巴勒斯坦和以色列举行了两次政治会议，这是10年来的首次。10月7日凌晨，我收到了加沙火箭袭击的消息，随后得知哈马斯入侵，以色列宣布进入战争状态。从那一刻起，我的主要任务是保护和捍卫以色列。10月11日，以色列几乎面临第二条战线，当时情况非常不明朗。

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Brett McGurk recounts his experience on October 7th, 2023, when the Hamas attack on Israel occurred. He describes receiving news of the attack, the immediate reactions from Israeli counterparts, and the unfolding horror of the situation. He highlights the uncertainty and the immediate decision to stand with Israel.
  • Brett McGurk was in his White House office discussing Israel-Saudi normalization on October 6th, 2023.
  • He received news of the Hamas attack in the early hours of October 7th.
  • The Israeli government immediately declared war.
  • There was uncertainty about the full extent of the attack in the initial hours.
  • President Biden swiftly made the decision to firmly support Israel.

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Today’s episode:

Following the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, Brett McGurk was a lead negotiator for the U.S. Government in every round of hostage/ceasefire negotiations in 2023, 2024, and January 2025. 

In today’s episode, which we recorded before a live audience at the Manhattan JCC last week, Brett sat down for his first long-form/on-the-record conversation on his lessons learned, including how these lessons inform the current (on-again/off-gain) negotiations over the Witkoff Plan. 

Brett McGurk has held senior national security posts across the Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations.  

Most recently, he served as President Biden’s White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. In this role, he spearheaded U.S. Government efforts across the region to secure the release of Israeli hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza and he coordinated international support for Israel’s defense against Iranian ballistic missile attacks.

As Special Presidential Envoy for both President Obama and President Trump, McGurk was an architect of the global coalition of more than 80 countries together with local forces on the ground to defeat ISIS. He also led secret negotiations with Iran to secure the release of American hostages, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaein. 

As a senior White House official under George W. Bush, Brett was an early advocate for a change in Iraq war policy and helped develop “the surge” strategy. He also negotiated the Strategic Framework Agreement with Iraq, which continues to guide U.S. relations between the two countries.  

He is now a Venture Partner at Lux Capital, a venture capital firm based in New York City and Silicon Valley, as well as a Special Advisor for international affairs at Cisco, and holds fellowships at both the Harvard’s Belfer Center and the Atlantic Council. He’s also a CNN Global Affairs Analyst. 

CREDITS:

ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor

MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor

MARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional Editing

MAYA RACKOFF - Operations Director

GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research

YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer