I'm Aiton Weinstein.

And I'm Naor Menninger.

And you're listening to Two Nice Jewish Boys.

This podcast is made in collaboration with the Jewish Journal.

We've talked about the Syrian Civil War a lot on this podcast,

but today it seems even more relevant than ever.

When Civil War broke out in Syria in 2011, the United States was very wary of getting itself

embroiled in yet another conflict in the Middle East. With Iraq, Afghanistan, and trying to

solve the longest standing conflict in the Middle East, the Israeli-Palestinian

conflict, the U.S. had enough on their plates. But when you're the most powerful nation

on earth, it's hard to stay neutral. Recently, President Trump announced that he would be leaving

Syria, clearing the way for a Turkish invasion, and leaving the Kurds in Syria defend for themselves.

This caused a bit of a stir to say the least.

But what was the extent of America's involvement in Syria?

How big of a step was this, actually?

And what does this mean for the future of a conflict that has been raging on for almost a decade?

Today we're joined by Jena Fruman.

Jena is a master's student of Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem,

and formerly a fellow at the Shacharit Institute,

think tank that seeks to build bridges between Israel's various communities.

Jenia is also a senior guide at the L.A. Meyer Museum of Islamic Art and an occasional speaker

on subjects related to Middle Eastern history and modern-day Russia. We are very excited to be

...