Welcome to the World Next Week special year-end episode, The World Next Year End.

I'm Bob McMahon.

And I'm Carly Ann Robbins.

And I'm Nahal Tusi.

Carla and Nahal, we've made it through another turbulent year, it seems.

2023 was filled with another set of unprecedented international events.

In this special episode, we're going to discuss some of the leading foreign policy challenges

heading into the new year, 2024, but also take note of significant developments in the current year that's wrapping up

2023.

Joining us for this special episode is Nahal Tusi.

Nahal is Politico's senior foreign affairs and national security correspondent, and her

reporting, which I enthusiastically recommend to all of you, has taken her all around the

world from Pakistan to Myanmar to Germany.

She's also a keen observer of Washington policymaking.

So Nahal, welcome to our show, and I'm so glad you're here.

Nahal, it's a pleasure to have you join us.

Thanks, Carla and Bob, for having me.

So Nahal, let's start with the Israel-Hamas war.

A few months ago, the world and the White House's

attention was focused mainly on Ukraine. And now the horrors of this new war dominating the

news and further polarizing societies, including our own. Why were Tel Aviv and Washington so

unprepared for the October 7th attacks that set this off. And do you see any hope of a settlement

...