John Oakley digs into two charged conversations. First, writer and commentator Jamie Sarkonak discusses her recent column on how Ontario’s deputy ministers and senior civil servants may influence government direction regardless of who’s in power. Then, Avi Benlolo, Founder & CEO of the Abraham Global Peace Initiative, assesses the aftermath of Oct. 7, campus unrest, and what it could take to achieve a durable peace—and whether the Abraham Accords model can still expand.

What we cover:

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  Claims of a “permanent bureaucracy” in Ontario and how deputy ministers shape policy execution

  
  


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  Allegations of ideological signaling inside the civil service and its impact on priorities and pace

  
  


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  How much cultural change a government can drive from the top

  
  


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  Post–Oct. 7 discourse: free speech on campus, public safety, and Western democratic norms

  
  


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  Whether Hamas can be dismantled and what that means for civilians

  
  


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  The future of regional normalization and a path forward for the Abraham Accords

  
  

Guests: Jamie Sarkonak (Writer & Commentator); Avi Benlolo (Founder & CEO, Abraham Global Peace Initiative).

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