How the New Middle East Was Made | Bari Weiss and Simon Sebag Montefiore

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Weiss, B. (2026, October 9). How the New Middle East Was Made | Bari Weiss and Simon Sebag Montefiore. The Free Press. https://www.thefp.com/p/bari-weiss-simon-sebag-montefiore-middle-east

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Quick Summary

Bari Weiss interviewed historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, discussing the current relevance of his work amidst what Montefiore calls a "new world of counterhistory." In this context, Montefiore argues that both historical and contemporary facts are often disregarded if they do not align with ideological beliefs.

Written by AI on 2026-10-09, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore recently spoke with journalist Bari Weiss, highlighting that the world is entering a phase of "counterhistory," where both historical and current truths are disregarded if they contradict ideological beliefs. This trend, according to Montefiore, poses significant challenges for understanding truth and history accurately. The discussion underscores the urgency of historical accuracy in navigating complex geopolitical changes, particularly within the context of the Middle East.

Written for “New Middle East Formation” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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0 of 4 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

96/100

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World

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The Free Press · 399 article(s) · 0 correction(s) detected

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Who wrote this

Bari Weiss

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Subjects

Simon Sebag Montefiore PERSON · 1×

Narrative

“A new world of counterhistory where neither historical facts nor present-time facts matter if they don’t fit the ideologic…

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-09

2026-10-09 · The Free Press

How the New Middle East Was Made | Bari Weiss and Simon Sebag Montefiore · assertive framing

Claims (4 extracted, 0 hedged)

Last week I had the privilege of sitting down with one of the foremost historians of our time, Simon Sebag Montefiore. asserted

I → have → time

As I write this, his work has never felt more urgent. asserted

work → write → this

“We’re in a new world of counterhistory,” he said recently. asserted

he → ’re → counterhistory

“A new world of counterhistory where neither historical facts nor present-time facts matter if they don’t fit the ideologic… asserted

they → matter → ideologic