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Iran's Regional Dynamics in the Near East: A Piecemeal Approach
Dr. Keynoush, who earned her Ph.D. from Tufts University, has conducted research in the Near East for 2 decades. She has contributed to the Commonwealth Club's Member-led Middle East Forum, as has…
Past Event: May 6, 2021
Progress Toward Middle East Peace
Elsalameen, a prominent activist, social media analyst, political commentator and public speaker will discuss Arab-Israeli progress toward Middle East peace with Jonathan Curiel, journalist…
Past Event: April 29, 2021
Israel and India: 25 Years of Diplomatic Relations
Consul General Andy David and Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok will speak together in celebration of Israel and India’s 25 years of diplomatic relations and their centuries-long historical and cultural…
Past Event: June 2, 2017
Voices from Syria
Wendy Pearlman has spent years living in the Arab world. She will discuss her latest book, We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria, a fierce and poignant collection of stories based on…
Past Event: February 9, 2018
Trump and the Middle East 2019
This is the third annual panel about how the Trump presidency is affecting the Middle East. Some experts continue to believe that Trump is destabilizing the region with his impulsive decisions and…
Past Event: April 12, 2019
Middle East Hotspots: Geopolitics and Stability
Banafsheh Keynoush, Ph.D., Middle East Scholar; Lecturer; Media Consultant
Jonathan Curiel, Journalist – Moderator
Noted Middle East scholar, media analyst, and translator for four…
Past Event: October 17, 2014
Trump and the Middle East 2020
This event is the Middle East Forum’s fourth annual panel about how the Trump presidency is affecting the Middle East. Our distinguished panel of Middle East experts will continue the conversation…
Past Event: July 9, 2020
The Islamic Enlightenment: The Modern Struggle Between Faith and Reason
Christopher de Bellaigue, who has covered the Middle East since 1996, will discuss his latest book, The Islamic Enlightenment, which discusses Islamic history as it relates to the modern world. De…
Past Event: May 5, 2017
Afghanistan: Current Challenges and Future Prospects
Dr. Qayoumi, former member of The Commonwealth Club’s Board of Governors, is presently advisor to President Ghani of Afghanistan on infrastructure, human capital and technology. He will give a brief…
Past Event: February 28, 2017
The Qatar Crisis
The distinguished panel will discuss the escalation of tensions between Qatar, a tiny, oil-rich state, and the Persian Gulf nations of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt, all of which broke…
Past Event: September 8, 2017
Troubled Turkey
A distinguished panel will discuss the unsettled situation in Turkey, one of the most important countries in the Middle East, after the unsuccessful coup attempt, a tightening of control by the…
Past Event: November 18, 2016
The Invisible People: Syrian Refugees
Giles Duley, Photojournalist; Humanitarian
Jonathan Curiel, Journalist - Moderator
While on foot patrol in Afghanistan, Duley, an award-winning photojournalist, stepped on a land mine and became a…
Past Event: February 20, 2015
