Organized by the UCLA Center for Middle East Development. Co-sponsored by Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, UCLA International Institute, and Luskin Department of Public Policy.

The UCLA Center for Middle East Development hosted the event, "One Year After October 7th - Reflecting on Israel, Palestine, and the Region," on October 8, 2024.  Together, panelists explored the shifting dynamics in Israel, Palestine, and the broader Middle East, bringing into focus the political maneuvering, security pressures, and humanitarian concerns that define this complex and ever-changing landscape. This discussion aimed to provide not just a retrospective, but also a forward-looking analysis of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, offering attendees a comprehensive understanding of where the region stands and where it may be headed.

MEET THE SPEAKERS

Professor Mkhaimar Abusada is an associate professor of political science and former chairman of the department at Al-Azhar University, Gaza. He has published a book and many academic papers in internationally recognized journals and received his PhD from the University of Missouri. 

Ms. Micky Rozin Aharonson currently serves as an independent international relations strategist and a board member of several NGOs. She formerly worked as a chief of staff and foreign policy adviser to the Minister of Transport, a senior director for foreign policy in the National Security Council in the Prime Minister’s Office, and a senior researcher in the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. Ms. Rozin Aharonson is active in a number of non governmental initiatives relating to the international and Middle Eastern arena.

Mr. John Bell has worked for over 30 years on Middle East politics, policy development and mediation. Today, he is director and co-founder of The Conciliators Guild, an organization dedicated to excellence in diplomacy, and highlighting the critical role of underlying psychological motivations in political decision-making. Previously, he was director of the Middle East and Mediterranean Programme at the Toledo International Centre for Peace (CITpax).  He also served as a diplomat and political advisor to the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General for southern Lebanon. Mr. Bell is also a founding member of the Jerusalem Old City Initiative, an effort to find creative options for this contentious issue.

MEET THE MODERATOR

Ms. Farah Bdour is a senior advisor at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). She is a political analyst and specialist in conflict resolution and mediation who worked on peace building efforts among policy makers and youth organizations. She is the director of a Jordanian thinktank based in Amman that provides policy analysis and recommendations to the strategic community, both in Jordan and abroad. Ms. Bdour also serves as an advisor for number of governmental agencies on promoting people-to-people peacebuilding programs, dialogue and reconciliation.