Join the Israel Policy Forum, the Z3 Project and the ICC@JCC for a timely and thought-provoking conversation featuring Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian voices, offering grounded, firsthand insights into the region they all call home.
This candid discussion will examine the path forward for a post-Hamas Gaza, the unifying threat of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the deepening tensions between Egypt and Israel amid a prolonged military campaign along a shared border. From security and humanitarian crises to prospects for regional normalization, this conversation will explore how shared interests and pragmatic U.S. diplomacy can help guarantee the stability required to ensure a better tomorrow for all peoples - and Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish and democratic state.
About our speakers:
Mor Yahalom is an advisor at the Israeli Ministry of Defense on Middle East Policy and Regional Cooperation. Following the events of October 7, Mor was drafted to reserve service at COGAT where she leads a team dedicated to increasing accessibility to medical care in Gaza. Previously, Mor led global initiatives at Google and served as Chief of Staff to former Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll, managing strategic processes relating to the US-Israel relations, regional cooperation and public diplomacy. Mor holds a MPA from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA).
Manal Zeidan is a seasoned expert in international relations and grassroots development in the West Bank. She previously served as advisor to the prime minister/ director of international relations at the Office of the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah for six years (2007-2013) after which she worked as the director of advocacy and outreach at Future for Palestine non-profit organization, where she established and oversaw sustainable social and economic development programs to empower women and grassroots organizations throughout the West Bank. Manal holds a B.A. and M.A. degrees in communication studies from California State University, Fullerton.
Haisam Hassanein is an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he analyzes Israel’s relations with Arab states and Muslim countries. Previously, he was a research fellow at the Washington Institute, where he focused on Egyptian-Israeli relations and U.S. policy toward the Middle East. He has published in The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, the Hill magazine, the New York Daily News and The Jerusalem Post, to name a few. Hassanein earned his M.A. in Middle Eastern & African history from Tel Aviv University. He was the first Egyptian to be named a graduate school valedictorian by an Israeli academic institution. Haisam knows Hebrew, Arabic and English.
David Halperin is the CEO of Israel Policy Forum, an organization committed to educating community leaders and mobilizing policymakers in support of pragmatic proposals to advance the goal of a viable two-state outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, consistent with Israel’s security. He was instrumental in the rebirth of Israel Policy Forum’s work in 2012, expanding the organization’s work by creating innovative partnerships with an array of policy and communal organizations nationwide. He has previously worked as a Middle East Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress and as a reporter for Ha’aretz English Edition in Israel. He has an MPA with a focus on International Relations from Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs (SIPA), where he was a member of the International Fellows Program (IFP). He is a founding board member of the Salla Treatment and Research Foundation. He has a BA in Political Science and Judaic Studies from the University of Arizona. Originally from Phoenix, AZ, he now lives with his wife and two kids in Riverdale, NY.
Bagels and coffee will be served at 10:00 AM PDT. The program will begin at 10:30 AM PDT.
This event is sponsored by IPF, Daryl Messinger and Jim Heeger.