Realignment in the Middle East: Where is it Headed?

Since the landmark Abraham Accords agreement, regional powers in the Middle East have embarked on a surprising trajectory of realignment. Old rivalries between Israel and the Gulf powers appear to be cooling or even budding into real partnerships. China has emerged with a larger role in bridging differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the United States appears to be close to brokering a deal to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and Israel. 

What does this mean for the future of a region that has been wracked with conflict for two decades—will this realignment bring stability along with it? Will there be moderation or reform within the region's autocracies? And will these agreements have an impact on the most divisive issues—such as nuclear proliferation and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Join 2023 Templeton Fellow Lior Sternfeld, a professor of History and Jewish Studies at Penn State University, in conversation with James Ryan, Director of Research and the Middle East Program at FPRI, for a discussion on these topics and more.

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM Reception

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Program