October 7, Two Years On: Repercussions for Israel, the Middle East, and U.S. Policy

Two years after the Hamas assault on southern Israel triggered a war in Gaza, the fighting still rages, and the Middle East is still reeling from the aftershocks. Through it all, two U.S. administrations have grappled with the complexities of supporting Israel’s right to defend itself while limiting Palestinian humanitarian suffering and maintaining strategic ties with Arab states. Although breaking announcements this week suggest the region may be tantalizingly close to ending the war, it is too early to determine whether a militarily defeated Hamas will ultimately succeed in its broader goals of derailing Israel’s regional integration and triggering a campaign to isolate and delegitimize the Jewish state. To discuss these implications, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum with Yossi Klein Halevi, Ali al-Nuaimi, Dana Stroul, and Dennis Ross, moderated by Segal Executive Director Robert Satloff. Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and author of such acclaimed books as Like Dreamers and Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor. Ali al-Nuaimi is a member of the UAE’s Federal National Council, where he chairs the Defense Affairs, Interior, and Foreign Relations Committee. Dana Stroul is the director of research and Kassen Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute. Previously, she served as deputy assistant defense secretary for the Middle East in the Biden administration. Dennis Ross, the Institute’s Davidson Distinguished Fellow, has served in senior White House positions in multiple Democratic and Republican administrations, including as the president’s special envoy for Middle East peace.