Five months since Hamas brutally murdered 1,200 Israelis and others on Oct. 7 and kidnapped more than 240, Israel still seeks to balance freedom for all hostages with Hamas’ military and political destruction. Until the day that was the greatest shock in Israel’s 75 years, many Israelis were prepared to accept a compromise with Palestinians. Now two-thirds of Israelis and even more Palestinians reject any political compromise. With a final peace agreement seeming far away, how will Gaza be administered after the war? What roles if any will be played by the United States, United Nations, Europe, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and surrounding Arab states? Discussing Gaza’s political realities and constraints at our 21st weekly webinar March 6 are Kobi Michael of the Institute for National Security Studies; Shimon Peres adviser Nimrod Novik, now of the Israel Policy Forum; and returning webinar expert Ghaith al-Omari of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Moderating the discussion will be Dr. Ken Stein, CIE’s president and an Emory University emeritus professor of Middle East history, political science and Israel studies.
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#152 Contemporary Readings October 2025
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Annotated Hamas Bibliography: In-Depth Assessments, Analyses, Objectives, and Regional and International Implications
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President Trump Addresses Knesset on Gaza Ceasefire, Middle East Peace, October 2025
Donald Trump takes a victory lap and lays out short- and long-term visions for Gaza, Israel and the Middle East while becoming the fourth U.S. president to address the Knesset.
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Explainer: Three Jewish States or Commonwealths, 1030 B.C.E.-Present
The First Commonwealth: Kingdom of Israel/the United Monarchy (circa 1030-930 B.C.E.) under Kings Saul, David and Solomon. The monarchy split into two kingdoms in 930 B.C.E. The northern Kingdom of Israel endured until 722 B.C.E., when…
Yair Lapid to Knesset, “We Are Not Going Anywhere,” October 2025
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, addressing the Knesset, praises Donald Trump for brokering the Gaza peace plan, calls on his fellow Israelis to renew their values-based democracy, and warns Israel’s enemies in the Middle East and beyond that the Jewish state is here to stay.
Bibliography — BDS and Antisemitism
Articles and books on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and on antisemitism on U.S. campuses, with suggested sources to read on the history and politics of Zionism and modern Israel.