Series Description: This twelve-lecture bilingual seminar (Arabic–English) examines the historical, ideological, and structural barriers that have prevented the Middle East from achieving sustainable peace or security. It introduces the concept of “Neo-Regionalism,” a new analytical framework that investigates the changing networks of rivalry, cooperation, and pragmatism among Arab and non-Arab states, as well as between state and non-state actors. Through the lenses of nationalism, Islamism, tribalism, sectarianism, and external power dynamics, the seminar asks: Why has the Middle East remained trapped in cycles of conflict despite repeated peace attempts? And what ideological transformations are necessary for genuine regional cooperation to emerge?
Convened by: Dalia Ziada, ISGAP DC Coordinator and Research Fellow
22 Jan. 2026 “Torn Between Pan-Arabism and Nationalism”
Hussain Abdul Hussain, Senior Fellow, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), Washington, DC, United States
29 Jan. 2026 “The Abraham Accords: Pragmatic Partnership vs. Ideological Prejudices”
Fatema Al-Harbi, Director of Gulf Affairs, Sharaka, Bahrain
5 Feb. 2026 “The Many Shades of Islamism“
Raheel Raza, President, Council of Muslims against Antisemitism, Toronto, Canada
12 Feb. 2026 “Tribalism, Militarism, and Democracy”
Ammar Abdulhamid, Chief Governance and Policy Officer, World Liberty Congress, Washington, DC, United States
19 Feb. 2026 “The Victimhood Paradigm”
Yasmine Mohammed, Co-Director and Co-Founder, CLARITy Coalition, Vancouver, Canada
26 Feb. 2026 “Terrorism and the Ideology of Resistance”
Omran Hassan, Bahraini-American Journalist and Political Analyst, Virginia, United States
5 March 2026 “An Abrahamic Alternative to Conflict and Bloodshed”
Thomas Cromwell, Chairman, Abrahamic Peace Initiative, Virginia, United States
12 March 2026 “Israel, Zionism, and Antisemitism”
Dr. Ari Kohen, Director, Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies; Professor of Political Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
19 March 2026 “The Three Layers of Volatility in the Middle East”
Dalia Ziada, DC Coordinator and Research Fellow, ISGAP, Washington, DC, United States
26 March 2026 “Regional Powers and Rival Hegemonies”
Eric Mandel, President, Middle East Political Information Network (MEPIN), New York, United States
2 April 2026 “Media Narratives and the Psychology of Conflict”
Mansour Al-Hadj, Writer and Analyst of Extremist Narratives, Arlington, United States
9 April 2026 “The Middle East of Tomorrow”
Dr. Charles Asher Small, Founder and Executive Director, ISGAP
View the 2025 seminar series here, and the 2021 series here.