Understanding the changing face of the Middle East
Ambassador Itzhak Levanon
An upcoming public lecture will address the political change and unrest that has swept through the Middle East since January 2011 in what has become known as the 'Arab Spring'.
Ambassador Itzhak Levanon, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Israel to Egypt from 2009-2011, will discuss the fate of Arab-Israeli relations and other pressing issues in the Middle East at the lecture.
Professor Sayed Khatab from the Global Terrorism Research Centre in the School of Political and Social Inquiry said Ambassador Levanon’s first-hand experience, both as a member of the Israeli delegation at the Middle East peace talks held in Washington in 1994, and in his more recent role as Ambassador to Egypt during the last days of President Hosni Mubarak’s leadership and the period immediately after, enabled the Ambassador to provide insightful commentary into the issues facing the region.
“The knowledge Ambassador Levanon gained while ambassador to Egypt and through his other roles within the Israeli government make him eminently qualified to discuss the issues in the region,” Professor Khatab said.
“Considering the major political players in the region, including the United States, Egypt, Israel, Turkey and Iran, as well as organisations such as Hezbullah and Hamas, it is critical that discussion is encouraged to find answers to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East.”
Ambassador Levanon is a lecturer at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy and a Research Associate at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) based in Israel. ICT is one of the leading academic institutes and think tanks for counter-terrorism in the world.
Ambassador Levanon’s lecture ‘The Middle East: Where to from Here’ will be held from 2 – 3.30pm on 12 November in Room 7, Building 8, at the Clayton campus.
For more information, contact Professor Sayed Khatab on +61 3 9905 2945 or sayed.khatab@monash.edu.