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Professor Robert Freedman

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Professor Robert Freedman

War, the Israeli Elections and the Future of the Middle East

DATE: July 15, 2026 6:00 pm

LOCATION: Zoom

An open rift between President Trump and Israeli Prime minister Netanyahu has changed the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. It first emerged after the two countries jointly went to war against Iran without agreeing on a common end goal, and it took on a new dimension when fighting began between Iran’s proxy, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Israel. Now the two leaders espouse opposing goals.  Trump insists on ending the fighting with an eye to November mid-term elections, but Netanyahu wants to preserve his freedom of military action, concerned about his standing with Israeli voters in legislative elections in October. 

Can the relationship be repaired? Is there a way to bring peace between Israel and its neighbors? How does Israel overcome its own deep internal divisions? Robert Freedman of Johns Hopkins University, our highly respected expert on Israel and Middle East politics, will speak on these and other questions on July 15. It will be a live feed presentation at our usual time — 6 pm. 

Professor Freedman is well-known to members of the Council, having addressed it on a number of occasions since 1981. He is a Visiting Professor at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Freedman has been an Assistant Professor of Russian History at the United States Military Academy, Associate Professor of Political Science and Russian at Marquette University and Professor of Political Science at the Baltimore Hebrew University, including a tenure as President of the institution. He is the author or co-author of twenty books. He has been a commentator on National Public Radio, the BBC, and the Voice of America as well as other major American news outlets. He has advised policymakers in the State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. He has also been called upon to serve the United States government on delegations to Moscow, Beijing, Uzbekistan, and Tunis.

Join BCFA for a cutting-edge analysis of the key actors in the evolving conflict in the Middle East. Find several of Robert Freedman’s articles below, as well as some additional articles on these issues.

Contact programs@bcfausa.org for any questions or additional information.

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