Dear MEPIN Readers,
This week, I addressed nearly 1,000 attendees at Florida Atlantic University on the future of the U.S.–Israel relationship and the broader trajectory of the Middle East. I sought to dispel, with hard facts, the myth that support for Israel is a one-way street or solely about security. The U.S. benefits significantly from the relationship, including tens of billions of dollars in Israeli investment that generate high-value American jobs.
The discussion also examined escalating tensions with Iran, the fading prospects for peace, corruption within the Palestinian Authority, instability in Syria and Lebanon, and the political outlook ahead of Israel’s next elections.
I am deeply grateful to the Gross Family Foundation for sponsoring the series and enabling such a substantive exchange. In a telling sign of our times, a public conversation about Israel and American national security required extensive security measures. That reality speaks for itself.
Because many were unable to attend due to capacity limits and have since requested access, I am sharing the recording below. I welcome your feedback as we navigate a particularly consequential period for the United States, Israel, and the American Jewish community. — Eric