Three Years After October 7: A Bridge or Chasm Between Peoples?

The consequences of Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, continue to roil Israeli and Palestinian society, as well as the broader Middle East and far beyond. The murder of Israeli civilians and the abduction of hostages forever changed Israeli society, while the subsequent massive military response devastated Gaza, inflicted widespread Palestinian civilian casualties, and elicited worldwide condemnation.

To discuss how October 7 was experienced in Israel, Gaza, and abroad, and to assess how the region and its political landscape have evolved since then, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum featuring leading Arab, Israeli, and American experts. The event will be moderated by David Makovsky, the Institute’s Ziegler Distinguished Fellow.

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib leads Realign For Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that seeks to challenge entrenched narratives and develop a new policy framework for rejuvenated pro-Palestine advocacy. His widespread writings include the recent monograph Hamas and Its Two Million Hostages.

Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon (Israel Defense Forces, Res.) became the IDF’s point person on hostage negotiations following the October 7 attack. Previously, he served as head of IDF Central Command (2012-15), head of the Military Intelligence Operations Division (2007-09), and commander of the regional division responsible for the West Bank (2009-11), among other posts.

Ksenia Svetlova is executive director of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economics, and Security (ROPES) and a former parliamentarian in the Israeli Knesset. She has covered the Middle East for fifteen years at Israel’s Channel 9 and written for a wide array of domestic and international media, including the Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Haaretz, and BBC Russian.

Dennis Ross is the counselor and Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and coauthor (with David Makovsky) of the 2019 book Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny. Previously, he served in multiple Democratic and Republican administrations, including as the president’s special envoy for Middle East peace.

The Policy Forum series is made possible through the generosity of the Winkler Lowy Foundation.