ISRAELI-ARAB RELATIONS: THE IMPACT OF THE ISRAELI KNESSET AND US MIDTERM ELECTIONS

The Israeli Knesset and the US midterm elections took place amid ongoing conflicts and major crises in the Middle East. We are witnessing profound regional transformations and potentially a reconfiguration of power relations across the Middle East. Both electoral outcomes, together with the mandate given to opposition leader Gabi Eisenkot to form a government, may have significant implications for Israel's relations with Arab countries.

The discussion will examine how the new political realities in Jerusalem and Washington might affect not only Israeli-Arab relations, but also US-Israeli and US-Arab relations. What will these developments mean for the future of the Abraham Accords, the Palestinian quest for statehood, the war with Iran and the wider regional balance? What role will the United States play in shaping these dynamics? And how might the changing political landscape in Israel and the United States affect Europe's role in the Middle East, its relations with Israel and its Arab partners, and its ability to influence regional diplomacy and developments?

Anna Jacobs joined the European Institute of Peace as a Senior Advisor in April 2025. She is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and the former Senior Gulf Analyst at International Crisis Group. Prior to this, she was a Senior Political Officer at The Shaikh Group where she worked on Gulf regional dialogue, and the Senior Research Assistant at the Brookings Doha Center. She has lived and worked in the Middle East for nearly 15 years, including six years in the Gulf. Her research focuses on the role that Gulf Arab states play in conflict and mediation, as well as Gulf regional security and dialogue. She spends her time between New York and the Gulf. 

Daniel Levy, British–Israeli analyst, commentator, author, and former advisor to the Israeli government with expertise on Middle East and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He was formerly an Israeli negotiator as part of the Taba summit and Oslo 2 peace process. He is current president of the U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP) and was among the founders of J Street.

Omar H. Rahman is a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, where he focuses on Palestine, Middle East geopolitics, and American foreign policy in the region. He is the Editor of Afkār, the Council’s online publication providing insights and analysis on current events in the region. Rahman was previously a non-resident fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Center, where he researched and wrote about Palestine-Israel, the Arab Gulf, and the intersection between the two. Prior to this, Rahman was a research analyst at the Arab Gulf States Institute, where he focused on the political economy of the Gulf states.

Moderation: Gudrun Harrer, Lecturer in Modern History and Politics of the Near and Middle East at the University of Vienna and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna; former Senior Editor at Der Standard (until 2025).

Please note: The link to join the event will be sent to all registered participants on the day of the event!