As the second Trump administration begins year two, Washington is contending with unprecedented opportunities, but also significant challenges in the Middle East. While Iran and its regional proxies have been degraded, Washington has not yet been able to translate Israel’s battlefield victories to political achievements. The same goes for Syria, where the trajectory of the political transition—and the new region’s relations with Israel—remain uncertain.

 

To take stock of emerging Trump administration policies toward a Middle East in flux, we are pleased to welcome David Schenker in Naples.

 

David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow and Director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute. From 2019 to 2021, he served as the Senate confirmed Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. In that capacity, he was the principal Middle East advisor to the secretary of state and the senior official overseeing the conduct of U.S. policy and diplomacy in a region stretching from Morocco to Iran to Yemen, with responsibility for eighteen countries, the Palestinian Authority, and Western Sahara.

 

Please contact Jeanne Epstein at JEpstein@washingtoninstitute.org with

any questions you may have.