Avi Melamed, a former Israeli Intelligence official and Jerusalem’s twice Arab affairs advisor, will be speaking at the Mandell JCC in West Hartford on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 as part of his Inside the Middle East (ITME)-ON-THE-ROAD-360 speaking tour.

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Inside the Middle East (ITME), an apolitical nonprofit institute dedicated to promoting a deeper understanding of Middle Eastern geopolitics and its intersection with Israel, has launched a critical year-long speaking tour to better educate and empower college students and communities throughout North America to understand the current state of the region and the ongoing conflicts between Israel, Iran, and Iran’s Axis of Resistance.

Melamed’s visit is a collaboration between the Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford, the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, and the JCC Association of North America. The lecture will be held at the Mandell JCC, on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at 7 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but registration and additional information is available here.

“ITME-ON-THE-ROAD-360” is designed to help empower participants to see through the misinformation and propaganda that often plague both the pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian framed reports.

Founded by Avi Melamed, a former Israeli Intelligence official and Jerusalem’s twice Arab affairs advisor, ITME’s educational program has evolved over years of development. Initially conceived at the Eisenhower Institute in Washington, D.C., Melamed refined ITME through a fellowship for Capitol Hill staffers and later used it as the foundation for launching the nonprofit focused on empowering everyday individuals interested in learning more about Israel and the Middle East. Under Melamed’s leadership, ITME has evolved from an undergraduate curriculum to encompass briefings, lectures, books, conferences, films and short and long-term experiential educational programming for various audiences.

Melamed developed ITME to provide a balanced, multi-dimensional perspective that doesn’t shy away from the region’s complexities. He uses his deep understanding of the region, his contacts throughout the region and his fluency in Arabic, English, and Hebrew to connect audiences with a wide array of sources from throughout the region.

ITME’s holistic approach to the Middle East has formed the foundation for two books and two film productions, and scores of speaking tours across North America. The current ITME-ON-THE-ROAD-360 tour builds on this foundation and is designed to address the increasing demand for objective, fact-based understanding in a climate of growing polarization.

“Our goal with ITME-ON-THE-ROAD-360is to provide a contextualized understanding of the region and to offer perspectives that are all too often absent in Western discourse,” said Melamed. “To understand Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you must first understand the broader Middle East.”

At the center of the tour’s educational program is its flagship session, “Navigating the Storm to the Horizon’s Edge.” This presentation provides a comprehensive, historical, and contemporary understanding of the forces that led to the October 7 attack, as well as the geopolitical developments that continue to shape the region. The briefing is designed to give participants a deep understanding of the ongoing conflicts and to explore the various forces – both historical and current – that are influencing the Middle East’s future trajectory.

The coast-to-coast speaking tour began in September and will continue through June 2025. The initiative is supported by national partners, including the Jewish Community Center Association of North America and Hillel International, both of which have long been committed to fostering education and dialogue within the Jewish community. The program is funded by a network of private donors, including members of ITME’s board who are committed to expanding access to apolitical, nonpartisan education on Middle Eastern affairs. For more information, or to book a session, visit: https://insidethemiddle-east.com/itme-on-the-road-360-2024-2025/.

“Our tour represents ITME’s ongoing commitment to dispelling myths, challenging oversimplified narratives, and promoting a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the region,” Melamed added. “By equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to engage critically with the complexities of the Middle East, we aim to foster a more informed, respectful, and productive dialogue on college campuses, within Jewish communities, and beyond. Through education, we hope to break down barriers of misinformation and create a foundation for more constructive discussions about Israel, Palestine, and the broader region.”

Inside the Middle East is an independent 501c3 devoted to providing professional knowledge about the Middle East and empowering critical thinking through non-partisan and innovative education. To learn more visit: https://www.insidethemiddle-east.com/.