Abu Lughod Institute to hold international conference to assess regional transformations impact on Palestine

Birzeit University’s Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies and the master’s program in international studies are holding their annual international conference, “The Palestinian Cause in a Troubled Region,” online between May 23-26, 2022.

Scholars and experts from Palestine and beyond will examine the global powers rivalry in the Middle East, assessing the impact of geopolitical realignments of the Palestinian cause amid American changes in its regional priorities.

The three-day conference comprises four sessions, with the first exploring the causes, effects and future impacts of the competing global powers over the Middle East and the consequences of the United States’ diminished involvement in the region.

The second session will address the history of the region’s conflicts and the resulting shifts in global politics.

Focusing on the political system of the Arab world, the third session will examine the challenges faced by Arab countries currently undergoing a rapid erosion of legitimacy, delving into the reasons behind the failure of democratization there and the rise in the wave of normalization with Israel within Arab countries.

The concluding session will discuss the impact of current regional and international conflicts on the Palestinian cause.

The renowned political researchers in attendance will include Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; Ross Harrison, professor of strategy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service; Thomas Demmelhuber, chair of Middle East Politics and Society at the Friedrich-Alexander-University; Ibrahim Farhat, associate professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies; and Yaser Amouri, associate professor of law at Birzeit University, among others.