The United States’ controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan had a dramatic effect on that country’s population – and on the world of American political punditry. But what about its effects on Israel and the wider Middle East?

Join us as we host Helit Barel to analyze what the return of the Taliban could mean for the region, and what the American decision can tell us about the Biden Administration going forward.

Helit Barel is the former Executive Director of the Council for Peace and Security (CPS) and has served in recent years as a member of its executive board. From 2000-2002, Helit served as a director at the Israel National Security Council, heading the U.S.-Israeli bilateral desk. Prior to that she worked at the Congressional Research Service in Washington DC authoring several reports for Congress on issues related to weapons of mass destruction, and at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington DC. Helit is a founding member and former executive board member of the Devorah Forum, for women in foreign policy and national security and of the Israel Nuclear Forum. Barel has a B.A. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an M.A. in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard University.​

Wednesday 6 October at 8:30 PM Israel time (1:30 PM US Eastern)