Organized by UCLA Center for Middle East Development. Co-sponsored by Burkle Center for International Relations, Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, Luskin Department of Public Policy.

On November 5, 2024 the United States elected its 47th President, Donald Trump. This webinar will analyze the impact of election on the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, including potential US policy shifts regarding Israel, Palestine, Iran, and other key players in the region. The webinar will also focus on the new President's possible approach to the roles of Russia and China in the MENA region, as well as potential impacts on US policy toward Ukraine. The panelists will also discuss potential appointees to key foreign policy roles in the new Administration.

MEET THE SPEAKERS

Mara Rudman is the James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at the Miller Center, where she directs the Ripples of Hope Project aimed at identifying practical approaches to help democratic leaders resolve key challenges. She serves on the 2022 National Defense Strategy Commission and the Howard University College of Arts and Sciences board of visitors. Rudman also consults for Democracy Forward. Rudman’s government positions have included serving as deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs in the Obama and Clinton administrations; deputy envoy for the Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace at the U.S. Department of State; assistant administrator for the Middle East at the U.S. Agency for International Development; and chief counsel to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Previously, Rudman was executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress and senior vice president for policy/projects at Business Executives for National Security. She also led Quorum Strategies, a geopolitical strategic advisory firm. Rudman has been a guest on numerous TV and radio shows and has written for and been quoted in various print publications. She received her BA from Dartmouth College and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

Mr. Jay Footlik served as special assistant to President Clinton in the White House. His decades long work in policy making and unique global relationships provide opportunities for his clients worldwide. At the White House, he worked on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues, including extensive work in the MENA region. He also served as the President’s liaison to the American Jewish community. Mr. Footlik earned a BA in political science from UCLA and a law degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. A professional actor, Mr. Footlik is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has appeared in numerous films, television, and stage productions. He serves on the board of The American Council of Young Political Leaders, the Middle East Investment Initiative, and is a fellow at UCLA's CMED.

Mr. Zev Furst is a leading global, political, business, and communications strategist who has advised political leaders, foreign principals, and corporate executives of Fortune 100 companies. He is the chairman and CEO of First International Resources, an international corporate and political consulting firm he founded in 1992. Mr. Furst specializes in providing strategic counsel on highly sensitive political matters, crisis management, market entry, corporate positioning, and personal reputational issues with the unique perspective of someone who has operated at the nexus of business and politics for over thirty years.

MEET THE MODERATOR

Professor Steve Zipperstein is associate director of the UCLA Center for Middle East Development. He is also an adjunct assistant professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Professor Zipperstein is a former US federal prosecutor and the former chief legal officer of Verizon Wireless and BlackBerry Ltd. He is the author of The Legal Case for Palestine: A Critical Assessment (forthcoming) (Routledge, 2024), Zionism, Palestinian Nationalism and the Law: 1939-1948 (Routledge, 2022), and Law and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: The Trials of Palestine (Routledge 2020).

Sponsor(s): Center for Middle East Development, Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, Burkle Center for International Relations, Department of Public Policy