October 16, Thursday, October 16, 2025, 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM EDT, Zoom & In-Person: The National Press Club, 529 14th St NW, Washington, DC (Breakfast & Registration: 9:00 AM)
Trump and the Middle East: A Second Term Review
Arab Center Washington DC’s 10th Annual Conference will critically examine the policies of the second Trump administration toward the Middle East and North Africa and their implications for democracy, human rights, international law, and regional stability.
The conference also marks Arab Center Washington DC’s tenth anniversary and will feature a special anniversary luncheon with a cultural program and awards ceremony honoring contributions to academic scholarship, advancements in media and information, and the promotion of democracy and human rights in the Arab world.
Agenda
9:30 AM – Welcome and Introduction
Khalil E. Jahshan, Executive Director, Arab Center Washington DC
Tamara Kharroub, Deputy Executive Director and Senior Fellow, Arab Center Washington DC
9:35 AM – Opening Keynote Address
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr., Retired American Diplomat and Foreign Service Officer; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; Former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
10:15 AM – Panel Discussion
Noura Erakat, Human Rights Attorney and Legal Scholar; Professor in the Department of Africana Studies and the Program in Criminal Justice, Rutgers University
Jasmine El-Gamal, Founder and Director, Mindwork Strategies; Creator and Host, The View From Here Podcast; Former Pentagon Middle East Advisor; National Security and Middle East Expert
Nader Hashemi, Director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and an Associate Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
Patricia Karam, Vice President of Policy and Communications, American Task Force on Lebanon; Non-resident Fellow, Arab Center Washington DC
Josh Paul, Co-Founder and Director, A New Policy; Former Director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, US Department of State
Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development and Director of the Critical Issues Poll, University of Maryland; Member of the Academic Advisory Board, Arab Center Washington DC
Ishaan Tharoor – Moderator - Foreign Affairs Columnist and Anchor of Today’s WorldView Column, The Washington Post
12:30 PM – Lunch
1:00 PM – ACW at 10 Years: Anniversary Luncheon and Award Ceremony
Khalil E. Jahshan, Executive Director, Arab Center Washington DC
Laurie King, Member of the Board of Directors, Arab Center Washington DC; Teaching Professor, Department of Anthropology, Georgetown University
George R. Salem, Member of the Board of Directors, Arab Center Washington DC; Legal Expert on Labor and Middle East Issues, Law Offices of George R. S
To learn more about the conference, please visit our website