Show Notes
On October 27, Israelis will vote in their first national election since the October 7, 2023, massacre and the subsequent multifront war. The vote is becoming a referendum on security as the public debate focuses on accountability for October 7, the Israel Defense Forces’ strategy in Gaza, and military service for ultra-Orthodox men. Both the right and the left have been critical of the nation’s leaders, but whether voters will replace the coalition remains unclear. Whoever wins will lead Israel through the unfinished fronts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, and determine how the next government will work with Washington. Five days before the vote, join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Ludovic Hood for a panel with David Wurmser of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs; David Makovsky of the Washington Institute; and Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran as they discuss the state of the race and potential paths forward for the United States–Israel relationship.
More from Hudson Institute Events Podcast
In August, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Pact, a mutual defense agreement stretching from Anatolia to South Asia. Meanwhile, the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC) will link Indian and Gulf markets to Europe through Israel. These are two new competing visions for the Middle East’s future. Each offers a different answer to the question, Who will shape the region’s security and connectivity after the Iran war? Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu for a panel with Chaim Martin, Israel’s minister of economic affairs to the United States; Aslı Aydıntaşbaş of the Brookings Institution; Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute; and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran as they examine the logic behind each framework and what their rivalry means for US policy.
As Ukrainians prepare for another challenging winter, discussions across the West have reached a new intensity over how Ukraine can adequately secure the front line, defend its civilian population, and ensure a just and lasting peace at the negotiating table. Please join Hudson Institute for a special address on the current state-of-play by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will join remotely, followed by a question-and-answer session on the war with Hudson Institute President and CEO John Walters.
Hudson Institute is pleased to host the next iteration of the Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture, a longstanding forum for examining the challenges facing freedom and democratic security in Europe. Established in 2000 as a joint initiative of the American Friends of the Czech Republic and Friends of Slovakia to commemorate the Velvet Revolution, the lecture alternates between Czech and Slovak speakers and topics. This October, Hudson welcomes Karel Řehka, former chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, to discuss the changing security environment in Europe and its implications for the Czech Republic, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the transatlantic alliance. General Řehka will examine how the Czech Republic and its allies should respond to the European evolving threat environment. He will discuss the readiness and modernization of the Czech Armed Forces, the role of a strong and resilient defense industrial base, lessons from the war in Ukraine, and the steps NATO allies can take to strengthen deterrence, resilience, and collective defense.
Casey Babb’s first book, The Moral Case for Zionism, will be published on October 22. Babb argues that Zionism offers something meaningful not just to the Jewish community but to all people. He explores the moral principles at the heart of the Zionist spirit and examines the dangers posed by the rise of anti-Zionism and antisemitism across the West. Join Hudson Institute for a conversation with the author on the eve of the book’s release. Babb, Director of The Promised Land Project at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and an associate fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, will discuss the book’s central argument and the practical ways Jews and non-Jews alike can embrace Zionist ideas in their lives.
In his new book, Dragon in the Americas: China’s Power, Presence, and Regional Influence, Leland Lazarus traces the evolution of Beijing’s footprint across the Western Hemisphere, from strategic ports and critical minerals to transnational crime and the ongoing contest with Taiwan for diplomatic recognition. As China’s engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean shifts from being primarily economic toward using the region for strategic depth, how should Washington respond? Join Hudson Institute for a conversation with Lazarus, founder of Lazarus Consulting and former speechwriter to the commander of the US Southern Command.