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MEET THE FELLOWS

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SAID ABAHIG

Bahij resides in Washington, D.C where he is currently a triple major studying Arabic, Persian, and International Affairs. In his free time he enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading.


Samantha Abdoo

Samantha Abdoo is a freshman at the University of Cincinnati. She is studying English and Political Science with the intent of attending law school after she graduates. In her free time, Samantha works to improve Jewish life on campus by working with clubs like Bearcats for Israel. She joined the ITME fellowship in hopes of gaining new perspective on the Middle East and learning how to effectively communicate support for Israel and Zionism. 


Raihaana Adira

Raihaana Adira is an undergraduate student at McGill University, majoring in International Development and Islamic Studies. As a Muslim and dedicated ally to the Jewish community, Raihaana was one of the students who filed the injunction against the pro-hate encampment at McGill backed by foreign adversaries. She actively stands against anti-Semitism, promotes peaceful coexistence, and advocates for creating safe and inclusive spaces on campus, drawing from her personal experiences.


Isaac Babus

Photographer and Advocate


Miles IsaacS

Undergraduate at King’s College London, President of King’s Geopolitics Forum, Assistant at RUSI


ORI JOSELL


BEN MONROE

Benjamin Monroe, age 22, is from Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating from Beth Tfiloh Dahan Day School, Ben was selected to participate in the international Kivunim gap year program. Ben lived and studied in Israel, Morocco, Greece, and Berlin during that time.  Ben is majoring in Arabic and Hebrew at The Ohio State University. During his summer breaks in college, Ben interns at the global headquarters of Cisoexecnet. The internship provided hands-on experience developing marketing campaigns, conducting market research, managing digital content, and CEO-to-CEO messaging. Following college graduation, scheduled for May 2025, Ben plans to live overseas in locations where he can fully use his foreign language expertise and hopes to pursue graduate school. When he is not working or studying, Ben enjoys cooking, basketball, music, rock climbing, and traveling.


ILAI RABINOWITZ


Miranda Ruzinsky


Sammy Shiff

I’m dedicated to spreading knowledge and understanding about Israel’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary significance. Currently pursuing a major in Elementary Education at Drexel University, I am deeply passionate about empowering young minds. Beyond academia, I actively engage with organizations such as SSI (Students Supporting Israel), Hillel, Chabad , Meor ILN (Israel Leadership Network), JNF (Jewish National Fund), and Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. Through these affiliations, I foster education, cultural exchange, and community building.


BROOKLYN TORY

Brooklyn is in her final year of undergraduate studies in psychology, cognitive science, and international development at McGill University, where her special interest has been ethnically adaptive trauma coping. She has been an advocate for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ equity issues in academic settings, as well as work to improve Title IX consent education in schools. Brooklyn’s leadership experience includes an array of vital roles in Model UN conferences in Montreal and the Bay Area, and in 2021 she founded and acted as President for a Bay Area community initiative to improve civil and political discourse among students. As part of her participation with ITME, Brooklyn hopes to foster thoughtful dialogue between students in Montreal, a city that has seen dramatic rise in antisemitism and racial-ethnic violence since 10/7.


TamaR Sarah Weiss


Aliya Zigman

Aliya Zigman is a senior at the University of Denver, studying psychology and philosophy. Passionate about trauma-informed care and somatic health, Aliya plans to make Aliyah to Israel after graduation to pursue a career as a therapist specializing in these areas. She is a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow and serves as the Director of Strategy and Education for the University of Denver’s chapter of Students Supporting Israel (SSI). From 2023 to 2024, Aliya spent a gap year in Israel, volunteering in Kibbutz Harduf. There, she taught English to Arab children in neighbouring villages and worked alongside individuals with mental disabilities. Aliya’s experiences have deepened her connection to Judaism, inspired her commitment to Israel, and shaped her vision for a career dedicated to helping others heal.


Matthew Zivian


>> UPCOMING EVENTS >>

FELLOWSHIP RESOURCE LIBRARY

AVI MELAMED’S RESOURCES

MIDDLE EAST NEWSAND ANALYSIS THINK TANKS > Israeli < Institute forNational Security Studies Meir Amit Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern...

NEGAR MOJTAHEDI’S RESOURCES

> Sources on Middle Eastern Politics < Iran International Iran International (Persian: ایران اینترنشنال, romanized: Irân Enternešenâl) is a Persian-language satellite television channel and multilingual digital...

DR. HAY EYTAN COHEN YANAROCAK’S RESOURCES

> Arabic Sources on Middle Eastern Politics < Al-Monitor Al-Monitor is an award-winning media service founded in 2012 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Jamal Daniel....

ABDULAZIZ ALKAHMIS’ RESOURCES

> Arabic Sources on Middle Eastern Politics < Carnegie Middle East Center This center provides in-depth analyses of political dynamics in the region, including...

HAYVI BOUZO’S RESOURCES

Links to Activists & Social Media Influencersto Follow on X, InstagraM & ANALYSIS THINK TANKS Hayvi Bouzo Broadcast Journalist, Peace Builder, Co-Founder of Yalla Productions, and...

MEET THE EDUCATORS

LEAD EDUCATOR | AVI MELAMED Avi Melamed is a former Israeli Intelligence Official and Senior Official on Arab Affairs. In his public service,...

LEXICON

GROUPS & ORGANIZATIONS

Al Badr Corp / Militia A Pro-Iranian Iraqi Shi’ite political party and militia headed by Hadi al-Amiri Al-Qaeda “The Base” or “The Foundation.” Al-Qaeda is a...

UNSCRs – UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS

UNSCR 1696 (2006) On July 31, 2006, the UNSC passed its first resolution regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions. UNSCR 1696 called on the regime to...

PLACES

Al-Aqsa Mosque The third holiest site in Islam, after Mecca and Al-Medina. The mosque is located in the Old City of Jerusalem on the...

ACCORDS & AGREEMENTS

The Abraham Accords The agreements signed by Bahrain, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States on September 15, 2020. The UAE signed...

AVI's LATEST ARTICLES

Arab Perspectives Following the Ceasefire Agreement | ITME

Arab Perspectives Following the Ceasefire Agreement | An article by Avi Melamed. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has sparked a wave of commentary across...

Ignorance and Humiliation: The Irony of the Kufiyah Protest | ITME

Ignorance and Humiliation: The Irony of the Kufiyah Protest | An article by Avi Melamed. The ongoing war in Gaza—sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel...

The Mirage of Palestinian Statehood: Arab Realities Behind Western Recognition | ITME

The Mirage of Palestinian Statehood: Arab Realities Behind Western Recognition | An article by Avi Melamed Western Recognition—Symbolism vs. Substance In the wake of the 2023–2024...

The Flare-Up in Southern Syria Challenges Both Israel and the New Syrian Regime | ITME

The Flare-Up in Southern Syria Challenges Both Israel and the New Syrian Regime | An article by Avi Melamed. The renewed clashes between the Druze...

JOIN THE HUB Newsletter

LATEST FROM THE HUB

« Les renseignements le savaient » : à Gaza, l’imbroglio sur les otages va-t-il mener à une reprise de la guerre ? | LE...

« Les renseignements le savaient » : à Gaza, l’imbroglio sur les otages va-t-il mener à une reprise de la guerre ? | LE...

Arab Perspectives Following the Ceasefire Agreement | ITME

Arab Perspectives Following the Ceasefire Agreement | An article by Avi Melamed. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has sparked a wave of commentary across...

Trump hints Kushner may take on new Iran diplomacy role | IRAN INTERNATIONAL

Trump hints Kushner may take on new Iran diplomacy role | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted by Negar Mojtahedi, Canadian Iranian journalist and documentary filmmaker,...

Ignorance and Humiliation: The Irony of the Kufiyah Protest | ITME

Ignorance and Humiliation: The Irony of the Kufiyah Protest | An article by Avi Melamed. The ongoing war in Gaza—sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel...

AVI MELAMED ON TV

Heated exchange: Former Israeli intelligence official vs Afshin Rattansi on Iran, Gaza, & More | RT

Heated exchange: Former Israeli intelligence official vs Afshin Rattansi on Iran, Gaza, & More | RT On this episode of Going Underground, we...

Israel Strikes Syria IDF Defends Druze 200+ Dead | ILTV

Israel Strikes Syria IDF Defends Druze 200+ Dead | Avi Melamed’s interview by Maayan Hoffman, executive editor of ILTV News. https://youtu.be/DT2NfkLcfkw https://youtu.be/_IZRFX_SC3k Key Highlights (with Timestamps) Escalation on...

Iran Nuclear Program “It’s a Set Back, It’s not Destroyed” | ILTV

Iran Nuclear Program "It's a Set Back, It's not Destroyed" | Avi Melamed’s interview by Maayan Hoffman, executive editor of ILTV News. https://youtu.be/GLBIXtiHIUU https://youtu.be/TnBHzn0lLM8 Here’s a summary...
00:10:34

Pres. Trump claims ‘monumental’ damage after Iran attack | FOX NEWS

Pres. Trump claims 'monumental' damage after Iran attack | FOX NEWS | Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence quoted on Fox News, interview by...
00:05:23

Iran’s Lasting Denuclearization Unlikely Without Regime Change: Analysts | NTD NEWS

Iran’s Lasting Denuclearization Unlikely Without Regime Change - Middle East Expert | NTD NEWS with Geopolitical Analyst Avi Melamed. https://youtu.be/mE8QVGOMrug Iran’s Deterrence in Preventing...

Israel can’t take out Iran nuclear facility without US | STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS

Israel can’t take out Iran nuclear facility without US | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted by Ryan Robertson (Anchor), STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. https://youtu.be/oHvFFTpfJeA President Donald Trump is facing...

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