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ITME’S IMPACT

ITME'S IMPACT

when education replaces advocacy,
when authentic voices are elevated,
when critical thinking becomes the foundation for dialogue

Since 2011, ITME has engaged tens of thousands of students, professionals, and leaders across North America, Israel, and beyond. 
Demand continues to grow.
In the past year alone, the ITME-360 North American Lecture and Teaching Tour reached 12,500 people through 185 events in 98 cities across 36 states — underscoring both the scale of the need and ITME’s ability to meet it.

ITME provides a trusted platform where diverse individuals and communities
can connect to Israel as a unifying element of identity. 

For supporters of Israel:
ITME strengthens their ability to engage authentically — from deeper knowledge of the Middle East, not through slogans or obligation.

For critics of Israel:
ITME doesn’t persuade; it provides context so they can engage Israel’s challenges without compromising their principles.

ITME’s educational praxis shifts conversations from confrontation to understanding,
builds trust, cultivates leadership,and allows stronger communities to take root.

>>Testimonials & Feedbacks >>

“Given the frequency of speakers coming to campuses to discuss Israel, students feel there is rarely new information provided nor an objective position taken. Avi’s talk provided both! Every student went away feeling they had a more complete understanding of the war, and the necessary information to engage with it more holistically going forward.”

Anna P

Undergraduate | New York University, Co’2024

“Avi Melamed is not your typical Israel speaker. He didn’t just recite the usual talking points; he opened our eyes to the grand scale of the conflict and the current-day implications. This is exactly what students need to continue engaging with Israel in a meaningful way.”

Jonah Snyder

IACT Israel Coordinator | University of Miami

“Avi was able to tone his presentation and language to the complexity and understanding of a college student, expressing himself in a way that both an activist and a newcomer could equally understand and benefit.”

President | Co’ 2026

U Miami Hillel Vice

“Avi’s nuanced, balanced, thoughtful analysis has helped many, myself included, gain a deeper understanding of the events in Israel and the wider Middle East. Nearly 2,000 participants have joined our virtual briefings or access our online recordings. I am so proud and honored to provide this important resource to our JCC community at this critical time when greater education is essential.”

Judy Wolff-Bolton

CEO | JCC Osher Marin

“I’m a progressive; I’m a local California council member. I was coming for the photo-op. But your briefing is the most important one I’ve heard. So, I cleared my calendar for the day so I could stay and hear you. I want you to brief the council.”

California legislator

JCC Orange County

“The board and staff said that it was the best presentation that we have ever had and are now capable of having productive conversations with people who question Israel.”

Laura Friedman

Executive Director | Bridgewater JCC

“It’s not easy curating educational experiences around Israel. People have strong opinions, contrasting narratives, and political perspectives.Avi did an amazing job with nuance and perspective rather than his own “op-ed.”

Brian Schreiber

President, CEO | JCC Greater Pittsburgh

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ITME Fellowship

Voices From the Middle East, About the Middle East

The ITME Fellowship is a selective, international leadership program for undergraduate and graduate students who want to move beyond headlines and advocacy to truly understand Israel in the context of the broader Middle East.

Our philosophy is simple: To understand Israel, you must understand the Middle East.

Through weekly live sessions led by Avi Melamed—former Israeli intelligence official, Middle East analyst, and educator—together with Arab and Muslim regional experts, Fellows gain rare access to authentic perspectives almost never available in Western spaces. The Fellowship is not advocacy-based. It is apolitical, interactive, and immersive. Fellows are not told what to think; they are taught how to think, equipped with the clarity and context to ask sharper questions and lead conversations that others cannot.

What Makes ITME Unique

The Missing Context
Most Israel education programs focus narrowly on Israel. ITME provides the critical missing layer: the regional context. By situating Israel within its neighborhood, Fellows gain a depth of knowledge that transforms their understanding and strengthens their confidence.

Authentic Regional Voices
Each session pairs Avi’s intelligence-based analysis with Arab and Muslim experts from the region, elevating voices rarely heard in Western discourse and providing students with a more three-dimensional perspective.

Apolitical, Trusted Space
Because ITME doesn’t push ideology, it attracts students across the political and ideological spectrum. This inclusivity makes the Fellowship a uniquely trusted environment where Fellows can engage deeply, wrestle honestly with complexity, and build lasting confidence.

Who We Serve

The Fellowship is designed for emerging leaders under 30:

  • Undergraduate and graduate students
  • Young professionals
  • Lay leaders engaged in campus, community, and professional settings

Participants come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, but share a commitment to gaining authentic understanding and becoming constructive leaders in their communities.

Our Goals

The Fellowship equips students to become Ambassadors of Change: leaders who can confidently bridge divides and create dialogue rooted in fact, context, and empathy.

We aim to:

  • Educate through authentic, apolitical, intelligence-based learning about the Middle East
  • Equip Fellows with tools, resources, and frameworks to deepen their understanding
  • Empower participants to bring knowledge back to their campuses and communities, inspiring constructive dialogue and building trust across divides

The Fellowship Experience

  • Weekly Live Zoom Sessions: Led by Avi and regional experts, with real-time interaction
  • Exclusive Resources: Access to ITME’s glossary, slide decks, curated tools, and digital portal
  • Mentorship: Direct engagement with Avi and ITME’s educator network
  • Capstone Retreat: A culminating in-person experience for Fellows to connect, reflect, and present projects
  • Alumni Network: Ongoing connection, opportunities, and leadership development

The Impact

Graduates of the Fellowship emerge as resilient young leaders who can:

  • Hold Israel as a unifying part of their identity, not a source of division
  • Lead nuanced and inclusive conversations in polarized spaces
  • Bridge divides on campus and beyond
  • Bring authentic Middle Eastern voices into Western discourse

The program doesn’t end when it ends. Fellows join a growing international alumni network, a leadership pipeline for ITME’s broader initiatives and for the next generation of Jewish and global leadership.

Why It Matters

For funders, the Fellowship is the engine of ITME’s impact: a replicable, scalable model that cultivates the leaders the Jewish world and its allies urgently need.

For candidates, it’s a chance to join a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience that is immersive, apolitical, and transformative.

For the broader public, it is a model of what’s possible when education replaces advocacy, when authentic voices are elevated, and when critical thinking becomes the foundation for dialogue.

👉 Apply Now | Support the Fellowship | Learn More About ITME

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Avi Melamed
Avi Melamedhttps://insidethemiddle-east.com
Avi Melamed is an expert on current affairs in the Arab & Muslim World and their impact on Israel & the Middle East. A former Israeli Intelligence Official & Senior Official on Arab Affairs, Fluent in Arabic, English, and Hebrew, he has held high-risk Government, Senior Advisory, Intelligence & Counter-Terrorist intelligence positions in Arab cities & communities - often in very sensitive times - on behalf of Israeli Government agencies. He is the Founder & CEO of Inside the Middle East | Intelligence Perspectives - an apolitical non-partisan curriculum using intelligence methodology to examine the Middle East. As an Author, Educator, Expert, and Strategic Intelligence Analyst, Avi provides Intelligence Analysis, Briefings, and Geopolitical Tours to diplomats, Israeli and foreign policymakers, global media outlets, and a wide variety of international businesses, organizations, and private clients on a range of Israel and Middle East Affairs.

Coleman B. Levy

Excellent explanation of the power struggle od Iran and Turkey and their respective methods to try and achieve their goals. A must read.

Susan

Avi’s book is a must read for everyone! He brings the Middle East, it’s history, countries, people and conflicts into very understandable focus. The region grapples with diverse players with varied agendas, and this book provides a roadmap to understanding and a look into possible futures for this important region.

William R. Hinson

I have long sought a book to explain what I thought was the source of most conflict in the Middle East: the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I obtained Inside the Middle East Entering A New Era and thought I would find the explanation I was looking for. This book gave me so much more than I expected! Mr. Melamed is not only a skilled writer, but an excellent educator! There are so many layers to the power struggles and conflicts in the Middle East that a casual observer can’t fathom. Mr. Melamed presents an overall picture of a complicated area and then peels back the layers that hide the true motivations of the players in this region. He uses concise historical thumbnails of Middle Eastern countries that give the reader an understanding of how and why they are where they are today without losing the reader in a sea of confusing detail. The index in the back of the book with an alphabetical listing of key individuals, organizations and concepts is incredibly helpful as a reference point as one is reading the book. I give Mr. Melamed great credit for his intimate understanding of the Middle East and his ability to convey his knowledge in an understandable form to his readers.

Yaron Ben

If you’re going to read ONE book about the Middle East, you MUST READ Inside The Middle East | Entering A New Era! The author does an incredible job of synthesizing events into one cohesive picture. The title does not disappoint. This book truly does take you inside the Middle East. The array of Arab voices the author cites and highlights bring information to the reader that is not covered in the Western media. Plus, the incredible number of maps really helped me follow the story in a very understandable way. This book offers a distinct and unique perspective on a broad array of Middle East issues – from Iran to Turkey; from Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria to Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia; from the Abraham Accords to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; from the realignments of interests to the changing balance of power in the region. Each chapter in itself and the entire book as a whole is gripping and eye-opening. It is clearly written by someone who has a rare understanding of the region. Avi Melamed is a voice that must be heard in the West! He has written the most comprehensive, understandable, and reader-friendly book on the Middle East that I have ever encountered. A MUST read for anyone who wants to really understand the region!

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New book by Avi Melamed, acclaimed intelligence & geopolitical analyst - Inside the middle east | Entering a new era | published in 2022

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