THE BRIEFING ROOM

FROM THE MIDDLE EAST | ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST | BY AVI MELAMED

ITME | Inside The Middle East – Intelligence Perspectives provides apolitical, intelligence-based Middle East education grounded in regional context and incorporating regional voices absent from Western discourse.
 

(Re) Introducing The Briefing Room

Now Open To The Public!  For years, the Briefing Room was reserved for private organizations and select audiences. In response to increasing demand, we’re relaunching it with a new format, new technologies, and new voices — live and unfiltered. Free access. Live participation. No filters.

The Middle East is a chain of links - what happens in one place impacts what happens in another. And what happens in the Middle East does not stay in the Middle East.

If you haven't registered yet for the next Breifing Room, enter your email below >>

On May 15 we will email you the link to join the live session >>

The Briefing Room is a live, interactive podcast.
 
Each episode features Avi Melamed in conversation with one expert from the Middle East about the Middle East, offering real-time discussion of current geopolitics through voices often absent from Western discourse. Plus you will have the opportunity to engage directly through an interactive Q&A.
What You’ll Get: 

  • A chance to learn directly from Avi Melamed, a leading Middle East analyst and founder of ITME, and his distinguished guests
  • Expert insights and perspectives from regional voices
  • Insider access to current, in-depth analysis that you won’t find in Western media
  • In-depth understanding of current geopolitical events
  • Interactive Q & A
  • Resources and tools to connect the dots and see the big picture of the Middle East

More than a geopolitical podcast, The Briefing Room provides rare access to Ambassadors of Change working to influence how the Middle East is understood in the West—offering insight into both current issues and their personal stories!

PREVIOUSLY ON THE BRIEFING ROOM

Hussain Abdul-Hussain

Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the author of the book The Arab Case for Israel (Wicked Son/Post Hill Press 2026). He champions immediate, unconditional, and comprehensive peace between every Arab nation and the Jewish state.
 
Raised in Beirut, Baghdad, and Baalbek, cities that have repeatedly served as epicenters of the Middle East’s most seismic conflicts, Hussain’s research focuses on Arab affairs, spanning Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Sudan.
 
His career launched as a reporter, and later managing editor, at Beirut’s The Daily Star. In Washington, he helped launch and manage the congressionally funded Arabic satellite network Alhurra Iraq before leading the Washington bureau of the Kuwaiti daily Alrai. He has also served as a Visiting Fellow at London’s Chatham House.
 
Hussain’s articles in English have appeared in several outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. He also publishes regularly in Arabic media. He holds a degree in history and archaeology from the American University of Beirut and is fluent in English, Arabic, and Hebrew.

CLICK HERE TO BUY HUSSAIN'S BOOK

THE TALIBAN RETAKE AFGHANISTAN | WITH MAIAHAN WALI

Our Regional Guest Was Maihan Wali, Founder Of Women’s Empowerment Through Sport In Afghanistan And An Alumna Of The Inside The Middle East Intelligence Perspectives Program!

>> To Read more about Women Empowerment Through Sport

THE COUP IN SUDAN | A POWER STRUGGLE OVER SUDAN'S FUTURE |WITH ABU BAKR

Our Regional Guest Was Mohamed Abu Bakr, President, The African Middle Eastern Leadership Project (AMEL).

>> To Read more about The African Middle Eastern Leadership Project

EGYPT, UM AL-DUNYA “THE MOTHER OF THE WORLD” | WITH DALIA ZIADA

Our Regional Guest Was Dalia Ziada, Founder And Director, Liberal Democracy Institute. Board Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee at Egypt's National Council for Women

>> To Read more about The Liberal Democracy Institute

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES & THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS | WITH AHMED OBAID ALMANSOORI

Our Regional Guest Was Ahmed Obaid Almansoori, Former Member Of The United Arab Emirates Federal National Council; Founder, Crossroad Of Civilizations Museum.

>> To Read more about The Crossroad Of Civilizations Museum

LEBANON | THE TRAGIC TRAJECTORY OF THE PARIS OF THE MIDDLE EAST | WITH HUSSAIN ABDUL-HUSSAIN

Our Regional Guest Was Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Former Managing Editor At Beirut’s The Daily Star. Reporting From War Zones In Lebanon And Iraq. Former Head Of The Washington Bureau Of Kuwaiti Daily Alrai. Hussain Is Currently A Research Fellow At The Foundation For Defense Of Democracies.

>> To Read more about The Foundation For Defense Of Democracies

SUNNIS & SHI’ITES | AN ANCIENT & PRESENT RIVALRY SPECIAL | WITH AVI MELAMED

(PRIMER SESSION BY SPECIAL REQUEST)
The Briefing Room is designed to educate people about Israel’s neighborhood and connect people to the Middle East through knowledge & personal encounters!
Thanks to your support we can open the briefing room to more communities and organizations.

Join our educational mission | Make a secure donation Today

INSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST | ENTERING A NEW ERA - PERSPECTIVES FROM SYRIAN-BORN JOURNALIST | WITH HAYVI BOUZO

In March our regional guest will be Hayvi Bouzo, a Syrian broadcast journalist with over 12 years of experience as a Bureau Chief, T.V. host, blogger, and commentator, and the co-founded Yalla, a fun, fast-paced, Arab-language show about the people who are building the future of the Middle East.

>> To Read more about Hayvi Bouzo

2022 INSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST | THE NEW ERA & THE ANCIENT JEWISH COMMUNITIES | RABBI MENDY CHITRIK

In April our regional guest will be Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, the Chief Rabbi of Turkey, the Founder and Chairman of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States.

>> To Read more about The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States
Join our educational mission | Make a secure donation TODAY