SPEAKING TOURS
ITME ON THE ROAD
| Season 6 |
UPCOMING North American Tour
February 9 - April 19, 2026
What Does Avi Speak About?
Avi Melamed’s speaking tours offer apolitical, interactive, intelligence-based briefings grounded in ITME’s philosophy that to understand Israel, we must understand the Middle East.
These briefings provide the regional context essential for navigating today’s most complex and polarized conversations.
Rather than telling people what to think, ITME Briefings teach people how to think.
Participants leave with a clearer, more contextualized understanding of the Middle East and Israel, greater confidence engaging complex conversations, and the ability to approach difficult topics with nuance rather than slogans. In doing so, the briefings educate broadly while laying the foundation for deeper learning, critical thinking, and constructive engagement across differences.
Why Communities Invite Avi
Across North America and beyond, communities are struggling to navigate conversations about the Middle East that feel increasingly polarized, confusing, and emotionally charged. Many existing programs fall into one of two categories: advocacy, which promotes a position, or education that reflects a narrow, Western lens.
Communities invite Avi Melamed when they are seeking clarity rather than persuasion.
His briefings offer a shared educational foundation rooted in regional context, internal dynamics, and perspectives and voices from within the Middle East itself which help people understand Israel in the context of the region.
This distinct approach allows people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and knowledge levels to learn together, remain engaged, and move beyond talking points toward understanding.
Who These Speaking Tours Are For
ITME speaking tours are designed for diverse, mixed audiences and are effective across a wide range of settings.
They are well-suited for:
- Community-wide programs
- Organizational staff and leadership
- Educators and students
- Emerging professionals and lay leaders
- Donors and engaged civic groups
The briefings work equally well for:
- Small leadership or donor forums
- Medium-sized community or campus programs
- Large public events, conferences, and plenary sessions
This flexibility makes ITME Briefings a powerful entry point for communities seeking broad engagement as well as targeted learning.
What Makes These Briefings Different
ITME Briefings are not advocacy programs.
They are built on apolitical, intelligence-based education that prioritizes context, analysis, and regional perspective. Avi does not argue for a position or tell audiences what conclusions to reach. Instead, he equips participants with the frameworks needed to think critically and independently.
By elevating perspectives and discourse from within the Middle East that are often absent from Western conversations, the briefings lower defensiveness, reduce polarization, and make complexity accessible. This allows people with different viewpoints to stay in the room together and engage constructively.
Outcomes for Participants and Communities
Communities that host ITME speaking tours report that participants:
- Gain clarity where there was previously confusion
- Feel more confident engaging complex or sensitive conversations
- Develop a deeper, more contextualized understanding of regional dynamics
- Are better equipped to listen, question, and respond thoughtfully
- Move from reactive discussion to informed, constructive engagement
For many, an ITME Briefing becomes the starting point for continued learning through courses, fellowships, and deeper educational engagement.
Program Formats and Customization
Speaking tours can be customized to meet the needs of each host community and may include:
- In-person or virtual briefings
- One-time events or multi-session visits
- Programs for general audiences or targeted groups
ITME works closely with host organizations to ensure that each briefing aligns with the goals, audience, and context of the community.
Invite Avi to Your Community
If your community is seeking clarity, context, and constructive engagement rather than ideology or advocacy, we invite you to explore hosting an ITME speaking tour.
To begin a conversation about inviting Avi Melamed to your community, please **@*********an.com“>contact us to discuss your goals and needs.
“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
| FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY BELOW |
| PREVIOUS INTERNATIONAL SPEAKING & TEACHING TOURS |
Inside The Middle East | Intelligence Perspectives [ITME] is dedicated to apolitical, non-partisan education about the Middle East.
ITME provides customized educational experiences, knowledge, tools, and resources to organizations, private individuals, students,
practitioners, and leaders.
We believe that by providing individuals with the knowledge, skills, and tools to engage in constructive, productive, and tolerant dialogue, as well as fostering enriching encounters among people from diverse ideological backgrounds, we can help them gain a comprehensive understanding of Israel, the Middle East, and effectively navigate the complexities of our global landscape.
#Jerusalem and the Land of Israel were the spiritual, religious, and political cradle of the Jewish people 3,000 years ago.
In the 7th century, the region was conquered by one of history’s largest imperial expansions—the Islamic Caliphate, originating in the Arabian Peninsula.
The cities of occupied Palestine🇵🇸 before colonization.
My great-grandfather lived in Jerusalem’s Old City in the 1800s. He was CFO of the Yohanan ben Zakai Synagogue, founded in the early 17th century.
Most Palestinians trace their roots to 19th century immigration from Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Africa, and the Balkans.
Facts
They came to Palestine as refugees with these permits.
They now claim to own the land...
Note the script in Parentheses (א"י).
These are the Hebrew initials of Eretz Yisrael.
Meaning: the Land of Israel.
Lesson in history indeed.
Facts matter.
History
The British accent makes it sound powerful, though it is totally wrong. Quick homework: the Shia Hashshashin (the source of the term 'Assassins') a terror group operated in the 11th–13th centuries. Christians gangs terrorized the continent in the 14th century.
Enough already with
The “war on terror” began over a century ago in colonial India and Ireland, where resistance was criminalised and entire populations were surveilled, detained, and brutalised.
Those same tactics were later imported to the UK, rebranded, and used against Black and Muslim
>> Watch now on Youtube >>
>> Watch now on Youtube >>
