The Gaza Ceasefire: What’s Next?

Tuesday, July 6 // 10–11:30am (ET)

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict once again rose to the international agenda in May, as Israel and Hamas engaged in a bloody 11-day war. Following a tense confrontation between Israeli police and Palestinian protestors at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, Hamas militants in Gaza fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem. Over the next 11 days, Israel carried out airstrikes aimed at Hamas military infrastructure and Hamas fired rockets into Israel—at least 230 Palestinians and 12 Israelis were killed.

On May 21, the fighting stopped when a ceasefire mediated by the Egyptian government took effect. This panel welcomes Ambassador Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States, to discuss Egypt’s role in brokering the negotiation and Acting Assistant Secretary Joey Hood to comment on the Biden administration’s reaction. The Washington Institute's David Makovsky joins to discuss his views based on just completed travel to Israel and the West Bank.

Creating Livable Asian Cities: Challenges Ahead for Urbanization in Asia

Thursday, July 8 // 8:30–10am (ET)

In its latest report Creating Livable Asian Cities, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) identifies five priority areas in meeting the challenges of urbanization; namely urban planning, transport, energy, financial innovation, and disaster as well as climate resilience. The ADB’s lead contributors to the report will be discussing their findings and address the challenges ahead in making cities more livable across the Asia and the Pacific Region.

Justice Deferred: Race & The Supreme Court

Thursday, July 8 // 4–5:30pm (ET)

Justice Deferred: Race and the Supreme Court by civil rights attorney Armand Derfner and historian Vernon Burton tells the story of race by laying bare the complicity of the Court, narrating how we got to where we are. “Race” is America’s most salient topic today, and the Supreme Court a close second. These topics are combined in Justice Deferred. The book covers slavery, its aftermath, Reconstruction, Jim Crow and its dismantling, and modern problems, including criminal justice.