FALL FOREIGN POLICY FORUM
Bringing Expert Insight on U.S. Foreign Policy to Maine!
With a fragile ceasefire in Gaza and a region transformed by two years of war, Washington faces growing pressure to clarify its vision for peace. As the U.S. brokers aid and prisoner exchanges and balances relationships with Israel and Arab partners, questions loom: What comes next for the Abraham Accords, the two-state solution, or America’s role as an arbiter of peace? Can the United States sustain its role as mediator and guarantor of stability in this new Middle East—or has the framework for peace fundamentally changed?
At this year’s Fall Foreign Policy Forum, NPR’s International Affairs Correspondent, Jackie Northam, will moderate an in-depth conversation with Ambassador (ret.) Yael Lempert and Khaled Elgindy—two experts with firsthand experience in U.S. diplomacy and U.S. mediated peace negotiations. Together, they will examine the new dynamics shaping Washington’s role in the Middle East: the long‑unresolved question of Palestinian statehood, the shifting prospects for Israel’s integration into a reshaped region, and the future of U.S. diplomacy as it seeks to balance enduring alliances with a dramatically changed strategic landscape.
Join us Wednesday, November 19th at Hannaford Hall on the Portland Campus of the University of Southern Maine. The evening begins with a networking reception, followed by the panel discussion, and audience Q&A. Thanks to the generous support of the William S. Jelin Foundation, the Forum is free and open to the public. Advanced Registration required. Additional details below.
Click here for additional program details
Evening Program
5:30 PM Opening Reception
6:15 PM Welcome Remarks
6:20 Conversation with Ambassador Yael Lempert and Khaled Elgindy, moderated by Jackie Northam
7:10 PM Audience Question and Answer
7:25 PM Closing Remarks
Venue: Hannaford Hall, Abromson Community Center, 88 Bedford St, University of Southern Maine, Portland
Tickets: attendance is free, advanced registration required
Paid parking is available in the Abromson Center garage. More information on parking HERE. Option to pay in advance HERE.
Click here more about our distinguished speakers and moderator
Ambassador (ret.) Yael Lempert most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to Jordan and previously as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. A career diplomat, she has held senior roles on the National Security Council and in U.S. embassies in Cairo, Tel Aviv, and Tunis, focusing on Arab‑Israeli relations, regional security, and Middle East peace negotiations. In September 2025 she joined the Middle East Institute as its Vice President for Outreach
Khaled Elgindy is a Visiting Scholar and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. He is the author of “Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump” (Brookings Institution Press, 2019). He has also served as Director of the Middle East Institute’s Program on Palestine and Israeli–Palestinian Affairs, and served as a resident scholar in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. Earlier in his career, he was an adviser to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel (2004–2009) and a key participant in the Annapolis peace talks of 2007–08.
Jackie Northam is NPR’s International Affairs Correspondent, a veteran journalist who has spent more than three decades reporting from conflict zones and world capitals across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Her work has spanned the fall of communism, post‑invasion Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan. Northam currently covers the intersection of geopolitics and global economics, including U.S.–China relations and sanctions policy. She has received multiple journalism honors, including the Edward R. Murrow and duPont‑Columbia Awards.
What is the Fall Foreign Policy Forum?
The annual Fall Foreign Policy Forum brings together experts and foreign policy practitioners to address crucial foreign policy issues facing U.S. decision makers. Hosted in partnership with the Muskie School of Public Service, the Fall Foreign Policy Forum provides Mainers with an opportunity to hear expert insight on international developments and how they impact U.S. interests in advance of the elections each November. This annual event is free and open to the general public courtesy of the William S. Jelin Foundation
Past Forums
Global Stakes with Local Ties: Community Perspectives on the Election and Foreign Policy
In 2024, the World Affairs Council of Maine hosted local community leaders to discuss the implications of foreign policy in the context of the 2024 presidential election. A panel of civil society leaders engaged on the issues and the impact of foreign policy in their lives and those of their neighbors.
U.S. Leadership in Pursuit of Middle East Peace: A 50 Year Legacy
In 2023, the World Affairs Council of Maine was honored to host Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer and Ambassador Jake Walles to explore the legacy of 50+ years of U.S. efforts to build lasting peace in the Middle East. This event featured a candid examination of American leadership of the peace process from the Camp David Accords to the Abraham Accords. Together with the Ambassadors, our distinguished guests were able to assess pivotal milestones, persistent challenges, and tangible outcomes of US diplomacy in the Middle East, including the current administration’s attempts to secure a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The War in Ukraine and Relations with China
In 2022, the World Affairs Council of Maine welcomed four U.S. Ambassadors to share their insights on the major foreign policy challenges facing the United States. Ambassadors Robert Cekuta, Judith Fergin, Robert Ford, and Pamela joined us to discuss the war in Ukraine, relations with China, Iran, energy security, world health, international development, rising authoritarianism, and climate change.
