December 22, 2025 | “The Middle East in 2026” with Robert Silverman

Former US foreign service officer Robert Silverman will break down the shifting balance of power in the Middle East as it heads toward 2026. He will examine the region’s five enduring power centers—Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Egypt—and explain why shared threat perceptions toward Iran do not automatically translate into lasting alliances. While these states often compete for influence in places like Syria, Silverman will argue that a durable regional alignment is still possible—provided it is led and sustained by the United States. The conversation will also explore how the Trump Administration’s newly released National Security Strategy aligns with this approach.

Robert Silverman is a former U.S. diplomat with 27 years of experience primarily working in and on the Middle East. He served as political counselor in Israel, economic counselor in Saudi Arabia, deputy chief of mission in Sweden and governance coordinator of Salah al-Din Province of Iraq, among nine overseas assignments. In Washington, he was elected to serve as president of the American Foreign Service Association by its17,000 members.

Silverman currently teaches at Shalem College in Jerusalem in the Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy departments. He edits the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune  (www.jstribune.com), a foreign affairs journal. He is also president and co-founder of IJMA, the Inter- Jewish Muslim Alliance (www.ijma-alliance.org). Silverman holds a BA and an MPA from Princeton University and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School.