Join Mr. Zohar Palti, former director of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they discuss Israel’s security posture after the October 7 attacks, strategic lessons of the war in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and beyond, and the implications of the Trump-brokered peace agreement for Israel, the broader Middle East, and global security. Drawing on decades of experience within Israel’s security and intelligence community, Palti assesses the prospects for regional stability, the future of Hamas in Gaza, emerging opportunities and risks in Lebanon and Syria, and the critical role of U.S.–Israel cooperation in countering Iranian aggression. Palti reflects on the necessity of sustained American engagement in the Middle East and the shared responsibility of democratic nations to confront terrorist and proxy threats while upholding the democratic principles they seek to protect.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Zohar Palti is the former Director of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau at Israel’s Ministry of Defense. He previously led the Mossad Intelligence Directorate and served as the agency’s Chief of Counterterrorism, following twenty-five years in the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Corps. Mr. Palti has also been a senior research fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and is currently a fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded him the Medal for Distinguished Public Service for strengthening U.S.–Israel strategic defense cooperation.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Join Dr. Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they examine the nature of the Islamic Republic, Western misunderstandings about the regime and why engagement strategies have repeatedly failed, and the widening gap between the regime’s propagandized image of strength and the vulnerabilities revealed in recent conflicts. Drawing on recent events, including the 12-day Israeli campaign exposing profound intelligence and air-defense failures, Ansari examines the IRGC’s struggles to reconstitute its terrorist and militia proxies in the region while confronting severe financial and economic crises at home, including shortages of electricity and a growing water crisis in the capital city of Tehran. Despite these mounting pressures, Ansari reflects on Iran’s potential futures, from the emergence of new leadership to the enduring resilience of the Iranian people.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Ali Ansari is a Professor of Iranian History, the Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, and a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. As a leading historian of modern Iran, Dr. Ansari combines archival research with a deep understanding of Iranian political culture and nationalism. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and President of the British Institute of Persian Studies. His books include Modern Iran since 1797 and Confronting Iran.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Join Dr. Francisco Sagasti, former President of Peru, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they discuss lessons from Sagasti's leadership, regional challenges to freedom and prosperity in Latin America, and his latest books, which explore the life and relevance of Sir Francis Bacon’s philosophy for today’s international system. Reflecting on Peru’s turbulent political landscape and its role in a new era of geopolitical competition, Sagasti shares his perspective on the recent ouster of President Dina Boluarte and his advice to the interim leadership. He explores the roots of popular discontent in Peru, the demands of citizens seeking accountable governance, and his concerns about sovereignty from an economic and cognitive warfare perspective. Despite these pressures, Sagasti discusses his continued confidence in democracy and the qualities that must be rekindled in political leadership to sustain it for future generations.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Dr. Francisco Sagasti served as President of Peru from November 2020 to July 2021. Sagasti previously served in the Peruvian Congress where he headed his party’s parliamentary caucus and chaired the Science, Technology, and Innovation Committee. He has been Head of Strategic Planning at the World Bank and President of the United Nations Council on Science and Technology. Sagasti has taught at the Wharton School, IE Business School, and the University for Peace in Costa Rica. Sagasti is currently a professor at Pacífico Business School in Lima. He is the founder of the Peruvian think tank GRADE. He is a prolific scholar who has authored over 25 books and hundreds of academic papers. Sagasti holds engineering degrees from the National Engineering University in Peru and Penn State University, as well as a PhD in operations research and social systems sciences from the University of Pennsylvania.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.