2026 CAMDEN CONFERENCE

Vali Nasr, Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), explains "the rise of Israel and the unraveling of Iran" and their impacts on the Middle East as a whole. Charting events since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Nasr identifies April 2024 as the crucial turning point when Israel decided to expand its war in Gaza to a broader fight against the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance." This speech was delivered February 20, 2026, eight days prior to Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion, the joint U.S.- Israeli strikes on Iran of February 28, 2026. It was the keynote address for the 39th Annual Camden Conference, "Today's Middle East: Power, Politics & Players," held February 20-22, 2026 in Camden, Maine. Q+A moderated by Meghna Chakrabarti, host and editor of NPR's On Point.

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Joshua Landis, Professor and Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma's Boren College of International Studies, explains that post-Ottoman and post- WWI modern Middle Eastern history should be understood in terms of the rise of the nation-state, as well as the lasting legacy of colonialism. An incisive talk that unpacks what Landis calls the "Great Sorting Out," the brutal and ongoing process, pervasive throughout the region, by which "borders are kept the same and people are changed to fit the borders." Landis' talk was delivered February 21, 2026 in Camden, Maine as part of the 39th Annual Camden Conference, "Today's Middle East: Power, Politics & Players."

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Journalist Suzy Hansen, a 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of the forthcoming book "From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in the Age of Erdoğan" (April 2026), explains how and why Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the former Prime Minister and current President of Turkey, has been able to remain in power for over twenty years. Hansen also explains what has happened to Turkey during this time and its transformation from "aspiring democracy" to "strange new autocracy." She draws a remarkable parallel between the Turkish and American political scenes. Hansen's talk was delivered at the 39th Annual Camden Conference, "Today's Middle East: Power, Politics & Players," held February 20-22, 2026 in Camden, Maine.

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Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Director of the Institute for Transregional Study of the Contemporary Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia at Princeton University, discusses Saudi Arabia, its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), and how the United States should think about this country and this man. Claiming that "It's best to have a completely unvarnished, super cynical, often pessimistic view of the [Middle East] region in order to understand it," Haykel entertains while simultaneously shedding much light. Talk delivered at the 39th Annual Camden Conference, "Today's Middle East: Power, Politics & Players," held February 20-22, 2026 in Camden, Maine.

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Omar Dajani, Professor of International Law at the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law, posits that Israel and Palestine are a single space and should therefore be thought of as a single homeland. "Peace building and bridge building have something in common," argues Dajani. "When you build a bridge, like when you build peace, you've got to build it from both sides, not just one." Dajani's talk was delivered at the 39th Annual Camden Conference, "Today's Middle East: Power, Politics & Players," held February 20-22, 2026 in Camden, Maine.

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Professor Joshua Landis, Journalist Suzy Hansen, Professor Omar Dajani, Former UN Special Adviser Stephanie Williams, and Former UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman wrap up the 39th Annual Camden Conference, "Today's Middle East: Power, Politics & Players," held February 20-22, 2026 in Camden, Maine. This extended Q+A with a live audience was moderated by Meghna Chakrabarti, host and editor of NPR's On Point.

***Unfortunately, due to the combined time pressures of a very large impending winter storm and the outbreak of the Iran War, conference speakers Vali Nasr, Robin Wright, Bernard Haykel, Suzanne Maloney, and Ethan Bronner were unable to participate in this final panel.***

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