The Middle East has witnessed tremendous security challenges and geopolitical shifts over the past two years, seen by many as ushering in a new era in many parts of the region. The Gaza war has created a humanitarian tragedy unseen before, further eroded stability in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon, and changed the balance of power in the region from the Mediterranean to the Gulf.
The geopolitical shifts since October 2023 have renewed national security threats in stable countries in the region, resulted in halting efforts at peace making and normalization among regional powers, and led to unforeseen and dramatic changes in political rule in Syria, while some of the civil wars that have ravaged the region are left unresolved, such as in Sudan and Yemen.
Today, the Middle East and its neighbouring countries — Arab states, Israel, Turkey, and Iran — are searching for ways and policies to assert their influence in the region. At the same time, transatlantic relations have undergone substantial shifts along the incoming of a new U.S. administration in January 2025, while a new coalition government has formed in spring 2025 in Germany as well.
Under the title “Crisis in Transatlantic Relations and a New Middle East”, the panel discussion will therefore shed light on the rapid developments across the region, discuss the changes in the European-American relationship and explore the implications for the United States’, Europe’s and also Germany’s approach towards the region.
