One year since the Hamas terror attack against Israel, the Middle East (West Asia) remains embroiled in a severe, multi-layered crisis. While Israeli operations in Gaza continue, and extend into Lebanon against Hezbollah, civilian casualties have mounted, and the view of a ‘new Middle East’ is contested. However, the undercurrents of change are surviving for now. The Abraham Accords have not imploded, and connectivity projects, such as IMEC and even the INSTC, suffering a setback, have not been written off. However, the situation in the region remains grim. This panel discussion investigates the current dilemma, probability of a wider war, and the future of geoeconomics on the other side of the current reality.

Speakers: 

Arun K Singh, Former Indian Ambassador to Israel, USA, and France

Indrani Bagchi, CEO, Ananta Aspen Centre

Aziz Alghashian, Senior Fellow, ORF Middle East

Deepika Saraswat, Associate Fellow, West Asia Centre, MP-IDSA

Moderator: 

Kabir Taneja, Deputy Director and Fellow, Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation