Keynote speakers announced for "Israel's Influence: Good or Bad for America?" conference

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rula Jebreal is an award-winning journalist, author, and foreign policy analyst. Her first novel, Miral, sold two million copies and was made into a major motion picture. She frequently appears on CNN, HBO and Bloomberg News, and has contributed op-eds to The New York Times, the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Newsweek, The Nation, and San Jose Mercury News. Jebreal has anchored multiple television shows in both Italy and Egypt, and reports extensively from across the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S., frequently challenging Islamophobic rhetoric and media on coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Jebreal will be discussing why lumping all Muslims into one monolithic, extremist-linked bracket is actually a victory for ISIS, as well as how and why the media abrogates its responsibility to cover all sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Gideon Levy is a journalist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and is widely considered the "dean" of Israeli journalism. His columns about politics, money, how Israel's military occupation is changing Israeli society and about U.S.-Israel relations are widely read and discussed around the world. Video of Levy's presentation at last year's conference has gone viral and received over 200,000 views. Levy will outline what politicians, members of Congress and media elites visiting Israel should know about the situation on the ground—as opposed to what hundreds are told on junkets organized by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The four major panel topics are elections & politics, foreign policy, grassroots/civil rights & free speech and the news media. Panelist Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, will analyze how Israel's government influences key policy decisions and how intelligence has been politicized to justify war in the Middle East.

Organizers listened to feedback from previous year attendees. The conference planning team quadrupled space for exhibitors, book and merchandise sales, author signings and media opportunities. Ticket includes a box lunch and post-conference reception.

Follow us on Twitter @IsraelInfluence or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/914716598565894/ for panel speaker updates.

The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (a National Press Club member) and the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep) are the sole conference organizers.

Visit http://IsraelsInfluence.org for info and early bird tickets available until December 31! You can also register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/israels-influence-good-or-bad-for-america-tickets-19017371470?ref=elink

SOURCE Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy