We are delighted to inform you that the Chair of the State of Qatar in Islamic Area Studies at Waseda University will host Majlis@Waseda on May 23, 2024. Here are some details about the event:
“The Gaza War and Regional Consequences: Assessing the Fallout”
Dr. Steven Wright, Associate Dean and Associate Professor,Hamad bin Khalifa university
Dr. Adel Abdel Ghafar, Program Director & Fellow, Middle East Council on Global Affairs
Thursday May 23, 17:30-19:00
Waseda University Building 14, Room 502
The protracted Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has since 7th October 2023 not only inflicted an enormous human toll but also unleashed far-reaching regional consequences that threaten to reshape the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. This special session of the Majlis@Waseda will critically examines the multidimensional fallout from the conflict, drawing on IR theory and regional expertise from two scholars working in the region to assess the implications for regional stability, great power competition, and the evolving security architecture of the Gulf.
While the Gaza war may have started as a localized conflict, its repercussions have reverberated across the region, impacting existing fault lines and creating new strategic challenges. The session will explore how the conflict has intersected with and amplified regional rivalries, assessing the role of key actors such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey in shaping the trajectory of the conflict. It will also examine the impact on the normalization process between Israel and Arab states, and will consider whether the war has derailed or merely delayed the realignment through the Abraham Accords.
The session will pay particular attention to the complex interplay between the Gaza war and the broader regional security environment, analyzing how the conflict has affected the calculus of deterrence and the risk of escalation. Given the direct attacks took place in April 2024 between Israel and Iran, it will engage with the risk of this escalating and will assess the potential for the war to spill over into a wider regional conflagration and what that means for Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and amongst others. It will aim to consider scenarios to evaluate the likelihood and consequences of direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran or its proxies.
Finally, the session will situate the Gaza war within the context of great power competition in the Middle East, examining how the conflict has both shaped and been shaped by the strategic interests and interventions of the United States, Russia, and China. It will explore the implications for regional order and stability, assessing the prospects for a sustainable resolution to the conflict and the broader challenges of promoting peace and security in a region which remains insecure and contested.Please pre-register if you wish to attend at: https://forms.gle/NHwJJZMmwjNemrTX7
