Briefing: The National Security Case for a Ceasefire (7/11/24)

Описание: Demand Progress Education Fund, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), and Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC) hosted a briefing on July 11, 2024, titled “The National Security Case for a Ceasefire.”

Past panels in our event series have spanned discussions around the strategic, humanitarian, and Israeli case for a ceasefire. In this event, we focused on the US national security implications of securing a ceasefire, as well as for regional security in the Middle East.

We were joined by former US Army Major and Executive Officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency, Harrison Mann, who recently resigned in response to ongoing US support for Israel’s war in Gaza, as well as Hala Rharrit, career diplomat and former State Department Spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa, who also resigned her post earlier this year over the US policy towards Gaza.

The panelists drew from their years of unique experience protecting and advancing US national security interests to discuss the risks and costs of current US policy towards the war in Gaza, including whether they are contributing to safety to our country and the Middle East region; the threat of a wider regional war bringing US and Iran into direct conflict; the scope of US involvement and complicity in the prosecution of Israel’s war in Gaza; their analysis of current ceasefire proposals and efforts; and analysis of what leverage the US has to secure a ceasefire.

The panel concluded with a Q&A section.

Panelists:
Harrison Mann, former US Army Major and Executive Officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency
Hala Rharrit, career diplomat and former State Department Spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa
Odeliya Matter, Program Assistant for Middle East Policy, FCNL (Moderator)