The MENA Mix: Regional Recap is a monthly video podcast, produced by the Institute for Middle East Options (IMEO). Each episode features rotating experts who unpack and analyze key news stories shaping the Middle East and North Africa.
Our July episode brought together Ambassador Hesham Youssef (Senior Advisor, European Institute of Peace) and Nimrod Novik (EXCOM Member, Commanders for Israel's Security). Amongst other topics, they discussed the prospects of a ceasefire in Gaza, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, developments in the West Bank, and internal developments in Israel.
Ambassador Hesham Youssef
Ambassador Hesham Youssef is a retired career diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt and is currently a senior advisor at the European Institute of Peace. He was assistant secretary general for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and served in the Arab League for 14 years in multiple positions, including official spokesman and chief of staff to Amre Moussa and senior advisor to Nabil Elaraby. He has worked extensively on conflict resolution in the Middle East, particularly on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Iraq and Sudan. He has written several papers on reform in the Arab world and focused on fragility and the humanitarian situation in the Islamic world. He holds a Master's in economics and a second Master's in philosophy.
Dr. Nimrod Novik
Dr. Nimrod Novik was the senior policy advisor to Prime Minister Shimon Peres, a special Ambassador of the State of Israel, and an advisor to the Israeli National Security Council. He is associated with Commanders for Israel's Security, Israel Policy Forum, and the Economic Cooperation Foundation. Employing a network of security and diplomatic contacts in the Middle East and beyond, he has long been involved in Track II diplomacy. Before joining the PMO, he taught at the University of Pennsylvania and Tel Aviv University and engaged in research and analysis of Middle East regional dynamics, Israel’s security strategy and US-Israel relations. His military background is in the IDF intelligence branch.