The Middle East Institute is pleased to welcome Khaled Elgindy as senior fellow and director of its new Program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli Affairs. Khaled previously served as a resident scholar in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution from 2010 through 2018 and is the author of the newly published book, Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump (Brookings Institution Press, April 2019).
“Khaled has established a strong record of scholarship, and his work is well-respected in the region as well as in the Washington policy community,” said MEI President Paul Salem. “MEI is delighted to have him lend his wisdom and experience to its work.”
Amb. Jerry Feierstein, MEI senior vice president and director of its Policy Center, said, “As someone who has worked for both the U.S. government and the PLO leadership, Khaled brings a unique perspective and unparalleled expertise and depth to the issue.”
Prior to his work at Brookings, Khaled served as an adviser to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel from 2004 to 2009, and was a key participant in the Annapolis negotiations of 2007-08. Khaled has held a number of political and policy-related positions in Washington, DC, both inside and outside of government, including as a professional staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee in 2002 and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) from 2000 to 2002.
Khaled will oversee MEI’s newly launched Program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli Affairs. The program will examine the future of Palestinian politics and the Palestinian national movement as well as the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the role of the conflict in the stability of the broader Middle East.
“This initiative is a unique program that expands our scholarship on Palestinian political, social, and economic developments, which are critical issues often overlooked in seeking solutions to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” said MEI President Paul Salem.