Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib leads Realign For Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse and develops a new policy framework for rejuvenated pro-Palestine advocacy. Realign For Palestine aims to cultivate a new generation of Palestinian voices committed to a two-nation solution, nonviolence, and radical pragmatism. Alkhatib serves as a resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs, where he writes extensively on Gaza’s political and humanitarian affairs, is an outspoken critic of Hamas, and promotes a radically pragmatic approach to peace and Palestinian statehood as the only path forward between Palestinians and Israelis. His writing and opinions have been published and featured across the US, Israeli, and international press, and his views are prominently featured across social media platforms. Alkhatib holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in intelligence and national security studies. He grew up in Gaza City and left Gaza in 2005 to attend college in the United States as an exchange student. Much of Ahmed’s experience is influenced by having grown up in Gaza during the Oslo peace process—and during the difficulties resulting from Oslo’s failure—and the rise of Hamas and Islamism in Gaza. Since the October 7 massacre, Alkhatib’s life has been deeply impacted by the loss of thirty-three of his immediate and extended family members, who were killed by three different Israeli airstrikes. Still, he aims to play a part in breaking the cycle of dehumanization and defying the cycle of hatred, incitement, violence, and revenge.

Melanie Robbins is the deputy director of Realign for Palestine with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Initiative. She drives project strategy, communications, outreach, and engagement. With experience in various peacebuilding tracks and development, Robbins brings a unique and innovative perspective on creating positive US engagement in Israel and Palestine. Robbins has previously worked with a Jewish and Palestinian youth education program, publishing a Hebrew-Arabic magazine and later serving as the director of development and international relations for Peace Now. Upon returning to the United States, Robbins joined the Anti-Defamation League as the deputy director for the New York/New Jersey region, where she was responsible for processing thousands of bias complaints, engaging policymakers, civil rights leaders, law enforcement, and communities on how to respond to hate, extremism, and antisemitism. Afterward, Robbins became director of global connections at the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest. Before joining the Atlantic Council, Robbins founded Blue Hills Strategy Group, a boutique media and strategy firm serving corporate clients and social organizations in strategic communications, development, and media production. Robbins has a BA with honors in political science, Middle East studies, and women and gender studies from Drew University and an MA in security and diplomacy from Tel Aviv University. In 2011, she published her book on peacebuilding and human rights in the West Bank and Gaza. She has also served as a fellow at the Center on Religion, Culture, and Conflict and worked closely with late Egyptian democracy leader Saad Eddin Ibrahim. Robbins is also an advisory board member of the New York-based Muslim Jewish Solidarity Committee.

Ned Lazarus is Teaching Associate Professor of International Affairs at the Elliott School and an Israel Institute Teaching Fellow. A Conflict Resolution scholar, practitioner and evaluator, Ned has conducted evaluative studies of peacebuilding initiatives on behalf of USAID, USIP, the European Union and the US Department of State. Ned has taught Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, Georgetown University, American University, the University of Malta and the University of Massachusetts-Boston; his research has been published in Peace and Change, International Journal of Conflict Engagement and Resolution, Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, Palestine-Israel Journal, and Israel Studies Review. Ned earned his doctorate from American University's School of International Service in 2011; his dissertation traces the long-term impact of peace education participation among more than 800 Israeli and Palestinian Seeds of Peace participants from adolescence through adulthood. Before entering the academic field, Ned served as Middle East Program Director for Seeds of Peace, based in Jerusalem, from 1996-2004.