Kurdish regional authorities have called for an independence referendum for Iraqi Kurdistan on September 25. According to the Kurdistan Region’s Independent High Electoral and Referendum Commission (IHREC), more than 5 million people across Erbil, Baghdad, and the Kurdish diaspora are eligible to vote. However the United States, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and many internal groups are all opposed to the independence referendum. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani to delay the vote because America fears it would detract from “more urgent priorities” in the region, such as defeating the ISIS terror group and lowering oil prices.
Speakers will discuss the geopolitical implications of the referendum passing, the expected results, and the feelings of the electorate. In addition, the speakers will discuss the Israeli connection to the Kurdish people and current cooperation between Jerusalem and Erbil.
Speakers include:
Ceng Sagnic: Coordinator of the Kurdish Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center.
Sirwan Kajjo: a Kurdish-Syrian reporter who covers Kurdish affairs extensively. Dr. Nahro Zagros: Vice President of Soran University and one of the editors of “Iraqi Kurdistan: A Path Forward” a book that was published by the Johns Hopkins University.
