Mudar Zahran is a Jordanian Palestinian civil society leader, writer and political activist who lives in the UK, where he has been granted political asylum. He has long advocated an alternative Palestinian/Jordanian approach to regional issues, including promoting liberal democracy and tolerance as well as rapprochement with Israel.
Presently in Israel, Zahran has been interviewed on many media outlets and has spoken in the Knesset and universities over the course of the operation against Hamas in Gaza. Supporting the recent efforts to arrange a ceasefire, his tweets are followed by thousands; his opposition to Hamas has prompted hostile reactions.
Zahran will present his unusual perspective on the options available for Palestinians in the wake of Operation Protective Edge and current efforts being made by Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.