Islamic militant operatives are abandoning al Qaida cells in Yemen and Africa to join “IS” forces seizing territory in Iraq and Syria.
The emerging Islamist State movement has escalated its aggressive and violent conquest of territory in Iraq and in Syria with aspirations that extend into Lebanon and Jordan, with potentially destabilizing effect across the region. The far-reaching implications concern minorities (Kurds, Yadzhis, Christians and others), the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinians, as well as current cease-fire negotiations led by Egypt.
Moshe Maoz, professor emeritus of the Hebrew University’s Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and a world-renowned expert on Arab and Middle East affairs, will analyze the brutal new realities of the Middle East including IS and other extremist Islamic groups reported to be gaining traction as they persecute minorities throughout the Arab world.
