A Conversation with Dr. Abdelhamid Siyam – UAE Normalization with Israel

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Dr. Abdelhamid Siyam will discuss the recent normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel; its implications, impact on the Palestinian struggle and possible responses and reactions from the Palestinian and world community. He will also discuss the state of the Palestinian national case and the options available to the Palestinian Authority.

Siyam is currently a professor of Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers, the State University of NJ since 2007.

He is teaching courses on United Nations and the Middle East, Islam and Democracy, Contemporary Politics in Middle East, Arab-Israeli Conflict, Media in the Arab World and others.

Prior to joining Rutgers University, Siyam has been working for the United Nations (UN) for over 25 years as Political Affairs Officer, Information Officer at the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Spokesman for the UN Mission in Western Sahara, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Iraq and chief of Radio and News Centre at the “Department of Public Information.”

On August 2008 he started publishing a weekly columnist in the Arabic daily, Alquds Alarabi and he became the Bureau Chief of the paper at the United Nations Headquarters in New York  since March 2014.

In October 2010, he published his book called “That Unforgettable Day” ذلك اليوم العصيب, in memory of his colleagues killed in the bombing of UN Headquarters in Baghdad on August 19, 2003.  Currently he is working on three books that deal with UN and ME crises for the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.

He is a regular commentator for Al-Jazeera, BBC, DW, France 24 and other media outlets. He is a free-lance consultant for UNFPA and ILO on media, communication and population.  Siyam is a media trainer for journalists and senior government officials on communication skills.  He conducted numerous workshops in Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Syria, Switzerland, and many others.

He obtained his B.A. in Arabic Language and Literature from the University of Jordan, his M.A. in International Relations from New York University (NYU) and his PhD in International Relations from the City University of New York (CUNY).