Northwestern University

03/12/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/12/2026 09:37

Experts available on Middle East conflicts

Experts available on Middle East conflicts

Media Information

  • Release Date: March 12, 2026

Media Contacts

Northwestern Media Relations

Several faculty are available to discuss the complex history and broad impact of the Israeli-Hamas conflict in the Middle East.

Connect with them directly using the contact information below, or reach out to media relations for assistance.

Interview experts on the Middle East conflict

Ibrahim N. Abusharif

Associate professor in Residence in the Journalism and Strategic Communication Program at Northwestern University in Qatar

  • Why Israeli narratives overpower Palestinian voices in Western discourse
  • Islamic discourses and polemics online
  • Religious authority in the digital age, with emphasis on contemporary Islam

Danielle Gilbert

Assistant Professor of Political Science

  • Causes and consequences of hostage taking in international security
  • How and why rebels kidnap
  • Hostage diplomacy and state-led hostage taking
  • Organizational dynamics of armed groups

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd

Professor of Political Science and Professor & Chair of Religious Studies

  • Politics of religious diversity
  • Middle East politics

Ian Hurd

Professor of Political Science

  • International relations, organizations and theory
  • Politics of legitimacy and how it is created, used, and contested in international relations

Ian Kelly

Ambassador in Residence, International Studies and Slavic Languages and Literature

  • Global diplomatic strategy for solving the decades-long conflict

Prior to joining Northwestern's faculty as ambassador in residence, Ian Kelly was U.S. ambassador to Georgia, ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, State Department spokesperson, and director of the Office of Russian Affairs in Washington, D.C. In these roles, Amb. Kelly often dealt with the diplomacy of the conflict, meeting frequently with President Barack Obama's Middle East envoys.

Shmulik Nili

Associate Professor of Political Science

  • Ethics, power and political violence
  • Comparison between U.S. and Israeli politics
  • Ethics of hostage situations

Jessica Winegar

Professor of Anthropology and Middle East and North African Studies

  • Middle East residents' views of the conflict
  • U.S. media bias in covering the events
  • Activism in support of Palestinian rights in the U.S.

Olga Kamenchuk Nisbet

Associate Professor of Instruction at the School of Communication, Northwestern University

  • Russia's role in Middle Eastern geopolitics, including relations with Iran and regional power dynamics

  • The impact of conflicts in the Middle East on global energy markets and oil pricing

  • International negotiation dynamics in armed conflicts and ceasefire processes

  • U.S., European, and Russian strategic interests in the Middle East

  • The Russia-Ukraine war and evolving military technologies, including the use of drones

  • Information warfare, propaganda, and misinformation surrounding international conflicts

  • Media narratives and public opinion in wartime

  • Negotiation strategies used by state leaders and international mediators

  • The role of global media and digital platforms in shaping conflict perception

Northwestern University published this content on March 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 12, 2026 at 15:37 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]