Recording- 2026 Gildenhorn Family Lecture
April 14, 2026
U.S. -Israel Relations in a Changing Middle East
This lecture is presented by the Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies and the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland.
About the Speaker
As a distinguished diplomat and foreign policy expert, Shapiro brings more than two decades of senior U.S. government experience. He served as U.S. ambassador to Israel for over five years under President Obama, and his government tenure included service on the National Security Council, where he coordinated Middle East policy and strategic initiatives, and the U.S. Department of State, where he was the first senior official dedicated to Middle East regional integration. Most recently, he was the top Middle East policy official at the Pentagon, serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East.
In addition to his government service, Shapiro served as a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, where he spearheaded the N7 Initiative focused on regional integration, and as a distinguished visiting fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
Watch the Recording