Lectures

The Middle East is being redrawn before our eyes. From Israel's confrontation with Iran and its nuclear ambitions to the collapse of the Assad regime and the emergence of a new Syria, this lecture goes beyond the headlines to explain the forces reshaping the region.

Drawing on more than three decades of frontline reporting, Itai Anghel takes audiences inside Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon and along the Iranian border, where regional conflicts are transforming the balance of power. Through exclusive documentary footage and first-hand accounts, he reveals how Iran's network of proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and other armed groups have altered the strategic landscape, and what these developments mean for Israel, the Middle East and the wider world.

Combining geopolitical analysis with personal stories from the field, this lecture offers a rare opportunity to understand one of the world's most volatile regions through the eyes of a journalist who has reported from places few outsiders have been able to reach.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is far more than a regional conflict. It is a turning point in global politics, challenging the international order and raising fundamental questions about security, democracy and the future of Europe.

Reporting from Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Itai Anghel covered the battle for Kyiv, documented the fighting in Donbas and met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the war. Through exclusive footage from the front lines, he examines the conflict from both the Ukrainian and Russian perspectives, explaining how Vladimir Putin's worldview shaped one of the most consequential wars of the 21st century.

The lecture explores the military, political and human dimensions of the conflict while assessing its global implications, from NATO and nuclear deterrence to the future relationship between Russia and the West.

Itai Anghel's documentary Last Stop Before Kyiv received the Israeli Documentary Filmmakers Forum Award and was nominated for an International Emmy Award.

ISIS may have lost much of its territory, but the ideology that fueled its rise continues to shape the Middle East, and influence extremist movements around the world.

Over the past decade, the self-proclaimed Islamic State carried out genocide, enslaved minorities, destroyed entire communities and sought to establish a global caliphate. Its methods and worldview have inspired other jihadist organizations, including Hamas, whose October 7 attacks reflected many of ISIS's tactics and symbolism.

As the only Israeli journalist to report from the front lines against ISIS in both Syria and Iraq, Itai Anghel offers an insider's perspective on the group's rise, its military defeat and its enduring legacy. Through rare documentary footage, interviews with ISIS fighters and dynamic maps, he explains how the organization transformed the region, and why its ideas remain relevant long after the fall of its so-called caliphate.

The lecture provides essential context for understanding today's Middle East and the continuing evolution of global jihad.

How do you make decisions when every instinct tells you to turn back?

Based on experiences that inspired his TED talk, Itai Anghel reflects on more than three decades of reporting from the world's most dangerous conflict zones, including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, Lebanon and Gaza.

This is not only a lecture about war. It is about decision-making under extreme pressure, creativity in impossible situations and the ability to challenge conventional thinking. Anghel shares the personal dilemmas behind his work: entering places where Israelis are unwelcome, negotiating with armed militias, working alone without a crew, coping with fear and loss, and constantly adapting when plans collapse.

Illustrated with exclusive documentary footage, this lecture offers practical insights into leadership, resilience, innovation and thinking beyond accepted boundaries. It has become especially popular with business leaders, executives and organizations seeking fresh perspectives on leadership in times of uncertainty.

For decades, the Kurds were known as the world's largest nation without a state. Today, they have become one of the most influential, and least understood, forces shaping the modern Middle East.

With more than 40 million people spread across Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran, the Kurds have built autonomous regions, defeated ISIS on the battlefield and emerged as a key strategic player in regional politics. Their military forces are unique in placing women alongside men in frontline combat, and their struggle has drawn the attention of governments across the world.

Having reported on Kurdish communities for more than fifteen years, Itai Anghel documents their remarkable transformation, from an oppressed minority to a force capable of reshaping the region. Through exclusive footage from Iraq, Syria and the Iranian border, he explores Kurdish aspirations for independence, their complex relationship with Israel and the geopolitical dilemmas surrounding one of the Middle East's most important yet overlooked peoples.

This lecture offers a unique window into the future of a region whose borders may be changing once again.

Afghanistan has shaped the modern history of global terrorism more than any other country. It was here that Al-Qaeda emerged, Osama bin Laden found sanctuary, and the ideas behind the September 11 attacks took root. Two decades of international military intervention failed to prevent the Taliban's return to power, raising profound questions about the limits of Western influence.

Drawing on rare documentary footage from Afghanistan, Itai Anghel traces the country's turbulent history and explores the ideological foundations of global jihad. Beyond the battlefield, the lecture examines why Afghanistan has repeatedly defeated foreign powers, from the British Empire and the Soviet Union to the United States, and why its political and religious movements continue to influence conflicts across the Middle East and beyond.

This lecture provides essential historical context for understanding one of the world's most strategically important and misunderstood countries.

What began with a young street vendor setting himself on fire in Tunisia became the most dramatic wave of political upheaval the modern Middle East had ever experienced.

The Arab Spring promised democracy, reform and freedom. Instead, many countries descended into civil war, state collapse and the rise of extremist movements. Drawing on first-hand reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other countries at the heart of these historic events, Itai Anghel follows the extraordinary chain of events that transformed the region.

Through exclusive documentary footage and on-the-ground analysis, the lecture examines why hopes for democratic change gave way to instability, sectarian conflict and jihadist movements, and how those revolutions continue to shape today's Middle East.

An essential guide to understanding one of the defining geopolitical turning points of the 21st century.

Can one of the world's longest and most bitter conflicts offer lessons for the Middle East?

The struggle between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland revolved around identity, religion, history, borders and competing national aspirations, issues that often resonate with audiences familiar with the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Yet Northern Ireland also produced one of the most remarkable peace agreements of modern times.

Drawing on years of reporting from the region, Itai Anghel explores the origins of the conflict, the forces that sustained decades of violence and the political compromises that eventually made peace possible. Along the way, he examines the role of Brexit, the influence of the Irish diaspora in the United States and the cultural legacy of the conflict in film, music and politics.

Rather than offering simple comparisons, this lecture invites audiences to consider what can, and cannot, be learned from one of history's most successful peace processes.

The deadliest conflict since World War II has received remarkably little international attention.

The wars in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have claimed millions of lives, triggered one of history's worst humanitarian crises and left eastern Congo plagued by mass sexual violence and armed conflict to this day.

Having reported from both countries for many years, Itai Anghel traces the roots of these tragedies, from colonialism and the 1994 Rwandan genocide to the regional wars that followed. Through powerful documentary footage and personal encounters, he examines the political, ethnic and historical forces that continue to fuel violence across Central Africa.

The lecture also tells the story of a humanitarian initiative founded by Anghel, which has brought Israeli teams of gynecologists to eastern Congo to treat women who survived horrific wartime sexual violence.

A moving and eye-opening journey into one of the world's least understood conflicts.

For more than fifty years, the Assad regime looked immovable. Then, within days, it collapsed, and the Middle East entered a new era.

What does the fall of the regime mean for Israel? Is this the end of the Iranian axis, or the beginning of something no less dangerous? Who are the forces that seized power in Damascus, and can we still speak of a single Syria, or of a country broken into rival zones of control?

Itai Anghel, who has travelled repeatedly through Syria and documented its civil war at close range, brings exclusive footage from the ground and explains how Syria looks from the inside, far from the headlines. Alongside the reporting, he analyses the new forces at work in the region and their possible consequences for Israel, for Iran and for the future of the Middle East.

A current, urgent lecture on one of the most dramatic developments the region has seen in years.

The Yugoslav wars of the 1990s were a defining moment in modern history: a single country fractured into nations, religions and identities that turned on one another with extraordinary violence.

Itai Anghel traces the path from Yugoslavia's collapse to the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, and explains how a term like "ethnic cleansing" was born, and how it became a permanent part of international language.

Through rare footage and exclusive interviews, including an encounter with one of the world's most wanted war criminals, the lecture examines how states come apart, how wars ignite between neighbours who lived side by side for decades, and what all of it can still teach us about the conflicts of our own time.

A special version of this lecture is also available as an introduction to a screening of "Quo Vadis, Aida?", one of the most important films made about the Bosnian war.

The story of the Sicilian Mafia is not only one of organized crime. It is a story about power, politics, loyalty and the rule of law.

Through the history of Sicily, from foreign conquest to modern Italy, Itai Anghel explores the origins of Cosa Nostra, its codes of honor and its transformation into one of the world's most influential criminal organizations. The lecture follows the rise of the Corleonesi clan, the Mafia's expansion to the United States and the real events that inspired The Godfather and other iconic films.

Special attention is given to the courageous judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, whose fight against the Mafia changed Italy forever and ultimately cost them their lives.

The lecture concludes with a screening of Anghel's award-winning documentary Men of Honor: The War Against the Sicilian Mafia.

Football has never been just a game. Throughout modern history it has inspired revolutions, shaped national identities, fueled wars and reflected some of the world's deepest political conflicts.

Award-winning journalist Itai Anghel joins Israel's leading football commentator Nadav Yaacobi to explore the remarkable intersection of sport and geopolitics. From Barcelona and the Catalan independence movement to Egypt's Ultras, from dictators such as Franco and Mussolini to the Serbian militias that emerged from football terraces during the Balkan wars, the lecture reveals how football has repeatedly influenced world history.

Combining exclusive footage from conflict zones with historic matches, maps and unforgettable stories, Anghel and Yaacobi demonstrate how the world's most popular sport often serves as a window into struggles over identity, nationalism and power.

An entertaining, thought-provoking lecture for football fans and anyone interested in politics, history and international affairs.