The Kurds: Redrawing the Middle East

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.