Sami Zahed

My name is Sami Zahed and I am entering my final year as a Politics and International Relations student at Royal Holloway, University of London. Part of my degree program includes a course on contemporary Middle East politics, in addition to my dissertation, which is being written on the subject of the Gulf States and their emerging political rivalries. In addition, I was recently elected President of Royal Holloway’s Middle East Society, giving me another avenue to express my interest and passion for all things Middle Eastern.

From my earliest memories of being aware of politics, the Arab-Israeli conflict had always caught my attention, not only due to my Lebanese background, but also owing to the timescale and seeming despair of the situation. Something that always struck me as unusual was the lack of a voice for the Palestinian leadership in Western political discourse, as opposed to their Israeli counterparts.

What attracted me to ATFP was the organisation’s committed advocacy of the urgency for the two-state-solution to be implemented in order to resolve the conflict. I am of the opinion that this is the only viable option for lasting peace in the region as it is built on decades of consensus between not only the parties present at Oslo, but also the international community and the Arab League. As someone who believes that the aspirations of the Palestinian people will only reach their full potential with the creation of the Palestinian state, I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with ATFP on advocating this case.

Follow Sami on Twitter: @samizahed29 [2]