Reimagining Palestine

Ayman Mohyeldin (Moderator)

Ayman Mohyeldin is the host of MSNBC’s “AYMAN,” airing from 7-9 pm ET on Saturdays and Sundays. The perspective program is Ayman’s take on the world of politics, current affairs, culture, and more. His program features global leaders, US politicians, journalists, and analysts on pressing US and international political, social, and cultural news items. He has anchored MSNBC’s breaking news coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and was involved in special coverage of the 2020 Election and the insurrection at the US Capitol. Mohyeldin has also field anchored during some of the biggest domestic and international news stories over the past decade. Previously, Mohyeldin spent many years as a foreign correspondent covering the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. He has reported from dozens of countries during times of war, political turmoil, and natural disasters. His coverage of the Arab Spring was praised for its distinction around the world. Mohyeldin also covered major conflicts including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Iraq war, revolutionary protests in Ukraine, and nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula. Mohyeldin developed and hosted the award-winning podcast from MSNBC, ‘American Radical.’ Mohyeldin was named by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2011. He has received multiple international awards including a Peabody, a Sigma Delta Chi Award, and the European Union’s Anna Lindh Foundation Award. He has been named as Journalist of the Year by both GQ Magazine and Esquire Magazine.

Laila Al-Arian

Laila Al-Arian is a Washington DC-based journalist and the executive producer of Fault Lines, an award-winning current affairs program on Al Jazeera English. She began her time on the program as a producer, making documentaries on subjects ranging from the Trump administration’s Muslim ban to the impact of the heroin epidemic on children and an investigation into factory conditions producing garments for Walmart and Gap in Bangladesh. For her work, she has been honored with two News and Documentary Emmys, a Peabody, George Polk, Robert F Kennedy Award in journalism, and Overseas Press Club award. She has been nominated for 19 News and Documentary Emmys. Prior to joining Fault Lines, she worked for the news department at Al Jazeera English, covering stories such as Guantanamo Bay’s youngest detainee and the re-settlement of Iraqi refugees in the U.S. Her work has appeared in The Nation, Salon, The Independent, and other publications, and she is co-author of the book Collateral Damage: America’s War Against Iraqi Civilians.

Ahmed Hijazi

Ahmed Hijazi is a Palestinian activist and journalist from Gaza. He is a goodwill ambassador, former representative of Palestinian youth in the European Union, and recipient of the best content creator in Palestine award for 2021. Throughout his career, he has hosted a variety of programs across notable media channels, including “Roya,” “Al-Mashhad,” and “Arab News.”

Wadah Khanfar

Wadah Khanfar is the President of Al Sharq Forum, is an independent network dedicated to developing long-term strategies for political development, social justice, and economic prosperity of the people of the Middle East. He previously served as the Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network. He was ranked by Foreign Policy Magazine in 2011 as the first in The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers, in Fast Company as the first in the 100 Most Creative People in Business (2011) and as one of the most ‘Powerful People in the World’ by Forbes magazine (2009) in 2008 World Economic Forum named Khanfar as one of the ‘Young Global Leaders’.During his tenure Al Jazeera went from a single channel to a media network with multiple properties including the Al Jazeera Arabic channel, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera’s news websites, the Al Jazeera Media Training and Development Center, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies, Al Jazeera Mubasher (Live), and Al Jazeera Mobile. 

Mouin Rabbani

Mouin Rabbani is a researcher, analyst, and commentator specializing in Palestinian affairs, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the contemporary Middle East. He has among other positions previously served as Principal Political Affairs Officer with the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Head of Middle East with the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Senior Middle East Analyst and Special Advisor on Israel-Palestine with the International Crisis Group, and Researcher with Al-Haq, West Bank affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists. He is Co-Editor of Jadaliyya, where he also hosts the Connections podcast and edits its Quick Thoughts feature, Managing Editor and Associate Editor of the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development, and a Contributing Editor of Middle East Report. He is Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS), Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), and the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin is an Emmy-nominated journalist, producer, and actor. He hosted a BBC documentary that won a British Journalism Award for Social Affairs, Diversity & Inclusion. Previously, he was a Senior Correspondent for AJ+, producing documentaries on social justice and human rights. Ahmed acted in The Red Sea Makes Me Wanna Cry, a Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Selection that won a Silver Star at the El Gouna Film Festival. He began his career with PBS, later moving to The New York Times and Al Jazeera English, where he co-hosted the Emmy-nominated The Stream. He also worked on documentaries for VICE on HBO and helped establish HuffPost Live. Recognized on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list and featured on the cover of GQ Magazine, Ahmed taught digital media at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, where he graduated with honors. His work often explores the impact of displacement, drawing from his parents’ experiences as Palestinians. Currently, Ahmed is developing a podcast, acting in films, and documenting significant human rights issues related to Palestine.