Facing the Middle East, Episode 22: Campus Israel, Prayer, and Smart Mobility
Israel’s challenges on campus, in regional diplomacy, and on the road meet efforts to build stronger education ties, faith-based support, and future-facing mobility technology
By Felice Friedson/The Media Line
This edition of Facing the Middle East with Felice Friedson looks at Israel through three different lenses: education, faith-based diplomacy, and technological innovation. I open the program with Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Israel’s special envoy for trade and innovation and a former deputy mayor of Jerusalem, to discuss Campus Israel, a new initiative aimed at making Israeli higher education more accessible to Jewish students abroad.
Hassan-Nahoum says the project grew out of concern over antisemitism and hostility toward Israel on university campuses after October 7. She argues that Israel offers students not only academic programs in English, but also exposure to the country’s culture of entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and innovation. She says even a small share of Jewish students studying in Israel could have long-term effects, creating a generation of diaspora leaders more deeply connected to Israel.
Our conversation also turns to the Iran war, a possible US-Iran agreement, and the future of regional diplomacy. Hassan-Nahoum says the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains a major obstacle to any lasting change and argues that the Iranian people must be able to reclaim their freedom. She also discusses the resilience of Israel’s trade ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, saying commerce with the UAE continued to grow during the war, while Saudi Arabia’s path toward normalization remains bound up with the future of Iran and wider regional alliances.
I then speak with Albert Veksler, global director of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast, as the organization marks its 10th anniversary with a three-day gathering in Jerusalem. Veksler discusses rising antisemitism, Christian support for Israel, the role of prayer in public life, and the need for allies to remain visible even during periods of war and uncertainty.
The episode also features Gabriel Colodro’s report from the Samson International Smart Mobility Summit 2026 in Tel Aviv. Elon Musk appeared by video call, praising Israel’s innovation record and discussing Tesla’s self-driving technology. Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev and industry leaders presented advances in autonomous vehicles, drones, elevated transit systems, child-safety technology, and smart infrastructure. The summit’s main question was whether mobility technologies can move from pilot programs into regulated, trusted, everyday use.
Together, this episode presents an Israel facing war, campus hostility, and regional uncertainty while also investing in education, international alliances, faith-based support, and technologies intended to shape the future.
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