SoHo Playhouse

15 Vandam Street New York, NY 10013

Doors open at 6:00 PM
Meeting Convenes on the Main Stage: 6:30 PM
Reception offsite: 8:00 PM

Moderated by Soho Forum Director Gene Epstein.

For the affirmative:

Peter Beinart is a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, Editor-at-Large for Jewish Currents, and a political commentator for MSNBC. Beinart has authored several books, including The Good Fight (2006), The Icarus Syndrome (2010), and The Crisis of Zionism (2012). His upcoming book, Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, will be released in January 2025. A Yale graduate and Rhodes Scholar, he previously served as managing editor and editor of The New Republic from 1995 to 2006.

For the negative:

Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in the Middle East and Africa, and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. Dr. Rubin has lived in post-revolution Iran, Yemen, and Iraq, and spent time with the Taliban before 9/11. For more than a decade, Rubin taught classes at sea about the Horn of Africa and Middle East conflicts, culture, and terrorism, for the US Navy. Dr. Rubin has taught at universities in the United States, Israel, and Iraq, and is the author of "Dancing with the Devil," a history of diplomacy with rogue regimes and terrorists.

Grappone Conference Center

70 Constitution Ave Concord, NH 03301

Moderated by Soho Forum Director Gene Epstein.

For the affirmative:

Eric Brakey is the executive director of the Free State Project. He served as a Maine state senator for three terms and was the Maine state director for the 2012 Ron Paul presidential campaign.

For the negative:

Andrew Heaton is a comedian, author, and political satirist. He hosts The Political Orphanage podcast and is the author of Tribalism is Dumb: Where It Came From, How It Got So Bad, and What to Do About It.

The Sheen Center

18 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012

Doors open at 6:00 PM
Meeting Convenes on the Main Stage: 6:30 PM
Reception offsite: 8:00 PM

Moderated by Soho Forum Director Gene Epstein.

For the affirmative:

Dave Smith is a comedian, political commentator, and media personality. He is the host of the Part of the Problem podcast and is a regular guest on Gutfeld! and The Joe Rogan Experience. His most recent stand-up special, 30 Minutes with Dave Smith, is available on YouTube.

For the negative:

Alex Nowrasteh is the vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute. He has been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The Washington Post, and regularly appears on Fox News, MSNBC, Bloomberg, and NPR. He is the coauthor of Wretched Refuse? The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions.