Israeli journalist Gil Hoffman, chief political correspondent and analyst for the Jerusalem Post, will present a lecture, “What the Future Holds: An Insider’s Look Middle East Politics,” at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 31, in UALR’s Engineering and Information Technology building auditorium.

The event, hosted by UALR’s Middle Eastern Studies Program and the Jewish Federation of Arkansas, is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Joshua Thomsen.

Well-connected to Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Hoffman has interviewed every major figure across the Israeli political spectrum, has been interviewed by top media on six continents and is a regular analyst on CNN, Al-Jazeera, and other news outlets.

Called “the most optimistic man in Israel” by Israeli Television, Hoffman’s writing and television appearances provide a behind-the-scenes look at the intrigue and humor in the Israeli political arena.

Raised in Chicago, Hoffman graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University’s School of Journalism and wrote for the Miami Herald and Arizona Republic before moving to Israel. A reserve soldier in the Israeli Defense Force’s Spokesman’s Unit, he has lectured in seven countries and 36 U.S. states. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and two children.