NYC Gazette

On March 3, 2025, Yeshiva University's chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society hosted an event with Elliott Abrams to discuss his new book, "If You Will It: Rebuilding Jewish Peoplehood for the 21st Century." Abrams is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC. He has served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor under President George W. Bush, and as Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela during the Trump administration.

The event was organized by co-presidents Yaakov Willner and Gavriel Buchwald, along with vice president Matthew Minsk. It received support from the Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought.

Abrams spoke about his motivation to write the book due to assimilation trends within America's non-Orthodox Jewish community. He proposed strategies like increased Jewish education and religious observance to address this issue.

Willner interviewed Abrams on domestic and geopolitical policy matters. Abrams discussed Iranian foreign policy changes since October 7 and suggested solutions to the Israel-Hamas conflict. He favored a confederation-style government between Jordan and Palestinians but doubted Trump's Gaza plan's feasibility.

During a Q&A session, Abrams shared views on foreign policy issues including optimism about Syria's new government while being wary of potential Islamist governance there. He expressed concern over isolationism in today's Republican party led by J.D. Vance, despite Vance's "Israel exception."

Attendees gained insights from Abrams' extensive diplomatic experience on various current and future foreign-policy concerns.