Where is Syria Now? An Update from CMEP

Friday, September 26, 2025
6:00 PM EDT - 7:15 PM EDT

Join CMEP on September 26th at 6:00 PM EST for a webinar about Syria. The webinar will cover 3 topics of present-day Syria. We will hear from Rachel Nelson about the Jewish community in Syria, as well as Israel's ongoing occupation of Southern Syria coupled with the ongoing clashes in Suwayda. Tony Alkhoury will talk to us about the Christian community as well as the role of the Syrian Churches in crisis, where do things stand now? Finally, CMEP Board member Sasha Gosh-Siminoff will inform us about aid and development as well as the lack of a transitional justice system aimed at holding all perpetrators accountable.

Featured Speakers

Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff - Panelist

Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff is the MENA Policy Program Director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA). He previously served as the Executive Director and co-founder of People Demand Change Inc., a socially responsible aid and development startup that focuses on monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian aid and development programming, supporting the capacity of nascent civil society organizations and providing long-term aid and development solutions in the MENA region, including work in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, and Tunisia. The former Executive Director at the Syrian Emergency Task Force and a journalist with Congressional Quarterly, Mr. Ghosh-Siminoff has spent a great deal of time on the ground in Syria. He has given many briefings on Syria to various international institutions and governments, including the United States, Canada, and Germany.

Tony Amoury Alkhoury - Panelist

Tony Amoury Alkhoury is a Syrian-born theologian, educator, and clinical pharmacist with a deeply ecumenical Christian identity. Born and raised in Homs, Syria, Tony grew up in the Syrian Orthodox tradition and explored Greek Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical communities before embracing a faith rooted in multiple Christian traditions. Tony’s professional background spans over a decade in pharmacy and higher education, having served as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Pharmacy and a youth leader in his local church. In 2016, he moved to the United States to pursue theological studies, earning an MDiv from Harvard University. He later completed a ThM in Practical Theology at Fuller Seminary and is currently a PhD candidate in Practical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, focusing on the theology of discernment within the Syrian church during times of crisis and fear.

Rachel Nelson - Panelist

Rachel Nelson is a Middle East Analyst at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. Her research has included modern Middle Eastern politics, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, Palestinian history and politics, migration and refugees, and international human rights law. She was a copy editor for the Harvard Kennedy School Journal of Middle East Politics and Policy during her studies. Previously, Nelson co-authored a report concerning Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. She also worked as an intern and intern coordinator for U.S. Rep. Al Green of Texas. Nelson holds a Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Judaic Studies from George Washington University.

Kyle Cristofalo - Moderator

Kyle Cristofalo leads advocacy efforts with Congress and the Administration in advance of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) policy priorities. He also liaises with CMEP’s domestic coalition partners.

Kyle was first introduced to Middle East advocacy work during a semester abroad in Cairo, Egypt. After graduating from college, Kyle spent 10 months serving with the Mennonite Central Committee in Bethlehem, Palestine, where he was seconded to work with Bethlehem Bible College. Kyle holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies and a Master of Divinity Degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Kyle has over a decade of experience in advocacy and government relations work related to the Middle East having previously served at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) and the Presbyterian Church USA’s Office of Public Witness.