Washington Post columnist David Ignatius takes Stuart audience on global tour during talk

STUART — Washington Post columnist David Ignatius made good on his word Wednesday by giving his audience a verbal tour of the world and shared his insights on what’s happening in the Middle East, Ukraine and Asia.

Ignatius, a veteran foreign affairs correspondent who’s moved in and out of international hotspots since the 1980s, captivated a crowd at the Temple Beit HaYam in Stuart, with stories of what he learned during recent visits to Israel and Kyiv, Ukraine.

He called the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel a “painful subject for all of us” that set the destructive events in Gaza in motion. He expressed optimism for what comes next after the war there ends.

“This is a sacred place, I want to be respectful of that,” Ignatius told the audience of about 200 people. “But I also want to try to tell you what I've seen.”

In addition to his long career as a journalist, Ignatius is the author of numerous spy novels, including "The Paladin," "The Quantum Spy" and "The Director."

One of his books was made into the movie, "Body of Lies," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.

Ignatius was the second speaker to appear at Temple Beit HaYam, at 951 S.E. Monterey Commons Blvd., since the Rappaport Center relaunched its speaker series this year.

In January, syndicated columnist and author Mitch Albom discussed his new book, "The Little Liar," and talked about the values of truth and compassion in our society in front of a large crowd at the temple.

The speaker series, which TCPalm sponsors, plans to continue its original mission of providing fresh perspectives and insights to people who live along the Treasure Coast.

More than two decades ago, the late Jerome "Jerry" Rappaport, a Boston area philanthropist who also owned a home in Sewall's Point, established the Rappaport Center as a forum for discussions about important world issues.

Global issues up close

During a three-part event moderated by TCPalm columnist Blake Fontenay, Ignatius offered his take from what he saw on the ground during recent trips to Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ignatius also took questions from audience members about the future of Israel and Palestinians, whether a two-state solution is possible, the future of China-U.S. relations, and more.

Fontenay, too, quizzed him about Egypt’s relationship with Israel, whether Iran will seek to expand the conflict into its own country, and what it will take to end the war in Ukraine.

Ignatius discussed an end to the war with Hamas “that’s going to be good for Israel and good for the Palestinian people.”

“The United States has been working incredibly hard. Our CIA director (William J. Burns) has devoted much of the last few months in trying to negotiate a ceasefire and release of the Israeli hostages,” said, Ignatius, who noted there’s no agreement yet.

Ignatius was in Israel for two weeks about a month after the Oct. 7 attack he said, meeting with Israeli military leadership to gauge what was happening on the ground.

“I have many friends, and contacts within the (Israel Defense Forces,)” he said.

In Gaza City, he recalled seeing overwhelming signs of destruction as people fled through an evacuation corridor.

“The level of bombardment of that city reminds you of other cities that have been devastated in war. You see a level of destruction that’s startling,” he said. “I watched a column of people as far as I can see, it must have been a thousand kilometers, walking south with whatever they could carry.”

Ignatius returned in December, he said, to see “where the Palestinians were, so I could write as honestly as I could about that situation.”

“I spent a week in the West Bank,” he said, visiting with a Palestinian family he’s known since the 1980s.

Ignatius predicted Israel will hold new elections and he predicted a change in government.

“I think it’s likely there will be a new prime minister,” he said. “My hope is that prime minister will find a path to stabilize the situation with help from the United States.”

Ukrainian ‘courage’

Two weeks ago, Ignatius made his fourth trip to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.

“Like each of the trips, it was overwhelming in terms of the courage and resistance of the Ukrainians,” he said. “It's just amazing to see people who decide just to stand up and fight. And the losses; they've lost their best soldiers and officers … but they keep going.”

He met President Volodymyr Zelensky in a secured presidential compound that appeared empty, he said, except for a few soldiers with guns.

“Basically, it’s deserted, and then here’s Zelensky and he is just as feisty as can be,” Ignatius recalled. “And among the things he said was ‘we are running out of ammunition. Because the Americans, unless we get this aid, we are going to have to retreat.’”

Zelensky took out a piece of paper to show Ignatius their frontline positions and how much territory they were protecting. And he noted how much of the front will shrink if they don’t get U.S. financial help.

Ignatius predicted the U.S. House will approve more aid to Ukraine under Speaker Mike Johnson.

“I think Mike Johnson is going to have this moment of doing the right thing. And this war, I fear, has a long way still to go,” he said. “I wish Mike Johnson and House Republicans could hear what I just heard while visiting Kyiv.”

Railroad Xing: Here’s how often Treasure Coast crossing signals have failed to activate

Coming soon: New seafood restaurant to open in historic Jensen Beach hotel

Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius shares global insights