Akbar Shahid Ahmed — Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel's War in Gaza - with Mehdi Hasan
Akbar Shahid Ahmed presents *Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War in Gaza*, an investigation into the Biden administration’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza and the humanitarian consequences of its policies. Drawing on reporting and access to insiders, Ahmed examines how the administration continued supplying weapons to Israel despite warnings from government experts, growing protests, and President Biden’s stated red line regarding an Israeli assault on Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians were sheltering.
Ahmed also explores the decisions and worldview of Biden’s inner circle, the administration’s handling of Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians, the erosion of international standards for warfare, and the political backlash that contributed to Donald Trump’s return to power. He will discuss the book with Mehdi Hasan, the British-American journalist, broadcaster, author, and founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Zeteo.
When: Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Format: Akbar Shahid Ahmed in conversation with Mehdi Hasan
About Akbar Shahid Ahmed: Ahmed is the diplomatic correspondent at *The Washington Sun*. His reporting on Gaza has earned a Writers Guild Award and a New York Press Club Award, and he has twice been a finalist for the Livingston Award. He previously covered foreign policy for *HuffPost* for twelve years, is a Yale graduate, and grew up in Karachi, Pakistan.
About Mehdi Hasan: Hasan is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and author. He is a Guardian columnist, host of *Head to Head* on Al Jazeera English, and the author of the bestseller *Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking*. He previously worked as an anchor at MSNBC and a columnist for *The Intercept*.
Tickets: Free
Seating: Seating is first come, first served.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will make an effort to accommodate requests received up to the event.
Related book: *Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War in Gaza* by Akbar Shahid Ahmed is available in hardcover for $31.99. It was published September 22, 2026.