Commonwealth - Special Breakfast Program - Polarizing Politics: Trouble in the Presidential Palace - Dialogue

Oct 13, 2026

Commonwealth publication pages present a Monday Special Breakfast Program featuring prominent figures, schedule times, venue details, and a public debate on U.S. policy in the Middle East between an Arab-American and a Jewish community representative. The text frames the surrounding political climate, including trade-policy controversy in a presidential campaign and regional peace challenges through “Dialogue.” It also includes a coming-events section and an editor’s note introducing a speech by John Phillips with historical photography context.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

COMING EVENTS:

Memoirs of a Photojournalist

Fascism—Past and Present

U.S. Policy In El Salvador

The American University in Transition

# Commonwealth Special Breakfast Program The Honorable The Honorable JamesAbourezk Albert Gore, His Excellency Salvador H.Laurel Jr. Former U.S.Senator,Founder andChairman,American-ArabAnti-Discrimination Committee Senator,Tennessee Vice President,Republic of the Philippines Trade and EconomicPolicy in the 1988PresidentialCampaign and Polarizing Politics:Trouble in thePresidential Palace HymanBookbinder Monday Special Representative,American Jewish Committee 7:30 a.m,Breakfast 8:00 a.m.,Program Begins 9:00 a.m,Program Adjourns Noon,Monday Gold Ballroom,Sberaton-Palace Hotel A Jew and an ArabDebate U.S.Policyin the Middle East Gold Ballroom,Sberaton-Palace Hotel Days before he was scheduled to speakbefore The Commonwealth Club this Sep-tember,Philippine Vice President SalvadorLaurel resigned his post as foreign affairssecretary in yet another assault against Co-razon Aquino's fragile government. As presidential candidates gear up forthe race,the question of protectionist tradepolicies will be more than a warm up ex-ercise.The candidates expect a hot de-bate on the issue since the U.S.trade defi-cit for August was $15.7 billion—a draco-nian legacy for the next administration. Noon,Wednesday Making accusations Aquino is "soft oncommunism,"Laurel not only released analleged secret intelligence report listingmore than 100 leftists in the government,but also formed a political alliance withopposition leader Juan Ponce Enrile,Aquino's former defense minister fired lastNovember after a foiled coup attempt. Grand Ballroom,Sheraton-Palace Hotel While bitter lessons of history,culture,and environment seem only to poison thehope for peace in the Middle East,twoleading Americans—a respected leader ofthe Arab-American community and a giftedand authoritative spokesman for the Jewishcommunity—engage in whatis all too oftenlacking in conflicts over that troubled re-gion:Dialogue. Senator Albert Gore is hard in the run-ning for the Democratic presidential nomi-nation.If elected,39-year-old Gore will bethe youngest man ever to fill the Oval Of-fice. Distancing himself from the pack bybeing the "resident hawk"on defense,Senator Gore's voting record ranges frommoderate to conservative,while he holdsthe type of Southern pedigree the Demo-crats dearly crave.But outside of Tennes-see who knows him?How will he play inCalifornia? Claiming Aquino reneged on her prom-ise to allow him to run the govenment iftheir presidential ticket defeated Marcos,Laurel,while no longer a member of amember of the cabinet,retains the title ofvice president,a remnant of the politicalalliance they forged in December 1985. Co-authors of Tbrougb Different Eyes,aprinted debate of U.S.policy in the MiddleEast,Abourezk and Bookbinder bring theirunique form of confrontation to The Com-monwealth Club's public forum. Tickets—$16 for members,$21 for guests.Tickets should bepicked up in advance.See advance ticket information,back page. Tickets—$16 for members,$21 for guests.Tickets should bepicked up in advance.See advance ticket information,back page. Tickets—$16 for members,$21 for guests.Tickets should bepicked up in advance.See advance ticket information,back page. INSIDE: ## COMING EVENTS: Memoirs of a Photojourmalist……………………………468-469 U.S.Policy In El Salvador……… ……………Back Page Facism—Past and Present… …………………470-475 The American University in Transition…………Back Page # It Happened inOur Lifetime John Phillips Photojoumalist WEDNESDAY OCTO BER 7 (Editor's Note:Mr.Pbillip's speecb wasaccompanied by a slide presentaion) WHEN I RECEIVED the invitation to ad-dress this club,enclosed was a marvelouslist of previous speakers.Looking at thatlist,I realized that I had photographed,met,or talked to 22 of them.I am veryhappy to join that very distinguished list. In 1934 and 1935 I had to have a job,soIdid the only thing I knew how to do whichwas to take pictures.But the job of a free-lance phot

FAQs

What is the schedule and theme of the Special Breakfast Program?

The program lists breakfast start and end times and centers on a public forum focused on U.S. policy in the Middle East, emphasizing dialogue between two community leaders.

Who participates in the debate about U.S. policy in the Middle East?

Senator Albert Gore is mentioned as part of the broader political context, while Co-authors of a book, Hyman Bookbinder and Hyman Bookbinder and the speaker list includes James Abourezk and Hyman Bookbinder as co-authors bringing their confrontation style to the club forum.

What does John Phillips discuss in his speech introduction?

John Phillips addresses the club after receiving an invitation, noting he has photographed, met, or talked to many prior speakers, and he recounts how freelancing as a photographer shaped his work and early career experiences.

Oct 13, 2026

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