Journalist, scholar and author Mitchell Bard will be in the Bay Area to discuss his recent book, “The Arab Lobby,” which investigates the impact of Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations on American policies, opinion and education.

Bard will speak at 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 8 at Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto. He also will appear at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9 at the JCC of San Francisco. Both events are free.

Bard is director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise and its Jewish Virtual Library, a comprehensive online encyclopedia of Jewish history and culture.

Kol Emeth is located at 4175 Manuela Ave., Palo Alto. For information, call (650) 948-7498. The JCC is located at 3200 California St., S.F. For information, call (415) 292-1200 or visit the event sponsor’s website at www.standwithus.com.