ISRAELIZATION OF WASHINGTON POLICY: HERZLIYA CONFERENCE 2007

January 25, 2007 at 1:09 am | Posted in Globalization, History, Israel, Judaica, Middle East, Zionism | Leave a comment

Herzliya Conference

Series on the Balance of Israel’s

National Security

The 7th Herzliya Conference  

Herzliya Conference 2007 PM

Olmert: still time to stop Iran

The Institute for Policy and

Strategy

The Lauder School of  

Government, Diplomacy and

Strategy

The Interdisciplinary Center  

Herlziya P.O.Box 167, Herzliya

46150,IsraelTel: 09-9527389/328

Fax: 09-9527310 E-mail: ips@idc.ac.ilJanuary 21-24, 2007. Since the inception of the Herzliya Conference Series on the Balance of Israel’s National Security, it has appeared that Israel‘s national agenda is determined each year by developments that continuously challenge its national strength. Every year, crucial decisions have highlighted the agenda. This was reflected throughout the Conferences, from the inaugural Conference in 2000, prior to the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and the recent Intifada, and through the dramatic events which took place thereafter, shaping every Conference.The 2007 Herzliya Conference will convene amidst the repercussions of the campaign in Lebanon, regional and international developments, and their implications for Israel‘s security and diplomatic postures. The Conference deliberations aim to elucidate the components comprising Israel‘s national strength in the fields of governance, society, economy and Jewish values.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Address at the 2007 Herzliya Conference

January 24, 2007

Translation – Israel Government Press Office “Israel is not spearheading the struggle against the Iranian threat. This threat must be dealt with seriously and responsibly, first and foremost by the major powers and by other key nations.” ( Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Address at the 2007 Herzliya Conference January 24, 2007) Distinguished Guests, I cannot speak tonight without referring to the events of the past day, and the Attorney General’s decision to hold a hearing for the President in light of the possibility that serious charges may be filed against him. In these circumstances, I have no doubt that the President cannot continue to fulfill his role and he should leave the President’s Residence. This is a sad day for the State of Israel. Ladies and Gentlemen, exactly one year ago less one day, I had the privilege to stand at this podium, at the final session of the Herzliya Conference as Acting Prime Minister, in place of Ariel Sharon, who days earlier had fallen into a coma from which he has yet to awaken. In that speech, I expressed my profound prayer, and that of all those present, as well as the entire nation, that Arik Sharon would return to us. I have carried this hope and this prayer since then. Today, I would like to focus on a subject which I believe is the most important one, and which was one of the main points of discussion during this Conference over the past few days. This subject is one with significant repercussions for the State of Israel and the region in the next decade. I will present you with a report of the state of the Iranian threat.
Today, there is not one among us who does not sense the dangers inherent in this threat, not only to Israel, but also to the future of the region and to the stability of the world order. Every Israeli government over the past decade acted vigorously to improve our ability to track Iran’s intentions, increase international awareness of the threat, mobilize international support to stop external assistance of the Iranian plans and prepare appropriate options in the event that these efforts prove unsuccessful in the end.
We achieved considerable accomplishments in each of these areas; however let us not delude ourselves: the primary goal which must be realized still lies ahead. For many long years, we have followed Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, in the guise of a civilian nuclear program. They are working through secret channels in a number of sites spread out across Iran. In the past few years, we have been witness to especially intense Iranian activity on two tracks – the overt and the covert. Iranian support of Palestinian terror – through financial support, provision of weapons and knowledge, both directly and through Syria – Iranian assistance of terror in Iraq, the exposure of the capabilities which reached the Hizbullah from Iran during the fighting in Lebanon and the assistance which they offered just recently to Hamas, have demonstrated to many the seriousness of the Iranian threat. This activity has created an opposing front, which includes, in varying intensities, all the permanent members of the UN Security Council; Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, Egypt and Jordan; and other key countries in the West, such as Germany and Japan. This front is acting to unite forces and prevent this threat from becoming a reality. Recently, I returned from an important visit to China, and thus ended a round of diplomatic visits. I met with all the leaders of countries which serve as permanent members in the Security Council, and other key countries. The Iranian topic was at the top of our agenda and at the core of the meetings I held, and which various ministers and other professional officials regularly hold. In all the contacts I have had,there has been clear agreement that Iran cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons or the material to produce them. The Security Council’s discussion of the Iranian situation and its acceptance of Resolution 1737 are important steps, which brought together all the members of the Security Council. The Resolution was achieved following intense and complex diplomatic efforts. Many parties took part in it, including several agencies in the State of Israel, both on a political level and at a professional level. We know that our efforts contributed greatly to the result. It is clear to everyone that a diplomatic solution to the Iranian issue is the preferred solution. We also prefer such an outcome. The direction which the majority of the international community leans towards is a solution which can bear fruit, as long as it is done with the necessary ingenuity and determination, while meticulously adhering to the minimum requirements on which there can be no compromise.
Assuming that all the steps which will now be taken (and those which are already being taken) by the international community are sharper, more significant, clearer and more vigorous, the need to adopt more demanding and harsher solutions in the future will be reduced. Those who believe, as we do, that a diplomatic solution is preferable, must now muster their strength to exert pressure on Iran and thus stay the course until change is achieved. To turn a blind eye now, while ignoring reality, dragging one’s feet, and attempting to reach dangerous compromises while avoiding taking clear steps, those of us who wish to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power will, down the road, not be left with any choice but to take much more severe steps in the future. I wish to clarify – Iran is very vulnerable and sensitive to international pressure, despite its defiant, arrogant and provocative stance, and it is already paying the ever increasing price of this behavior, a price which will only increase if it continues in its policy. As serious as the Iranian threat is, the threat of nuclear attack on Israel is by no means imminent. At this stage, there is still time, while not unlimited, to stop Iran’s intention of becoming a nuclear power which threatens its adversaries, first and foremost, Israel. We are not complacent, we cannot be complacent, and we are responding to the Iranian threats with the necessary seriousness. Israel is not spearheading the struggle against the Iranian threat.
This threat must be dealt with seriously and responsibly, first and foremost by the major powers and by other key nations. We are at the forefront of the fight to place this issue on the top of the agendas of world leaders and international public opinion. It is our duty to point out the dangers and help in finding solutions. The Jewish people, on whom the scars of the Holocaust are deeply etched, cannot allow itself to again face a threat against its very existence. In the past, the world remained silent and the results are known. Our role is to prevent the world from repeating this mistake. This is a moral question of the highest degree. There is a moment during which any rule among the routine diplomatic rules becomes irrelevant. When the leader of a country announces, officially and publicly, his country’s intention to wipe off the map another country, and creates those tools which will allow them to realize their stated threat, no nation has the right to weigh its position on the matter. This is an obligation of the highest order, to act with all force against this plot. We have nothing against the Iranian people, we are not the enemy of the Iranian people and we have no interest in conflict with Iran. In the past, before the takeover by the radical factions of the country with its exceptional tradition and impressive abilities, we had close and friendly relations. The Iran of today, whose leadership is motivated by religious fanaticism and ideological extremism, has chosen a policy of confrontation with us and threatens to wipe Israel off the map of nations. It supports terror and undermines stability in the region. The Iranian regime, in its aspiration to regional hegemony, bears responsibility for the riots perpetrated by the Hizbullah today to bring down the Lebanese government. Threats, hostility and fighting are not our way. Our aspiration was, and will always be, to live in peace with our neighbors, near and far. We will never reject a hand, offered in all sincerity, towards genuine peace, by any nation. For this we yearn. At the same time, our desire for peace should not be interpreted as weakness, but rather as a source of strength. Anyone who threatens us, who threatens our existence, must know that we have the determination and capability of defending ourselves, responding with force, discretion and with all the means at our disposal as necessary. We will not place the lives of our people, the life of our country, at risk. We have the right to full freedom of action to act in defense of our vital interests. We will not hesitate to use it. I do not suggest that anyone mistakes our restraint and responsibility, or presume that it will harm our determination and capability to act when necessary. The Iranian issue preoccupies me and my thoughts constantly. I am coordinating the handling of this matter and follow up on it on a daily basis, of one mind with the ministers involved in the matter and in coordination with the relevant agencies and ministries. Faced with the Iranian threat there is not, never was and will never be any difference between opposition and coalition, between right, center and left. We are all united in this regard and the people stand behind us, united and ready to face the dangers lurking at Israel’s doorstep. There is no human experience we have not undergone. There is no affliction, threat, hatred, jealousy, envy, persecution, violence and bloodshed which have not been seared into our flesh. With unparalleled strength, we built our lives and established a glorious country. No force in the world can destroy us – and there will never be. We refuse to be dragged into an atmosphere of collective, self-induced fear. We will not allow the people to sink into depression and insecurity. We have immense strength. We have nothing to fear and we will not be afraid.
All of us understand the weight of responsibility and the importance of the hour related to this sensitive subject. Together, through joint internal effort, by joining forces with the world and by speaking in one, responsible voice at home – not overly excited, but rather clear and determined – we will stand up to nuclear threats and prevail.  

PM Olmert’s Address at 2007 Herzliya Conference: still time to stop Iran  

imra@netvision.net.il Wednesday, January 24, 2007HERZLIYA CONFERENCE

SPEAKERS AND MEMBERS OF

THE BOARD

Robert H. Asher Chairman of the Board of the Society for Excellence through Education (SEE) in Israel and the United States. Past president and Chairman Emeritus of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Immediate past Chairman of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute, member of the International Board of Governors of the Weizmann Institute and immediate past president of the Feinberg Graduate School. Also a Founding Trustee for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.   Amb. Nicholas Burns US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Previously served as the United States Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Served as U.S. Ambassador to Greece from 1997 to 2001. Recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service and the State Department’s Superior Honor Award for outstanding performance three times. Holds a Certificat Pratique de Langue Francaise from the University of Paris, and an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in International Economics and American Foreign Policy.  Prof. Alan Dershowitz Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and internationally renowned attorney. Areas of expertise include criminal law and human rights. Lectures on Jewish and legal issues and appears frequently in the media. Author of twenty works of fiction and non-fiction. Received an LL.B. from Yale Law School.

Senator John Edwards Head of the One America Committee and candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. Director of the Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina. Former United States Senator from North Carolina. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998 and served from January 3, 1999, to January 3, 2005. Previously, worked as an attorney and partner with Edwards & Kirby, Raleigh, N.C. Earned a B.A. from North Carolina State University and a J.D. from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Robert Einhorn Senior Advisor in the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ International Security Program, where he works on a broad range of nonproliferation, arms control, and other national security issues. Before coming to CSIS, served in the U.S. government for 29 years, in positions including Assistant Secretary for Nonproliferation at the Department of State. Also served at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA). Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute of Strategic Studies. Was presented the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award by Secretary Colin L. Powell. Has authored several publications on strategic nuclear issues, arms control, and nonproliferation. Received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Cornell University and an M.P.A. in International Relations from Princeton University.

Gordon England US Deputy Secretary of Defense. Previously served as the Secretary of the Navy and as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Before joining the George W. Bush Administration, he was an executive vice president of General Dynamics Corporation. Recipient of the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award and the National Defense Industrial Association’s Eisenhower Award. Holds a B.A. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in Business Administration from the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University.

Dr. Salam Fayyad Former Minister of Finance of the Palestinian Authority. Worked as a university economist before beginning to work at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C. Former IMF Resident Palestinian Representative, based in Jerusalem. With the creation of PA, frequently called for greater financial accountability and helped to arrange a package of financial reforms with the Finance ministry, including the overturning of monopolies held by the PA. Was briefly the West Bank Head of the Arab Bank before his appointment to the cabinet. Holds a Master’s Degree in Accountancy and a Ph.D. in Economics, both from the University of Texas.

Dr. Marvin C. Feuer Director of Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC.
Served in a number of positions on Capitol Hill and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Analysis. Author of Congress and Israel: Foreign Aid Decision Making in the House of Representatives, 1969-1976 and numerous articles on national security issues. Teaches courses on the security problems of the Middle East and the American defense policy process. Earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Prof. Stanley Fischer Governor of the Bank of Israel. Previously Vice Chairman and Head of the Public Sector Group at Citigroup and First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Before joining the IMF, he was Head of the Department of Economics at MIT and Vice President for Development Economics and Chief Economist at the World Bank. Fellow of the Econometric Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the G-30, and the Trilateral Commission, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Earned a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. at the London School of Economics and obtained his Ph.D. in Economics at MIT.

Prof. Jacob Frenkel Vice Chairman, American International Group Inc., (AIG), and Chairman of the Group of Thirty (G30). Laureate of Israel Prize in Economics. Previously served as Chairman of Merrill Lynch International Inc., and as Governor of the Bank of Israel for two consecutive terms. Prior to this, served as Economic Counselor and Director of Research at the International Monetary Fund and as Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and at Tel Aviv University. Additional positions have included Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Earned B.A. from the Hebrew University, and M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago. Maj. Gen. (res.)

Amos Gilead Director of the Political-Military Bureau at the Ministry of Defense. Previously served as Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Head of the Military Intelligence Research Department, and as the IDF Spokesperson.

Newt Gingrich Former U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Congressman from Georgia. Chairman of the Gingrich Group, a communications and consulting firm. Appointed to the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century and the Hart/Rudman Commission. Serves as a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, and as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Was named Time’s 1995 Man of the Year. Earned a B.A. from Emory University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Modern European History from Tulane University.

Rudolph Giuliani Former Mayor of New York City.Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Giuliani Partners LLC.Served two terms as the 107th Mayor of New York. First elected in 1993 after a campaign focusing on quality of life, crime, business and education, he was re-elected in 1997 by a wide margin. Prior to this, served in a variety of law enforcement and legal positions, including U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Associate Deputy Attorney General, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney General, executive U.S. Attorney, and Chief of the Narcotics Unit of the Office of the U.S. Attorney. Graduate of New York University Law School.

Hagai Golan Editor of Globes economic daily. Host of a Channel 33 television program.
Previously served as news editor and as assistant editor of Globes. Graduate of Tel Aviv University in Economics and Accounting.

Amb. Dr. Dore Gold President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Served as the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations. Previously he served as Foreign Policy Advisor to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and as a Senior Research Fellow at the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University. Holds Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in International Relations from Columbia University.

Dr. Stanley Greenberg Chairman and CEO, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, and Senior Polling and Strategic Consultant to the Israel Project. Served as pollster to President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, South African Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. Advised the Nobel-prize winning campaign to ban land mines. Received a Guggenheim Fellowship at Yale University and received a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Gidi Grinstein Founder and President of the Re’ut Institute. Previously served in the Office and then in the Bureau of Prime Minister Barak as the Secretary and Coordinator of the negotiation team of the Government of Israel to the permanent status negotiations between Israel and the PLO. He has extensive background in policy-planning with the Economic Cooperation Foundation. Graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Tel Aviv University Schools of Law and Economics.

Amb. Dr. Richard Haass President of the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously served as Director of Policy Planning at the Department of State, where he was a principal advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell on a range of foreign policy concerns.
Confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold the rank of Ambassador, and served as U.S.
Coordinator for Policy in Afghanistan. Received the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award for his work supporting the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Also served as Director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution. Received an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Oxford University.

MK Tzachi Hanegbi Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and a Member of Knesset since 1988. Served as Minister of the Interior, Minister of the Environment, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Health and Minister of Justice.
Previously, Director of the Prime Minister’s Office and President of the National Union of Israeli Students. Earned a B.A. in International Relations and Law from Hebrew University.

Stephen E. Herbits Secretary-General of the World Jewish Congress. Previously served as Executive Vice-President for Corporate Policy and External Affairs at Seagram Company, Ltd. Worked for President Ford during the first eight months of his administration in the Presidential Personnel Office. Also served as Chief of Staff to former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld in the mid-70s, and returned to be a part-time consultant to the Secretary until the Spring of 2004. Has held numerous positions in trade associations and charitable, not-for-profit organizations at the local (New York and Miami) and national levels. Graduated from Tufts University and from Georgetown University Law Center.

Prof. Margaret Hermann Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Editor of the International Studies Review. Formerly, President of the International Society of Political Psychology and the International Studies Association. Received a Ph.D. in Psychology from Northwestern University.

Isaac Herzog Minister of Tourism. Served as Minister of Housing and Construction, Government Secretary and Chairman of the Anti-Drug Authority. Also served as Secretary of the Economic-Social Council and chaired the Lobby for Tourism in Israel and the Municipal Lobby. Graduate of Tel Aviv University School of Law, and completed academic courses at New York University and Cornell University.

Malcolm Hoenlein Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. Previously, served as the founding Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New York. Prior to that, he was the founding Executive Director of the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry. A National Defense Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Near East Center. Taught International Relations in the university’s Political Science Department and served as a Middle East specialist at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Serves on the boards of many communal, educational and civic organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation. Recipient of many awards and tributes. Received an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of International Relations.

Amb. Dr. Robert Hunter President of the Atlantic Treaty Association and Former U.S.
Permanent Representative to NATO. Senior Advisor at the RAND Corporation in Washington. Also serves as Chairman of the Council for a Community of Democracies, Senior International Consultant to Lockheed Martin Overseas Corporation, Associate at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and member of the Senior Advisory Group to the US European Command. As U.S. Ambassador to NATO, he was a principal architect of the “New NATO,” created Partnership for Peace, and twice received the Pentagon’s highest civilian award, the DOD Medal for Distinguished Public Service. Before then, served as Vice President at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Served on the White House staff during the Johnson Administration. Earned a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, where he also taught. Decorated by the governments of Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, and France (Legion of Honor). Bruce P. Jackson Founder and President of the Project on Transitional Democracies, an endeavor aimed at accelerating the pace of reform in post-1989 democracies and integrating them into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Additionally, President of the U.S. Committee on NATO, a non-profit corporation formed to promote the expansion of NATO and the strengthening of ties between the U.S. and Europe. During 2002-2003, served as Chairman of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq. Was a delegate to George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign. Previously served as Vice President for Strategy and Planning at Lockheed Martin Corporation. Served in the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence Officer.  

Dr. Josef Joffe Editor-Publisher of Die Zeit German weekly. Was a Visiting Fellow of the Dickey Center at Dartmouth University and of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University. Has delivered lectures at the University of California, Berkeley and Michigan State University on post-September 11 international security. Published scholarly articles on the Middle East and his others areas of interest in several publications, including Foreign Policy and The Washington Quarterly. Received a Ph.D. from Harvard University and an honorary degree from his alma mater, Swarthmore College. Amb. Dr. Richard H. Jones United States Ambassador to Israel. Served as the Secretary of State’s Senior Advisor and Coordinator for Iraq Policy. Previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait, to Kazakhstan and to Lebanon. He was twice posted to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and has served in Paris and Tunis. He was a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Received U.S. Government awards for his work as Ambassador to Kazakhstan and as Ambassador to Lebanon. Holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Business/Statistics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Prof. Karl Kaiser Ralph I. Strauss Visiting Professor at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Also lectured at the Universities of Bonn, Johns Hopkins (Bologna), Saarbruecken, Cologne, Florence and the Departments of Government and Social Studies at Harvard. He was a Director of the German Council on Foreign Relations and advisor to Chancellors Brandt and Schmidt. Serves on the boards of Foreign Policy, Internationale Politik, the Asian-Pacific Review, and the Advisory Board of the American–Jewish Committee-Berlin. Recipient of NATO’s Atlantic Award. Holds a Ph.D. from Cologne University.

Prof. Martin Kramer Research Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and at the Shalem Center. Previously, Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University and a visiting professor at Brandeis, Chicago, Cornell and Georgetown Universities. Previously, a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Earned a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University.Dr. Richard Landes Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Millennial Studies.
Professor of Medieval History at Boston University. Has written articles and editorials for The New Republic and the Boston Globe, and his publications include Relics, Apocalypse and the Deceits of History: Ademar of Chabannes (989 – 1023) (1995), and The Peace of God: Social Violence and Religious Response in France around the Year 1000 (1992). Earned a B.A. in social studies from Harvard University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Princeton University.

Amb. Ronald S. Lauder Founder of the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. President of the Jewish National Fund. Additionally serves as Chairman of the International Public Committee of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, Treasurer of the World Jewish Congress and Chairman of the Jewish Heritage Council. Former Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Served as U.S. Ambassador to Austria and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO policy. Established the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, which has focused on Jewish education and outreach programs in Eastern Europe. Holds a B.A. in International Business from the Wharton School and a Certificate in International Business from the University of Brussels.

Prof. Bernard Lewis Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. Specializes in the history of Islam, the interaction between Islam and the West, and the History of the Ottoman Empire. Has written several influential books, including The Arabs in History, The Middle East, What Went Wrong? and The Crisis of Islam. Received a B.A. in History with special reference to the Near and Middle East and his Ph.D. in the History of Islam from the University of London at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Tzipi Livni Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Justice.
Former Minister of Regional Cooperation and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Previously, worked at the Mossad and was the General Manager of the Government Companies Authority in charge of the privatization of government corporations and monopolies.
Received the Champion of Good Government Award. Holds an L.L.B. from Bar Ilan University.

David Makovsky Senior Fellow and Director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Also an adjunct lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Awarded the National Press Club’s 1994 Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence. Received a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.A. in Middle Eastern studies from Harvard University.

Senator John McCain U.S. Senator (R) from Arizona. Elected to Congress in 1982, then elected to the Senate in 1986. Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former Naval aviator. Currently the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Also serves on the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Recipient of the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Flying Cross.

Hagai Meirom Treasurer of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Served as a Member of Knesset for the Labor Party between the years 1988 – 1999, during which he was Chairman of the Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, and Chairman of the Education and Culture Committee. He was also Chairman of Palgei Mayim Ltd and Chairman of a Central Guarantee Fund for the Collective Kibbutz Movement. Also a former member of the Histadrut (Labour Union) High Court. Earned a B.A. in Law from Tel Aviv University.

Dan Meridor Chairman of the Committee for the Examination of the Security Tenets of Israel. Senior Partner at Haim Zadok & Co. Law Firm. From 1984 until 2003 served as a Knesset Member for the Likud and Central parties. Held several ministerial positions including Minister without portfolio in charge of strategic affairs, Minister of Finance and Minister of Justice. Prior to his election to the Knesset, served as Secretary of the Cabinet. During his term as Minister of Justice he promoted human rights legislation. Graduated from the Faculty of Law of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  

Lt. Gen. (res.) Shaul Mofaz Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transportation and Road Safety. Former Minister of Defense and IDF Chief of General Staff. Served in the IDF for more than thirty years in command and staff positions, including Deputy Chief of General Staff, Commander in Judea and Samaria and GOC of the Southern Command. As Head of the Plans and Policy Directorate, participated in peace talks with the Syrian delegation and led the Security Committee in the negotiations with the Palestinians on the Hebron Agreement. Received a B.A. in Business Administration from Bar Ilan University. Graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, Virginia. Dr. Edward L. Morse Chief Energy Economist, Lehman Brothers. Formerly, Executive Advisor at Hess Energy Trading Co. Held several positions in the energy sector including senior posts in business, government, academia and publishing. Served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Energy Policy. Published the Petroleum Intelligence Weekly. A member of several prestigious professional associations including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Oxford Energy Policy Club, and the Petroleum Industry Research Foundation. Member of advisory boards of energy studies programs at New York University, the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, and the University of Houston. Author and co-author of four books and numerous commentaries and articles on politics, finance, energy and international affairs.

Dr. Charles Murray Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Author of Losing Ground: American Social Policy 1950-1980 and co-author of The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life. Served as Chief Scientist at the American Institutes for Research. Earned a B.A. in History from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MK Benjamin Netanyahu Chairman of the Likud Party, Leader of the Opposition, and Former Prime Minister. Served as Minister of Finance, Foreign Minister, Ambassador to the United Nations and Deputy Ambassador to the U.S. Worked in an international corporate finance firm in Boston and in a senior managerial position with Rim Industries, Jerusalem. Initiated and organized international conferences dealing with the struggle against international terror under the auspices of the Jonathan Institute. Published and edited three books on international terrorism. Received a B.A. in Architecture and an M.A. in Management from MIT, where he also studied Political Science. Ehud Olmert Prime Minister of Israel. Chairman of the Kadima party. Previously served as Minister of Finance, Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Minister of Health, Minister of Communications, Mayor of Jerusalem and Treasurer of the Likud Party. Received a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy and an LL.B. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ana Palacio Former Foreign Minister of Spain. Senior Vice President and World Bank Group General Counsel. She was a member of the Spanish Parliament and Chair of the Joint Committee of the two Houses for European Union Affairs. Held senior positions in the governing body of European lawyers (CCBE). Member of the Board of Trustees and former Executive President of the Academy of European Law (ERA); Distinguished Professor of the European College in Parma, and member of the Editorial Board of the Revue de Droit de l’ Union européenne.

Torkel L. Patterson President of Raytheon International, Inc. Previously served at the U.S. Department of State as Deputy Assistant Secretary, South Asian Affairs and was senior advisor to the U.S. Ambassador in Tokyo. Prior to that, he was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Asian Affairs for the National Security Council. Was president of Raytheon Japan, senior country manager for Taiwan and president, North Asia Division, Raytheon International, from 1998 to 2000. Received a B.Sc. and graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy. He was also an Olmsted scholar at the University of Tsukuba, Japan.

Shimon Peres Vice Premier and Minister for the Development of the Negev, Galilee and Regional Economy. Former Prime Minister of Israel. First elected to the Knesset in 1959 and has served continuously since then. Held several ministerial positions including Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Regional Cooperation. Served as Prime Minister between 1984–1986 and again after the assassination of late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Served in the Hagana. In 1953, was appointed Director General of the Ministry of Defense, and laid the foundations for the creation of Israeli military power. Authored ten books. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

Amir Peretz Minister of Defense. Chairman of the Labor Party. Member of Knesset since 1988. Former Chairman of the Histadrut trade union federation and Mayor of Sderot. Richard Perle Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously served as Chairman of the Defense Policy Board and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy. Also served on the US Senate Staff. Holds a B.A. in International Politics from the University of Southern California and an M.A in Politics from Princeton University.Amb. Thomas R. Pickering Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Previously served as Senior Vice President of Boeing, Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Ambassador to India, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador to Israel, El Salvador and Nigeria. Was Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and also the Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Won the Distinguished Presidential Award and the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award. Earned a B.A. from Bowdoin College and an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Governor Mitt Romney Former Governor of Massachusetts. Earned Massachusetts’ 1994 Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. Previous positions include President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, and Former Vice President and CEO at Bain & Company, Inc., a leading management consulting firm. Founded Bain Capital, a venture capital and investment company. Established the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program. Received a B.A. from Brigham Young University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was named a Baker Scholar, and a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Jack Rosen Chairman of the American Jewish Congress. Board member of the Hudson Institute. He was a Presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, as well as a member of the NASA Advisory Council. Member of the U.S.-Israel Bi-National Commission on Housing and Community Development, and member of the Executive Committee of AIPAC and of the Council on Foreign Relations. Graduate of City University of New York. Stanley O. Roth Vice President for Asia, International Relations of the Boeing Company. Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S.–Indonesia Society, and the Asia Society. Prior to joining Boeing, served as Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Pacific Affairs, as Director of Research and Studies at the U.S. Institute for Peace, as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, and as Director of Committee Liaison, Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives. Received a B.A. in Political Science from Brandeis University and an M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University.

Prof. Amnon Rubinstein President of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. Former Dean of the Radzyner School of Law at the IDC. Retired from the Knesset in 2002 after 25 years of serving as a member for the Shinui and Meretz parties. Held several ministerial positions including Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, Minister of Energy and Infrastructures, Minister of Science and Technology, and Minister of Communication. Before assuming a political career, he was the Pinchas Rozen Professor of Constitutional Law and Dean of the Law Faculty at Tel Aviv University. Widely published on both professional legal matters and on wider political and social affairs. Recently co-authored Israel and the Family of Nations – A Jewish Nation-State and Human Rights with Dr. Alexander Yakobson. Received a B.A. in Economics and International Relations, an LL.B. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an LL.D. from the University of London.

Dr. Gary Samore Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, Vice President for Global Security and Sustainability at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He was Director of Studies and Senior Fellow for Nonproliferation at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and also served at the National Security Council. Holds a B.A. in Sociology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University.

Dr. Robert Satloff Executive Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
An expert on Arab and Islamic politics as well as U.S. Middle East policy. He has written widely on the Arab-Israeli peace process and the political repercussions of Islamic politics on regional stability. Comments on Middle East issues in major newspapers such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. Appears regularly on television and radio, including the CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, and CNN. Holds a D.Phil. from Oxford and an M.A. from Harvard University.

MK Silvan Shalom Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister. Member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Previously, Minister of Finance, Minister of Science, and Deputy Minister of Defense. Prior to his election to the Knesset for the Likud in 1992, served as Chairman of the Israel Electric Corporation and Director General of the Ministry of Energy. A journalist by profession, received a B.A. in Economics and Accounting from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, and an LL.B. and M.A. in Public Policy from Tel Aviv University.

Natan Sharansky Head of the Institute for International and Middle Eastern Studies at the Shalem Center. Former Minister of Diaspora, Society and Jerusalem Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction and Housing. Founder of the Yisrael B’Aliya Party. Previously served as Associate Editor of the Jerusalem Report, worked for the Zionist Forum and was one of the founders of Peace Watch, an independent organization committed to monitoring the compliance to agreements signed between Israel and the PLO. A ‘refusnik’ prisoner in the former Soviet Union for nine years, released after heavy international pressure. Author of The Case for Democracy. Graduated with a degree in Computer Science from the Physical Technical Institute in Moscow.Amb. Zalman Shoval Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Institute for Policy and Strategy, the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Export Investment Corp., Ltd. Served twice as Israel’s Ambassador to the United States. First served in the Knesset in 1970-81, as a member for Rafi and later the Likud.
Re-elected to Knesset in 1988; resigned when appointed Ambassador. Awarded the title of “Diplomat of the Year 1999” by the Los Angeles Council on World Affairs. Was active for many years in the private sector, in banking, finance and industry. Serves in several public positions in the fields of economics, politics, academics and the arts. He has published numerous articles on politics, history and economics. Graduate of the University of Geneva in Political Science and International Relations. Dr. Jeffrey R. Solomon President of Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies.
Previously, Senior Vice-President and CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York and Executive Vice-President of Altro Health & Rehabilitation Services in New York. Lectures at the Columbia University School of Business and at the Wexner Heritage Program for Israeli Leadership. Consulted with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources and the U.S. Department of Education. Earned a B.Sc. from New York University, an M.S.S.W. from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from Heed University, Florida.

Margaret Spellings United States Secretary of Education. Previously served as Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. Prior to that, worked for six years as Senior Advisor to then Governor George W. Bush and was responsible for developing and implementing the Governor’s education reforms and policies. Earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Houston.

MK Dr. Yuval Steinitz Member of Knesset for the Likud Party since 1999. Member and former Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Former lecturer of Philosophy at the University of Haifa. Holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Tel Aviv University.

The 7th Herzliya Conference      

Herzliya Conference 2007 PM Olmert: still time to stop Iran