Robert and Pamela Jacobs 2024 Lecture in Jewish Culture
Israel, Hamas, and the Old-New Middle East
Lecture by Professor Daniel Kurtzer
The Israel-Hamas war is unlike any that preceded it, affecting countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. Many Arab governments are struggling to balance emerging ties to Israel with their citizens’ strong affinity with Palestinians. Former U.S. Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer will explore endemic problems in the Middle East, how the United States is coping with a more volatile region, and whether new regional alignments might emerge.
Following a 29-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service Daniel Kurtzer joined Princeton University’s faculty in 2006 as professor of Middle East policy studies. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Other assignments included speechwriter for Secretary of State George P. Shultz and Middle East advisor on the policy planning staff, deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, and principal deputy assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research.
Throughout his career, Kurtzer was instrumental in formulating and executing U.S. policy toward the Middle East peace process. He served on Secretary of State James A. Baker’s Middle East peace team that brought about the 1991 Madrid peace conference, and chaired the multilateral peace talks that followed. Secretary of State John Kerry appointed Kurtzer to serve on the Secretary’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board. Kurtzer is the co-author of Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East, co-author of The Peace Puzzle: America’s Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace, 1989-2011; editor of Pathways to Peace: America and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, and numerous scholarly articles and op-eds on foreign policy issues. Kurtzer received his Ph.D. from Columbia University.
Wednesday, May 1st, 4:00 pm
In-person in Thompson 104
Free and open to the public
Streaming live on Zoom (registration is required):
https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsduuopjMtE9XpNN84d_Y6R7t-s0sdYi0i
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.