What is the future of Israel-US relations in the aftermath of the 2020 US Presidential Elections? How must Israel deal with new political, cyber, and strategic realities on the ground? Will Israel’s normalization with Arab states continue, or will it grind to a halt? How will the Biden Administration approach the critical issues confronting the Middle East, from Israel-Palestinian relations to the Iranian nuclear capability? Click here to register
These and other pressing matters are discussed in a special webinar sponsored by the Boris Mints Institute, the Center for the Study of the United States, and the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology & Security.
Entitled ‘The Aftermath of the 2020 US Presidential Elections: Politics, Cyber and Strategy’, this special Israel-US dialogue features a discussion with leading figures in the world of politics, science, and history on these critical issues. The Webinar features Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, noted historian, former president of Tel Aviv University, and Israeli Ambassador to the United States from 1993-1996; Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, Chairman of the Israel Space Agency; Prof. Lee Epstein, Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor, Washington University, St. Louis, and Dr. Yael Sternhell, Head of the American Studies Program at Tel Aviv University.
Each participant brings their unique perspectives and expertise to the discussion. Professor Rabinovich, a veteran diplomat, is considered an expert on Syria and served as Israel’s chief negotiator with Syria between 1993 and 1996, while Professor Ben-Israel served as Director of the Defense R&D Directorate in the Ministry of Defense and formulated Israel’s cyber-security policy. Professor Epstein specializes in the US Supreme Court, and Dr. Sternhell is an authority on US History.
Speaking in advance of the Webinar, Prof. Rabinovich suggested that the switch from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration will be more than a shift from a Republican presidency to a Democratic one. “We will have a transition from an exceptional and unique presidency – that of Donald Trump – to a traditional one, of Joe Biden who is an old hand, a veteran of the Senate, and former Vice President.” The former Ambassador will analyze the prospects for further normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab-world and the importance of rebuilding alliances with moderates within the Democratic party.
Professor Epstein addresses the effects of the Presidential election on the Supreme Court. “One effect,” she notes, “was to prompt Republicans in the Senate to race through a replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court Justice who died in September.” Professor Epstein compares the Supreme Court’s rulings in two cases involving COVID and religious freedom – one that was issued when Ginsburg was still on the court, and one that was handed down after her death, when her replacement, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, had joined the bench.
The program is moderated by Dr. Udi Sommer, Department of Political Science and Head of the Center for the Study of the United States in Partnership with the Fulbright Program, Tel Aviv University, and also features Prof. Mark Shtaif, Rector, Tel Aviv University, and Prof. Itai Sened, Head of the Boris Mints Institute and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University.
The Boris Mints Institute is a part of the School of Social and Policy Studies at Tel Aviv University in Ramat Aviv and was founded by Dr. Boris Mints in 2015 to encourage research, planning, and innovative thinking in order to promote a significant positive change in the world. The Institute focuses on delivering detailed strategic blueprints for implementation to decision-makers worldwide, based on research conducted by the finest researchers and students in five research labs: Inequality, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development, Water and Conflict Resolution. The Boris Mints Institute also awards the annual Boris Mints Prize – a $100,000 award to academics helping to solve strategic global challenges.
For more information about the Webinar and to register, please click here.