In his lecture, Shapiro will draw on his eight years of service as an ambassador in the Obama administration and offer perspective from his current vantage point in Israel on the Trump administration.
On Tuesday, March 26, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro, will deliver the 2019 Bennett Lecture in Judaic Studies, “U.S.-Israel Relations During the Obama and Trump Administrations: An Inside Look,” at 7:30 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.
In his lecture, Shapiro will draw on the eight years he served as an ambassador in the Obama administration, and offer perspective from his current vantage point in Israel on the Trump administration. He will give a behind-the-scenes account of the Israeli-Palestinian talks, the fight over the Iran deal, and the many successes of U.S.-Israel relations. Shapiro will also analyze the prospects for future bilateral cooperation, evaluate regional peace and security initiatives, and explore the potential for some continued dissonance between these two close allies over the next four years. Additionally, he will discuss the impact of the American Embassy's relocation to Jerusalem.
Shapiro was appointed by President Barack Obama to be the United States ambassador to Israel in July 2011. Serving until the end of the Obama Administration, he was praised for his management of the U.S.-Israel relationship during Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, the Iran nuclear agreement, the Middle East's regional instability, and periods of significant bilateral tension and disagreement. During his time as ambassador, Shapiro negotiated a $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding for U.S. miltary aid to Israel. He had unprecedented public outreach -- in fluent Hebrew -- to Israel’s diverse communities, and saw a 40 percent growth in U.S.-Israel trade.
Currently, Shapiro is the Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Tel Aviv University's Institute of National Security Studies. He has appeared on major news broadcasts such as CNN, MSNBC and Israeli Channel 2, and he has written for several publications including Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post.
This lecture is free and open to the public; reservations are requested. To reserve your free seat, email bennettcenter@fairfield.edu or call (203) 254-4000 x2066.
