The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference April 29, 2012, Marriott Times Square

The Jerusalem Post is holding its first annual conference in New York on Israel-US relations, featuring top personalities from Israel and the US, as well as the newspaper’s top editors and journalists. There will be key addresses and panel discussions on the major issues facing the Jewish people in the coming years. It promises to be a hugely important event for anyone interested in the future of the Jewish State.

“FOR ALMOST 80 YEARS, THE JERUSALEM POST HAS SERVED AS THE BEST “POST”
OF JERUSALEM. ALWAYS TRUSTWORTHY, ALWAYS CARING, ALWAYS REMEMBERING
ITS HISTORY, WITHOUT IGNORING ITS PRESENT, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO ITS FUTURE” PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES

Photo’s by: Reuters/Brian Snyder, Eladmkeren, Reuters /Kevin Lamarque, Marc Israel. CC-BY-SA Carl Lender, Commons Share Alike, Ariel Jerozolimski

Speakers

Steve Linde – Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post
Steve Linde was appointed editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post in July, 2011, after serving as managing editor, news editor and night editor at the paper over the past 14 years. He also served as director, editor, reporter and news reader for Israel Radio’s English News over a period of 21 years. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, he has graduate degrees in sociology and journalism, the latter from the University of California at Berkeley. Linde made aliya in 1987, served in IDF artillery and has lived in Jerusalem for the past 21 years.

Special guest – Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert led Israel through two wars and attempted to make peace as Israel’s prime minister from 2006 to 2009. Prior to that he had a 30-year political career in which he served as mayor of Jerusalem for a decade after serving in the Knesset on the Foreign Affairs and Defense, Finance, Education and Defense Budget committees. He has also served as minister-without-portfolio responsible for minority affairs and as minister of health.

Gabi Ashkenazi – Former Chief of Staff of the IDF
Gabi Ashkenazi was the chief of staff of the Israel Defense forces from 2007 to 2011. He served in the IDF for almost 40 years and was also the director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Defense in 2006. He attended the US Marine Corps Unniversity’s Command and Staff College and is a graduate of Harvard Business School.

Danny Ayalon
Danny Ayalon is Israel’s deputy foreign minister and has served in Israel’s Foreign Service for over 20 years, including as political adviser to prime ministers Ehud Barak, Binyamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon. He was Israel’s ambassador to the United States from 2002 to 2006 and has also held the position of co-chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh.

Prof. Alan M. Dershowitz – Attorney, law professor and author
Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. His clients in the courtroom have included such well-known profiles as O.J. Simpson, Claus von Bülow, Mike Tyson and Patty Hearst. One of the world’s top Israel advocates and the author of dozens of books, Dershowitz has been called “America’s most public Jewish defender” and “Israel’s single most visible defender – the Jewish state’s lead attorney in the court of public opinion.”

Shaul Mofaz – Chairman, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
Shaul Mofaz is the chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense committee. He served in the IDF for over 35 years, fighting in three wars and eventually holding the position of chief of general staff from 1998 to 2002. He has also served as minister of defense, minister of transportation and road safety, minister of defense and deputy prime minister.

Michael Oren – Israeli Ambassador to the US
Michael Oren is Israel’s ambassador to the United States. He is also a historian and prize-winning author and has been a visiting professor at Harvard, Yale and Georgetown. He made aliya from the US after graduating from college and served in the IDF in several of Israel’s wars. He has also been an Israeli emissary to Jewish refuseniks in the Soviet Union, an adviser to Israel’s delegation to the UN and the government’s director of Inter-Religious Affairs.

Ron Prosor – Israeli ambassador to the United Nations
Ron Prosor is Israel’s representative to the United Nations. He served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for over 20 years, including three years as director-general of the ministry, before accepting his current post. He has also served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, in addition to holding many other respected positions.

Meir Dagan – Former director of the Mossad
Meir Dagan served as the director of the Mossad (Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) under prime ministers Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert and Binyamin Netanyahu, from 2002 until 2011. He is known for his controversial opinions regarding the prudence of an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He is the director of the Israel Ports Company and chairman of Gulliver Energy, Ltd.

Malcolm Hoenlein – Executive vice chairman of the CPMAJO
Malcolm Hoenlein has been the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations since 1986. He has met with world leaders and Jewish communities around the globe, and has written and lectured on international relations and Israel and Middle East affairs. He serves as an adviser to many public officials and is frequently consulted on public policy issues. He appears regularly in the media and is associated with and serves on the boards of many communal, educational and civic organizations.

Abraham Foxman – National Director of the Anti-Defamation League in the US
Abraham Foxman has been the national director of the Anti-Defamatino League since 1987. He is known throughout the world as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism, hatred, prejudice, bigotry and discrimination. He is a great supporter of the State of Israel and works closely with leaders and officials around the world to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish state.

Danny Danon – Chairman of the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs and Chairman of the World Likud
Deputy Speaker Danny Danon is Chairman of the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs and Chairman of the World Likud. He is seen as a leader of the “ideological wing” of the Likud Party and has been one of the most vocal critics of the current US administration’s treatment towards Israel. Danon is often called upon to represent Israel in the foreign media.

Alon Pinkas – Foreign relations expert & former consul general of Israel in New York
With nearly two decades of experience in foreign affairs, Ambassador Alon Pinkas has devoted his career to Israeli international relations. The consul general of Israel in New York from 2000 to 2004, he served as the liaison between the state of Israel and the US. He is currently a foreign affairs correspondent for Fox Television and has served in the past as foreign policy adviser to Ehud Barak, political adviser to Shimon Peres and chief of staff to several ministers of Foreign Affairs.

David Suissa – President of TRIBE Media Corp.
David Suissa is a branding and advertising consultant, as well as a popular columnist and eloquent Israel advocate. He is the founder of OLAM magazine and Meals4Israel.com and founder and CEO of Suissa Miller Advertising, USA Today’s Agency of the Year. Suissa’s writings on advertising have been published in several publications, including The Los Angeles Times and Advertising Age. He is also president of TRIBE Media Corp/The Jewish Journal and writes frequently on Israel and American Jewish affairs.

Isi Leibler – ‘Jerusalem Post’ columnist and former leader of Australian Jewry and the World Jewish Congress
Isi Leibler is a veteran international Jewish leader with a distinguished record of contributions to the cause of human rights. His leadership roles prior to making aliya included head of the Australian Jewish community and Chairman of the Governing Board of the World Jewish Congress. Today, he writes prolifically and is a regular columnist for the Jerusalem Post.

David Brinn – Jerusalem Post Managing Editor
David Brinn is the managing editor of The Jerusalem Post. He made aliya in 1985 from the US and has worked in many senior capacities at the Post over the past 21 years. In 2008, Brinn was chosen as a fellow in the prestigious USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program in Los Angeles. The founding editor of Israel21C, a non-profit organization that provides news on health, technology, democracy and global ties in Israel, he lives in Ma’ale Adumim with his wife and four children.

Caroline B. Glick – Jerusalem Post senior contributing editor
Caroline Glick is the senior contributing editor at The Jerusalem Post. Her highly popular columns are regularly syndicated. Her writings have been published in The Wall Street Journal, National Review, The Journal of International Security Affairs, The Boston Globe, The Washington Times, The Jewish Press, Frontpage Magazine and Moment Magazine and numerous online journals focusing on the strategic and political issues facing Israel and the United States. She has appeared on MSNBC, FOX News, Sky News and The Christian Broadcasting Network, among others.

Gil Hoffman – Jerusalem Post political reporter
The political correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, Gil Hoffman has interviewed every major figure across the Israeli political spectrum and is a regular analyst on CNN, Al-Jazeera and other news outlets. His writing and TV appearances provide a behind-the-scenes look at the intrigue and humor in the Israeli political arena. Hoffman, who was raised in Chicago, graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University’s School of Journalism and wrote for The Miami Herald and The Arizona Republic before moving to Israel. A reserve soldier in the IDF Spokesman’s Unit and sought-after lecturer round the world, Hoffman lives in Jerusalem with his wife and two children.

Yaakov Katz – Jerusalem Post military affairs reporter
Yaakov Katz is the military correspondent and defense analyst for The Jerusalem Post. He is the co-author of Israel vs. Iran – The Shadow War, which was published in Israel last year and was a national bestseller. It is scheduled to be published in the US in the beginning of 2012. Katz led the Post’s coverage of the recent IDF wars and operations including the Second Lebanon War against Hezbollah in 2006 and Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip in 2009.

Herb Keinon – Jerusalem Post diplomatic reporter
Herb Keinon, who is the Post’s diplomatic correspondent, has been at the paper for the last 25 years and has been covering the diplomatic beat since August 2000. In addition to writing news stories, he also writes analyses, features and a “light” monthly column on the trials and tribulations of raising a family in Israel. Originally from Denver, Keinon has lived in Israel for some 30 years, is married with four children, and lives in Ma’ale Adumim. He has a BA in political science from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MA in journalism from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Naomi Ragen – Author and Jerusalem Post columnist
Naomi Ragen is an American-born novelist, playwright and journalist who has lived in Jerusalem since 1971 and who writes regularly for The Jerusalem Post about Israel and Jewish issues. Ragen has published eight internationally best selling novels and is the author of a hit play (Women’s Minyan), which has been performed more than 500 times in Israel’s National Theatre (Habimah) as well as in the United States and Argentina. An advocate for women’s rights in Israel, she campaigns against gender segregation on Israeli buses and bias in rabbinical courts.

Elana Kirsh – Internet desk manager
Elana Kirsh has served as the news desk manager for the online edition of The Jerusalem Post since 2010. She has a history in Jewish education, Hebrew and Middle Eastern studies, and has been working on the Post’s Internet desk since 2008. Kirsh, 28, was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, and made aliya in 2006. In addition to running the Internet news desk, she also writes two bi-weekly columns: “Untangling the Web” and “The Numbers Crunch. ”

Sarah Honig – Jerusalem Post columnist
Sarah Honig was born in Israel and reared in both Israel and the United States. She was educated at New York’s High School of Music and Art and Tel Aviv University. She began work as a reporter for The Jerusalem Post while still a university student. In the 1970s and 80s she was the leading reporter covering the Movement to free Soviet Jewry and the refuseniks’ struggle. In the early 1980s she became the Post’s senior political correspondent. She wrote a column on Israeli politics, “Insider Dealings.” From 1991–2001 she was the Post’s political analyst. Her column, “Another Tack,” has been featured since 1999. Since 2003 she has also been a senior editorial writer.

Liat Collins – Jerusalem Post International Edition editor
Liat Collins was born and raised in Britain and emigrated to Israel in 1979, when she immediately joined the IDF. Collins has worked at The Jerusalem Post since 1988 in various positions as a reporter, columnist and editor. She received a national award for her contribution to raising the standards of environmental reporting and won praise for her coverage of the Oslo Accords and diplomatic process as parliamentary reporter. The editor of The International Jerusalem Post, Collins also writes a weekly opinion piece (“My Word”) and a biweekly magazine column (“Real Israel”) on the lighter side of Israeli life.

The guest speaker list is not final and is subject to changes and amendments. The Jerusalem Post reserves the right to update the guest speaker list from time to time. Please check this page for future changes and / or updates – in the program.

Conference Program
8:00–9:00 Registration and Kosher Breakfast – Hotel Buffet
Part I – Guest Speakers

9:00–9:20     Introduction – Steve Linde – Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post
9:20–9:40     Opening Speech – Ehud Olmert – Special Guest – Former Prime Minister
9:40–10:00   Speech – Gabi Ashkenazi – Former Chief of Staff of the IDF
10:00–10:20  Speech – Danny Ayalon – Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister
10:20–10:40  Speech – Michael Oren – Israel’s Ambassador to the United States
10:40–11:00  Speech – Ron Prosor – Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations
11:00–11:20  Speech – Prof. Alan M. Dershowitz – Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
11:20–11:40  Speech – Shaul Mofaz – Chairman of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
11:40–12:00  Speech – Meir Dagan – Former Director of the “Mossad”
12:00–12:20  Speech – Caroline B. Glick – Jerusalem Post Senior Contributing Editor
12:20–2:00 Kosher Lunch – Hotel Buffet
Part II – Meet the Special Guests, Writers and Editors of The Jerusalem Post

2:00–3:00 3:00–4:00 4:00–5:00

First Panel – “Land for Peace?” : The Iranian Threat, The Arab Spring and The Arab-Israeli conflict. Caroline B. Glick – Jerusalem Post Senior Contributing Editor Panelists: Ehud Olmert – Former Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz – Chairman of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Gabi Ashkenazi – Former Chief of Staff of the IDF Meir Dagan – Former Director of the “Mossad” Danny Danon – Chairman of the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Yaakov Katz – Jerusalem Post Military Affairs Reporter Second Panel – The Meaning of Brotherhood: American Jewry’s Relationship with the Jewish State Moderator: David Brinn – Jerusalem Post Managing Editor Panelists: Danny Ayalon – Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Oren – Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Prosor – Israeli ambassador to the United Nations David Suissa – President of TRIBE Media Corp Isi Leibler – Jerusalem Post Columnist and Former Leader of Australian Jewry and the World Jewish Congress Naomi Ragen – Jerusalem Post Columnist and Author Third Panel – The Media War Against the De-legitimization of Israel. Moderator: Steve Linde – Editor-In-Chief of The Jerusalem Post Panelists: Prof. Alan M. Dershowitz – Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School Malcolm Hoenlein – Executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Abraham Foxman – National Director of the Anti-Defamatino League Alon Pinkas – Former New York Consul General Gil Hoffman – Jerusalem Post Political Reporter Herb Keinon – Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Reporter BREAK

Part III – Band performance

6:30–7:30

Performance by IDF Band * Kosher catering. * Handicap accessible. * The Hotel has a no-smoking policy. Smoking is strictly prohibited within all hotel areas. * Limited seating for the buffet. * The speakers list is not final and is subject to changes and amendments. The Jerusalem Post reserves    the right to update the guest speaker list from time to time. Please check this page for future updates    in the program.

via : http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/NYCAbout.aspx

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