Each IAEE mission is composed of outstanding scholars nominated by IAEE's Academic Board. (See Members of the IAEE American Academic Board)
The weeklong missions combine lectures and intimate meetings with leading Israeli and Palestinian public figures, roundtable discussions with Israeli colleagues, and tours of the country by car and by helicopter to appreciate the country's unique archaeological history, its beauty, and its complex issues of security. Please see the notional itinerary for this summer's IAEE mission below.
Following each mission, the Milken Institute and the Rabin Center coordinate a range of activities between American and Israeli participants including publication opportunities under the imprint of the Milken Institute, visiting teaching opportunities, and conferences on areas of collaborative research.
Post-mission conversation between participants, and with the broader of community of Middle East specialists is hosted by Middle East Strategy at Harvard (MESH) -- a project of the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University. The Olin Institute is part of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/mesh/category/announcements/iaae-guest-posts/
July 27 – August 3, 2010
Tuesday, July 27
3:00pm Pick-up from Ben-Gurion Airport
Check-in to the Dan Hotel, Tel Aviv
7:00pm Welcome and Introductory Remarks by:
Ms. Dalia Rabin, Chair of the Yitzhak Rabin Center
Rabbi Nachum Braverman, Executive Director of AE
“Israel’s Opportunities and Constraints: Past and Present”
Opening dinner discussion led by:
Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, Head of Israeli Military Intelligence
Prof. Shlomo Avineri, Professor of Political Science at the Hebrew University
- at the Yitzhak Rabin Center
Overnight at the Dan Hotel
Wednesday, July 28
Breakfast on own at hotel
8:00am Depart for Sderot
En Route: “The Phenomenon of Radical Islamic Terrorism”
Led by Ari Shuali, former intelligence officer in the Arab & Muslim world
10:00am Meet with the Mayor of Sderot, David Buskila
10:45am Tour of Sderot
- Guided by Sderot Youth
12:30pm “Gaza: A Security Conundrum”
Lunch discussion with Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, Head of IDF Southern Command
2:30pm Depart for Tel Aviv
4:00pm Arrive in Tel Aviv/Break
6:00pm “Gaza and Hamas: Perspectives from the Street Today”
Panel discussion with:
Prof. Yoram Meital, Chair of the Chaim Herzog Center for Middle East Studies and Diplomacy at Ben-Gurion University
Graciela Lopez, Coordinator of Protection Activities in Gaza for the International Committee of the Red Cross
Sleman Al-Shafhe, Gaza correspondent
8:00pm Dinner joined by Professors:
Mark Heller, Principal Research Associate at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)
Shaul Mishal, Professor of Political Science at Tel Aviv University
Zaki Shalom, Research Fellow at the INSS and Professor at Ben-Gurion University
Overnight at the Dan Hotel
Thursday, July 29
Breakfast &check-out on own
8:00am Tour of Security Barrier
Led by Shaul Arieli, expert on the separation barrier
12:30pm “Minorities in Israeli Society”
Lunch discussion with:
Dr. Ahmad Tibi, Deputy HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Knesset_speakers" \o "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Knesset_speakers
List of Knesset speakers" Speaker of Knesset, Leader of Ta’al, the Arab nationalist party in Israel
Mayor Ramiz Jaraisy, Mayor of Nazareth
Rafik Halabi, Druze journalist, television reporter and film maker
- in Nazareth
2:30pm Depart for Haifa
4:00pm Meet with the Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav
5:00pm “Israel: The Demographic Aspect”
Professor Arnon Soffer, Professor of Geography and Political Science at the University of Haifa and the National Defense College
6:30pm Check-in to the Dan Carmel/Break
8:30pm “The Northern Front: Stability or Turmoil”
Dinner discussion with:
Prof. Eyal Zisser, Fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center and expert on Syria
Dr. Ephraim Kam, Deputy Head of the INSS and expert on Iran
Overnight at Dan Carmel
Friday, July 30
Breakfast &check-out on own
8:00am Bus with luggage departs for Jerusalem
8:30am Bus with participants departs for heli-pad
9:00am Helicopter tour of the north
10:30am Land in Jerusalem
11:00am Check-in to the King David Hotel
Break/Lunch on own (provided in hotel)
1:00pm “The Prospective of Israeli-Palestinian Agreement: Past and Future”
Panel Discussion with:
Gilead Sher, Israel’s co-Chief Negotiator at the Camp David Summit and Taba talks
Brig. Gen. Udi Dekel, former Head of the IDF Strategic Planning Division & former Chief of Israel’s Negotiation Team
Pini Meidan, former Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Ehud Barak & member of Israel’s Negotiation Team with the Palestinians
3:00pm “O Jerusalem”
Discussion with
Dr. Daniel Seidmann, founder of the Israeli NGO, “Yerushalayim D'lemata” (Terrestrial Jerusalem), and a Senior Advisor to the Kairos Project
Prof. Yaacov Bar-Siman-Tov, Giancarlo Elia Valori Professor of International Relations for the Study of Peace and Regional Cooperation at the Hebrew University & Head of the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies
Amb. Dore Gold, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and former Representative of Israel to the United Nations
5:00pm Break
7:00pm Depart for walk to Western Wall
8:00pm Shabbat Dinner in the Old City
Overnight at King David Hotel
Saturday, July 31
Breakfast on own at hotel
9:00am Guided walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem
Led by Ian Stern, archaeologist and guide
8:30pm Shabbat ends
9:00pm “Israel Aid Abroad, With or Without Diplomatic Ties”
Dinner presentation by Gal Lusky, CEO & Founder of Israel Flying Aid
Overnight at King David Hotel
Sunday, August 1
Breakfast on own in hotel
8:00am Depart for Ramallah
9:00am Meetings with Palestinian Leaders:
Dr. Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority
Dr. Saeb Erekat, Head the Palestinian Negotiation Steering and Monitoring Committee
Maj. Gen. Jibril Rajoub, former head of the Palestinian Preventive Security Force in the West Bank.
3:00pm Depart for Dollev Village
4:00pm “The Settlers’ Voice”
Meet with Adi Mintz, former Managing Director of Yesha Council & member of Elad’s Management Board
5:30pm Depart for Jerusalem
6:30pm Break
7:30pm “Building the Palestinian Law Enforcement”
Dinner discussion with:
Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, U.S. Security Coordinator for the Israel-Palestinian Authority
Overnight at the King David
Monday, August 2
Breakfast on own in hotel
8:30am Depart for Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial
9:00am Guided tour of Yad Vashem
11:00am Depart for Israel’s Supreme Court
11:30am “Israel’s Justice System”
Discussion with Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch, President of the Israeli Supreme Court
1:00pm “International Law and Human Rights”
Lunch Discussion with:
Col. Daniel Reisner, International Law Expert
Daniel Taub, Senior Legal Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ron Shatzberg, Project Director & Member of the Policy Planning Team at the ECF, Advisor to the International Committee Red Cross
Aluf Benn, Editor of Ha’aretz
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, Doctor & Author
3:15pm “Israel’s Economy”
Presentation by Stanley Fisher, Governor of the Bank of Israel
Discussion with:
Dr. Dan Ben-David, Economist
Saul Singer, Author
5:30pm Break
8:00pm Dinner with Dan Meridor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy
Overnight at the King David
Tuesday, August 3
Breakfast &check-out on own
8:30am Depart for Har Herzl
9:00am Visit the graves of Yitzhak and Lea Rabin, z”l
- Mt. Herzl
10:00am Depart for Tel Aviv
11:00am Tour the Israeli Museum at the Yitzhak Rabin Center
12:30pm Lunch at the Yitzhak Rabin Center
1:30pm “Secular-Religious Coexistence and Conflict”
Lunch discussion with:
Rabbi David Grossman, Chief Rabbi of Migdal Ha'Emek and Founder of Migdal Ohr Educational Center
Avishai Ben-Haim, TV correspondent on Jewish religious affairs
3:00pm “The U.S–Israel Relationship”
Panel discussion with:
Amb. Alon Pinkas, former Israeli Consul General to the U.S.
Amb. & Prof. Itamar Rabinovich, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. (1993-96)
Amb. Zalman Shoval, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. (1990-1993 & 1998-2000)
5:30pm Closing Session with Minister Ehud Barak, Minister of Defense
6:30pm Dinner & Feedback Discussion
Led by Dr. Charlie Kupchan and Richard Samuels
8:30pm Depart for Ben-Gurion Airport
AE Mission to Israel
June 22-29, 2009
Monday, June 22
2:00p.m. Arrivals at Ben-Gurion Airport
Check-in at Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv
6:45p.m. Depart for the Yitzhak Rabin Center
7:30p.m. Dinner on the Terrace
Welcome and Introduction
Dalia Rabin - Former Deputy Minister of Defense; Chair of the Yitzhak Rabin Center, and Chairman of the IAEE Israel Board
Dr. Chuck Freilich - Former Deputy National Security Advisor and Co-Founder AE
8:15p.m. Central Trends in the Middle-East Today
Major General (ret) Amos Gilad - Head of the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic and Security Bureau, and Chief Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories
Dr. Asher Susser - Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern and African History, Director of External Affairs for the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, and Member of the IAEE Israel Board
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Tuesday, June 23
9:30a.m. Depart for the Yitzhak Rabin Center
10:00a.m. Tour of the Israeli Museum at the Rabin Center
12:00a.m. Lunch
Briefing on the Security Situation on Israel's Northern Border
Brigadier General Shuki Shachrur - Deputy Head of the Northern Command of the Israel Defense Forces
1:30p.m. Survey of Israel Syrian and Israel Lebanese Issues
Dr. Eyal Zisser - Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies, and Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University
3:30p.m. Depart for Jerusalem
5:00p.m. Strategic Sruvey of the Middle-East
Lieutenant General (ret) Moshe "Boogie" Ya'alon - Former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces; Currently Vice-Prime Minister, and Minister of Strategic Affairs
7:30p.m Dinner at Canela
Israeli National Security Strategy
Dan Meridor - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Wednesday, June 24
8:00a.m. Depart for Sde Dov Airport
8:30a.m. Helicopter Tour of the Country -- Briefings at Carlucci and Har Ben Tal
Shuki Shachrur
Travel South and Land in Sderot
2:00p.m. Visit the Sderot Police Station
Visit the Undergroung Playground - Briefing by Trauma Center Staff
3:00p.m. Mayor David Buskila - Mayor of Sderot
4:00p.m. Gaza, Hamas, and Islam
Major General Yoav Gallant - Head of the Southern Command of the Israel Defense Forces
6:15p.m. Dinner at Kibbutz Kfar Maimon
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Thursday, June 25
10:00a.m. Depart for Ofra
11:30a.m. The Settlers' Perspective
Israel Harel - Former Chairman of the Council of Settlers in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza; Currently a Fellow at the Hartmann Institute, and columnist for the newspaper Ha'aretz
12:45p.m. Depart for Ramallah
1:30p.m. The Palestinian Perspective
Salam Fayyad - Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority
Saeb Erekat - Chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee and Chief Palestinian Negotiator
4:30p.m. Depart for Jerusalem
5:30p.m. Check-in at David Citadel Hotel
6:30p.m. Cocktails Overlooking Jerusalem
8:30p.m. Dinner at Gavriel
Overnight in Jerusalem
Friday, June 26
8:00a.m. Israels Identity in Preserving Liberal Democracy in the World
Natan Sharansky Former Soviet dissident and human rights activist, former Minister, and current Chairman of the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center
8:45a.m. Depart for Har Herzl
9:15a.m. Visit the graves of Yitzhak and Lea Rabin
Dalia Rabin
10:00a.m. Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial & Museum
11:30a.m. Depart for the Supreme Court
12:00p.m. Israel as a Jewish Nation State and a Democracy
Dorit Baynish President of the Israeli Supreme Court
12:30p.m. Lunch on the Terrace of the David Citadel
2:00p.m. The Palestinian Negotiations The Israeli Perspective
Dalia Rabin
Brigadier General Udi Dekel Former Head of the Strategic Planning Division of the Israel Defense Forces and former Chief of the Israeli Negotiations Team
Pini Meidan
Former Member of the Israeli Negotiation Team with the Palestinians, and member of
the IAEE Israel Board
Gilad Sher Former Negotiator of the Camp David Peace Summit
4:00p.m. The Iranian Threat
Chuck Freilich
Sima Shein Head of the Strategic Issues Division of Israels National Security Council
6:30p.m. Visit the Western Wall for the Welcoming of Shabbat
8:00p.m. Shabbat Dinner Overlooking the Old City and the Judean Desert
Overnight in Jerusalem
Saturday, June 27 Shabbat
10:30a.m. Walking Tour of the Old City of Jerusalem
Lisa Aiken Former Chief Psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York and Clinical Assistant Professor at New York Medical College, currently writing, practicing, lecturing, and guiding tours in Jerusalem
1:00p.m. Lunch at the David Citadel Hotel
2:30p.m. Walking Tours Continue
4:00p.m. Israeli Society Today
Yuli Tamir Member of Knesset; Former Minister of Immigrant Absorption and Former Minister of Education
Avi Issacharoff Correspondent for HaAretz
8:45p.m. Dinner in the Garden of the Anna Ticho House
Overnight in Jerusalem
Sunday, June 28
Check out of the Hotel
8:30a.m. Visit the Newly Excavated City of David
12:30p.m. Lunch
The Israeli Economy and the Defense Burden
Dan Ben David Director of the Taub Center for Social Policy Research
1:30p.m. Depart for Tel Aviv
3:00p.m. Science, Medicine, and Technology in Israel Today
Dr. Yadin Dudai Head of the Department of Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute
Amit Nisenbaum Chief Operating Officer of Better Place
4:00p.m. The Untold Story of the Rescue of Jews from Ethiopia Yariv Gershoni
6:00p.m. Cocktail and Dinner on the Terrace of the Rabin Center
6:45p.m. Israels Place in the World of Diplomacy
Tzipi Livni Former Foreign Minister and Head of the Kadima Party
7:30p.m. Closing Remarks
Nachum Braverman Executive Director of AE
Final Forum
Dr. Charlie Kupchan Former Director for European Affairs on the U.S. National Security Council, currently Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; Chairman of the Academic Board of AE
9:00p.m. Depart for Ben-Gurion airport
AE Mission to Israel
June 22-29, 2009
Monday, June 22
2:00p.m. Arrivals at Ben-Gurion Airport
Check-in at Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv
6:45p.m. Depart for the Yitzhak Rabin Center
7:30p.m. Dinner on the Terrace
Welcome and Introduction
Dalia Rabin - Former Deputy Minister of Defense; Chair of the Yitzhak Rabin Center, and Chairman of the IAEE Israel Board
Dr. Chuck Freilich - Former Deputy National Security Advisor and Co-Founder AE
8:15p.m. Central Trends in the Middle-East Today
Major General (ret) Amos Gilad - Head of the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic and Security Bureau, and Chief Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories
Dr. Asher Susser - Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern and African History, Director of External Affairs for the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, and Member of the IAEE Israel Board
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Tuesday, June 23
9:30a.m. Depart for the Yitzhak Rabin Center
10:00a.m. Tour of the Israeli Museum at the Rabin Center
12:00a.m. Lunch
Briefing on the Security Situation on Israel's Northern Border
Brigadier General Shuki Shachrur - Deputy Head of the Northern Command of the Israel Defense Forces
1:30p.m. Survey of Israel Syrian and Israel Lebanese Issues
Dr. Eyal Zisser - Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies, and Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University
3:30p.m. Depart for Jerusalem
5:00p.m. Strategic Sruvey of the Middle-East
Lieutenant General (ret) Moshe "Boogie" Ya'alon - Former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces; Currently Vice-Prime Minister, and Minister of Strategic Affairs
7:30p.m Dinner at Canela
Israeli National Security Strategy
Dan Meridor - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Wednesday, June 24
8:00a.m. Depart for Sde Dov Airport
8:30a.m. Helicopter Tour of the Country -- Briefings at Carlucci and Har Ben Tal
Shuki Shachrur
Travel South and Land in Sderot
2:00p.m. Visit the Sderot Police Station
Visit the Undergroung Playground - Briefing by Trauma Center Staff
3:00p.m. Mayor David Buskila - Mayor of Sderot
4:00p.m. Gaza, Hamas, and Islam
Major General Yoav Gallant - Head of the Southern Command of the Israel Defense Forces
6:15p.m. Dinner at Kibbutz Kfar Maimon
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Thursday, June 25
10:00a.m. Depart for Ofra
11:30a.m. The Settlers' Perspective
Israel Harel - Former Chairman of the Council of Settlers in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza; Currently a Fellow at the Hartmann Institute, and columnist for the newspaper Ha'aretz
12:45p.m. Depart for Ramallah
1:30p.m. The Palestinian Perspective
Salam Fayyad - Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority
Saeb Erekat - Chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee and Chief Palestinian Negotiator
4:30p.m. Depart for Jerusalem
5:30p.m. Check-in at David Citadel Hotel
6:30p.m. Cocktails Overlooking Jerusalem
8:30p.m. Dinner at Gavriel
Overnight in Jerusalem
Friday, June 26
8:00a.m. Israels Identity in Preserving Liberal Democracy in the World
Natan Sharansky Former Soviet dissident and human rights activist, former Minister, and current Chairman of the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center
8:45a.m. Depart for Har Herzl
9:15a.m. Visit the graves of Yitzhak and Lea Rabin
Dalia Rabin
10:00a.m. Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial & Museum
11:30a.m. Depart for the Supreme Court
12:00p.m. Israel as a Jewish Nation State and a Democracy
Dorit Baynish President of the Israeli Supreme Court
12:30p.m. Lunch on the Terrace of the David Citadel
2:00p.m. The Palestinian Negotiations The Israeli Perspective
Dalia Rabin
Brigadier General Udi Dekel Former Head of the Strategic Planning Division of the Israel Defense Forces and former Chief of the Israeli Negotiations Team
Pini Meidan
Former Member of the Israeli Negotiation Team with the Palestinians, and member of
the IAEE Israel Board
Gilad Sher Former Negotiator of the Camp David Peace Summit
4:00p.m. The Iranian Threat
Chuck Freilich
Sima Shein Head of the Strategic Issues Division of Israels National Security Council
6:30p.m. Visit the Western Wall for the Welcoming of Shabbat
8:00p.m. Shabbat Dinner Overlooking the Old City and the Judean Desert
Overnight in Jerusalem
Saturday, June 27 Shabbat
10:30a.m. Walking Tour of the Old City of Jerusalem
Lisa Aiken Former Chief Psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York and Clinical Assistant Professor at New York Medical College, currently writing, practicing, lecturing, and guiding tours in Jerusalem
1:00p.m. Lunch at the David Citadel Hotel
2:30p.m. Walking Tours Continue
4:00p.m. Israeli Society Today
Yuli Tamir Member of Knesset; Former Minister of Immigrant Absorption and Former Minister of Education
Avi Issacharoff Correspondent for HaAretz
8:45p.m. Dinner in the Garden of the Anna Ticho House
Overnight in Jerusalem
Sunday, June 28
Check out of the Hotel
8:30a.m. Visit the Newly Excavated City of David
12:30p.m. Lunch
The Israeli Economy and the Defense Burden
Dan Ben David Director of the Taub Center for Social Policy Research
1:30p.m. Depart for Tel Aviv
3:00p.m. Science, Medicine, and Technology in Israel Today
Dr. Yadin Dudai Head of the Department of Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute
Amit Nisenbaum Chief Operating Officer of Better Place
4:00p.m. The Untold Story of the Rescue of Jews from Ethiopia Yariv Gershoni
6:00p.m. Cocktail and Dinner on the Terrace of the Rabin Center
6:45p.m. Israels Place in the World of Diplomacy
Tzipi Livni Former Foreign Minister and Head of the Kadima Party
7:30p.m. Closing Remarks
Nachum Braverman Executive Director of AE
Final Forum
Dr. Charlie Kupchan Former Director for European Affairs on the U.S. National Security Council, currently Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; Chairman of the Academic Board of AE
9:00p.m. Depart for Ben-Gurion airport
