American, Israeli, and Arab panelists will examine the prospects for peace or continued conflict in the Holy Land at the 12th International Conference on the Holy Land to be held in on November 5-6, 2010 at The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, DC.
Amira Hass, long time correspondent of the Israeli news organization Haaretz, Dr. Hussein Ibish, Senior Fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) and Ori Nir, international journalist and news analyst at Americans for Peace Now (APN) will be the panelists for this discussion. Ambassador Philip Wilcox, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) will serve as the moderator for this panel discussion.
The developing American and international consensus regarding the two-state solution has changed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from a zero-sum equation to what can and should be a win-win solution—Israel and Palestine living alongside each other in peace and security. The panelists will review recent political developments in the U.S., Israel, and the region that can impact this consensus. They will explore whether the forces of moderation in the region are in ascendancy or not.
The panelists bring unique perspectives to these critical questions through the experiences of their own personal and professional lives.
Amira Hass, born in Jerusalem to Jewish immigrants, survivors of the Nazi Genocide, has been reporting on the Palestinian Occupied Territories since the early 1990’s. For the last 13 years she has lived in Ramallah. She has also lived for three years in Gaza. In 2009 she spent five months in Gaza, collecting testimonies on the ground on the Israeli military operation in Gaza in 2008-9 code named ‘Cast Lead’.
Dr. Hussein Ibish is the U.S. correspondent for the Daily Star (Beirut). His opinion pieces have appeared in many newspapers here and abroad. He has written extensively on hate crimes and discrimination against Arab Americans. His books include At the Constitution’s Edge: Arab Americans and Civil Liberties, Race and the War on Terror, The Palestinian Right of Return, and most recently What‘s Wrong with the One-State Agenda?
Ori Nir joined Americans for Peace Now in 2006, following a 24-year distinguished career in journalism, mainly focused on the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is a highly regarded news analyst, appearing frequently on national and international news programs. His opinion articles appear in major American newspapers. For Haaretz Daily Israel’s leading newspaper, he covered all aspects of Palestinian affairs starting with the first Palestinian uprising (intifada). Later as Washington correspondent for Haaretz and for Forward, America’s largest and most influential independent national Jewish weekly newspaper, he covered U.S. Middle East policy and the diplomatic efforts to advance Arab-Israeli peace.
Ambassador Philip Wilcox, Jr. retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in September 1997 after 31 years of service. The Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) is devoted to fostering peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The panelists will address the plenary session of the 12th International Conference on the Holy Land on November 6, 2010, being held at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, DC.
For complete details of the conference, speakers and associated venues, please visit the HCEF website www.hcef.org or for more information click on these helpful links:
