Johns Hopkins SAIS to host “The Future of Arab-Israeli Diplomacy,” featuring UAE diplomat Yousef Al Otaiba and Israeli diplomat Jeremy Issacharoff on February 4
MEDIA ADVISORY
Johns Hopkins SAIS Dean Eliot A. Cohen will host “The Future of Arab-Israeli Diplomacy,” a virtual discussion featuring Yousef Al Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United States, and Jeremy Issacharoff, Israeli Ambassador to Germany, on Thursday, February 4 as part of the Dean’s Speaker Series.
Ambassadors Al Otaiba and Issacharoff will join Cohen and the event’s moderator Ambassador Eric Edelman, who is also affiliated with the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS, for a conversation focused on normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
This event is co-sponsored by the Zbigniew Brzezinski Initiative, which honors the late U.S. National Security Advisor’s long tenure as a foreign policy professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS and his legacy of leading intellectually challenging current issues seminars focused on American foreign policy.
Speakers
Eliot A. Cohen
Dean, Johns Hopkins SAIS
Yousef Al Otaiba
United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United States
Jeremy Issacharoff
Israeli Ambassador to Germany
Moderator
Eric Edelman
Roger Hertog Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence at the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS
Former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and Turkey
Time and Date
Thursday, February 4, 2021
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. EST
Registration
This virtual event is open to the public and media, with registration.
Media Contact
Jason Lucas
Communications Manager
Johns Hopkins SAIS
+1 (202) 663-5620
[email protected]
About the Speakers
Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba assumed his position as United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United States in 2008. Prior to his current role, Ambassador Al Otaiba served for eight years as the Director of International Affairs for the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Ambassador Al Otaiba also served as one of the UAE’s principal security, anti-terrorism, and defense liaisons to other governments and was heavily involved in diplomatic efforts to enhance UAE enforcement of export control laws and policies, and the coordination of counter-proliferation activities with allies. In recognition of his service to the UAE and leadership in building closer ties with the U.S., he was honored by the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce as Ambassador of the Year in 2010, promoted to Minister of State in 2017, and named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
Ambassador Jeremy Issacharoff has served as Israel's Ambassador to Germany since 2017. Previously he served as Deputy Director General in the Foreign Ministry of Israel with overall responsibility for arms control, non-proliferation, regional security, counterterrorism, and the authorization of Israeli defense exports. Ambassador Issacharoff has served in several senior diplomatic capacities and specialized in the diplomatic efforts regarding Iran, U.S.-Israel relations, and regional security.
Ambassador Issacharoff has worked for the Israeli government since 1982. From 1993 to 1998 and from 2005 to 2009 he worked as diplomat in Washington, D.C. at Embassy of Israel. In 2005, while serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, he was promoted to the rank of Senior Ambassador. He also served on the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board for Disarmament Affairs from 2003 to 2008.
Ambassador Eric Edelman is the Roger Hertog Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence at the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Ambassador Edelman was formerly Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, U.S. Ambassador to Finland, and Principal Deputy Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs. As a career Foreign Service Officer, he received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, and several Department of State Superior Honor Awards.
Ambassador Edelman is a distinguished fellow at the Center of Strategic and Budgetary Assessment and a senior associate of the international security program at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. He also serves on the National Defense Panel, the bipartisan board of directors of the United States Institute of Peace, and is a Foreign Policy Initiative board member.
Dean’s Speaker Series
The Dean’s Speaker Series is the highest profile speaker series at Johns Hopkins SAIS. The series will host a diverse array of prominent international affairs practitioners and business leaders for insightful perspectives and thought-provoking discussions on international relations, leadership and other relevant topics that impact our focus areas. This fall will feature distinguished experts around themes such as American Foreign Policy and the 2020 Election, International Order after Coronavirus, Targets of Opportunity in the Global Arena, and Race Relations, Civic Engagement and Global Social Movements. All events require pre-registration and are free and open to the public.
Zbigniew Brzezinski Initiative
To recognize Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski’s legacy, the Johns Hopkins SAIS Foreign Policy Institute has established a unique set of academic programs that build on the school’s strengths as a leading center for training graduate students in international policy and relevant academic research. This recognition comprises both immediate programming and longer-term plans, which together will equip a new generation of policy experts capable of the authoritative analysis, strategic vision, and active diplomacy that were hallmarks of Dr. Brzezinski’s role as a scholar, policy advisor, and statesman. For more information, visit: https://sais.jhu.edu/zbigniew-brzezinski-initiative
Johns Hopkins SAIS
A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today's critical issues. For more than 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school's interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.
For more information, visit sais.jhu.edu or on Twitter @SAISHopkins
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