Journalist, former ambassador to discuss Israel-Palestine conflict on Sept. 16

September 11, 2014

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- ACCENT Speakers Bureau at the University of Florida and the Jewish Student Union will host a conversation between Ambassador Michael Oren and Italian-Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal on Sept. 16.

Oren and Jebreal will discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict. Students may submit questions for the speakers by visiting: http://bit.ly/accentquestions.

Oren served as Israel’s Ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013.  He now holds the Abba Eban Chair in International Diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel, and is Ambassador-in-Residence at the Atlantic Council.

Born in the United States, Oren moved to Israel and enlisted as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, seeing action in the Lebanon War. As an officer, he served as a liaison to the U.S. Sixth Fleet during the Gulf War and as an IDF spokesman during the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead. Oren is an expert in Middle East history.

Jebreal, born in Haifa, and raised in East Jerusalem, is an award-winning journalist, author and foreign policy analyst. She became the first foreign anchorwoman in the history of Italian television. She has received numerous accolades, including the highest award in journalism, the International Ischia Award. She has interviewed Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, former Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema and Bill Gates.

Jebreal covered the second Iraqi war, the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war, she hosted a news show for Egyptian television in 2009, and in 2011 she was in Syria to cover the civil war for Newsweek and the Daily Beast. She has appeared frequently on CNN, FOX News and Charlie Rose and was a foreign policy analyst for MSNBC. She has written several books, including the widely acclaimed autobiographical novel “Miral” (2003), which was published in 15 languages and was later made into a feature film of the same title.

The program starts at 8 p.m. at the University Auditorium. Doors open at 7 p.m., and admission is free. Students with a valid Gator 1 ID can pick up tickets from the University Auditorium box office at noon on Sept. 15. The general public can pick up any remaining tickets from the box office at 7 p.m. the day of the show. Photography is not allowed during the program, but press may record and photograph during the first five minutes of remarks.

For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please email accommodate@sg.ufl.edu or call 711 at least 72 hours prior to the event.