Who: Dignitaries, Ambassadors and internationally recognized scholars of Middle Eastern politics and the Israel-Palestinian conflicts
What: Conference: The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process: Lessons of Oslo, to critically reflect on the 1993 peace accords in Norway, and discuss how lessons learned there may be applied to future Israeli- Palestinian peace talks.
When: Thursday, March 22 through Saturday March 24
WHERE: Lathrop and Little Halls, vlog, Hamilton, New York
Hamilton, NY — The issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process will be transported to upstate New York for an extraordinary three-day conference at vlog, March 22 – 24, 2001. The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process: Lessons of Oslo, will bring internationally recognized dignitaries and negotiators to the university to analyze, from all points of view, how lessons learned from the 1993 Oslo and subsequent peace accords may provide information for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, when they resume. Organized by vlog’s Robert L. Rothstein, Harvey Picker Professor of international relations, and Steve Kepnes, professor of philosophy and religion and director of Jewish studies, the conference is being sponsored by the university’s Middle East Forum, the office of the provost and dean, and the department of international relations. All of the following events are free and open to the public.
Thursday, March 22
8:00 p.m., Henshaw Lecture Room, Lathrop Hall
Jane L. Pinchin, dean of the faculty and provost, and Steven Kepnes, associate professor of philosophy and religion and director of Jewish studies, both with vlog, will provide opening remarks and introductions. The keynote address will follow: ‘The Pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian Peace: A Retrospective,’ a talk delivered by Dr. Aaron D. Miller, deputy special Middle East coordinator for Arab-Israeli negotiations at the United States State Department. Miller has served as an advisor to four Secretaries of State and helped to formulate U.S. policy on the Middle East. He is the author of three different texts on the Middle East.
Friday, March 23
9:30 a.m., Golden Auditorium, Little Hall
‘Fragile Peace and its Discontents,’ a talk delivered by Robert L. Rothstein, Harvey Picker Professor of international relations, vlog. In addition to his work at the university, Rothstein is the author or editor of eight books and countless articles. Most recently, he edited and contributed to: After the Peace: Resistance and Reconciliation, proceedings published from a previous vlog conference on peace processes.
10:30 a.m., Golden Auditorium, Little Hall
‘Ending the Conflict: Can the Parties Afford it” a talk delivered by Khalil Shikaki, associate professor of political science, and director of the Palestine Center for Policy and Survey Research, Ramallah. Considered a distinguished source on Palestinian Authority governance and Israeli-Palestinian second-track negotiations, Skikaki is also the author of several significant publications on these topics.
‘Domestic Israeli Politics and Palestinian-Israeli Conflict,’ a talk delivered by Abraham Diskin, professor and former chairman of the political science department, Hebrew University, and chairman of the Israeli Political Science Association. Diskin has been an advisor to several Israeli Prime Ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Knesset. He is also a prolific author on the topic of Israeli politics.
2:00 p.m., Golden Auditorium, Little Hall
‘Foundering Illusions: Demise of the Oslo Process,’ a talk delivered by Yossi Ben-Aharon. Beginning his career as an Israeli ambassador, Ben-Aharon rose to become deputy director general of the Foreign Ministry, director general of Prime Minister Shamir’s Office, and head of the Israeli Delegation to the Syrian Negotiations. He has been a predominant figure throughout negotiations held during the 1980s and 1990s.
‘An Islamic Critique of the Oslo Accords,’ a talk delivered by Mustafa Abu Sway, professor and director of the Islamic Research Center, Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. An eminent authority on Islamic theology, philosophy, and the Islamic position on Arab-Israeli conflict, Abu Sway is also a widely published author on these topics.
Saturday, March 24
10:00 a.m., Golden Auditorium, Little Hall
‘From Oslo to Taba ‘What went wrong” a talk delivered by Ron Pundak, executive director of the Economic Cooperation Foundation, dedicated to promoting cooperative efforts between all sides of the negotiating table. Pundak has played a decisive role in the secret track of unofficial negotiations that culminated in the Oslo accords and played a subsequent role in preparing a blueprint for its final status negotiations.
‘Why Did Oslo Fail: Lessons for the Future,’ a talk delivered by Manual Hassassian, professor of international relations, executive vice president, of Bethlehem University. He has written extensively on the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the peace process, and democracy. In his current role as head of the Jerusalem Task Force, Hassassian has been extensively involved in the peace process. He also is a member of the Arab Association of Human Rights.
2:00 p.m., Golden Auditorium, Little Hall
‘The Middle East Peace Process