Progressives’ Dilemma: Promoting Peace and Defending Democracy in Israel with Akiva Eldar

Event with Akiva Eldar

Saturday, October 24 at 12:45pm

at Congregation Beth Elohim
Eighth Avenue & Garfield Place,
Park Slope, Brooklyn

*Light lunch will be served

This event is sponsored by the New Israel Fund

and Co-sponsored by: Congregation Beth Elohim, Meretz USA, APN, Brit Tzdek, and J-Street

Biography
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Akiva Eldar is currently a chief political columnist and editorial writer for the prestigious Israeli national daily Ha'aretz. His columns also appear regularly in the Ha'aretz-Herald Tribune edition. In May 2006 The Financial Times selected him among the most prominent and influential commentators in the world," whose comments inspire callers from across the political spectrum".

Mr. Eldar was previously (1993-1996) the Ha'aretz US Bureau Chief and Washington correspondent, covering the Peace Process, US-Israel relations, American issues and Israel-Diaspora relations. Prior to this post, Mr. Eldar was for ten years (1983-1993) the diplomatic correspondent for Ha'aretz and its municipal correspondent covering Jerusalem (1978-1983). Before joining Ha'aretz he was a reporter and an editor at the Israeli Public Radio (1974-1978) and served as spokesperson for former Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek (1972-1974).

Mr. Eldar's book "The ambush on Jerusalem", on US-Israel-Jewish community relations, was Published (November 2002) by "The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies". His last book ( with Prof. Idith Zertal) ,"lords of the land", on the Jewish settlements in the West bank was in 2005 on the best sellers list in Israel and was published in 2007 in English
(Nation Books) and German (DVA). In 2007 he received the annual "Search for Common Ground" award for Middle East journalism.

Mr. Eldar was a special consultant to Abba Eban's PBS television documentaries on the history of Israel and the Oslo peace initiative. He is regularly interviewed by major television and radio networks in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe and Israel. He appeared many times on news programs such as Nightline, The Lehrer Show, Charlie Roze Show, CNN News and CBS Morning News, current affair programs on Israeli television, as well as NPR talk shows.

Mr. Eldar contributes to the op-ed pages of The New York Times, LA Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The International Herald Tribune and The New York Jewish Week. During his stay in the US Mr. Eldar lectured extensively for the Jewish community and on campuses throughout the US, Canada and Australia. He participated in various Israeli-Arab-European seminars.

Mr. Eldar is the chairman of Ramat-Gan College as well as the Amos Ganor Fund, which promotes Israeli-Palestinian Relations and the friendship between Israel and Japan.

Mr. Eldar was born in Haifa, Israel in 1945. He graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he majored in Economics, Political Science and Psychology.