The History and Context of Peace Negotiations in the Middle East

Arts & Sciences Series on Enabling Difficult Conversations

Join us for an event with former Middle East peace negotiators Dennis Ross and Ghaith al-Omari in conversation with Arts and Sciences Dean Christa Acampora about the history and context of peace negotiations in the Middle East. This is the second event in the Arts & Sciences Enabling Difficult Conversations Series. The first event featured Dartmouth professors Susannah Heschel and Tareq el-Ariss in conversation about their long history of teaching together on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and bringing students into conversations across differences. In this series, UVA Arts & Sciences seeks to bring in conversation partners with expertise in the area of enabling difficult conversations.

Click here for an article recapping the discussion between Dennis Ross and Ghaith al-Omari.

Event Details

This conversation will take place on Tuesday, December 3 in Nau Hall, room 101, at 5PM. The event is open to the public, but registration is required. A catered reception will follow the conversation.

This event is co-sponsored by the UVA Jewish Studies Program, and the Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages & Cultures Department.

Registration required only for those attending in person. If you plan to watch the event over our YouTube livestream, no registration required; you can click on this link at 5 PM on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

Nau Hall is located at 1540 Jefferson Park Avenue. Free street parking is available nearby. Additional paid parking is available in the Central Grounds Garage, a ten-minute walk from Nau Hall.

Participant Bios

Ambassador Dennis Ross, William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute, teaches at Georgetown Unveristy's Center for Jewish Civilization. He led U.S. peace efforts in the Middle East under Presidents Bush and Clinton, helping broker key agreements, including the 1995 Interim Agreement and 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty.

Ghaith al-Omari is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute, focusing on the U.S.-Israel strategic relationship. Formerly executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine, he advised the negotiating team during the 1999-2001 permanent-status talks and held various roles in the Palestinian Authority.