JCPA Webinar: 'How Israel’s Founding Leaders Shaped the Jewish State'

The following statement was submitted by Michael Fromm, Chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). 

 Dear Friends,

On Thursday, November 21, JCPA held a webinar entitled, “How Israel’s Founding Leaders Shaped the Jewish State (and what we can learn from them)” featuring Dennis Ross and David Makovsky, two of JCPA’s most trusted advisors and thought leaders on Israel and the Middle East. Mr. Ross is an American diplomat who served under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama, and Mr. Makovsky is the Ziegler distinguished fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Project on Arab-Israel Relations who served as a senior advisor in the Obama Administration. They are co-authors of a new book, “Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny”.

At a time when the political destiny of Israel is more uncertain than at any moment since its modern founding, “Be Strong and of Good Courage” celebrates the defining generation of leaders who took on the task of safeguarding the country's future. Expertly moderated by JCPA board member Leslie Dannin Rosenthal, the webinar not only covered the authors’ portraits of four Israeli leaders – David Ben-Gurion, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon – who made historic decisions that required bold moves to ensure the country’s success and safety, but also how lessons learned from these leaders serve as a guide for Israel’s leaders today. Topics included the current status of the Israeli elections, the recent U.S. Administration statement on the legality of settlements and the quest to preserve Israel as a Jewish democratic state at a time when the prospects for a two state solution remain ambiguous.

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All the Best,