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Debaters include Fleur Hassan-Nahoum (fmr Jerusalem Dep. Mayor), Dennis Ross (U.S. Ambassador), Mohammed Dajani Daoudi (Palestinian peace activist), and Elliott Abrams (CFR, Bush admin. alum)
On July 16, nonpartisan debate series Open to Debate (formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S.) in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations is taping a live debate in New York City on the question “Is the Two State Solution Still Viable?” Unusually for such discussions, the debaters include leaders from all sides of the current conflict.
Arguing YES are Ambassador Dennis Ross, who for more than twelve years played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations, and Palestinian peace activist Mohammed Dajani Daoudi, founder of the Wasatia movement, which seeks to promote tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.
Arguing NO are former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who has been serving as Israel's special envoy for innovation since September 2023 and is the first woman to be appointed as Secretary General for Kol Israel, the ideological successor to the General Zionist Party in the World Zionist Congress, and CFR Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies Elliott Abrams, who served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House.
The debate will tape in front of an invite-only audience on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 6:00 PM (pre-debate cocktails at 5:30) at the Council on Foreign Relations’ office in New York City. Media are invited to attend and can email raypadgett@shorefire.com for access.
DEBATER BIOS – ARGUING YES
* Ambassador Dennis Ross: Counselor and Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Dennis Ross is a counselor and the William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization. For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations. He served over two years as special assistant to President Obama, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Central Region, and as the special advisor on Iran to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Ambassador Ross is the author of five books on the peace process, the Middle East, and international relations, most recently “Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel's Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny,” written with David Makovsky. Since leaving the government in 2011, he has authored op-eds in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other publications. He has been awarded the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, along with the State Department's highest award.
* Mohammed Dajani Daoudi: Palestinian Peace Activist and Scholar; Founding Director of the Wasatia Academic Institute
Dr. Mohammed Dajani Daoudi is a Palestinian scholar, peace activist, and the founder of the Wasatia movement, which seeks to promote tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and peaceful coexistence. At the Wasatia Academic Institute, he created an interdisciplinary doctorate program teaching reconciliation, moderation, and ethics. He was previously a political science professor, head of libraries, and founding director of the American Studies Graduate Program at Al-Quds University, and the former Weston Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Dajani gained attention in 2014 when he took Al-Quds University students on a tour of the Auschwitz concentration camp. He has written extensively on Arab culture and politics, including an International Herald Tribune op-ed he co-authored with Robert Satloff about why Palestinians should learn about the Holocaust. Dajani is also the author of numerous books in English and Arabic including “Holocaust Human Agony: Is There a Way Out of Violence?”, “Jerusalem from the Lens of Wasatia”, and “Teaching Moderation and Reconciliation in Midst of Conflict”. He is the founding director of the Jerusalem Studies and Research Institute, chair of the board of directors of the House of Water and Environment in Ramallah, and a member of the board of directors of the YMCA in Jerusalem.
DEBATER BIOS – ARGUING NO
* Elliott Abrams: Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations
Elliott Abrams is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House, and as Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela in the Trump administration. From 1996 until joining the White House staff, Abrams was president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. He was the assistant secretary of state for United Nations affairs, human rights, and Latin America during the Reagan Administration. Abrams is the author of five books: “Undue Process, Security and Sacrifice, Faith or Fear: How Jews Can Survive in a Christian America,” “Tested by Zion: The Bush Administration and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” and most recently “Realism and Democracy: American Foreign Policy After the Arab Spring.” He is the editor of three more books, including “The Influence of Faith: Religious Groups and U.S. Foreign Policy.” He is a member of the Advisory Board established by the Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA).
* Fleur Hassan-Nahoum: Former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem; Israel’s Special Envoy for Trade & Innovation
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum is an Israeli politician, policymaker, and media expert. She studied law at Kings College, London. She qualified as a barrister in Middle Temple in 1997 and practiced in London before immigrating to Israel in 2001. Before joining politics, Fleur worked in the Jewish nonprofit world and helmed her own communications consulting business. In May 2016, Fleur became a City Councilor in Jerusalem and in February 2017 the leader of the Opposition. In November 2018, Fleur was re-elected to the Jerusalem Municipal Council and was appointed Deputy Mayor for foreign relations, economic development, and tourism. Fleur co-founded the UAE-Israel Business Council and the Gulf Israel Women’s Forum in 2020. Since September 2023, Fleur has been serving as Israel's special envoy for innovation. She is the first woman to be appointed as Secretary General for Kol Israel, the ideological successor to the General Zionist Party in the World Zionist Congress. Fleur recently joined the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy as a senior fellow and sits on the international advisory council. Fleur completed her tenure as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem in March 2024, and she remains involved in the advancement of women's rights and marginalized populations in the city, through economic development and the fight for a pluralistic Jerusalem.
ABOUT OPEN TO DEBATE
Open to Debate addresses a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. We are the nation's only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues. We know debate works to find common ground: On average, 32% of the Open to Debate audience changes their mind on contentious topics after hearing a debate. That’s the power of debate done right, and at scale, it can change the direction we’re headed in America. Open to Debate is broadcast as a weekly public radio program, carried on NPR stations including WNYC (#1 in the nation). Open to Debate is made available as a podcast, video series, and digital platform, and records episodes with live audiences nationwide. Visit opentodebate.org to become a member, access an archive of more than 220 debates, and attend live events.
ABOUT THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. CFR takes no institutional positions on policy issues and has no affiliation with the U.S. government. All views expressed in its publications and on its website are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.
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For more information on Open to Debate, contact Ray Padgett (raypadgett@shorefire.com) or Mark Satlof (msatlof@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media. For more information about the Council on Foreign Relations, please contact Lauran Potter (lpotter@cfr.org) or Cary Holley (cholley@cfr.org).
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