Peace in the Middle East In the Shadow of Gaza and Iran Oded Eran Director, The Institute for National Security Studies in Israel

Thursday, February 19th The Westin Galleria Hotel The Monarch Room 5060 West Alabama Within hours of his confirmation, U.S. envoy George Mitchell headed to the Middle East. He moved quickly because of the fighting in Gaza. In the background, Iran’s nuclear program added a sense of urgency. What are the implications to regional peace if Iran gets the bomb? How would a nuclear Iran alter the region’s alignments? What are Israel’s options? Dr. Oded Eran is presently the Director of the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, and was formerly the Ambassador of Israel to the European Union. His forty years with the Foreign Service have included postings in the Israeli embassies in London and Washington. While Ambassador to Jordan, he led the Israeli team in negotiations with the Palestinians. As Deputy Director-General for Economic Affairs in the Foreign Ministry, he directed negotiations on the Association Agreement with the European Union in 1995 and participated in the talks on the Paris Economic Agreement with the Palestinians. Dr. Eran earned a doctorate in political science from the London School of Economics.