Raanan Gissin, Former Senior Advisor to Ariel Sharon, to Speak at USC

Contact: Hillel Kurlandsky • Israel Advocacy and Education Coordinator • 818-461-4279 • hkurlandsky@jnf.org

April 13, 2007-- Los Angeles, CA -- Dr. Raanan Gissin, former senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, will address students and faculty at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at 6:15 p.m.

Dr. Gissin will visit the USC campus as a speaker for Caravan for Democracy (CFD), an initiative of Jewish National Fund and Media Watch International that drives constructive dialogue on college campuses throughout the United States by bringing different speakers from Israel to discuss the issues affecting Israel, how it is covered in the media, and its unique role as the only democracy in the Middle East. 

The lecture will take place in Taper Hall (THH) 212, located at 3501 Trousdale Parkway Los Angeles, California 90089.  It is co-sponsored by Israel on Campus Coalition, Hasbara Fellowships, USC Hillel, Chabad at USC, SCSI, and TIPAC. 

After the event, Dr. Gissin will speak at a private luncheon hosted by Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) for USC faculty and Caravan for Democracy fellows (students responsible for coordinating CFD programming on campus).  His briefing, entitled “Insights and Analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in a Regional and Global Perspective” will take place from 12:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m. at the University Club. Professors Moshe Lazar, Richard Lubman and Eric Roth will serve as SPME hosts for this first ever SPME event at USC.  The luncheon is co-sponsored by CFD and USC Hillel.

Dr. Gissin serves as a strategic consultant, commentator and lecturer on a variety of topics related to the Middle East and Israel.  Until 2005, he was senior advisor to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.  In recent years he has become one of Israel’s leading spokesmen for the foreign press and the international community on security and strategic issues and the peace process. 

A fifth generation Israeli born in Kibbutz Hasollelim, Dr. Gissin’s distinguished career with the Israel Defense Forces began in 1979 with his position as a strategic analyst in the planning branch, where he was involved in the planning and implementation of the Sinai withdrawal.  During most of the 1980’s, which included the war in Lebanon and the intifada in the territories, he served as an IDF spokesman. In 1991, Dr. Gissin served as special advisor to the Israeli delegation at the Madrid Peace Conference and the subsequent negotiations with Arab and Palestinian delegations in Washington, D.C.  After retiring from active duty in 1993, Dr. Gissin initiated and organized the Pension 200 Conference in Israel with senior Israeli economic leaders and top fund executives and investors from the United States.  In 1996, he was appointed spokesperson of the newly created Ministry of National Infrastructures headed by Ariel Sharon.

For more information contact Eric Roth ericroth@usc.edu or Hillel Kurlandsky at 323-964-1400 x 207 or hkurlandsky@jnf.org.

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