Breakout Sessions Monday III

Panel Discussion - AIPAC on Campus: Creating Tomorrow's Leaders

Anti-Israel activity has become a regular phenomenon on college campuses around the country. From protests to divestment initiatives, students have attempted to create a hostile environment without parallel in American society. Amid this anti-Israel animus, AIPAC-trained student activists have worked vigilantly to ensure that campus leaders understand the challenges facing Israel and recognize the value of the U.S.-Israel relationship. By engaging their student government and politically oriented student groups, student activists have emerged as a potent force for pro-Israel activity. To describe the challenges and opportunities for pro-Israel students, we are joined by AIPAC'S most accomplished campus activists.

Moderator

• Mr. Jonathan Kessler

  Leadership Development Director, AIPAC

Featuring

• Ms. Susan Finch

  AIPAC Campus Activist, University of Pennsylvania

• Mr. Daniel Bleiberg

  AIPAC Campus Activist, Tufts University

Panel Discussion - An Explosive Environment: Israel and the Arab Revolts

Changes among Israel's neighbors over the past 20 months have made a naturally unstable environment even more volatile and dangerous. Thus, the political landscape in Egypt is now dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, a group which is traditionally hostile to Israel. The Sinai Peninsula, meanwhile, continues to be a source of enormous concern, as terrorist groups use the area to launch cross-border attacks into Israel. A similar threat may be unfolding to the north, where extremist Islamic organizations flowing into Syria could exploit the ongoing turmoil to attack Israel. This session discusses the impact of the changes in the Arab world on Israel's security and asks what Jerusalem can do to adapt.

Moderator

• Mr. David Gillette

  Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Featuring

• Mr. Michael Singh

  Managing Director, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

• Mr. David Horovitz

  Founding Editor, The Times of Israel

Panel Discussion - Cutting Edge Cooperation: U.S.-Israel Joint Missile Defense

More than 25 years ago, President Ronald Reagan challenged the U.S. scientific community to develop antiballistic missile technologies. The missile threat to the United States and our allies has steadily increased since then, in terms of both quality and quantity. To deal with this threat, the United States has teamed up with Israel in developing and deploying ever-sophisticated missile defense systems. These include the Arrow, the first system specifically designed to intercept ballistic missiles, and David's Sling, meant to tackle short- and medium-range missiles. Learn more about how the U.S. and Israel are working together to counter the growing missile threat.

Moderator

• Mr. Jeff Kuhnreich

  Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Featuring

• Mr. Ari Sacher

  Iron Dome Systems Project Manager, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems

Panel Discussion - Dangerous Delegitimization: The Campaign Against Israel in Europe

Europe has become a hotbed of anti-Israel activity in the past few years. While the European Union is Israel's biggest trading partner, and cultural and scientific ties between the two remain strong, individuals and groups seeking to destroy the European-Israeli relationship are becoming more vocal and aggressive. Attempts to demonize the Jewish state, accusations equating Zionism with racism and boycott calls are spreading throughout the continent. At the same time, there are also robust efforts to combat this delegitimization campaign. This session examines the campaign against Israel in Europe and discusses how the Jewish state can be ensured fair treatment.

Moderator

• Mr. Stephen Schneider

  Director, International Affairs, AIPAC

Featuring

• Dr. Alan Mendoza

  Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Henry Jackson Society

• The Honorable Scott Reid

  Member of Parliament, Canada

Panel Discussion - Global Reach: The Iranian Threat around the World

Iran has stopped at almost nothing in its increasingly aggressive pursuit of geopolitical dominance. Working with terrorist groups, local Shiite communities and likeminded radical leaders, the Islamic Republic already a decade ago established a "Shiite crescent" in the Mideast. More recently, it has also gained a significant foothold in Latin America, presenting the U.S. with a considerable challenge in our own backyard. What are the implications of Iran's growing global reach? What dangers does it pose to the U.S. and her allies? What is the U.S. government doing to counter this threat and what more can be done? Learn more about Iran's efforts to expand its circle of influence throughout the world and how the United States is responding.

Moderator

• Ambassador Brad Gordon

  Director, Policy and Govenment Affairs, AIPAC

Featuring

• Mr. Ilan Berman

  Vice President, American Foreign Policy Council

• Mr. Ash Jain

  Visiting Fellow, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Panel Discussion - Israel and India: Celebrating A 20-Year Partnership

India, the largest democracy in the world, and Israel, one of the smallest, share a great deal beyond their longstanding democratic traditions. In the 20 years since the establishment of full relations in 1992, the two countries have created a strong and mutually beneficial partnership based on common values and interests. Bilateral trade in a variety of fields, from security to pharmaceutics, has grown from a mere $200 million in 1992 to more than $5 billion last year. Strong defense ties have been established, and mutual visits by top officials have become routine. This session discusses the Israel-India alliance and examines opportunities to further deepen the partnership between the countries.

Featuring

• Ambassador Arun Singh

  Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India to the United States

• Mr. Jeffrey Colman

  Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Panel Discussion - Lebanon in Limbo: The Cedar State Amid the Arab Uprisings

The violence gripping Lebanon's powerful neighbor Syria now threatens to engulf the Cedar state. Clashes have broken out between Sunnis supporting the Syrian uprising and Alawites, who side with President Assad. Lebanon's economy is feeling the strain of the uprising against Assad, as the bloodshed takes its toll on tourism and trade. Hizballah, meanwhile, is dealing with its own crisis. Though the terrorist group dominates the Lebanese government, it faces existential concerns over the fall of its ally in Damascus and a drop in support from the Sunni Arab world. This session examines the current situation in Lebanon and discusses what the turmoil in Syria means for the country.

Moderator

• Ms. Ester Kurz

  Director, Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC

Featuring

• Mr. Avi Issacharoff

  Palestinian and Arab Affairs Correspondent, Ha'aretz

• Mr. Andrew Tabler

  Senior Fellow, Program on Arab Politics, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Panel Discussion - Nuclear Nightmare: The Threat of an Iranian Atomic Bomb

Despite international pressure and increasingly tough sanctions, the Iranian nuclear program continues unabated. The emerging convergence between radical ideology, long-range missile capability and nuclear weapons in the hands of the mullahs is a threat not only U.S. allies in the region, but also to our national security. It is a threat to American forces in the Mideast and to our economic wellbeing, as Tehran would have the power to dictate oil prices. A nuclear Iran would embolden terrorist groups, and it would trigger a nuclear arms race in the region. Our experts examine what the Middle East and the world would look like if Iran obtained a nuclear weapon.

Moderator

• Dr. Marvin Feuer

  Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC

Featuring

• Dr. Michael Makovsky

  Foreign Policy Director, Bipartisan Policy Center

• Dr. Orde Kittrie

  Professor of Law , Arizona State University; Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Additional Programming - The AIPAC Tomorrow Campaign Legacy Lounge

Make your commitment to secure the U.S.-Israel relationship a lasting one. AIPAC's endowment team will be in the Legacy Lounges in the Commonwealth Complex before all plenary sessions and upstairs on the World Trade Center Mezzanine level during all breakout sessions. We will explore with you various planned giving options that might be most advantageous for your estate, including bequests, retirement assets and other planned giving options. Legacy gifts can be made both charitably and non-charitably to benefit both your heirs and AIPAC.

* - invited
† - this session open to Senate Club and above only