Implications of Annexation on the U.S.-Israel Relationship

Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn Visiting Assistant Professor, Israel Studies, Northwestern University

Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn is currently the Visiting Assistant Professor in Israel Studies at the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies at Northwestern University.  Her expertise focuses on Diaspora-Israel relations, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Israeli ultra-nationalist movement. Her first book, City on a Hilltop: American Jews and the Israeli Settler Movement (Harvard, 2017), hailed as a landmark contribution to the field, was the winner of the 2018 Sami Rohr Prize in Jewish Literature Choice Award, a finalist for the 2017 National Jewish Book Award, and a nominee for the 2021 Grawemeyer Award in Religion.  She is currently working on a new book manuscript tentatively entitled "New Day in Babylon and Jerusalem:  Zionism, Jewish Power, and Identity Politics Since 1967" on American Zionism since the Six Day War.   She teaches courses and mentors both undergraduate and graduate students in Israel Studies and related fields.  Prior to her appointment at Northwestern, Dr. Hirschhorn was the University Research Lecturer and Sidney Brichto Fellow in Israel Studies at the University of Oxford (2013-2018) and a postdoctoral fellow in Israel Studies at Brandeis University (2012-2013).  She is a graduate of Yale University (B.A.) and the University of Chicago (M.A., Ph.D) and the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships.  Apart from her academic work, Dr. Hirschhorn is also a prominent voice bringing scholarship into the public square as a frequent public speaker, writer, media commentator, and foreign policy consultant on Israel/Jewish Affairs.  Follow her work at sarahirschhorn1@twitter.

Ambassador Dennis Ross Counselor & William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Ambassador Dennis Ross is counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Prior to returning to the Institute in 2011, he served two years as special assistant to President Obama and National Security Council senior director for the Central Region, and a year as special advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process and dealing directly with the parties in negotiations. A highly skilled diplomat, Ambassador Ross was U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. He was instrumental in assisting Israelis and Palestinians to reach the 1995 Interim Agreement; he also successfully brokered the 1997 Hebron Accord, facilitated the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty, and intensively worked to bring Israel and Syria together.

Read Amb. Ross's complete biography here.

Ron Halber (rhalber@jcouncil.org) Chief Executive Officer

Ron Halber is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and a highly-sought-after speaker on Israel and Jewish affairs, both locally and nationally. 

Having served as executive director since 2001, and in previous roles at the JCRC since 1997, Ron has developed a wide range of strategic initiatives and partnerships to position JCRC as the leading voice on Jewish advocacy and fighting antisemitism in the Washington, D.C. region. An expert in strategic organizational planning and widely respected for his sharp political acumen, Ron has received numerous awards for professional excellence and community impact.

Under Ron’s innovative leadership, the JCRC has secured tens of millions of dollars for local Jewish agencies, successfully advocated for the passage of state and local legislation, planned and executed several new pro-Israel initiatives and bolstered relationships with other faith and community organizations. His fundraising efforts have enabled the JCRC to dramatically expand its staff and footprint throughout the region, making it one of the most influential and respected Jewish advocacy organizations in the nation.

Ron has had numerous op-eds published and is frequently interviewed by local, national and international media outlets on a range of topics facing the Jewish community, including current events in Israel and the Middle East, the rise of antisemitism and security needs for Jewish institutions, and legislative and political affairs at the local, state and national levels.

Ron previously worked in politics and political campaigns, including a stint as an aide to U.S. Senator Charles “Chuck” Schumer. He holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University and bachelor’s degree from the University of Albany in New York.

Ron and his wife, Michelle, live in Germantown with their three children.