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The Relationship Between U.S. and Israel: An Inside Perspective
U.S. foreign policy expert David Makovsky’s opinions shape the U.S. approach to action in the Middle East. He has testified before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the full U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, and on multiple occasions before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Middle East Subcommittee. He has also worked in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of State, serving as a senior advisor to the Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations. In this enlightening conversation, Makovsky presents the past, present, and possible future of U.S.-Israel relations.
The Israel-Hamas War: What It Means, What Do We Learn and Where Does it Go?
In his position as a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, David Makovsky follows Middle East developments very closely, often traveling to the region even during times of crisis. He is respected for his analysis about developments in the Mideast and the way that the Biden Administration at the White House, State Department, and other parts of the government formulate Mideast policy at the time of crisis. Makovsky draws on his experiences as a former senior advisor to the Secretary of State to analyze the potential impact of today’s Mideast and Israeli news on communities, organizations, and markets. In this accessible, informative conversation, Makovsky leverages his role as a Washington insider with powerful connections to shed light on the region’s current climate.
Profiles of Mideast Leaders: What Are Their Priorities? Who Are Their Successors? What Should We Know?
Makovsky has been following Mideast leaders for decades. He has enjoyed wonderful access during his travels. He understands how each key leader sees the region: their motivations, their political environment, and their policy objectives. In his book co-authored with Dennis Ross, Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny, Makovsky provides a thoughtful portrait of four Israeli leaders, looking at their decisions that shaped the country and the Mideast. In this talk, Makovsky provides an accessible profile of each key leader in this important region.
David Makovsky’s ‘Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East’ illuminates the U.S.’s positionality in the region
Foreign policy expert DAVID MAKOVSKY’s Washington Post bestseller, Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East, is a must-read for anyone looking to better understand the U.S.’s history and position in the Middle East. With a depth of journalistic experience, Makovsky combines true stories with high-level analysis in a way that is as digestible, accessible, and informative as his live events.
Makovsky discusses his first-hand experience in diplomatic correspondence to engage audiences in the thought projects of peace. Makovsky previously served as the Executive Editor of the Jerusalem Post and was the diplomatic correspondent for Ha’aretz, as well as contributing editor to U.S. News and World Report. He has won the National Press Club’s Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence. As a former journalist and current professor, Makovsky is an expert in breaking down nuanced geopolitical topics involving the U.S. in Middle East for any audience.
Watch David Makovsky in conversation at the Pinsker Center here >>
Watch David Makovsky’s keynote address at BESA here >>
American Campuses, Israel, and the Mideast: Should Americans Be Alarmed?
Long-time professor of Middle East studies DAVID MAKOVSKY brings his energy, knowledge, and passion for peace to colleges and universities worldwide. Over the past decade, Makovsky has made over 175 college visits about Israel-Palestine coexistence and the peace process. A great fit for any group, Makovsky loves to engage with difficult questions. His conversations prioritize respect, openness, and honesty.
A long-time adjunct professor of Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University in the School of Advanced International Studies, Makovsky is deeply knowledgeable, highlighting timely scholarship and news topics. He provides an informed perspective rooted in historical facts, addressing sensitive, high-profile issues with the utmost care. Iowa State University said, “David was great with the students and community members in the audience… several faculty members spoke highly of his presentation and his handling of the difficult questions that followed!”
Watch David Makovsky in conversation at the American Enterprise Institute here >>
Watch David Makovsky’s keynote at Tedx Johns Hopkins here >>
David Makovsky is the Ziegler distinguished fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process. He is also an adjunct professor in Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). In 2013-2014, he worked in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of State, serving as a senior advisor to the Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations.
Author of numerous Washington Institute monographs and essays on issues related to the Middle East Peace Process and the Arab-Israeli conflict, he is also coauthor, with Dennis Ross, of the 2009 Washington Post bestseller Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East (Viking/Penguin). His 2011 maps on alternative territorial solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were reprinted by the New York Times in the paper's first interactive treatment of an op-ed. His widely acclaimed September 2012 New Yorker essay, "The Silent Strike," focused on the U.S.-Israel dynamics leading up to the 2007 Israeli attack on Syrian nuclear facilities.
Mr. Makovsky is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. His commentary on the peace process and the Arab-Israeli conflict has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and National Interest. He appears frequently in the media to comment on Arab-Israeli affairs, including PBS NewsHour.
He has testified before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the full U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, and on multiple occasions before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Middle East Subcommittee.
In last several years, he has made over 120 visits to American college campuses to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has done a TEDx talk on this issue for the college audience.
Before joining The Washington Institute, Mr. Makovsky was an award-winning journalist who covered the peace process from 1989 to 2000. He is the former executive editor of the Jerusalem Post, was diplomatic correspondent for Israel's leading daily, Haaretz, and is a former contributing editor to U.S. News and World Report. He served for eleven years as that magazine's special Jerusalem correspondent. He was awarded the National Press Club's 1994 Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence for a cover story on PLO finances that he cowrote for the magazine.
In July 1994, as a result of personal intervention by then Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Mr. Makovsky became the first journalist writing for an Israeli publication to visit Damascus. In total, he has made five trips to Syria, the most recent in December 1999 when he accompanied then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. In March 1995, with assistance from U.S. officials, Mr. Makovsky was given unprecedented permission to file reports from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for an Israeli publication.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Makovsky received a bachelor's degree from Columbia University and a master's degree in Middle East studies from Harvard University.
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