Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew and Former White House Senior Advisor Amos Hochstein join IIJS for a discussion, moderated by IIJS Professor Rebecca Kobrin.
After October 7, 2023, when Hamas invaded Israel, the United States government responded with support and empathy. While the attack not only shattered assumptions about Jewish sovereignty, security, and politics, it has also reshaped Israel’s relationship with the United States, its ally for decades. In the months that followed, the U.S. government offered thoughtful support and made key interventions.
In this discussion, Jack Lew, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and current Professor of International and Public Affairs and faculty policy director of the Institute of Global Politics, and Amos Hochstein, Senior Advisor to President Biden and his Lead Envoy to the Middle East and currently Carnegie Distinguished Fellow at SIPA's Institute for Global Politics, reflect on this transformational moment from the vantage point of the American government.
How did the Biden administration see and make sense of October 7 and its consequences? How should this moment be integrated into the broader history of US/Israel relations? What insights do those from inside the Situation Room offer for understanding this moment? In what ways are they making sense of the current shifts in the Democratic Party as a result of the Hamas–Israel conflict reshaping the Middle East?
The Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies continues this vital conversation with the third event in our series, Framing October 7.
Secretary Jack Lew returned to Columbia/SIPA as Professor of International and Public Affairs and faculty policy director of the Institute of Global Politics after serving as United States Ambassador to Israel in the Biden Administration. Previously, he served as the 76th Secretary of the Treasury and White House Chief of Staff in the Obama Administration. Earlier, under President Obama, he served as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a position he also held in President Clinton's cabinet when the U.S. budget operated at a surplus for three consecutive years.
Amos Hochstein serves as Managing Partner at TWG Global, a diversified holding company focused on scaling innovative businesses across AI, technology, financial services, energy, and sports. He is a recognized global energy expert, senior negotiator, and business executive with extensive experience in national security, economic strategy, and international investments. He has been at the forefront of shaping US national security, energy security, infrastructure investments, and high-stakes negotiations.
Rebecca Kobrin is the Russell and Bettina Knapp Associate Professor of American Jewish History, in Columbia University’s Department of History, where she teaches in the field of American Jewish History, specializing in modern Jewish migration. She also served as the Co-Director of the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies at Columbia.
*Registered guests will receive the Zoom webinar link via email on the morning of the event.
Co-Sponsored by the School of International and Public Affairs Institute of Global Politics
