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.
Wednesday, October 7, at 12:30 p.m. | ZOOM
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.
Lew began his service in the White House in the Clinton Administration as Special Assistant to the President. In that position, he played a lead role in designing AmeriCorps, the national service program, and worked on health care reform with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. He began his career on Capitol Hill where he was Executive Director of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee under House Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr.
In the private sector, Lew served as managing director and chief operating officer for two different Citigroup business units and as Managing Partner at Lindsay Goldberg. Prior to that, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer of New York University, where he was responsible for budget, finance, and operations, and served as a professor of public administration. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Georgetown University Law Center and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Council on Foreign Relations.
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.
With over 20 years of experience in the White House, State Department, and Capitol Hill, Hochstein most recently served as deputy assistant and senior advisor to President Biden. He was the lead US negotiator in securing the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, negotiating a truce between Israel and Hezbollah. Previously, he negotiated several global economic and diplomatic agreements, including the Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary agreement, which resolved a long-standing dispute and enabled significant investment opportunities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Hochstein led negotiations leading to the historic India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC). Launched by leaders at the G20, IMEC connects the rail, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure of India and Europe through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
Hochstein was the driving force behind the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), leading global efforts to successfully mobilize billions of USD in investments in critical minerals and energy, high-speed digital infrastructure, commercial rail, and agribusiness. He also led the effort to revitalize the Lobito Corridor, a transformative infrastructure initiative that enhances trade and connectivity across Africa, as well as the Luzon Economic Corridor, which helped develop infrastructure in the Philippines and accelerate growth in critical industries by reducing energy and logistics costs.
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:
Supported by the generosity of the Radov and Kaye families.
While all IIJS events are free and open to the public, we do encourage a suggested donation of $10.