Ron Prosor, newly appointed Israeli ambassador to Great Britain, is scheduled to speak on campus this evening about the current political climate in the Middle East and the changes it has undergone over time.
Prosor said he plans to speak of the shifting relations between Middle Eastern nations ““ specifically Iranian politics ““ and the global effects of these political developments in the Middle East.
“I will talk about the strategic environment in the Middle East, and the changes in that strategic environment from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon,” Prosor said.
“The basic idea is to show the changes in the region, what those changes mean, their application, and their effect on the peace process.”
Prosor said he sees those changes as the widening of conflict from Muslims and Jews to include conflict among different Muslim groups.
He cited the current Shiite and Sunni conflict in Iraq as an example of this.
Prosor said he believes another example of the changes in Middle Eastern politics is that the presence of fundamentalist Islam has brought the interests of moderate Arab states and Israel closer together.
With regard to the numerous current conflicts in the Middle East, Prosor said he will attempt to address the issues as directly as possible.
“I won’t shy from going into the conflict,” the ambassador said. “We have a certain problem in (the Middle East), and there are no easy answers.
“On the other side, we need to be able to give some answers. This is a balancing act that is not easy.”
Gilad Millo, an Israeli consul in Los Angeles, said UCLA is just one of Prosor’s stops on a trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
The ambassador plans to deliver speeches at a variety of venues, including a youth leadership group and Jewish organizations.
Prosor was formerly the director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and in 2002 was recognized for distinguished service at the ministry.
He has held positions in Israeli embassies in the United States and in Europe, where he served as a spokesman for the embassies in London and Bonn, Germany.
Millo pointed to Prosor’s experience as an important asset in his analysis of the political climate.
“Ambassador Prosor is a seasoned diplomat who has been around the world and was director general of the Foreign Ministry, so obviously his perspective is one of an expert,” Millo said.
UCLA political science Professor Leonard Binder also said because of Prosor’s experience working in the Israeli foreign ministry, he believes the lecture will be very informative.
“We expect and look forward to a comprehensive statement of Israeli foreign policy at this time, in which Israel faces challenges as a consequence of political changes among the Palestinians, increasing tensions between the United States and Iran, the uncertain unfolding of events in Iraq, and the realignment of political and military forces in Lebanon,” Binder said.