As hopes fade for the traditional two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, alternative solutions are being increasingly considered and debated. There's growing interest in the idea of a confederation between Israel and Palestine, but what would this actually entail, how would it work and is it really feasible? To address these questions, the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy and the USC Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life are jointly hosting a conversation with Yossi Beilin and Hiba Husseini, veteran peace negotiators and the authors of a new plan for a "Holy Land Confederation."

 About the Event 

The final installment in an innovative series bringing together scholars, thinkers, and policy-makers of different visions to reflect on the current impasse in Israel-Palestine and share proposals for the future. Former Israeli Minister of Justice and Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin and former legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team Hiba Husseini are calling for the establishment of a joint Israeli-Palestinian confederation, without any "artificial partition." Israel and Palestine would be two independent states as part of this confederation, each with its own parliament and government, but will also have joint institutions that will deal with common issues such as water, infrastructure, environment, government and emergency services. The discussion will be moderated by Professor Dov Waxman, Director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. This event is co-sponsored with The USC Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life and The UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy.

CLICK HERE to watch Part 1 of the webinar series.

CLICK HERE to watch Part 2 of the webinar series.

 About the Speakers

Dr. Hiba Husseini chairs the Legal Committee to Final Status Negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis and has served as legal advisor to the peace process negotiations since 1994. Prior to returning to Palestine in 1994, she practiced law in Washington, DC. Dr. Husseini is a member of a number of local, regional and international working groups on the peace process, especially the trade and economic relations and the status of Jerusalem. She has lectured in Palestine and abroad and participated in a large number of local and international conferences both on the peace process and professionally. She has written widely on the peace process, business law, rule of law and economic development. She holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University (1992) and an MA in Political Science from George Washington University (1986).

Dr. Yossi Beilin is an Israeli politician and scholar who has served in multiple ministerial and leadership positions in the Israeli government, including as the country's former Minister of Justice and Deputy Foreign Minister. Dr. Beilin was a significant figure in the 1990's Israeli–Palestinian peace process. He participated in the back-channel negotiations that eventually led to the adoption of the 1993 Oslo Accords, a framework agreement to end the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He has written various opinion pieces addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Israeli papers Haaretz and Israel Hayom. Dr. Beilin holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tel Aviv, where he also taught courses in Political Science for over a decade, and has published numerous books dealing with the peace process and Israeli politics and policy.

Dr. Dov Waxman (moderator) is the director of the Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies and The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair of Israel Studies at UCLA. Previously, he was a professor of political science, international affairs, and Israel Studies, and the Stotsky Professor of Jewish Historical and Cultural Studies at Northeastern University. His latest book is The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What Everyone Needs to Know (2019).

DISCLAIMER: The views or opinions of our guest speakers and the content of their presentations do not necessarily reflect the views of the UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Hosting speakers does not constitute an endorsement of the speaker's views or opinions.