Israel and Her Neighbors

Liad Porat

Junior Research Fellow

Porat was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University from 2009-2010. He completed his Ph.D. in Middle Eastern history with honors at Haifa University. His dissertation topic was: The Egyptian and Syrian Muslim Brothers and their Struggle against the Secular Arab Regimes from the Beginning of the 1970s to the Early 1990s: Opposition Discourse and a Radicalization Shift. In addition, Porat has published several articles which deal with the Brotherhood's activities in the modern Arab World and has taught several courses at Haifa University.

Topics:

• Israeli-  Syrian Relations
• Israeli- Egyptian Relations
• Muslim Brotherhood

Asaf Romirowsky

Middle East analyst Asaf Romirowsky is the former Manager of Israel and Middle East Affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia as well as an Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Forum.

Mr. Romirowsky got his start in the policy world as a research fellow at the Middle East Forum, a Philadelphia-based think tank headed by scholar Daniel Pipes. Mr. Romirowsky, is a former Israel Defense Force (IDF) International Relations liaison officer in the West Bank, currently serves as an IDF reserve liaison officer to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He holds a B.A. in Middle East Affairs and Contemporary Jewish History and from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an M.A. in International Relations and Middle East Affairs from Villanova University, where he focused on the differences and similarities between the Mitchell Report in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.

In addition, he earned another M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from West Chester University. He is currently a PhD candidate at Kings College London, focusing on UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) documenting when and how they lost their humanitarian integrity as a UN agency.

Mr. Romirowsky has published numerous scholarly journal articles, national newspaper editorials, and magazine features. Mr. Romirowsky has traveled widely in Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Tunisia, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories.

Topics:

• Israeli- Egyptian Relations
• Israeli- Turkey Relations
• Israeli- Jordanian Relations
• Israel in the Middle East- a Broad Perspective

Kelly Anne Smith

Kelly Anne Smith is the Director of Political Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel to New England in Boston.

As Director of Political Affairs, Miss Smith is the political advisor to the Consul General and liaison to all government officials and political candidates in New England. She also serves as legislative analyst for both federal and state legislatures in the Consulate’s jurisdiction. In addition, she is responsible for the introduction, development & maintenance of important political contacts & relationships; including local, state & federal government offices, as well as political & special interest groups. Complimentary to her role as political director, she also assists in the communications and new media strategy of the Consulate. She has served as point person on official visits by former Foreign Minister & Vice Prime Minister Tzipi Livni and His Exellency, Dr. Michael Oren, Ambassador of Israel to the United States, as well as the Israeli lead on Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s trade mission to Israel in March 2011.

She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Global Studies, concentrating on the Middle East, from Emmanuel College, Boston. She graduated with “Distinction in the Field” for both majors and authored two theses: “Reassessing an Alliance: The Evolution and Future of U.S.-Israeli Relations” and “A Bridge Over the River Jordan: Why the Israeli-Jordanian Peace Treaty Actually Worked.” She began her career at the Consulate in the winter of 2007 as an intern, and then joined the staff in September 2007.

Topics:

• U.S.-Israeli Relations
• Jordanian-Israeli Relations
• Iran Sanctions & Divestment
• Strategic & Effective Public Diplomacy
• The American Political Landscape & Its Effect on Israel
• Official Greetings from the Consulate General of Israel