Dear Will,

 

I am Merav Zafary-Odiz, and I'm the Chief Instructor at the Israel National Defense College(INDC). Thank for your message.

 

We would like to check the possibility of having Ambassador Ross teach a short course in our next school year. The course will be part of what we call "The International Season", and we would like it to generally deal with Geo-Strategy and acquaint the participants with the international system. We intend that this course will take place fairly early in the school year (which begins on September 2^nd), and after they cover basic concepts and pillars of national security.

 

This will be the first time that we offer such a course, and a course in English in particular, and we are certain that given Ambassador Ross'  academic and professional experience he is extremely fit to teach this topic at the INDC.

 

We think that mid October will be a good timing to begin this course, in terms of the overall course structure and schedule, although I would note that we are fairly flexible regarding the start time of the course as well as the number of sessions. The course can be about 6 sessions of 90 minutes each, and we intend to add additional relevant content with some practitioners. We are also fairly flexible with regards to the number of sessions per day and per week (hence, we can in theory conclude within a week.)

 

If Ambassador Ross would be available to arrive to Israel for this purpose, the INDC will of course cover all his travel and accommodation expenses involved. We may also consider conducting this course virtually depending on the situation related to COVID-19 and his ability to travel at this time.

 

Finally, as initial information regarding the class size and composition, I would note that we have around 40 participants, 7 of which are international students (including two American officers), and the rest are Israelis, half of which are military officers (mostly colonels) and the rest are from the defense establishment and other government agencies and ministries. I would also add that as part of the program, the participants receive a (tailor made) Masters degree in political science from the Haifa University.

 

Looking forward to your feedback.

 

Best regards,

 

Ambassador Merav Zafary-Odiz

Chief Instructor

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Matar Or,

 

I hope all is well and that you're having a nice day. My name is Will Ellison, and I am Ambassador Dennis Ross' assistant - it's a pleasure to (virtually) meet you.

 

I received word from my colleague at the Washington Institute press office that you were seeking to get in touch with Amb. Ross to see about the possibility of his lecturing at the Israel National Defense College. If you could please provide me with some additional information about your request that would be greatly appreciated. Most helpful would be if there's a particular time frame you had in mind (this summer, later in the year, etc.), a particular topic you had in mind for the lecture, how long you would want the lecture to be, if you were hoping for this lecture to be delivered in person or via video conference, and if there is an honorarium involved.

 

Thank you very much,

Will

 

Will Ellison

Research Associate and Personal Assistant to Ambassador Dennis Ross

Washington Institute for Near East Policy

(202)-759-9467 | WEllison@washingtoninstitute.org