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As the state of Israel was established, diverse populations flooded its shores and carried within them conflicting visions of what this new, young nation-state would prioritize. Would it be fundamentally a Jewish state or a democracy? Was its nature forged from the Western enlightenment or from the yeshivot in Eastern Europe? Was just being “a normal state” alone, sufficient? Was it simply a haven, or a place of refuge for persecuted Jews around the globe to flee to? Or was it fundamentally going to be a place of inspiration, where the potential of sovereignty would unleash tremendous potential to aid, assist, and contribute to the rest of the world?

Come hear David Wurmser unpack the philosophical, theological, and sociological different visions of an ideal state of Israel, that have long been simmering just beneath the surface, and which have erupted on the streets today.

About the Speaker: Dr. David Wurmser is a senior analyst and director of the Project on Global anti-Semitism and the US-Israel Relationship at the Center for Security Policy, as well as being a senior fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum. He also is the executive and founding member of the Delphi Global Analysis Group, LLC – a firm specializing in geopolitical risk analysis and mitigation for infrastructure, high-tech, defense and financial firms from the United States, Japan and India navigating in Israel – – since its founding in 2007. From December 2018 until September 2019, Dr. Wurmser also served as senior advisor to the U.S. National Security Advisor, Ambassador John Bolton.

Prior to this, Dr. Wurmser was the senior advisor from 2003-2007 to the U.S. Vice President Cheney on Middle East, proliferation and strategic affairs. Before becoming the senior advisor for the Vice President in 2003, Dr. Wurmser was the senior advisor to Under Secretary of State John Bolton at the State Department.

Immediately following the 9/11 attacks, Dr. Wurmser consulted until January 2002 for the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the U.S. Department of Defense on a war‐related classified project on understanding the nature and strategic significance of terrorist group networks and their interactions with states.

Before entering government, Dr. Wurmser founded the Middle East studies program at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in 1996. While at AEI Dr. Wurmser, published Tyranny’s Ally: America’s Failure to Defeat Saddam Hussein.

Dr. Wurmser’s military service includes 11 years of intelligence experience in the U.S. Navy Reserves, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander. LCDR Wurmser was mobilized during the Operational Vigilant Warrior following Iraq’s surge toward Kuwait in 1994 to serve on the Iraq Intelligence Task for the DIA. He is the recipient of the prestigious Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Dr. Wurmser holds a B.A. (political science), M.A. (international affairs and international economics) and a Ph.D. (on U.S. foreign policy and Middle East affairs) from the Johns Hopkins University. In addition to his book, he has published extensively in in major periodicals including: The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Commentary.